Budae jjigae (Army stew) is easy to make. As long as it has kimchi and some American processed meats, it’s a budae jjigae. This budae jjigae recipe will give you a few tips for making it delicious!
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Course: Main
Cuisine: Korean
Keyword: BACON, HOT DOG, kimchi, Korean stew, SPAM
4 cupsanchovy broth (or beef or chicken stock) More if you want extra broth. You can also use water.
Seasoning
1tablespoongochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes)Use more for a spicier stew
1teaspoongochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste)
1tablespoonsoup soy sauce (or salt to taste)
1tablespoonminced garlic
1 to 2tablespoonsbroth or water
black pepper to taste
Optional
1package instant ramyeon noodles Pre-boil right before adding to the stew to keep them from absorbing too much liquid from the stew
Instructions
Cut the ingredients into bite size pieces, and arrange them in a medium size shallow pot. Mix all the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl.
Add the broth, and stir in the seasoning.
Cook over medium high heat until the bacon is cooked through and the kimchi has softened. Add the optional ramyeon noodles and more broth or water if necessary. (The noodles soak up a lot of the liquid, so I briefly cook the ramyeon noodles in a separate pot of water before adding to the stew.)
Notes
Use flavorful broth such as anchovy broth or good quality store-bought beef or chicken broth.
Have extra broth so you can replenish while eating, if needed.
Noodles absorb lots of liquid if you cook them in the stew. Pre-boil the noodles right before adding to the stew.
Cook the stew over the portable burner at the table for more delicious experience. You can add more ingredients as the diners take some out to eat. Most ingredients in this recipe don’t take long to cook.
Eat the noodles first while they are still nicely chewy. This will also prevent the noodles from soaking up too much liquid from the stew.
Freeze the leftover processed meats for more budae jjigae later.