Ginseng Chicken Soup (Samgyetang)
A whole young chicken stuffed with glutinous rice, garlic, jujube and ginseng, simmered low and slow into a milky, deeply restorative broth. Korea's classic way to fight summer heat with a steaming bowl of comfort.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Soak the rice
Rinse the glutinous rice under cold water, then soak it in fresh cold water for 30 minutes and drain well. This softens the grains so they finish cooking at the same time as the stuffed chicken, instead of staying hard in the middle.
- 150 g glutinous rice
✅ Done when: the grains look swollen and chalky white, no longer glassy
Clean the chickens
Rinse the chickens well inside and out under cold water. Pull out and discard any lumps of yellow fat around the tail opening and neck, and snip off the wing tips — this fat is what makes the broth greasy and gives it a strong smell if left in. Pat the chickens dry.
- 4 whole chickens
Stuff and close
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Boil and skim
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Simmer gently
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Rest and serve
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Soak the rice
Rinse the glutinous rice under cold water, then soak it in fresh cold water for 30 minutes and drain well. This softens the grains so they finish cooking at the same time as the stuffed chicken, instead of staying hard in the middle.
- 150 g glutinous rice
✅ Done when: the grains look swollen and chalky white, no longer glassy
Clean the chickens
Rinse the chickens well inside and out under cold water. Pull out and discard any lumps of yellow fat around the tail opening and neck, and snip off the wing tips — this fat is what makes the broth greasy and gives it a strong smell if left in. Pat the chickens dry.
- 4 whole chickens
Stuff and close
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Boil and skim
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Simmer gently
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Rest and serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Ginseng has been grown and prized in Korea for centuries, used in the royal court and in traditional medicine for its believed restorative powers. Pairing it with a whole young chicken and sticky rice turned a tonic root into a nourishing, everyday meal eaten by the whole family, not just the privileged.
Samgyetang became especially tied to the hottest days of the Korean summer, known as bok nal, when people eat something hot and fortifying on the idea of fighting heat with heat, rather than cooling down with something cold.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Its clear, deeply savory broth and the gentle lift of ginseng have made it Korea's go-to dish for restoring strength, most of all during the sweltering peak of summer.
💡 Fun Fact
Many Koreans eat samgyetang specifically on the three bok nal days of the lunar calendar, the traditional way to beat the summer heat with a steaming bowl of soup instead of something cold.
Korea
37.57°N, 126.98°E
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