Cheese Dakgalbi (Korean Spicy Chicken Stir Fry)

Cheese Dakgalbi (닭갈비) is a Korean spicy stir fry chicken that is marinated in gochujang paste, soy sauce, and sesame oil. It is mixed with vegetables and mozzarella cheese.

Korean cuisines are mostly composed of meats, vegetables, and sauces. They are rich in flavors, which are usually spicy, sweet, and salty. Also, if you tried Korean food, you will know that they love to use gochujang paste.

If you read my food blog, you will know that I made a Spicy Korean Beef stir fry which I use gochujang paste. In this post, I am going to make a spicy stir fry chicken dish called Cheese Dakgalbi.

What is Dakbalgi?

Dakbalgi (닭갈비) is a spicy Korean dish that is a stir fry chicken mixed with different vegetables like spring onion, cabbage, and carrots.

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.

The chicken is marinated with red chili powder and a gochujang paste, which is a popular Korean red pepper paste. This pepper paste is a popular condiment that is used as a sauce for Bibimbap. Also, it is used to marinate the seafood or other meats before stir-frying them in the pan.

To make my Dakbalgi unique, I added a mozzarella cheese in the center of the pan. That is because eating stir fry chicken with cheese makes it more delicious. In addition to that, eating with cheese will help reduce the spiciness in your mouth. For this reason, you might wonder why cheese is so popular among Korean cuisines, which is widely in most of their restaurants.

Recipe Ingredients

To make Cheese Dakgalbi, here are the important ingredients you need:

Firstly, I am using a boneless chicken thigh. I love chicken thigh because it is moist and tender. However, you can also use boneless chicken breast if you like.

Secondly, for marinating the meat, I am using soy sauce, brown sugar, grated garlic & ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, red chili powder, and gochujang paste. You can marinate the chicken for 30 minutes for better absorption, or you can just skip that part.

Thirdly, for adding vegetables, I am using chopped cabbage, carrots, and spring onion. You can add other vegetables if you like, but this is enough for me.

And lastly, don't forget you need mozzarella cheese when making this Korean spicy stir fry chicken. The cheese makes it more flavorful and delicious.

What do you serve this dish with?

When serving dakgalbi cheese, some people like to eat it with a noodle dish like instant noodles, which you can buy in most Korean grocery stores.

Also, you can serve it with steamed white rice or any rice dishes you like. If you are looking for any Korean rice dish, I highly recommend my Vegetarian Kimchi Fried Rice.

Step by Step Instruction

To make this spicy stir fry Korean chicken, there are two things you should do: Marinating the chicken, and Cooking Dakgalbi.

I. Marinating the Chicken

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In a large plate bowl, I add the boneless chicken thigh, gochujang paste, red chili powder, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and brown sugar.

By using the spoon, I mixed them gently, and then I keep them aside for 15 minutes to help the chicken absorb the flavor. If you don't have time, you can just skip that part.

II. Cooking the Dakgalbi

In this recipe, I am using a round cooking pan to cook this dish.

Firstly, I add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, which I add chopped onion which I stir for few minutes or till it turns translucent. Add the chopped cabbage and give a quick for less than a minute.

Next, I added the marinated chicken, which I give a quick stir followed by adding the chopped carrots. After that, I let it simmer for 15 minutes to let the chicken cook and reduce the juice from the meat. During the middle of simmering, I added the spring onion stalk, which I cut into 3 inches length.

Lastly, after simmering, this will be a bit tricky. What you are going to do is move the cooked chicken and vegetables to the left and right side to give a big empty space in the center. In that space, add the shredded mozzarella cheese and leave it for few minutes till it has melted.

Serve it with Instant noodle or any rice you like. Bon Appetite.

Note: Before adding the cheese, you want to make sure your dakgalbi is not watery or has too much sauce. That is because you will have a hard time putting the cheese in the center of the pan. If that is the case, continue simmering till there is less sauce.

Tips and Hints

• If your dakgalbi cheese is too spicy, DO NOT add the red chili powder. You can skip that when marinating the chicken. That way, your dish will be less spicy.
  
• You can add Korean rice cake, sweet potatoes, or starch noodle
  
• Instead of adding the mozzarella cheese in the center, you can directly topped it above the chicken without moving them to the right or left side.
  
• You can use chicken with bones like a drumstick or thigh, but you will have to cook it longer.
  
• If you don't have Mozzarella cheese, you can use white cheddar, provolone, or any white processed cheese you like.

Other Korean Food Recipe to Try

If you love Korean food, here are other recipes you may like to make at home:

1. Korean Mozzarella Corn Dog
   
2. Andong Jjimdak
   
3. Vegan Japchae (Korean Glass Noodle)