Cheese Dakgalbi (Korean Spicy Chicken Stir Fry)

Discover Cheese Dakgalbi or Korean Spicy Chicken Stir Fry with the perfect balance of spicy, savory, and cheesy in this recipe. Tender juicy chicken, fresh crispy vegetables, and melted mozzarella cheese that is intensely flavored, delicious, and super simple to make and ready in 25 minutes!

When I knew this kind of food existed in the world, suddenly I felt like I had found my soulmate food lol. This is what I want in my food! and this cheese dakgalbi is by far one of my all-time favorite Korean dishes (hard to choose). Tender juicy chicken thigh stir-fried in a sweet, creamy, smoky spicy sauce with carrots, cabbage, perilla leaves, rice cakes, and onions. Dipped in the mozzarella cheese for an extra twist!

Follow me to make step by step this recipe that you can totally make at home!

The essential things of Dak Galbi

So, what is dakgalbi? And where did it come from originally? Dakbalgi (닭갈비) is a spicy Korean dish that is a stir-fried chicken mixed with different vegetables like spring onion, cabbage, and carrots. Dakgalbi or dak galbi (닭갈비) is a dish that originates from Chuncheon, a city in Korea and the capital of Gangwon Province.

The words “Dak” means “chicken” and “galbi” means “ribs” but this dish is ribless. In the past, Korean restaurants used pork ribs but since they were too costly for daily serving, they replaced them with chicken, hence the name.

This recipe is a combination of sweet, spicy, and savory. Firstly, the sweetness comes from brown sugar and sesame oil. Secondly, the spiciness comes from red chili powder and gochujang paste. And lastly, the savoriness is from the soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and spring onion.

Once you have the chicken and vegetables cut up, this dakgalbi recipe comes together very quickly. Marinate the chicken in the spicy sauce. Reserve some sauce if you’re going to make fried rice at the end.  Then, you just cook everything up, except perilla leaves and scallions, for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.

My version is simple to make and so satisfying! It’s also great as a busy weeknight meal because it’s made in one pan and serves well as leftovers.

In this recipe, I’m also adding some mozzarella in the center to dip chicken in. Some restaurants modernized the traditional dakgalbi by adding melted mozzarella on top or in the center. But if you prefer, you can ignore it. it adds some twist to the Dak Galbi and I think it’s a must because it just tastes very demure and cutesy lol.

Serving Suggestions

In Korea, you’ll find cozy spots where dakgalbi is the main attraction. Each table is set up with a charming round grill right in the center. Your friendly server will bring over a plate of marinated chicken and veggies, toss it all into the pan, and cook it up just right.

As you near the end of your cheese dakgalbi, it’s customary to save a little bit of the meat and veggies. You can then order some rice and ask for fun extras like seaweed or cheese. The waiter will mix these leftovers with the rice to create the most scrumptious fried rice—it’s truly a treat! If you’re a fan of spicy dishes and haven’t tried dakgalbi yet, be sure to add it to your list; it’s absolutely worth it!

Here are some delightful ways to enjoy it Besides rice, you can add Lettuce Wraps, or Perilla leaves: Offer fresh lettuce leaves (like Romaine or Butterhead) for wrapping the dakgalbi, and a touch of ssamjang (a spicy Korean dipping sauce). It adds a crisp, refreshing crunch that pairs beautifully with the spicy chicken. don’t forget to add Korean Side Dishes (Banchan) such as Seasoned Spinach (Sigeumchi-namul): A light, green side dish that adds a nice touch of freshness, Spicy Cucumber Salad (Oi Muchim): A cool and zesty cucumber salad that offers a delightful contrast and my favorite Kimchi: This a perfect complement to the spicy dakgalbi. So, which one is your favorite to serve with this Cheese Dakgalbi?

