Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup)

kid favorite · restorative dish

Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup)

90 minMediumServes 2Kids OK

Ingredients

small whole chickens for samgyetang (영계)2 birds (500g / 1.1 lb each)H-Mart
sweet glutinous rice (찹쌀)1/2 cupH-Mart
fresh ginseng (수삼)1 rootH-Mart
garlic cloves10 clovesAny store
jujubes (대추)4H-Mart
green onion1 stalkAny store
salt and pepperenough for dippingAny store

Steps

1

Soak the sweet rice in water for 1 hour.

~0 min

2

Trim the fat pad near the chicken's tail and rinse the cavity under running water.

~8 min

Why: Removing that fat keeps the broth clear and light instead of greasy.

3

Stuff each cavity with sweet rice, 3 garlic cloves, and jujubes, then cross the legs to close it up.

~7 min

Watch out: Pack the rice full and it swells and bursts the bird as it cooks — fill only 70%.

4

Put the chickens, ginseng, remaining garlic, and green onion in a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil over high heat.

~10 min

5

Once boiling, skim the foam, turn the heat to low, half-cover, and simmer for 60 minutes.

~60 min

Why: A long, gentle simmer is what makes the meat fall apart at a touch and turns the broth milky-white.

Watch out: Boil it hard the whole time and the broth just reduces while the meat dries out — low-heat patience is everything.

6

Serve in bowls with salt and pepper in small side dishes for dipping the meat.

~3 min

Tips

  • —

    Season each bowl at the table, not the pot — that's the classic Korean way, and it makes the leftover broth easier to reuse.

  • —

    Pile on plenty of thinly sliced green onion to finish the broth's aroma.

  • —

    It's a summer stamina dish in Korea, but it's also perfect for dinner when you feel a cold coming on.

Storage

Keeps 3 days in the fridge. Simmer the leftover meat, broth, and rice with half a bowl of cooked rice for the best chicken porridge.