Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup (Samgyetang) Recipe

Samgyetang is a Korean soup of small whole chickens simmered with ginseng, garlic, jujubes, and glutinous rice, then served hot with broth. The ingredients and stuffing vary between cooks, but this home-style version keeps the method simple and makes a savory, gently fragrant meal for four.

Ingredients

2 small whole chickens, about 1½ lb (680 g) each, giblets removed
½ cup (100 g) short-grain glutinous rice, also called sweet rice
2 fresh ginseng roots, about 1 oz (28 g) total, or 2 small dried ginseng pieces, about 0.3 oz (8 g)
8 garlic cloves (about 24 g), peeled
4 dried jujubes, also called Korean dates (about 20 g); use dried Chinese red dates if Korean jujubes are unavailable
1 piece fresh ginger, 1 inch (15 g), sliced; optional
10 cups (2.4 L) cold water, plus more if needed
1 teaspoon fine salt (6 g), plus more at the table
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (0.5 g), plus more at the table
2 scallions (about 30 g), thinly sliced, for serving
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (5 ml), optional, for serving

Instructions

Soak the rice. Put the glutinous rice in a bowl and cover it with cool water. Leave it to soak for 30 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. Drain well. Soaking helps the grains cook through inside the chicken instead of remaining firm in the center; do not leave the rice soaking at room temperature for hours.
Prepare the chickens. Remove any giblets from the cavities and save them for another use or discard them. Do not rinse raw poultry, since splashing can spread germs around the sink. Pat the chickens dry with paper towels, then wash your hands and sanitize the board, knife, and work surface that touched the raw chicken. Trim away excess loose fat around the cavity openings if you like, but keep the skin intact so the rice stays inside.
Fill the cavities. Divide the drained rice, garlic, ginseng, and jujubes between the two chickens. Add a few slices of ginger to each cavity if using. Leave some room for the rice to expand as it cooks; the cavity should not be packed tightly. If a little rice will not fit, set it aside to add to the pot during simmering. Cross the drumsticks and secure them with kitchen twine, or make a small slit in the loose skin near each opening and tuck the drumstick ends through it. This helps keep the filling in place.
Set up the pot. Arrange the chickens breast-side up in a heavy pot large enough to hold them without crowding, such as a 6- to 8-quart pot. Pour in 10 cups (2.4 L) cold water; the birds do not have to be completely submerged. Add the salt and pepper. If using extra rice, stir it into the water now. Bring the pot to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, skimming off any foam that gathers on the surface during the first few minutes.
Simmer until tender. Lower the heat so the liquid bubbles gently, cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar, and simmer for about 75 minutes. A hard, rolling boil can break the skin, make the broth cloudy, and cause the rice to spill out, so adjust the heat if the soup is churning. Turn the chickens once halfway through if they are not mostly surrounded by liquid. Add a little hot water if the broth level drops substantially. The chicken is ready when a food thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the inner thigh, without touching bone, reads 165°F (74°C); this is the USDA FSIS safe minimum temperature for poultry. If it has not reached that temperature after 75 minutes, continue simmering and check again after 5 to 10 minutes. The meat should be tender, and the rice in the cavity should be soft.
Taste and serve. Use tongs and a broad spoon to transfer each chicken carefully to a shallow serving bowl; the birds are delicate when fully cooked. Ladle broth around them and scatter sliced scallions over the top. Taste the broth and add salt if needed. Serve while steaming hot, with extra salt and pepper on the side for seasoning individual bites.

Tips

Choose ginseng for the flavor you want. Fresh Korean ginseng has a mild, earthy aroma, while dried roots tend to taste more concentrated and woody. If neither is available, omit it rather than replacing it with an unrelated herb; the soup will still be a comforting chicken-and-rice broth, but it will not have the characteristic ginseng note. Ginseng tea bags are not a reliable substitute because their contents and strength vary.
Use the right rice. Glutinous rice gives the stuffing its soft, slightly sticky texture. Regular short-grain rice can work, but it will be less sticky and may need a little less cooking time. Long-grain rice is a less suitable swap because the grains stay separate and can become dry inside the bird.
Keep the simmer gentle. Once the pot reaches a boil, turn down the heat promptly. A calm simmer is easier to control, keeps the chickens intact, and lets the broth turn savory without rapidly evaporating. Check the liquid level occasionally and top it up with hot water rather than cold water.
Handle the filling and bird safely. Do not overfill the cavities, and avoid reusing a plate or utensils that held raw chicken for the cooked birds. Use a thermometer rather than judging doneness by the broth color or cooking time alone. If the chickens vary noticeably in size, check each one separately.

Serving Suggestions

Bring each chicken to the table in its own bowl with plenty of broth, or portion the cooked meat into bowls and spoon the rice and soup around it. A small dish of salt and black pepper lets everyone season the chicken as they eat; a few drops of toasted sesame oil are another optional finishing touch. Keep the scallions fresh and add them just before serving so they remain bright and lightly crisp.

