Spicy Braised Chicken

Spicy Braised Chicken became widely established as a home-style dish made by cutting up a whole chicken, placing it in a large pot, and simmering it down with potatoes in a spicy sauce. Since using an entire chicken was easier than buying expensive individual cuts, the dish became familiar as something families gathered around and shared.

The name dakdoritang has also long been widely used. Because of the theory that dori came from Japanese, the name Spicy Braised Chicken came into use alongside it, though other explanations for the origin of dori are also told. While traveling, you will often find that both names refer to the same dish.

At restaurants, the dish usually arrives in a large pot and continues to simmer over a burner at the table. The potatoes can break apart easily, so it is best not to stir too vigorously at the start. Ramen add-ins or glass noodles are often added, and the remaining sauce may be used to finish the meal with fried rice.

Although the name contains tang, meaning soup or stew, this is not a clear-broth dish. In a good Spicy Braised Chicken, the seasoning does not sit separately but clings red to the chicken skin and the surface of the potatoes. The potatoes should be fluffy inside while absorbing the sauce, and the meat around the bones should come away tenderly.