Samgyetang
intro
A nourishing traditional Korean ginseng chicken soup stuffed with glutinous rice, jujubes, and garlic, prized for its mild, savory, restorative qualities.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep chicken and stuffing
Rinse the 2 small whole chickens under cold running water, pat completely dry with paper towels. Drain the pre-soaked glutinous rice, and mix it with 4 garlic cloves, 4 jujubes, and 4 chestnuts in a small bowl. Stuff each chicken cavity loosely with half the rice mixture (leave 1/4 of the cavity empty to allow rice to expand as it cooks), then cross the chicken legs and tie with cotton kitchen twine to seal the stuffing inside.
Assemble soup in pot
Place the stuffed chickens in a large heavy-bottomed stockpot (minimum 5L capacity). Add the remaining 8 garlic cloves, 4 jujubes, 4 chestnuts, ginseng roots, and ginger slice to the pot. Pour 2400ml cold water over the ingredients, ensuring the chickens are fully submerged.
Bring soup to boil
Set the stovetop to high heat, bring the pot contents to a rolling boil (this takes approximately 10-12 minutes). As the soup boils, use a fine mesh skimmer to remove all grey foam and impurities that rise to the surface, to keep the broth clear and clean-tasting.
Simmer soup until tender
Once the broth is clear of surface impurities, reduce heat to low to maintain a gentle, steady simmer (no violent bubbling). Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and let the soup simmer for 1 full hour. Avoid lifting the lid frequently during this time, as this drops the pot temperature and extends cooking time; the chicken will become fork-tender and the stuffed rice will fully cook through in this time.
Season and rest soup
After 1 hour of covered simmering, remove the lid, stir in 5g (1 teaspoon) of fine sea salt, and taste the broth to add a pinch more salt if needed. Let the soup simmer uncovered for an additional 10 minutes on low heat, then turn off the stovetop and let the soup rest for 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld before serving.
Serve hot with garnishes
Carefully transfer half a chicken (or one small hen for heartier appetites) to each individual soup bowl, ladle 500ml (2 cups) of clear broth over each portion, and divide the cooked ginseng, jujubes, and chestnuts evenly between bowls. Garnish each serving with 1 tablespoon of chopped scallions, a pinch of ground black pepper, and a light sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. Serve with small dishes of extra salt and black pepper on the side for diners to adjust seasoning to their preference.
Tips
2.Soak glutinous rice in cold water for at least 2 hours before stuffing; under-soaked rice will remain hard and crunchy even after the full simmer time, as it cooks slowly inside the chicken cavity.
3.Keep the broth lightly seasoned during cooking; traditional samgyetang has a mild, clear flavor, so serve extra salt, pepper, and chopped scallions on the side for diners to adjust to their taste.
OMG this samgyetang turned out SO good! I made it for our Sunday family dinner last night when my in-laws were visiting, and everyone went back for seconds. I was nervous about finding fresh ginseng but my local H-Mart had exactly what I needed, and the 1.5 hour cook time was totally worth it. My picky 7 year old even drank two full bowls of broth! Game changer for cold and flu season for sure.
This is such a perfect meal prep recipe! I made a big batch on Sunday, portioned it out into containers, and it reheated like an absolute dream all week for work lunches. The broth is so deeply flavorful and comforting, I didn’t even get bored eating it four days in a row. I skipped the chestnuts because I didn’t have them on hand and it still turned out fantastic. Will definitely be making this all fall and winter!
Overall this was really tasty! I’m a total beginner to Korean cooking so I was worried the medium difficulty rating meant I’d mess it up, and it was mostly straightforward. My only issue was that my small Cornish hen fell apart a little while simmering because I picked one that was too tiny, oops. The broth still tasted amazing though, and my roommate said it was better than the samgyetang we got at the local Korean restaurant last month! Next time I’ll grab a slightly larger bird like the recipe says.
Brought this to our neighborhood fall potluck last weekend and people were begging me for the recipe before they even finished their first cup! I set up a little topping station with extra green onions, sea salt, black pepper, and even some gochugaru for people who wanted a little kick, and it was such a hit. So many people said they’d never tried ginseng chicken before and were shocked how warm and cozy it is. 10/10, will bring back next year for sure.
Really solid, nourishing recipe! I made this after a super tough long run last week because I kept hearing samgyetang is great for recovery, and it hit so different. I did find the broth a little bland on its own at first, but after adding a pinch of extra sea salt, a splash of sesame oil, and some chopped garlic at the end it was perfect. Will make again, probably add some extra jujubes next time for a little more sweetness.
My partner came down with a terrible cold so I made this on a whim last week, and swear it helped them feel better in 24 hours. The ginseng is so warming, the broth is gentle on a sore throat, and the soft rice inside the chicken was so easy for them to eat even when they had zero appetite. I didn’t have any pine nuts so I left those out and it didn’t take away from it at all. Absolute must-save for when anyone in the house is under the weather.
I kept seeing samgyetang pop up in all the K-dramas I’ve been watching lately so I knew I had to try making it at home, and this recipe did NOT disappoint. It felt so fancy even though it was pretty hands-off once everything got in the pot, and the stuffed chicken was so juicy and tender. I served it with a side of kimchi and pickled radish just like they do on the shows, and my best friend came over and said it felt like we were eating at a restaurant in Seoul. So fun!
Tried this for the first time last night for my kid’s 10th birthday dinner, since he’s been obsessed with Korean food lately. He said it was the best birthday meal he’s ever had, which is a huge win coming from a kid who usually only wants chicken nuggets and mac and cheese. I will say I misread the cook time and thought it was 30 minutes, so I was scrambling to get it done in time for dinner, but that was 100% my bad, not the recipe’s fault. Next time I’ll block off the full 90 minutes like it says!