Kimchi Jjigae (Stew) is a classic stew in Korean Cuisine that is hard not to love if you like Kimchi. It is made with old over ripe kimchi which may be too sour to enjoy fresh but is wonderful when stewed.
Kimchi Jjigae or Kimchi Stew is actually very simple to make. This was one of my very first Korean recipe I cooked on my own. I still remember the very first time I made it all by myself – it was when I was in college and visiting my brother in Virginia from Korea. The winter snowstorm that year (1984? 1985?) was so bad that we were stuck in his apartment for almost a week with no means of getting to a store.
The first time I stepped outside, the snow had accumulated up to my thigh!!! We were running out of things to eat and we were really getting tired of eating pastrami sandwiches and chips…And then we found some old kimchi in the fridge!! YES!!!
Well, needless to say I think I have made it thousands of times since then and I don’t think I ever get tired of it.
How to make variations of Kimchi Jjigae: with no meat, with tofu, with beef..
There’s no big trick or tip to making it with other ingredients than the pork belly kimchi jjigae recipe I have here. When adding any kind of meat, try to use cuts with some fat or add oil – because fat is what makes the kimchi vegetables tender and extra flavorful.
As for the amount you add, it can be as little or as much as 1/2 of the kimchi amount or even more. You should experiment with it and find what ratio you like. Remember that canned fish or deli meats add a lot of salt in addition to the salty kimchi so you may want to add those sparingly.
- No Meat – This has become my favorite. I love the clean taste of this jjigae. Just sauté kimchi and onions in 2 T oil, add water, garlic powder and dried anchovies (or add anchovy stock). To make it vegetarian, you can use kelp stock.
- Tofu – Add tofu to the plain version above or to any other variation.
- Pork – most popular – use pork butt, shoulder, neck all works, just cut in small pieces
- Beef – Add stew beef or boneless short ribs cut in small pieces instead of pork (in this recipe)
- Fish – Add canned tuna or mackerel spike (kkongchi 꽁치) or mackerel (godeung-eo 고등어). Add 1 Tbs or so gochujang to make it even more flavorful and a splash of rice or white wine.
- Combo– Mix different kinds of kimchi-including radish kimchis such as young radish kimchi (총각김치 chong gak kimchi) or cubed radish kimchi (깍두기 kkakdugi) which is one of my favorite. Radishes add another dimension of taste and texture- so try it! Note, radishes may need to be cooked longer until they become soft
- Deli meats – spam, bacon and sausages also all work well, although now you are getting closer to Budae Jjigae if you add these.
- Aged – Mukeunji Kimchi Jjigae 묵은지 김치찌게 – Aged kimchi or mukeunji 묵은지 is kimchi that has been fermenting for over 6 months. And you can make a very special stew with this amazingly deep and complex flavored kimchi.
Cook’s Tips
- What kind of kimchi can I use? In addition to the standard Napa Cabbage Kimchi, you can also use Kkakdugi, Easy Radish Kimchi, and Chongak Kimchi. Really old and sour Chongak Kimchi is actually my most favorite for making stew.
- Can I only use sour kimchi for Jjigae? Yes. Using over ripe, sour kimchi is VERY IMPORTANT! If you have a good sour kimchi, it is really hard to mess things up.
- How long should I cook it? Cook for a long time. Longer the better. And if you let it rest and reheat again, it tastes even more delicious the next day!
- Kimchi is NOT SOUR enough?? Add a bit of rice vinegar or add some sauerkraut.
- Kimchi is TOO SOUR!! Add a bit of sugar to balance out the sweetness!
- Storage – You can store Kimchi Jjigae in the fridge for at least a week. At room temperature it should last 1 day or more depending on the content and temperature. It will definitely last 2+ days at room temp, if you flash boil it once a day. You can also FREEZE it and it keeps well.
- Save leftover kimchi from the table (you should not put leftover kimchi from the table back into the original jar) and keep in the fridge for 2 weeks or so (less than 30 days) and use for stew.
How can I tell if Kimchi is sour enough without tasting?
If you have to buy Kimchi at the store and you cannot taste the Kimchi then you want to know how you can tell if a bottle of Kimchi is sour or not. For recipes that use cooked kimchi, you want to buy sour kimchi but otherwise, you may NOT want to buy sour kimchi.
Visually, here is a picture that shows what a sour over ripe kimchi look like. Sour kimchi on the left and not yet sour but perfectly ripe kimchi on the right. Over ripe sour cabbage kimchi has a more translucent look to it is more yellow, as if the cabbage flesh has fully absorbed the kimchi seasoning.
The kimchi on the right is perfectly ripe, very slightly sour and is about 2 weeks old. The color is white and opaque. The kimchi on the right is probably not overly ripe enough to make good jjigae. Use kimchi that is more close to the left picture for making good Kimchi stew.
