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    Home » Meat

    Dak Gomtang (Korean Chicken Soup)

    Published 04/04/2020. Updated 07/31/2020

    Jump to Recipe

    You can make this soothing, comforting Korean chicken soup recipe without a trip to a Korean market! It’s made with a whole chicken and a few aromatic vegetables. Use chicken parts if that’s all you have.
    DSC2693 - Dak Gomtang (Korean Chicken Soup)

    Here’s a Korean chicken soup recipe you can make without a trip to a Korean market! It’s called dak gomtang (닭곰탕), and in my house this soothing, comforting soup is a go-to soup, especially when one of us feels under the weather. It’s also a good alternative to samgyetang (삼계탕, ginseng chicken soup), if you don’t have ginseng.

    Gomtang generally refers to a soup made by simmering beef bones and meat for several hours. The result is a comforting milky broth with tender meat.

    Dak gomtang is a variation made with chicken, but the chicken does not take as much time to cook. It’s simple to make and typically served with cooked rice in the soup with shredded chicken meat on top along with lots of chopped scallion.

    However, you can serve the rice separately so the diner can enjoy it any way he/she prefers.

    DSC2686 - Dak Gomtang (Korean Chicken Soup)

    The chicken

    In Korea, this dish is traditionally made with a whole chicken. It’s the cheapest way to feed the whole family, and the resulting stock is rich and flavorful with all the bones, cartilage and skins. You can cut up a whole chicken before boiling if you want to cook it a little faster. Simply boil the chicken, with some aromatic vegetables and shred the meat to use as a topping. The key is to use a lot of garlic!

    Bone-in chicken parts such as thighs or legs are also great for making this soup.

    For a short cut, you can use a good quality commercially made chicken stock and boneless breast or thigh pieces. The chicken cooks faster, but the broth is still flavorful with the help from the quality chicken stock.

    If you want to add some vegetables, try napa cabbage (baechu, 배추) or Korean radish (mu, 무).

    DSC 1134 e1537069701197 - Dak Gomtang (Korean Chicken Soup)

    Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Cooking

    You can make this recipe in your Instant Pot. My 6-quart Instant Pot is big enough for 3 to 4 pounds chicken. Use 8 cups of water since the water will not evaporate as it will over stovetop. It will take about 35 minutes for the pressure to build up. Pressure cook on Manual for 25 minutes at high pressure. Then, release after 15 minutes.

    For a slow cooker, add enough water to cover most of the chicken. Cover, and cook for 4 to 5 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on low. Also see my Slow Cooker Chicken Soup with Napa Cabbage made with chicken parts.

    More chicken soup recipes

    Samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup)
    Dak Kalguksu (Korean chicken noodle soup)
    Slow cooker chicken soup with napa cabbage
    Dakgaejang (spicy chicken soup with scallions)

    Watch how to make it

    For more Korean cooking inspirations, follow  along on YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

    DSC2686 350x350 - Dak Gomtang (Korean Chicken Soup)

    Dak Gomtang (Korean Chicken Soup)

    4.66 from 79 votes
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Print Recipe

    Ingredients

    • 1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds)
    • 10 - 12 plump garlic cloves
    • 1 1-inch piece ginger, sliced
    • 1/2 medium onion
    • 2 - 3 scallion white parts
    • 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns (if available)
    • 3 scallions, finely chopped to garnish
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Spicy sauce (dadaegi, 다대기) - Optional

    • 3 tablespoons gochugaru
    • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
    • 1 tablespoon soup soy sauce (guk ganjang, 국간장) use regular soy sauce if unavailable
    • 3 tablespoons chicken broth from the soup

