Chicken Thigh Jjimdak (Korean Braised Chicken)

This is my version of jjimdak. I love bone-in chicken, but I am using larger cuts (thighs) than normal jjimdak because I can spend less time cutting around the bones and more time eating.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 60 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins
• Calories: 684 Calories

Ingredients

• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 2 ½ cups water
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 5 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 pounds chicken thighs
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 3 tablespoons cooking wine
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 5 ounces cellophane noodles
• 1 medium potato, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 dried red chile pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 2 stalks green onion, sliced

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Combine soy sauce, cooking wine, brown sugar, garlic, sesame oil, black pepper, and ginger for sauce in a bowl; set aside.

Step 2

Bring a large pot with salted water to a boil. Add chicken thighs to the boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat, drain water, and set chicken aside.

Step 3

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken thighs, skin-side down, in the melted butter. Pour reserved sauce and 2 1/2 cups water over top. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat slightly once it starts boiling, remove lid, and flip chicken. Allow to cook for 15 minutes, turning chicken again halfway through.

Step 4

Meanwhile, soak cellophane noodles in a bowl of hot water for 10 minutes. Strain and set noodles aside.

Step 5

Add potato, onion, carrots, and chile pepper to the skillet. Cook until all ingredients are almost cooked through, about 10 minutes, stirring everything after 5 minutes and flipping chicken again. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until sauce has desired consistency, 5 to 15 minutes. Keep stirring the sauce and turning the chicken every 2 minutes so it doesn't burn. At the final flip, make sure the chicken is skin-side up.

Step 6

Once sauce is almost the desired consistency, mix in drained noodles and green onion. Make sure the chicken is on top of all the ingredients. Cook for 3 more minutes and then turn off the heat. Mix once more and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.