K-Food Guide

Home › 100 Korean Foods › Dakgangjeong

Dakgangjeong (닭강정)

Chicken

Bite-size crispy chicken in a sticky sweet glaze.

Korean name
닭강정
Spice level
Mild
Flavor
sweet · sticky · crispy
Typically contains
chicken, wheat flour
Vegetarian / vegan
Not vegetarian — meat or seafood is core to the dish
Typical price
₩5,000–₩20,000 per portion checked 2026-07 — varies by area
Good to know
Beginner-friendly ●●●●● Solo dining ●●●●○ Kid-friendly ●●●●●
Also written as
dak gangjeong, chicken gangjeong, sweet crispy chicken bites

Spice and flavor are editorial assessments of the standard version — individual restaurants and recipes vary. Ingredient notes are typical, not guaranteed: always check with the restaurant for allergies or dietary needs. Eating and cooking notes describe common practice in Korea; our first-hand deep-dives live in the Eat Like a Local guides.

Dakgangjeong (닭강정)

What is Dakgangjeong?

Dakgangjeong is fried chicken candied: bite-size boneless pieces double-fried, then tossed in a sticky sweet-spicy or soy-garlic glaze that hardens into a crackly shell. Unlike saucy yangnyeom chicken, it stays crisp for hours — which is why markets sell it in paper cups as walking food.

How to eat it

  1. Eat with the provided skewer straight from the cup — it's engineered for walking.
  2. It stays good at room temperature; a market-souvenir classic to carry home.
  3. Sweet-heat builds; alternate with something plain if sensitive.

Good to know

  • The glaze contains serious sugar — it's closer to a confection than plain fried chicken.
  • Peanuts are a frequent garnish — allergy note.

Sokcho's market dakgangjeong (spicy, peanut-strewn) made the cup format nationally famous.

Nutrition

Calories219 kcal
Carbohydrate21.41 g
Protein17.9 g
Fat6.21 g
Sodium174 mg

Per serving (~183.9ml): ≈403 kcal · sodium ≈320 mg (16% of the WHO daily guideline, 2,000 mg)

Per 100ml · total serving 183.90ml · Official data: National Integrated Food Nutritional Information Standard Data (Korea MFDS) (DB item: 닭강정, synced 2026-07-17). Values vary by recipe and portion.

Featured in: Korean Food for Kids Must-Try Korean Street Food Sweet Korean Desserts & Street Snacks

What's your next move?

Nervous about ordering? Menu words and show-to-staff phrase cards. Menu Guide → Torn between two? Dakgangjeong vs Korean Fried Chicken — settled side by side. Compare →

← Back to all 100 Korean foods