Samgyetang (Chicken Ginseng Soup)
Comforting chicken soup with garlic, ginger, and rice.
Ingredients
- 800 g Chicken pieces (legs + thighs)
- 100 g Japanese short-grain rice
- 8 cloves Garlic
- 1 Ginger
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black pepper
- 3 Scallions (optional)
Method
- Rinse the rice and smash the garlic and ginger.
- Simmer the chicken with the garlic and ginger in plenty of water, skimming, for 35 minutes.
- Add the rice and simmer until soft and the broth is milky, about 15 minutes.
- Season with pepper, scatter scallions, and serve.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Samgyetang (Chicken Ginseng Soup)
Samgyetang is a Korean chicken soup traditionally eaten to restore energy during the hottest days of summer, on the principle of fighting heat with heat. The defining technique is a long, gentle simmer of chicken with garlic and ginger until the broth turns milky and deeply savory, then rice is added and cooked until it swells and softens into the soup. The flavor is clean and restorative rather than heavily seasoned — the garlic and ginger perfume the broth while the chicken gives it body, and the rice makes it a complete, sustaining bowl. It's the kind of soup that feels medicinal in the best sense.
This is a streamlined take, using chicken pieces and short-grain rice rather than a whole young bird stuffed with rice and ginseng, but it keeps the soul of the original: milky broth, tender chicken, and a warming ginger note. It's typically served plain at the table with salt and pepper offered on the side, so each person seasons their own bowl to taste, with scallions scattered on top. Eat it when you're run down, cold, or simply craving something gentle. The hour it takes is almost entirely hands-off simmering.
Samgyetang (Chicken Ginseng Soup): frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Samgyetang (Chicken Ginseng Soup)?
A serving has about 553 calories — 35.6g protein, 24.9g carbs, 33.5g fat, 1g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 35.6g of protein, roughly 26% of its calories.
Is Samgyetang (Chicken Ginseng Soup) gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Samgyetang (Chicken Ginseng Soup) has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
How long does Samgyetang (Chicken Ginseng Soup) take to make?
About 60 minutes start to finish, but only around 7 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Samgyetang (Chicken Ginseng Soup)?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out scallions — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Samgyetang (Chicken Ginseng Soup) make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.