Budae Jjigae is a super popular Korean “jeon gol” (hot pot). A huge pot of sizzling spicy stew is usually shared amongst 2, 4 or even more people (the more the merrier, and the bigger the pot!). I don’t think my mom grew up eating this dish so she didn’t make it for us at home. The first few times I really got to enjoy it was during my first trip to Korea in college! As young 20 somethings during summer vacation, my friends and I would meet up and enjoy this hot sizzling pot of spicy stew with a concoction of ingredients that we’d continue to add to during the meal. Even though it was hot and humid outside, we still loved to enjoy it!
Random Facts about Budae Jjigae
- Budae-jjigae literally translates to “army base stew”.
- The dish was invented shortly after the end of the Korean War (early 1950s) when Korea was in poverty and food was scarce. Post-par, processed foods from US military bases like spam, ham, sausages, and canned beans were mixed with available Korean ingredients to feed the hungry population.
- Uijeongbu, a little north of Seoul is where this stew is thought to have been born.
This recipe is really flexible and adaptable. Use the ingredients that you have at home. You can omit, add, or substitute any main ingredients to what you have in your fridge or to what you prefer.
If possible, you should enjoy this at your table with a portable burner! This makes it all the more enjoyable to eat with your friends and family. (It also pairs well with soju, a Korean liquor). But of course, you can enjoy this on your own as well.
Ingredients
Stock
- 3 ⅓ cup (800 ml) water, divided
- 5 dried anchovies
- 2 pieces of dried kelp pieces (2 x 2 inch), dashima 다시마
Sauce:
- 2 ½ Tbsp Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
- ½ Tbsp Korean chili paste (gochujang)
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- ½ Tbsp sugar
- ½ Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp mirin
- A few shakes and sprinkles of ground black pepper
If using pork or beef – Marinade:
Main
- 2 hot dogs, cut into bite sized pieces
- 4 oz (1/3 a standard can) spam , sliced thinly
- ½ tofu package
- 4 ounces enoki mushrooms, base chopped off
- ½ cup kimchi, chopped into bite size pieces
- 1.8 oz (50 g) Korean rice cake, about 10 small pieces, if frozen – soaked in cold water for about 10 minutes
- 1 package instant ramen noodles, just the noodles
- ½ onion
- 3 ½ oz (100 g) pork belly or beef * optional (I prefer the pork)
- ⅓ zucchini, sliced into pieces *optional (not traditional but a nice touch)
*Many “traditional” Army Stew recipes include canned baked beans. I’ve never actually had it with it and it doesn’t sound very appealing to me. If desired, add about ¼ cup canned beans.
**It’s trendy to add cheese into this dish. I prefer not to add cheese into spicy stews but if desired, add 1-2 slices of cheese or ⅛ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.
Instructions
Prepare Stock:
1. Remove the heads and gut the dried anchovies (slit the anchovy in half to take out the black middle part).
2. Combine the water, dried anchovies and kelp pieces. On a medium-low heat, bring the stock to a simmer. After about 10 minutes, remove the kelp. Continue to simmer for about another 5-10 minutes. Discard the dried anchovies and kelp.
*This stock is not essential for the recipe. You can use just rice water, chicken stock or even just water.
Make Sauce:
3. As the stock is simmering, make the sauce. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients together and set aside.
Marinate Pork or Beef* (If Using):
4. In a medium sized bowl, marinate the meat with the soy sauce, mirin and sugar. Set aside.
*I prefer pork but used beef today.
Assemble:
5. Add in all of the main ingredients into a shallow pot except for the instant noodles. (I like to split the ingredients up into multiple places in the pot so each ingredient flavor will be spread apart!).
6. Top with the sauce (from step 4) on the ingredients.
7. First, add about just 2 ½ cups (600ml) of the stock and bring to a simmer on medium heat and continue to simmer until the ingredients are cooked through (about 5 minutes).
*The Korean style is to cook it at the center of the table on a portable burner. As you do this, you can begin to enjoy the ready ingredients.
8. After enjoying a few bites of the dish, add in the instant ramyun and cook for another 4-5 minutes. As the budae jjigae cooks and the stew reduces, refill the pot with the remaining stock as needed.
*If you wish, you can add the noodles from the start. I like to enjoy a few bites with just hot white rice before doing so.
9. Enjoy with a bowl of warm rice!
Budae Jjigae (Korean Army Stew)
Ingredients
Stock
- 3 ⅓ cup (800 ml) water divided
- 5 dried anchovies
- 2 pieces (2 x 2 inch) dried kelp dashima 다시마
Sauce
- 2 ½ Tbsp Korean chili flakes gochugaru
- ½ Tbsp Korean chili paste gochujang
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- ½ Tbsp sugar
- ½ Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp mirin
- A few shakes and sprinkles of ground black pepper
If using pork or beef - Marinade
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp mirin
- tsp ½sugar
Main
- 2 hot dogs cut into bite sized pieces
- 4 oz (1/3 a standard can) spam sliced thinly
- ½ tofu package
- 4 ounces enoki mushrooms base chopped off
- ½ cup kimchi chopped into bite size pieces
- 1.8 oz (50 g) Korean rice cake about 10 small pieces, if frozen - soaked in cold water for about 10 minutes
- 1 package instant ramen noodles just the noodles
- ½ onion
- 3 ½ oz (100 g) pork belly or beef * optional I prefer the pork
- ⅓ zucchini sliced into pieces *optional (not traditional but a nice touch)
Instructions
Prepare Stock
- Remove the heads and gut the dried anchovies (slit the anchovy in half to take out the black middle part).
- Combine the water, dried anchovies and kelp pieces. On a medium-low heat, bring the stock to a simmer. After about 10 minutes, remove the kelp. Continue to simmer for about another 5-10 minutes. Discard the dried anchovies and kelp. *This stock is not essential for the recipe. You can use just rice water, chicken stock or even just water. Using a base with the anchovies or chicken stock will deepen the broth.
Make Sauce
- As the stock is simmering, make the sauce. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients together and set aside.
Marinate Pork or Beef* (If Using)
- In a medium sized bowl, marinate the meat with the soy sauce, mirin and sugar. Set aside. *I prefer pork but used beef today.
Assemble
- Add in all of the main ingredients into a shallow pot except for the instant noodles. (I like to split the ingredients up into multiple places in the pot so each ingredient flavour will be spread apart!).
- Top with the sauce (from step 4) on the ingredients.
- First, add about just 2 ½ cups (600ml) of the stock and bring to a simmer on medium heat and continue to simmer until the ingredients are cooked through (about 5 minutes). *The Korean style is to cook it at the center of the table on a portable burner. As you do this, you can begin to enjoy the ready ingredients.
- After enjoying a few bites of the dish, add in the instant ramyun and cook the noodles for another 4-5 minutes. As the budae jjigae cooks and the stew reduces, refill the pot with the remaining stock as needed. *If you wish, you can add the noodles from the start. I like to enjoy a few bites with just hot white rice before doing so.
- Enjoy with a bowl of warm rice!
I can never get enough of hot pots or jeongol!
I would assume omitting the kimchi is not acceptable for the army stew?
And how much is a cup of kimchi? I always get a little confused when recipes call for cups instead of grams… xD