Slow Cooker Jjim Dak (or dak jjim), aka Korean braised chicken

Last night I experimented with jjim dak cooked in the slow cooker and I’m so pleased with the results that I had to share the recipe. I started with the recipe from Hyosun at Eating and Living. This is my “go to” site for Korean recipes and I haven’t been disappointed yet. I used her ingredient list, but changed the amounts slightly. You’ll find Hyosun’s recipe here: (http://eatingandliving.blogspot.com/2011/02/jjimdakdakjjim-korean-style-braised.html) Here’s the recipe as I’ve adapted it for the slow cooker.

Ingredients:

3 medium to large boneless chicken breasts (I used frozen ones)
2 small to medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
8 -10 baby carrots, cut into thirds
1/2 large onion

Added at the end:
3 ounces starch noodles (aka, cellophane noodles or sweet potato noodles; the ones used in jap chae)
2 green onions, diced

The original recipe calls for: 3 -4 mushroom caps (shiitake, white, or baby bella), 3 – 4 dried whole red chili peppers (optional), and 1 – 2 green chili peppers or jalapenos (optional). But I omitted these based on my family’s tastes.

Sauce:
4-5 garlic cloves, minced (I used the equivalent of minced garlic)
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/3 cup plus 2 Tbs. soy sauce (preferably dark)
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice wine (or mirin)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2-1/2 cups water

Added at the end:
2 tablespoons corn syrup (I’ll likely reduce to 1 Tb. next time)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Put the chicken breasts into the slow cooker and cover with potatoes, carrots, and onions. Then add in the first eight ingredients in the sauce list. Cook on high for between four and five hours.

Four hours later, you’ll need to remove the chicken, which should be super tender, shred it, and return it to the slow cooker. Next you need to add the last three sauce ingredients and the noodles. The noodles should soak up most of the water left in the slow cooker. Once the noodles are tender, serve in bowls and garnish with green onions.

It was so yummy! And our exchange student said it tasted like the jjim dak she’s had in Korea, which is the best endorsement I can get. I love Korean recipes in the slow cooker since I rely on it a lot these days. I hope your family enjoys it too.