    Instructions

    • Place the cleaned chicken in a stock pot large enough to hold the chicken and 10 cups of water (6 - 8 quarts pot). Add the garlic, ginger, onion, scallions, optional peppers and 10 cups of water (or enough to cover the chicken).
      dak 2Bgomtang1 e1532211001781 - Dak Gomtang (Korean Chicken Soup)
    • Bring it to a boil over high heat. Skim off any foam on top. Reduce the heat to medium and boil, covered, for about 40 - 50 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken. Cut through the thickest part of the breast, with a knife, to see if the chicken is cooked and tender.
      dak 2Bgomtang2 e1532211151346 - Dak Gomtang (Korean Chicken Soup)
    • Turn the heat off and carefully remove the chicken. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat off the bones.
      dak 2Bgomtang3 e1532211179869 - Dak Gomtang (Korean Chicken Soup)
    • Shred the meat into small bite size pieces. You can strain the broth, remove the excess fat and serve at this point. But, I put the bones back in the soup and boil again for more flavorful broth.
      DSC2670 2 640x427 - Dak Gomtang (Korean Chicken Soup)
    • Optional Step: Put the bones back in the broth and simmer over medium low heat for an additional 30 minutes to an hour depending on how much time you have.
      dak 2Bgomtang5 e1532211210776 - Dak Gomtang (Korean Chicken Soup)
    • Strain the broth and remove the excess fat. You can spoon off the fat, refrigerate the broth until the fat solidifies, or use a fat separator.
      dak 2Bgomtang6 e1532211247823 - Dak Gomtang (Korean Chicken Soup)
    • To serve, place some rice in a serving bowl, add chicken pieces, and then ladle the hot broth on top. Typically, chopped scallions, salt and pepper, and optional spicy sauce are served separately so each person can season to taste. Serve piping hot with kimchi.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @koreanbapsang or tag #koreanbapsang!

    This dak gomtang recipe was originally posted in August 2011. I’ve updated it here with new photos, more information and minor changes to the recipe.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jennifer says

      March 24, 2022 at 10:47 pm

      4 stars
      I bought a black silkie chicken, but not with the traditional herbal packet this time, so I used your recipe for this unique chicken! especially re using the bones in the broth.
      turned out great, and I used large sweet potato noodles instead of rice as I cannot eat white rice.
      very delicious combination, I used a bit of fresh chili for heat as my store does not have the korean chili flakes in under a kilo!

      Reply
    2. Yoko says

      January 31, 2022 at 12:58 am

      5 stars
      This recipe is awesome.
      I love love love it!
      Thank you so much from Japan

      Reply
    3. Yo go Kim says

      January 05, 2022 at 9:48 pm

      I really like the Korean chicken soup. Thank you.

      Reply
    4. Kathy says

      December 16, 2021 at 3:25 pm

      5 stars
      This soup is very delicious. Thank you for the great recipes. I’ll be coming back here often 🙂

      Reply
    5. Sabine says

      December 09, 2021 at 1:36 am

      Can you double this recipe?
      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        December 09, 2021 at 11:22 am

        Of course! Just use a larger pot and double everything. You’ll need to boil longer but may not need double the time.

        Reply
    6. Kari Gali says

      January 20, 2021 at 8:23 pm

      Im really excited to cook this in my instant pot but Id like to add Napa cabbage and Korean radish. When do you do this if using the instant pot? Also, do you use the sauté setting to boil the bones?

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        January 22, 2021 at 7:55 pm

        I’d put them in after you remove the chicken to shred and boil on the sauté setting. Yes, that’s what I would do to boil bones. So, if you want to boil the bones, do that first, remove the bones, and then add the vegetables to cook until tender.

        Reply
      • Laurie says

        February 06, 2021 at 8:55 pm

        Cooked this tonight, it was a huge hit with my family. Deliscious!!!!

        Reply
    7. Hannah Dennis says

      December 27, 2020 at 3:10 pm

      I’m having trouble finding a whole chicken at my local stores. If i used chicken breast or tenderloins, would that work?

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        December 29, 2020 at 9:52 pm

        Use bone-in pieces for more flavor if you can find. Chicken breast alone will not give you the depth of flavor, so use store-bought chicken stock if available.

        Reply
    8. Ahsania Adnaan says

      December 22, 2020 at 8:46 am

      Thanks a million 😊 for this recipe.

