Go Back
–+ servings
dutch oven full of korean chicken stew sprinkled with scallions.
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Spicy Asian Chicken Stew

Learn how to make Asian chicken stew with potatoes, tender chicken pieces, and potatoes coated in a spicy sauce made with Gochujang paste.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Stews
Cuisine: Korean
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 740kcal
Author: Adina

Equipment

  • Large Dutch oven or thick-bottomed pot

Ingredients

Sauce:

  • 1 ½ cups water
  • ¼ cups soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar Note 1
  • 1-2 tablespoons Korean Gochujang paste Note 2
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Stew:

  • 2.5 lbs chicken thighs
  • 1 lb potatoes
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 medium onion
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 1 thumb-size piece of ginger
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch optional, Note 3
  • 1-2 tablespoons cold water optional

Serving:

  • 2 scallions
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
  • fine sea salt
US - EU

Instructions

  • Combine sauce ingredients: Use a wide, thick-bottomed pot or Dutch oven that will hold all the chicken pieces in one single layer. Place the water, soy sauce, rice vinegar, Gochujang paste, honey, chili flakes, and pepper into the pot. Whisk well.
    1 ½ cups water + ¼ cups soy sauce + 2 tablespoons rice vinegar + 1-2 tablespoons Korean Gochujang paste + 2 tablespoons honey + ½ teaspoon red chili flakes + ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Cook chicken: Skin the chicken pieces and arrange them in the pot in a single layer. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes.
    2.5 lbs chicken thighs
  • Prepare vegetables: In the meantime, peel and chop the potatoes into large chunks. Cut the carrots and the onion into chunks as well. Peel the garlic cloves and chop them finely. Peel and grate the ginger.
    1 lb potatoes + 2 carrots + 1 medium onion + 6 garlic cloves + 1 thumb-size piece of ginger
  • Cook vegetables: Add the prepared vegetable to the pot and stir to make sure that they are all mixed in the sauce. Cover again and cook for further 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
  • Remove the lid from the pot and continue cooking for about 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is slightly thickened.
  • Thicken sauce: If you like your sauce to be thicker, you can thicken it with a small amount of cornstarch slurry. Mix cornstarch with cold water to form a thick yet still runny paste. Whisk this slurry into the boiling sauce, let it bubble briefly, and remove the pot from the heat.
    1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1-2 tablespoons cold water
  • Adjust taste: Stir in the sesame oil, check the seasoning, and sprinkle the chicken stew with chopped scallions and toasted sesame seeds just before serving.
    1 tablespoon sesame oil + fine sea salt + 2 scallions + 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Notes

  1. Cider vinegar can be used instead.
  2. Use Gochujang paste according to taste. My paste is medium, yet so hot I cannot use more than one tablespoon if I want the kids to be able to eat with us.
  3. The sauce: You will only need the cornstarch slurry (made with corn starch and water) if you desire your sauce to be thicker. Otherwise, you can leave this step out.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 of the dish | Calories: 740kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 79g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 366mg | Sodium: 1809mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 15g