Budae Jjigae (Korean Army Stew) Recipe
Budae Jjigae, also known as Korean Army Stew, is a hearty one-pot dish combining savory ingredients like spam, sausage, tofu, rice cakes, kimchi, mushrooms, and instant ramen noodles in a spicy and flavorful broth. This comforting stew is perfect for sharing and offers a delicious fusion of textures and tastes, finished with melted American cheese for a creamy touch.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Stew
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients
Scale
Stew Ingredients
- ½ can spam, sliced
- 10 mini sausages or 2 hot dogs, diced or sliced
- ½ block soft or firm tofu, sliced
- ½ cup rice cakes
- ½ onion, sliced
- 1 bunch enoki mushrooms
- ½ cup kimchi
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 1 pack instant ramen noodles
- 2 slices American cheese
Sauce Ingredients
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 1 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 2 tsp sugar
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
- 1 liter chicken stock or anchovy stock
Instructions
- Prepare the Sauce: In a bowl, combine the minced garlic, gochugaru, gochujang, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly and set the sauce aside to allow the flavors to meld.
- Assemble and Boil the Stew: In a shallow pot, arrange the sliced spam, sausage, tofu, rice cakes, sliced onion, enoki mushrooms, and kimchi. Pour the prepared sauce over the ingredients, then add the chicken or anchovy stock. Cover the pot with a lid and bring it to a boil over high heat.
- Add Noodles and Cheese: Once the stew reaches a boil, add the instant ramen noodles and place the American cheese slices on top. Cover the pot again and let it cook for several minutes until the noodles are fully cooked and the cheese has melted into the stew.
- Finish and Serve: Remove the lid, garnish the stew with chopped green onions for freshness, and serve hot. Optionally, enjoy the stew with a bowl of steamed rice for a complete meal.
Notes
- You can substitute chicken stock with anchovy stock for a deeper umami flavor.
- Use firm tofu for better texture, but soft tofu works if preferred.
- Adjust the amount of gochugaru and gochujang to control the spice level.
- Adding American cheese is traditional and adds creaminess; cheddar can be a substitute if desired.
- Serve with steamed rice to soak up the flavorful broth.
Keywords: Budae Jjigae, Korean Army Stew, Korean stew, spicy stew, ramen stew, Korean cuisine, one-pot meal, kimchi stew