      Reply
    9. James says

      December 08, 2020 at 12:26 am

      If adding wood ear mushroom to this for a little extra complexity, how many would you recommend without overpowering the flavor? Thanks!!

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        December 08, 2020 at 11:29 pm

        I’d use a few (5 or 6) depending on the size if making it with a whole chicken. This is totally a guess because I haven’t use them myself for this soup.

        Reply
    10. Caroline says

      October 21, 2020 at 3:19 am

      5 stars
      Can I cook this soup without chicken skin?
      Thank you.

      Reply
    11. Jeannie says

      October 19, 2020 at 12:31 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you so much for posting this recipe. Even though I’m Korean-Canadian and grew up with my mom’s delicious Gomtang soup..I never learned to make it until now. The extra step of boiling the bones really does make a difference to the depth of the broth!

      Reply
    12. Vienessa says

      June 23, 2020 at 10:42 pm

      5 stars
      Tried this for the first time and it was subtle yet absolutely superb. Loved it and will be making it regularly in the future. So simple and so tasty.

      Reply
    13. CV says

      June 17, 2020 at 3:50 pm

      thank you

      does this freeze well?

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        June 18, 2020 at 1:36 am

        yes it does.

        Reply
    14. Suwilanji says

      April 08, 2020 at 11:12 am

      5 stars
      Thanks so much, love the soup

      Reply
    15. Ay says

      February 12, 2020 at 6:35 pm

      5 stars
      We just adopted our daughter from Korea and I’ve been cooking your recipes nonstop which I think is a great comfort for her. She asks for “Chee” (Kimchee) at every meal. Thank you for helping me recreate what we ate in Seoul!!!

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        April 04, 2020 at 11:42 am

        Congrats on your new addition to the family! I’m happy to hear she enjoys Korean food prepared by a new mom/dad and my recipes are helpful. Cheers!

        Reply
    16. M says

      February 18, 2019 at 4:36 am

      5 stars
      TASTY! Will definitely be making again!

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        February 18, 2019 at 9:09 pm

        Great to hear that! Thanks!

        Reply
    17. Bandana Khakurel says

      February 06, 2019 at 1:51 am

      5 stars
      I loved this soup. After watching some Korean series on Netflix, I wanted sth like this. It was perfect for chilly weather. My toddler boy loved it too and it was very simple to make.

      Reply
    18. Valerie says

      September 15, 2018 at 7:41 pm

      I’m currently working in Korea and the school I work at had this about once a week/every two weeks for lunch. I fell in love with the dish. Then suddenly they stopped and I was craving it so much! This recipe was a PERFECT match as far as taste goes, and it was super easy to follow. This has become one of my favorite dishes while living here and I’m so happy I can make it myself. Thank you so much!

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        September 16, 2018 at 12:02 am

        Great to hear this recipe helps you continue to enjoy the chicken soup you had at school! Cheers!

        Reply
    19. prabin says

      September 09, 2018 at 3:21 pm

      this is my anytime favorite soup in south korea.

      Reply
    20. Angie says

      August 04, 2018 at 12:37 pm

      5 stars
      This is the best chicken soup recipe.
      Thank you.

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        August 04, 2018 at 2:29 pm

        Thank you! So happy to hear that!

        Reply
    21. Michelle says

      April 30, 2018 at 8:25 pm

      I love how the simplicity of this recipe yields such flavorful results. And it’s far easier to make than other chicken soups I am used to. The clear tasty broth and moist cooked chicken bits were absolutely delicious. I used organic whole chicken legs which worked just as well. This one is going to become a staple recipe for my family.

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        April 04, 2020 at 7:18 pm

        Awesome! Thank you!

        Reply
    22. Summer says

      January 20, 2018 at 10:53 am

      Hi I would love to try making this soup. Roughly how many can this receipe serve?

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        January 23, 2018 at 11:50 pm

        about 4 to 6 servings. Enjoy!