Samgyetang is filling on its own, but it also pairs well with bowls of steamed rice for anyone who wants more starch, and with Korean side dishes such as kimchi or a simple cucumber salad. Their acidity and crunch contrast with the soft rice and mild broth. If serving a group, set out small plates for bones and a spoon for broth. Let diners pull the tender meat from the chicken at the table, or remove the bones in the kitchen for easier serving.

Variations

Make individual portions. Use four Cornish hens weighing about 1 to 1¼ lb (450 to 570 g) each instead of two larger young chickens. Divide the same filling among them and begin checking doneness earlier, around 50 to 60 minutes of gentle simmering. The safe internal temperature remains 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of each thigh; smaller birds can finish at different times, so check them individually.

Use dried jujubes or skip them. Korean dried jujubes add a subtle fruity sweetness to the broth. Dried Chinese red dates are a practical substitute and give a similar mild sweetness. If you cannot find either, leave them out; the soup will taste more plainly savory, so taste the broth before serving and adjust the salt and pepper.

Make a pot-style version. For easier serving, cut each chicken into quarters before cooking and simmer the pieces with the ginseng, garlic, jujubes, and ginger. Cook the soaked rice separately in the broth or in a small rice pouch, since loose rice can make the soup thicker and harder to skim. Check every chicken piece for 165°F (74°C). This version is less traditional in presentation but convenient when whole birds are unavailable or awkward to fit in the pot.

Adjust the broth. For a lighter soup, skim some fat from the surface after cooking. For a fuller bowl, stir in the reserved cooked rice or serve extra rice on the side. Avoid adding strong spices that overwhelm the delicate ginseng and chicken; if you want heat, put sliced fresh chili or a little chili paste on the table so each person can add it to their own bowl.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking. For faster cooling, divide the chicken and broth among shallow containers rather than leaving a large covered pot to cool on the counter. Refrigerate at 40°F (4°C) or below and use within 3 to 4 days. You can store the birds whole, but separating the meat from the bones makes later portions easier to pack and reheat. Keep the chicken and broth together to help the meat stay moist.

To reheat a serving on the stovetop, place the chicken or chicken pieces in a saucepan with enough broth to cover the bottom, cover, and heat gently until steaming throughout. Stir or turn the pieces as needed so they heat evenly. Reheated leftovers should reach 165°F (74°C), measured in the thickest piece of chicken, in keeping with USDA FSIS guidance. Add a splash of water if the broth has thickened from the rice. Microwave individual portions in a covered microwave-safe bowl, stirring the broth and turning the chicken midway; check the temperature in more than one spot.

For longer storage, freeze cooled chicken and broth in airtight freezer-safe containers for up to 2 to 3 months for best quality. Leave room for expansion and label the containers with the date. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat to 165°F (74°C). The rice may soften further after freezing, but the soup remains usable; a fresh sprinkle of scallions helps restore contrast when serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make samgyetang without a whole chicken?
Yes. Bone-in chicken thighs or legs work in a pot-style version, though they will not hold the rice stuffing and the presentation will be different. Simmer until every piece reaches 165°F (74°C), then serve with rice cooked in the broth or separately. Boneless chicken is less ideal because the bones contribute flavor to the soup and the meat can become overcooked before the broth develops as much body.

Do I have to soak the glutinous rice?
Soaking for 30 minutes helps the rice cook evenly inside the chicken. If you skip the soak, the rice may remain firm at the center even when the chicken is done. You can instead cook the rice separately and serve it in the broth, which is a useful option if you are short on time or prefer not to stuff the birds.

Can I use American ginseng instead of Korean ginseng?
You can, but the flavor will differ. American ginseng is often more bitter and less sweetly aromatic than Korean ginseng, so start with a small amount and adjust in a later batch. If using powdered ginseng, avoid adding an unknown large quantity; it can make the broth dusty or strongly bitter. The recipe works without ginseng, though it will no longer have the distinctive ingredient named in the dish.

Why did the rice come out of the chicken?
The cavity may have been packed too tightly, the opening may not have been secured, or the soup may have boiled too vigorously. Leave expansion space, tie the legs or tuck them through the skin, and keep the pot at a gentle simmer. A few grains escaping will not spoil the soup; skim loose foam if needed and serve the broth as usual.

Can I prepare any part of the recipe ahead?
Yes. Soak and drain the rice shortly before cooking, or measure the dry ingredients and slice the ginger and scallions ahead. Keep raw chicken refrigerated and separate from ready-to-eat foods, and stuff the birds just before they go into the pot. You can cook the soup a day ahead, cool it promptly, refrigerate it, and reheat the portions to 165°F (74°C) before serving.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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