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Cooking a Korean meal can sometimes feel like a huge production. Alongside a warm bowl of rice, you have the “star” of the table (usually some type of soup, stew, marinated meat, or grilled fish) as well as multiple side dishes (a.k.a “banchan”) of which kimchi is an absolute must. Of course, the banchans make their appearance all throughout the week, but the thought of preparing multiple dishes, requiring lots of bowls, pots, utensils, etc., is a bit daunting.
Source: Korean Bapsang
So on days when I crave Korean food but am too lazy to go out of my way, I resort to dishes like Korean Spicy Chicken and Potato stew, one of my and the Hungryman’s favorites. It’s basically a chicken and vegetable dish in spicy red sauce, and I’m perfectly content serving this alone alongside a bowl of rice.
While I normally cook it on the stovetop for several hours, time is of the essence more than ever these days. So when I came across Korean Bapsang’s ingenious idea of using a slow-cooker, I just had to try it! BTW, if you haven’t already, you must check out Ms. Hyosun’s incredible blog, full of delicious, easy-t0-follow Korean recipes. I always ask my mom (who’s hands down the best Korean cook I know..no bias here) to share her recipes w/me, but the woman never measures anything! (hmm…sounds like someone else I know) I would really like to put together “Mama Koo’s Cookbook” and pass it down for generations to come. Hopefully that will happen…
Now onto the dish.. The night before, I prepped the chicken and veggies so that come morning, all that was left for me to do was pour the marinade over, mix thoroughly, and set the slow-cooker to do its thing…nice and slow. When I came home early that evening, the only thing I had to do was transfer to a large plate and scoop the rice.
While my sister (and I’m sure plenty of others) will throw a tantrum…I served it with brown rice. Apparently I didn’t get the memo that white rice is the only viable option with this dish. The Hungryman is a staunch supporter of this view, but he’s long given up hope in our kitchen. Brown rice reigns supreme here..along with purple rice…and sometimes w/beans.
The chicken was tender and luscious while the veggies were perfectly softened. They slid effortlessly onto my fork. Thanks, slow-cooker! While there was a good amount of liquid or sauce at the bottom to coat the ingredients, it wasn’t enough for me to call this dish a “stew.” No biggie. It made for a one satisfying, hearty meal, nonetheless. Hope you give this recipe a try!
Question:
What are your favorite slow-cooker recipes? I would love it if you would share them on my Facebook page! You can never have enough of them. 😉
Korean Spicy Chicken and Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken, breast or thighs
- 8 ounces of potatoes,, cut into large chunks
- 2 large carrots,, cut into large chunks
- 1 medium onion,, cut into large chunks
Sauce
- 3 Tbs Korean chili flakes
- 2 Tbs Korean chili paste
- 4 Tbs low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tbs mirin
- 2 Tbs honey or corn syrup
- 1 Tbs sesame oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- toppings: sesame seeds, green onion
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients and mix well.
- Add prepared chicken and vegetables to crockpot. Stir in sauce and mix well until evenly incorporated.
- Cover and cook for 4 hours on low or 2 hours on high until the chicken is fully cooked. Once done, stir in chopped green onion. Top with sesame seeds and serve with rice.
Nutrition
Did you use boneless or bone-in chicken thighs/breasts? I would have assumed boneless, except when I clicked on the link to Korean Bapsang, I see that she used bone-in for her recipe.
Hi there! So sorry for the confusion. I used boneless chicken simply bc I always have them on hand in my freezer. Oftentimes bone-in chicken has skin on it, and while it keeps the meat moist, since this is a stew and I like to soak the rice in the liquid, I didn’t want all that fat in there. Hope this helped answer your question!
I love this recipe! Pinned it to make. My husband will absolutely love it. I, too, will have to serve it with white rice. My hubby is from India so rice is white! I love brown rice though. Someday I will manage to get he and my daughter to eat brown rice!
Hi Christie! Can’t wait for you and your husband to try this dish ;). Haha don’t give up! They will come around..someday.
Love this recipe! And being in a Crock Pot is just awesome 🙂 Can’t wait to try it and I look forward to following you and seeing what other great ideas you have! Thanks for sharing at Share Your Stuff Tuesdays.
Thank you so much, Emily for stopping by!
Korean chicken in a SLOW COOKER? You are amazing…I so needed this recipe in my life right now. PS: I’m with you all the way on serving it with brown rice. We rarely eat white rice here. 🙂
Hi Kimiko! I wish I could take credit for the ingenious idea but all the credit goes to Ms. Hyosun ;).
Yay! A fellow brown rice lover!! It’s been a LONG time since we last ate white rice…no wonder Tim’s been begging to dine at a Korean restaurant. He specifically orders white as snow rice and eats to his heart’s content.
Min, this looks awesome! And I love that you can make this in the crock pot, aka, my best friend (especially during the fall :). Hopping over to Korean Bapsang, since I cannot get enough Korean food in my life!
Haha crock pot is my best friend too…along with Keurig, food processor, stand mixer… 😉
You’re going to love her site!
I love the sweet and spicy combo. Honestly, though I love eating it, I am always so afraid to try any Korean cooking. So I was so glad to see that these ingredients aren’t scary at all. I need a source for the Korean Chili flakes though. Where do you get it?
Hi Katie! Thank you for stopping by ;). The sweet and spicy combo is a common theme in Korean cooking. Our ancestors sure knew what they were doing :). As for the chili flakes, I’ve only seen them in Asian markets. Do you have one that’s close to you? Let me know if you ever need help with another Korean dish you want to try. Oftentimes, it just comes down to having the basic condiments (e.g. Korean chili paste, fermented soybean paste, soy sauce, sesame oil).
Min! This looks gorgeous and delicious. I love hearing about food from around the world. All the Korean food you showcase is one of my favorite parts about your blog.
Thank you, Alisha! I hope to share more Korean recipes in the future.
I am always amazed when meals involve many separate dishes. I just don’t have the patience! It’s a work of art indeed – and this looks great 🙂
Haha yes…it does test your patience ;). But there’s nothing like sitting down to a table with an assortment of dishes! And then comes the time for washing for them…now that’s no fun.
This looks good! I think my husband will love it!
Come link up with me today!
https://thediaryofarealhousewife.blogspot.com
Thanks for the invite, Jennie!
im all about one pot dishes and hearty stew. I will definitely think about this dish 🙂
Me too 🙂 I can’t wait for you to try this, Dixya!