Ingredients of Cheese Dakgalbi

Marinate Chicken

• Boneless Skinless Chicken Thigh;  Use boneless chicken thighs for extra juicy and tender chicken pieces that really soak up the flavours in the marinade.  make sure you use chicken thighs (deboned will make your life easier) not chicken breast. Chicken breast isn’t appropriate for dakgalbi as it is too dry. or substitute with chicken breast and dice them but please reduce the cooking time as breast tends to dry out faster than thighs.
• Garlic minced; garlic is a staple in Korean marinades. Crush the garlic instead of chopping it by hand, you’ll get the garlic juice extract.
• Ginger grated; mince or grate some ginger. This helps tenderize the chicken and gives our sauce extra flavor.
• Gochujang; Korean red pepper paste) – gochujang is one of the stars of this sauce. Do not omit or replace it, there is no substitute for gochujang. a Korean red chili paste made of red chili flakes, fermented soybean paste, glutinous rice and salt. It’s a thick red sweet and spicy paste that comes in a red tub sold at many Korean grocery stores in the sauce aisle varying levels of spice from mild to hot.
• Gochugaru; Korean red pepper flakes) – I like to use a little more gochugaru than gochujang in most of my Korean spicy sauces. It’s a spicy red chili powder or flake that is seedless. It’s spicy and very red in color. Commonly used in Korean cooking. It’s a common Korean ingredient that offers a vibrant red color and spice.
• Soy Sauce; I always use this Korean soy sauce. Make sure not to use dark soy sauce (whose flavor is much stronger).
• Sugar; sugar somewhat sweetens the spicy sauce.

Other

• Cabbage; For add texture, or substitute with Chinese cabbage or regular napa cabbage.
• Carrot sliced; or substitute with thinly sliced sweet potatoes or regular potato. do not substitute Korean sweet potato (white) with a regular Western sweet potato (orange).
• Perilla Leaves; While they add a great taste to dakgalbi, if you cannot find them, you could also omit them.
• Onion and Green Onion; Finely chopped them
• Mozzarella Cheese grated; I love adding melted mozzarella to my dakgalbi, but it is optional, if you prefer it without cheese, that’s also fine!
• Rice cakes: Korean rice cakes might not be available at your grocery store, but you will definitely find them in your Asian supermarket! You can buy them frozen, vacuumed, or even freshly made depending on the store you are shopping at. As for the shape, you can use the kind of rice cake that’s available. You can also add rice cakes are optional but I usually like to add a few of them. It adds an extra (chewy) texture.

How to Make Cheese Dakgalbi

Begin by soaking the rice cakes (tteokbokki) in a bowl of water. This helps to soften them Set the bowl aside while you prepare the other ingredients.

Then prepare marinated chicken, start by slicing the boneless, skinless chicken thighs into medium bite-sized pieces. Transfer the chicken pieces into a large mixing bowl.

In a separate small mixing bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients: minced garlic, grated ginger, gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir until the mixture is well-blended and the sugar has dissolved.

Pour the marinade over the chicken pieces in the large bowl. Use your hands or a spoon to coat the chicken thoroughly with the marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. making it more flavorful and tender.

Prepare the Vegetables

While the chicken is marinating, chop the cabbage into bite-sized pieces. Remove the stems from the perilla leaves and slice them into thin strips. Chop the green onions, Slice the carrot into thin rounds, and chop the onion into medium-sized slices. Set all the prepared vegetables aside.

Heat a large pan or skillet over medium heat. Add a drizzle of cooking oil to the pan. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped cabbage, soaked rice cakes, sliced carrot, and onion to the pan. Stir-fry the vegetables for about 4 minutes, or until they begin to soften.

After the vegetables have softened, add the marinated chicken to the pan, spreading it evenly over the vegetables. Scatter the sliced perilla leaves and chopped green onions over the chicken.

Cover the pan with a lid and allow the chicken to cook for about 6 minutes. The steam trapped under the lid will help cook the chicken while keeping it moist.

After 6 minutes, remove the lid and give the mixture a good stir to ensure everything is evenly distributed. Then, create a space in the center of the pan by pushing the chicken and vegetables to the edges.

Cheese and Enjoy!

Add the grated mozzarella cheese to the center of the pan. Cover the pan again and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and bubbly. For a more dramatic effect, you can use a kitchen torch to lightly brown the cheese.

Once the cheese has melted, your Cheese Dakgalbi is ready to serve. Bring the pan directly to the table for a communal dining experience.

Serve with warm rice on the side, allowing everyone to scoop up the cheesy, spicy chicken and vegetables with their rice. You can also enjoy it with a side of rice or wrap it in lettuce leaves for added freshness.

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