The Chubby mom’s special correspondent is back once again…
Today, I’m excited to reveal another one of Chubby mom’s homemade recipes!
And the star of today’s menu is… Baeksuk / Samgyetang!!!
If you eat it soaked in the broth — it’s Samgyetang.
If you take it out and eat it separately — it’s Baeksuk!
Either way, here it is: the super simple homemade Baeksuk/Samgyetang recipe!! (Doo-roo-roo-roong~!!!)
Doo-roo-roo-roong—
On a scorching hot day not long ago…
Chubby mom decided to make a summer health-boosting dish for her father.
And when it comes to summer stamina food, of course…!!!!
Everyone thinks of that one dish — Samgyetang / Baeksuk!!!
That’s right… Chubby mom went ahead and made Baeksuk.
Actually, Chubby mom is a true master of homemade cooking.
So here it is — the recipe reveal!
How to make ridiculously simple Baeksuk — let’s start with the ingredients!
Chubby Mom’s Super Simple Baeksuk/Samgyetang Ingredients
- Whole Chicken
(We bought a Harim fresh chicken from the supermarket and cleaned it like this below*)
Trim off the neck, excess skin, and fat under the belly. - Green Onion
(Cut into large chunks, use whole stalks) - Abalone
(Optional – add to taste) - Garlic
(At Chubby mom’s house, we had frozen garlic on hand, so we used that — fresh garlic is fine too!) - Astragalus Root (Hwanggi)
(Available at supermarkets — usually sold near the chicken with other Samgyetang/Baeksuk ingredients) - Herbal Mix for Samgyetang
(Also available at supermarkets — typically found next to the fresh chicken, sold as a pre-packed herb mix) - Ginseng
(Bought separately at a traditional market, but it's also often sold next to the chicken in supermarkets — feel free to grab it there!) - Mung Beans
(Just enough to stuff inside the chicken) - Glutinous Rice (Sweet Rice)
(Also for stuffing inside the chicken — use a modest amount) - Jujubes (Dried Red Dates)
(Optional — not in the photo above, but you’ll see them in a later one!) - Bay Leaves
(Great for removing any unpleasant smell from the chicken) - Toothpicks
(To seal the stuffed chicken after filling it)
First, clean and prep all the ingredients just like in the photos below.
For the chicken, as mentioned above, we used a Harim fresh chicken from the supermarket. Trim off any excess skin or fatty parts, and rinse it thoroughly.
As for the green onion, don’t chop it too small — cut it into large pieces like you see in the photo below.
The astragalus root (hwanggi) and herbal mix for Samgyetang are usually sold right next to the fresh chicken in supermarkets. Just pick those up together — they’ll likely come in a mesh pouch or a tea bag-style packet like in the picture below, perfect for making broth!
The ginseng used here was actually bought by Chubby mom at a local traditional market — but no worries!
You’ll almost certainly find ginseng sold near the chicken section at most supermarkets, so go ahead and pick it up while you’re there.
Make sure to clean both the ginseng and abalone thoroughly, and prepare the garlic as well.
At Chubby mom’s house, we usually buy whole fresh garlic, freeze it, and use it little by little over time — so we used frozen garlic here.
That said, of course!!! You can totally use fresh garlic too!
Also, rinse the glutinous rice and mung beans, which will go inside the chicken.
(We’ll go into more detail below, but for now — be sure to soak the rice and mung beans in water for about 30 minutes beforehand.)
In a large pot big enough to fit the whole chicken and all the ingredients, add water, then toss in the garlic, astragalus root (hwanggi), and the herbal mix.
Bring it to a strong boil over high heat.
Also, don’t forget the jujubes (dried red dates) — we forgot to mention them in the earlier photo, but now’s the time to add them!
Before adding the chicken, let the broth boil with just the herbs, garlic, and jujubes for about 30 minutes.
This helps create a rich, flavorful base for the soup.
While the herbal broth is boiling, it’s time to stuff the chicken.
Using a spoon, fill the inside of the chicken with the soaked glutinous rice and mung beans.
Then add in a good mix of ginseng, garlic, and jujubes to pack it full of flavor.
Once everything is stuffed in nicely, cross the chicken’s legs and use a toothpick to seal the opening securely.
Ta-da!
After the herbal broth has boiled for about 30 minutes, add the abalone, green onions, bay leaves, and the carefully prepared whole chicken into the pot.
Lower the heat to medium and simmer for about 45 to 50 minutes.
The longer you simmer, the better the flavors develop!
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The longer it simmers… just look at how the broth turns milky and rich…!!
Because of the herbs, the broth doesn’t just turn white — it deepens into a rich brown color.
After simmering for about 50 minutes, it’s truly done.
At the very end, turn off the heat, cover the pot with the lid, and let it rest for about 10 minutes.
(This means just keep it covered and let it sit for those 10 minutes to finish soaking up all the flavors.)
Ta-da! Finally, the completed Baeksuk!!
(If you eat it soaked in the broth, you can basically call it Samgyetang…)
Since Chubby mom enjoyed it as Baeksuk, she cut open the chicken and served it in a bowl.
You can clearly see the ginseng, jujubes, glutinous rice, and mung beans inside.
This is seriously a super simple Baeksuk/Samgyetang recipe where you just toss in the ingredients and boil!
No salt or any other seasonings needed at all!! (It’s that easy, that simple!!)
If you want to easily boost your health at home during the hot summer, just head to the supermarket, grab a fresh chicken and some ingredients, and try this super simple Samgyetang/Baeksuk recipe!!
I highly, highly recommend it as the perfect nourishing meal!!!
Alright, that’s it for today’s post!
I promise to keep sharing more of Chubby mom’s homemade meals, side dishes, and recipes in the future…
Until then… chup chup (peace out)!