        Reply
    23. kristel says

      January 20, 2018 at 12:46 am

      I’m cooking it as of this moment. Hahaha. I’m simmering it on about 20min already and the soup tastes already good. Thank you for this. 😘

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        January 23, 2018 at 11:51 pm

        Great! Hope you loved it.

        Reply
    24. Dana says

      September 24, 2017 at 2:05 pm

      Wanting to know , if I add mushrooms to this, how long would they need to cook?

      Reply
    25. HUYEN.VU says

      May 28, 2017 at 10:04 am

      I’m a vietnamese who love korea and its food culture. Thank you so much for the recipe. My grandma really loves it

      Reply
    26. heseon says

      March 26, 2017 at 11:44 pm

      this is the closest recipe i’ve found that resembles my harmony’s dakgook (chicken soup!) growing up. thank you so much hyosun. this recipe takes me right back home and to my childhood days, and even though my grandma never taught me how, i feel like she’s still here with me. what a great resource your blog is, for homemade korean food! very appreciated.

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        March 27, 2017 at 11:54 pm

        You’re welcome! I am glad to hear that. Grandma’s food is the best!

        Reply
    27. Lisa says

      November 26, 2016 at 3:39 pm

      Hyosun Ro!
      Ha! I just caught my mistake… You meant a 6-8 quart pot! Silly…

      Thanks!!!

      Reply
    28. Lisa says

      November 26, 2016 at 3:36 pm

      Hi,
      A quick question- the recipe calls for 10 cups of water which is 2.5 quarts. In parenthesis you put 6-8 quarts. I am assuming just 10 cups??

      Reply
    29. Sarah says

      March 01, 2015 at 10:25 am

      I can’t thank you enough Mrs. Ro. My korean mom didn’t know how to cook korean food very well, ironically, so I never learned. Now I have 2 toddlers that prefer to eat asian food. Your online cookbook has been my go-to for delious korean home cooked food. I had this recipe in the slow cooker all night (having two toddlers make it very difficult to simmer soup). The soup came out great! I also was craving kongnamul guk and made that yesterday. I added thinly sliced seasoned beef for my picking meat-eating daughter. She loved it! I don’t know if you have a tracking system to see how many people visit your site. I wanted to inform you that I use your recipes very often. I have yet to try them all but so far I/my family haven’t been disappointed. Thank you again!

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        March 01, 2015 at 4:12 pm

        Hi Sarah – I am happy to hear you are learning Korean food through my blog. I’m also happy to hear you successfully made this soup in the slow cooker.I am sure other readers like to know that. I know konganul guk made with beef is good. I used to love that as a child too. Sounds like you are very good in cooking. Keep on cooking Korean food for your family, and thanks for using my recipes!

        Reply
    30. cooking.eating.carousing. says

      July 30, 2014 at 12:20 pm

      I made this for dinner today. I made the extra step of simmering the bones for longer than an hour, the resulting broth was milky and comforting. Ate it with a condiment I mixed myself: 1 tbsp minced garlic + 1 tbsp soy sauce + 1 tsp black pepper. The garlic and soy sauce really complements the flavour if I may say so myself.

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        July 31, 2014 at 4:05 am

        Did you use soup soy sauce or regular soy sauce? Sounds great anyway! Thanks for letting me know.

        Reply
    31. Anonymous says

      August 31, 2012 at 6:37 pm

      I have made this recipe 5 times. I am in love with it.. definitely one of my favorites! My boyfriend is Korean and always requests it!

      Reply
    32. Dan says

      April 12, 2012 at 12:03 pm

      Great recipe. I enjoyed it a lot. Just like mom made.

      Reply
      • Hyosun Ro says

        April 13, 2012 at 12:41 am

        That’s cool! I’m delighted to hear that. Thank you for letting me know.

        Reply
    33. Sara Ferrell says

      March 21, 2012 at 2:18 am

      I made dak gomtang today! I could only fit about 9 cups of water in my pot, because the chicken was a 5 pounder, but it was DELICIOUS! The garlic pretty much disintegrated into the broth (YUMMM!), and I chopped the onion up and put it back into the soup to give it a bit more texture. It was so flavorful, I ate three (small) bowls for lunch… OOPS! 🙂

      Reply
      • Hyosun Ro says

        March 21, 2012 at 2:35 am

        Sara – I am so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know. Cheers!

