Korean Main

Andong Jjimdak

Andong Jjimdak is soy-braised chicken from Andong with glass noodles, potatoes, carrot and chillies in a glossy sweet-savoury sauce. This version uses measured ingredients, clear visual cues and the traditional flavour balance that makes the dish distinctive.

Jump to recipe More Korean food
25 minsPrep time
45 minsCook time
Serves 4Servings
MediumDifficulty
Andong Jjimdak
About this dish

Andong Jjimdak: the story on the plate

Andong Jjimdak is a Korean main with a clear sense of place. Jjimdak is a soy-braised chicken dish closely linked with the city of Andong. The modern form became famous through restaurant alleys serving large pans of dark, glossy chicken, vegetables and noodles. The recipe below keeps the defining ingredients and technique intact while giving practical metric quantities and enough detail for a home cook to judge texture, seasoning and doneness rather than simply follow a timer.

Historical background

Jjimdak is a soy-braised chicken dish closely linked with the city of Andong. The modern form became famous through restaurant alleys serving large pans of dark, glossy chicken, vegetables and noodles.

Why it is famous

It is designed for group eating: a single substantial braise delivers meat, starch, vegetables and sauce to the centre of the table.

Cultural significance

It is designed for group eating: a single substantial braise delivers meat, starch, vegetables and sauce to the centre of the table.

Nutrition

Estimated nutrition per serving

These figures are estimates per serving. Actual nutrition can vary with the brands and exact amounts you use, how much oil, dressing or sauce is absorbed, any substitutions or added extras, and the portion size served.

A practical guide for comparing recipes and planning meals.

720Calories
45gProtein
78gCarbs
25gFat
Ingredients

What you need

  • 1000 bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
  • 400 potatoes, cut into large chunks
  • 180 carrot, cut into chunks
  • 180 onion, cut into wedges
  • 120 Korean sweet potato noodles, soaked 20 minutes
  • 100 soy sauce
  • 35 brown sugar
  • 25 rice syrup or honey
  • 20 Garlic, grated
  • 10 ginger, grated
  • 3 dried red chillies
  • 650 water or light chicken stock
  • 80 Spring onions, cut into lengths
  • 10 toasted sesame oil
Method

Step-by-step method

Follow the recipe in order, tasting and adjusting seasoning where needed.

  1. Blanch the chicken pieces in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain and rinse away any foam. This keeps the finished braising liquid cleaner while leaving enough fat for richness.
  2. Return the chicken to a wide pot with soy sauce, sugar, rice syrup, garlic, ginger, chillies and stock. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
  3. Add potatoes, carrot and onion. Continue simmering for 15 minutes, turning the chicken occasionally so exposed pieces remain glazed and the vegetables cook evenly.
  4. Drain the soaked glass noodles and add them to the pot. Simmer another 8–10 minutes, stirring gently so the noodles absorb braising liquid without catching on the base.
  5. When the chicken is tender and the potatoes are cooked, raise the heat for 2–3 minutes to reduce the liquid until glossy. Stir in spring onions and sesame oil at the end.
  6. Serve in a wide communal bowl, lifting some noodles to the top so they do not disappear under the chicken and vegetables.
Cook smarter

Tips, storage and serving advice

Shopping tips

Buy Korean gochujang, gochugaru and doenjang from a Korean grocer where possible. Use short-grain rice rather than long-grain rice, and choose well-fermented kimchi for cooked dishes. Check labels on compound ingredients such as sauces, spice blends, stocks, kimchi, fermented pastes and prepared breads when cooking for allergies.

Ingredient quality

For Andong Jjimdak, prioritise fresh or properly stored versions of bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, potatoes, carrot, onion; speciality seasonings should smell vivid rather than stale.

Common mistakes

Adding noodles too early turns them mushy; cutting potatoes small makes them collapse; reducing the sauce before the chicken is tender can make it overly salty.

Chef’s tips

Taste the sauce before the final reduction. If already salty, reduce less aggressively and thicken through the noodles instead.

How to know it is cooked

Chicken pulls easily from the bone, potatoes are tender but intact, noodles are translucent, and the sauce coats rather than floods the ingredients.

Plating advice

Use a large shallow bowl and arrange the chicken around a visible tangle of noodles.

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