Here’s how to make a hearty, flavorful Korean braised chicken dish, called jjimdak! It’s very easy to make at home with a few basic ingredients! Simply omit the chili peppers for a mild version.
Jjimdak (찜닭) is a braised chicken dish. Jjim generally refers to dishes that are steamed, stewed or braised in a sauce, and dak means chicken. These two syllables can be reversed, so jjimdak is also called dakjjim (닭찜). A popular spicy version is known as Andong jjimdak (안동찜닭). It’s a huge restaurant favorite that’s easy to make at home with a few basic ingredients!
What is Andong jjimdak?
Andong jjimdak, which originated from the city of Andong, is a spicy braised chicken dish that has become enormously popular since the late 1990’s. Braised in a sweet and savory braising liquid, the dish gets its nicely clean spicy kick from dried whole red chili peppers and fresh hot chili peppers. Unlike dakbokkeumtang (also called dakdoritang), no gochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste) or gochugaru (Korean red chili flakes) is used!
Making Andong jjimdak is relatively simple. The dish uses small chicken pieces and is cooked over high heat. It cooks up pretty quickly. In Korea, braised chicken dishes are typically made with a whole chicken cut up, but pre-cut parts can be used. In this recipe, I used a whole chicken cut up.
Jjimdak variations
You can reduce the amount of chili peppers or omit them entirely to make a mild version. This reminds me of the braised chicken dish I grew up eating.
When I was a small child, my parents raised a few chickens in our backyard. I remember feeding baby chicks and watching them grow. It was utterly fascinating to see a mother hen lay her eggs. They were great company and provided us with warm fresh eggs every day. Occasionally, some of their lives were cut short by my father who had to do the unpleasant job to feed his family. These events apparently stirred strong emotions in one of my brothers. To this day, he does not eat chicken. As for me, I loved the sweet and savory braised chicken dish my mother used to make.
For vegetables, I used potatoes, carrot, onion, mushrooms, and scallions. Green cabbage is another common ingredient for this dish. Some people also add a bit of leafy greens such as spinach and bok choy.
To make the dish darker like the restaurant’s version in Korea, add a tablespoon of instant coffee powder, caramel sauce, or dark soy sauce if available.
Watch how to make jjimdak
More Korean braised chicken recipes:
Pressure Cooker Dakbokkeumtang Slow cooker Dakjjim Dakdoritang (dakbokkeumtang)
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This Andong-style jjimdak recipe was originally posted in February 2011. I’ve updated it here with an improved recipe, more information, and new photos.