Samgyetang Recipe

Prepare chicken

Rinse the chicken inside and out under cold running water. Remove any excess fat and the neck/giblets if present (save for another use). Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.

Parboil (optional)

Place the whole chicken in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat and boil for 2 minutes to remove impurities. Pour off the water, rinse the chicken and the pot briefly to remove scum.

Simmer broth

Return the cleaned chicken to a large stockpot. Add 2.5 L water, sliced ginger, 6 peeled garlic cloves, green onion whites tied in a knot, and black peppercorns. If using ginseng root, add it now. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then lower heat to maintain a steady simmer. Skim any foam that rises to the surface with a spoon.

Cook

Simmer gently, uncovered or partially covered, for 45–60 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and tender (internal thigh temperature should be 75°C / 165°F and meat should pull from the bone). Begin checking at 45 minutes for doneness; smaller birds cook faster.

Season broth

Taste the broth and add about 2 tsp salt (adjust to taste) near the end of cooking. Keep warm while finishing stuffing and serving steps.

Rinse and soak rice

Rinse 1/2 cup glutinous rice under cold water until water runs mostly clear. Soak the rice in cold water for 20–30 minutes, then drain thoroughly.

Prepare stuffing

In a small bowl, combine the drained glutinous rice, minced garlic, peeled chestnuts and jujubes (if using, lightly break the chestnuts), 1 tsp sesame oil, and 1/4 tsp salt. Mix gently to combine.

Stuff the chicken

Loosen the skin around the chicken breast gently with your fingers. Spoon the stuffing into the cavity of the chicken — do not overpack; about three-quarters full is fine. Secure the cavity opening with kitchen twine or wooden skewers to keep the stuffing inside. Tuck wing tips under the body.

Finish cooking with stuffing

If you parboiled the chicken, place the stuffed chicken back into the simmering broth and continue to simmer 25–35 minutes until rice inside is cooked through and the chicken tender. If you did not parboil and have been simmering the unstuffed chicken, stuff it after 20–30 minutes of simmering (carefully remove briefly), then continue simmering another 25–35 minutes. Ensure rice is soft and chicken reaches safe internal temperature.

Remove the chicken carefully from the pot and transfer to a deep serving bowl or individual bowls with some hot broth. Place the whole chicken into each bowl (traditional presentation is one small whole chicken per person). Pour generous ladles of the clear broth over and around the chicken.

Sprinkle sliced green onion greens and a pinch of ground black pepper over the soup. Serve coarse sea salt on the side so each diner can season to taste. Traditional pairings include kimchi and a small bowl of additional rice if desired.

To eat: break open the chicken, remove stuffing and meat in bite-sized pieces. Spoon broth and rice/chestnut pieces. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve hot.