Jajangmyeon is a classic black bean noodle Korean-Chinese dish with a rich, savory sauce that is perfect for weeknight dinners and freezer friendly meal prep.
Jjajangmyeon is one of those dishes that looks far more complicated than it actually is. The one nuance step is pan-frying the black bean sauce in oil for a few minutes, before the black bean sauce is ready to be used for the dish. This extra step deepens the flavor and removes bitterness, but it takes less than five minutes. After that, the sauce comes together in one large pan!
My dad was really busy in grad school but this was one of his specialty dishes he made and it was always a special treat when he had the time and ingredients to make it for us. We later on moved to a city with many more Korean restaurants so hadn’t made it for awhile at home until I got married. For awhile, my husband and I lived an hour away (+ a lot of traffic) from the closest Korean-Chinese restaurant. One day, I decided to make jajangmyeon myself and it was so much easier than I expected. Just chop the pork, vegetables, and simmer away with the black bean sauce.
Variations of Jajangmyeon
There are different types of jajangmyeon – the below 2 being the most common
- Ganjajangmyeon is a drier, thicker and more intense sauce made without adding water. At restaurants, the sauce and noodles are usually served separately, and the flavor is often less sweet. This is the version I usually order when dining out.
- Classic jajangmyeon is often slightly sweeter, and saucier. Water is added with a cornstarch slurry while cooking for a glossy sauce that coats the noodles. This version is also ideal for making ahead.
Today’s recipe is inspired by Culinary Class Wars Chef Yeo Kyungrae who describes this version as falling somewhere in between. Water and a cornstarch slurry is added but it is not as thin of a consistency as the classic jajangmyeon.
Meal Prep
You can freeze the sauce easily. Let the sauce cool, then portion and freeze.
When ready to use again, add the frozen sauce into a large pan, with 2-3 Tbsp of water, and heat over low heat, stirring occasionally. Add a little more water as needed to prevent sticking. The sauce reheats easily and tastes just as good as freshly made, similar to reheating frozen curry.
Noodles
Jajangmyeon noodles are usually thick and flat wheat noodles. You can make them from scratch, purchase fresh refrigerated noodles, or use dried kalguksu-style wheat noodles. I prefer the texture of the fresh refrigerated noodles but those have a shorter shelf life so out of convenience, I usually have a package of the dried noodles in our pantry as well.
To serve
- Jajang sauce is most commonly served over noodles, but it can also be spooned over steamed rice, which is known as jajangbap. In Korean, bap means rice, and myeon means noodles.
- My husband likes to sprinkle a little gochugaru, Korean red chili pepper flakes, over the sauce before mixing for a subtle kick.
- You can also add seafood such as shrimp or squid to create samseon jajangmyeon, a more “premium” variation.
- Finally, it’s often served with raw onions with a side of chunjang (before frying) for dipping, and danmuji (Korean pickled radish).
Hope you enjoy!
Jajangmyeon (Korean-Chinese Black Bean Sauce Noodles)
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp chunjang (Korean black bean paste) (90g)
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1½ Tbsp oyster sauce
- 1½ Tbsp soy sauce
- ½ cup beef stock or water (120 ml)
- 9 oz pork, diced (250 g) i like to use pork belly, but often it's pork shoulder, loin or tenderloin
- 2 medium onions, diced about 14 oz / 400 g
- 1 medium potato, diced
- 1 zucchini, diced (optional)
- 8 oz cabbage, chopped
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbsp water cornstarch slurry
For Serving
- 4 servings Fresh jjajangmyeon noodles or dried wheat noodles Or Rice
Instructions
- Prepare the Ingredients. Cut the pork into ½ inch cubes. Chop all vegetables into ½ inch pieces.
- If using potatoes, place them in a bowl, cover with water, and microwave for about 2 minutes until just barely tender but not fully cooked. Drain and set aside. This is because the potatoes take much longer to cook than the other ingredients.
- Heat oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the chunjang and sugar. Fry for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- At this point, the oil will separate from the black bean paste. Pour the oil out separately, and set the black bean paste aside.
- Return the reserved oil to the pan over medium heat. Add the pork and stir-fry until no longer pink. Add the soy sauce and stir to coat.
- Add the onions and cook until softened and translucent.
- Stir in the potatoes, cabbage, and zucchini (if using). Cook until the vegetables soften.
- Add the fried black bean paste and oyster sauce. Stir well to combine. Pour in the stock or water. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Pour in the cornstarch slurry and cook until the sauce thickens. Turn off the heat.
For serving
- During the last 2-3 steps, bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to package instructions. Drain well. Tip from Chef Yeo Kyungrae: if you want chewy noodles, once the noodles are cooked, drain the noodles but reserve the hot water. Rinse the noodles in cold water. Right before serving, dip the noodles into the hot water before placing them into the bowl.
- Spoon the sauce generously over noodles (or rice), mix well, and enjoy. Serve with raw onion slices and pickled radish (danmuji) on the side.
Notes
This recipe is inspired by Chef Yeo Kyungrae and falls between the dry-style of ganjajang and the saucier/thinner jjajangmyeon. You can adjust the water and cornstarch slurry to your preference!
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