        Reply
    34. Hyosun Ro says

      September 17, 2011 at 4:42 pm

      Thanks, Soyeon! I know it would be nice to have a bowl of this soup on the days like today.

      Reply
    35. csk says

      September 17, 2011 at 4:39 pm

      I love the photograph! I would love to eat this right now….

      Reply
    36. Hyosun Ro says

      August 27, 2011 at 7:24 pm

      Sandra – Thank you for visiting again and for the nice words. We Koreans love our ginseng!

      Nami – Oh I did not know it’s not common in Japan to use whole chicken. It’s very common in Korea to cook and serve whole chicken. Thanks for the encouraging words.

      Reply
    37. Nami | Just One Cookbook says

      August 27, 2011 at 7:26 am

      Hi Hyosan! I didn’t know Korean also divides summer in three periods! I actually don’t know if we have special food for each period like Korans do… I suddenly miss home thinking how wonderful to have such seasonal culture. =) I start to wonder if it’s only Japanese that it’s not common to use whole chicken! I barely see whole chicken in Japan, but it seems like Koreans makes chicken soup from scratch. This soup looks wonderful and I’m glad you continue keeping the culture.

      Reply
    38. Sandra says

      August 26, 2011 at 3:27 pm

      I love ginseng tea, and i try drinking it every day, but never tried making ginseng soup! I love sound of this chicken soup, very delicious looking..presentation and your pictures just saying: make me soon!:))

      Reply
    39. Hyosun Ro says

      August 26, 2011 at 1:46 am

      myfudo, Peggy, Bee, and Janine – Thank you so much for visiting and leaving the nice words. I returned home this week from a trip not feeling well. So I just made this soup again for myself. It was delicious and comforting.

      Reply
    40. foodingdo says

      August 23, 2011 at 3:55 am

      Hello! great recipe and yummy pictures, we would be glad if you could submit it to our site. Cheers 🙂

      Reply
    41. Janine says

      August 20, 2011 at 10:45 am

      loved the background to this soup – it’s one of my fave korean soups and i never knew there was so much behind it!

      Reply
    42. Bee | Rasa Malaysia says

      August 16, 2011 at 3:49 pm

      Yummy Hyosun. I was tempted to buy the Korean stoneware (the one used to cook rice at Tofu house) yesterday at the Korean market. This soup will be great with the crusty rice cooked in the stoneware. 🙂

      Reply
    43. Peggy says

      August 16, 2011 at 1:17 pm

      There’s nothing tastier than a well done chicken soup in my opinion, and this looks perfect!

      Reply
    44. myfudo says

      August 16, 2011 at 7:56 am

      Wonderfully presented! I bet those are appetite boosting soup, I think I will love it.

      Reply
    45. 5 Star Foodie says

      August 15, 2011 at 12:22 am

      The soup sounds excellent, a beautiful shot of it.

      Reply
    46. Hyosun Ro says

      August 15, 2011 at 1:06 am

      Thank you, Natasha!

      Reply
    47. Hyosun Ro says

      August 14, 2011 at 2:09 pm

      Thank you, Fin! I am happy to hear you will be making this today. It was delicious, and my family loved it. Enjoy!

      Reply
    48. Fin says

      August 14, 2011 at 4:59 am

      :O Wow~! Looks very delicious.

      Thank you so much for the recipe and the measurements. I look up recipes on Naver, but the problem is, the measurements on there is something like “300g of garlic”, but what is 300 grams of garlic?

      Once again, thank you for this recipe. I will be making it tomorrow for a Sunday brunch.

      Reply

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    Hi! I'm Hyosun, and I am a Korean-American mom of two wonderful grown-up children. Here, you will learn how to cook Korean dishes the way we Koreans traditionally eat at home. Read More...

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