How do I make sour ripened kimchi?
You can easily make your kimchi sour by leaving them longer in your fridge. To speed up the process, leave them out at room temperature for 12 hrs or longer and it should sour quickly.
For more discussions about how to ripen Kimchi and its history, please read my informational post – No Crazy Kimchi. I even have a flow chart that helps you ripen Kimchi properly.
The recipe I share in this post is probably the “standard”. Restaurants serve this variation the most – because pork and kimchi are just magical together. I do have issues with many restaurant jjigaes though – they often use kimchi that is not sour enough and also not enough of it. It produces jjigae that really does not have much depth of flavor.
Step-by-Step Directions
- If you have a whole cabbage kimchi, cut into smaller pieces.
sliced sour aged kimchi - Cut pork against the grain into bite size pieces.
cut pork belly slices - Heat oil in a pot and saute the pork on medium high heat until slightly cooked.
Sauteeing Porkbelly in Pot - Add the kimchi and sauté for another 7 – 8 min.
kimchi jjigae sauteeing in pan - Add water, rice wine, chopped garlic, garlic powder and dried anchovies (or anchovy stock packet). Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 30 min.
Kimchi Jjigae ready to cook in pot - Halfway through simmer (15 min), taste the soup and adjust seasoning as needed.
** Because Kimchi is all seasoned differently the outcome may vary. If you think it could use some additional seasoning, add red chili powder and guk ganjang. You can also add some of the kimchi juice if you feel that it tastes a bit bland. I usually find that it turns out too spicy and salty if I add the juice but it all depends on how spicy and salty your kimchi is.
And there you go!! Enjoy!
What to serve with Kimchi Jjigae?
Serve with some rice and with some meat or fish. Since the stew is quite salty and spicy, it goes really well with heavier dishes such as grilled meats (kalbi, bulgogi, pork belly) . Try it cold (room temp, not heated) with some hot rice – the contrast in temperature makes it taste strangely amazing.
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P.S. If you have more sour kimchi to use up, try my 3-in-1 Kimchi Recipe that allows you to make the basic pork belly kimchi mix, freeze it and save for later. Then you can make 3 different dishes with it!! A great time saver!
Kimchi Jjigae (Stew) with Pork Belly
Ingredients
- 7 oz chopped sour kimchi or aged kimchi (3-4 cups / 750 ml - 1 L)
- 8 oz pork belly or shoulder (should have some fat)
- 2 cloves garlic (chopped or crushed)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 packet anchovy stock (or 5 large anchovies for stock)
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 cups water
OPTIONAL:
- 1 Tbsp mirin (rice wine)
- 1/4 tsp red chili powder
- 1/2 onion (sliced)
- 1/4 tsp guk ganjang (Korean soup soy sauce)
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
- If you have a whole cabbage kimchi, cut into smaller pieces.
- Cut pork against the grain into bite size pieces.
- Heat oil in a pot and saute the pork on medium high heat until slightly cooked.
- Add the kimchi and sauté for another 7 – 8 min.
- Add water, rice wine, chopped garlic, garlic powder and the dried anchovies (or anchovy stock packet). Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 30 min. Halfway through the simmer (15 min), taste the soup. If you think it could use some additional seasoning, add the red chili powder and gook kanjang. You can also add some the of the kimchi juice if you feel it is tasting a bit bland.
Tips & Notes:
- You need kimchi that is overly ripe and sour. You really cannot make good kimchi jjigae if the kimchi is not sour enough. You can also use aged kimchi (kimchi that has been fermenting for many months). This will produce a very sour jjigae that some people just love.
- If your kimchi is too sour, try adding a tsp or two of sugar. If your kimchi is not sour enough and you are really desperate for some good kimchi jjigae, try adding some vinegar or sauerkraut in addition to your kimchi.
- What to do if Jjigae is too salty or too spicy!! Don't worry, just take out about 1/3 to 1/2 of the soup and fill it back up with water. And adjust seasoning.
- Serve with rice and some meat or fish. Since this stew is quite salty and spicy, it goes really well with heavier dishes such as grilled meats (kalbi, bulgogi, pork belly). Try this stew cold (room temp) with some hot rice – the contrast in temperature somehow makes it really taste good.
Can I add 8 oz. fresh thickly sliced mushrooms in place of pork?
Sure, you can just omit pork or sub mushrooms, tuna and more tofu.
Great recipe. Love it 😍
I’m so happy to hear that. Thank you!
I made this tonight for dinner. It tasted great!. Wish I had made more than just one serving portion 😭
Thank you for sharing the receipe. Had no idea anchovies and pork belly went together for this great umami flavor.
That’s so awesome!! Thank you for trying my recipe. Pork and Kimchi are just match made in heaven.. enjoy!