Budae-jjigae: A Shallow Pot Shared at the Table
Make a real stock first, keep the salt in the stock rather than the paste, and eat the noodles as soon as they turn soft. Those three habits hold the dish together.
A wide, shallow pot sits on a burner in the middle of the table. Cabbage, onion and pork are tucked underneath. Kimchi and a red chili paste are on top, then thin slices of Spam and sausage, a block of ramyeon, translucent sweet potato starch noodles and a handful of radish sprouts. Once the stock is poured in and the pot comes to a boil, everyone reaches in with tongs and serves the softened noodles first, before they have a chance to go limp.
That is budae-jjigae (부대찌개). The cooking style of a Korean kimchi stew meets processed meats such as luncheon meat and sausage, all in one pot. This article follows the four-serving home recipe by Maangchi. Three things matter most when you make it outside Korea: a stock of dried anchovies, kelp and dried shiitake; a spicy paste built on gochujang and gochugaru; and processed meats arranged so each ingredient stays distinct in the pot. Maangchi lists about 1 hour 20 minutes for the whole recipe, including making the stock. For more dishes from the same country, see South Korea.
This recipe has not been kitchen-tested by Sekai Gohan. Cup, ounce and spoon measures are US measures, as in Maangchi's recipe; do not swap them for Japanese cups or spoons without converting.
What Is Budae-jjigae? How It Differs from Kimchi Stew
The name joins budae (부대), a military unit or base, with jjigae (찌개), a Korean stew. Maangchi's recipe goes by "Army Base Stew" in English. It is not simply another name for kimchi-jjigae. Kimchi and chili are there, but they share the pot with luncheon meat, sausage, noodles and vegetables, and that combination is what defines it.
It is also not a dish made only from processed foods. In Maangchi's version, the base is a Korean-style stock of dried anchovies, kelp and dried shiitake, with pork simmered in it. Fermented kimchi, garlic, gochujang and gochugaru give the pot its Korean flavor. The Spam and sausage sit on top of that base rather than replacing it.
The Korea Tourism Organization (VISITKOREA) describes budae-jjigae as a pot where the West meets Korea. Its account places the dish in a specific postwar history, and that history is worth knowing before you shop.
From Uijeongbu: How a Stir-Fry Became a Stew
VISITKOREA connects budae-jjigae to Uijeongbu, a city in Gyeonggi Province that hosted US military camps after the Korean War. Processed meats and canned goods circulated around the bases, and Korean cooks combined them with kimchi and chili seasonings. According to VISITKOREA, specialty restaurants grew in number around Uijeongbu's Jeil Market in the 1960s, and the street of budae-jjigae restaurants was commemorated in 2008. VISITKOREA presents the origin as debated, and no single person or restaurant is confirmed as the inventor. Maangchi also gives her own account of the postwar origin, which is one person's view rather than settled history.
VISITKOREA explains that the early form was a stir-fry, budae-bokkeum, and that adding broth turned it into the stew known today. It also links the dish to other places with a base history, such as Pyeongtaek and Songtan. Today budae-jjigae is eaten throughout South Korea, and VISITKOREA notes that restaurants vary their house kimchi, their stock and their ingredients.
Recipes outside Korea vary too. A Food Network Kitchen version, courtesy of Esther Choi, uses ingredients such as fish sauce, mirin, bacon, mizuna and mozzarella. That is a separate recipe with its own balance. The recipe below follows Maangchi's version only and does not mix the two.
Ingredients (Serves 4)
The ingredients fall into four groups: the stock, the spicy paste, the pot, and optional add-ins. You will have more stock than you need at first. Only part of it goes into the pot at the start, and the rest is added as the liquid cooks down.
The meats, kimchi and paste are already salty, so do not add extra salt or soy sauce to the pot. If you want to adjust the seasoning, do it a little at a time once the stew is cooking.
Equipment
- Large pot with a lid, for the stock
- Mesh strainer, or a mesh bag for the anchovies
- Bowls for the strained stock and the cooked pork
- Cutting board and knife
- Small bowl, for mixing the paste
- Shallow pot, 10–12 inches across
- Portable tabletop burner, if you want to cook at the table (a stovetop works too)
- Tongs
- Ladle
Choosing and Substituting Ingredients
Gochugaru and gochujang. Look for these at Korean or Asian grocers under their Korean names. Generic chili powder or other chili flakes change the aroma, the coarseness and the heat, so they are not the same thing.
Dangmyeon. Korean sweet potato starch noodles are not identical to other glass noodles. Noodles made from a different starch, or cut to a different thickness, soften differently and have a different bite. If you use another kind, judge doneness by how they feel, not by a set time.
Kelp and anchovies. Japanese kombu can be used for the kelp, though it may not be exactly the same product. Dried anchovies and dried shiitake are sold in Asian groceries and in the dried-goods aisle of many supermarkets. A powdered stock base would make a simpler, different version and would not give the same aroma.
Spam and Polish sausage. Other brands of canned luncheon meat differ in salt and fat. If you cannot find Polish sausage, another sausage can stand in, but its smokiness and saltiness will change the pot.
Radish sprouts. Spinach, watercress or arugula can replace them. Each brings its own flavor and texture.
Pork. Pork belly and pork shoulder both work.
Soy sauce. Korean soy sauce (ganjang) is the closest match, but flavor varies by brand.
How to Make Budae-jjigae
Make the stock and cook the pork in it, mix the paste, then build the shallow pot in layers: vegetables and pork, kimchi and paste, meats and noodles, sprouts and stock. Bring it to a boil, turn everything once, and eat the noodles when they are soft.
Tips and Troubleshooting
The stock is what this recipe relies on. Anchovies, kelp and dried shiitake give it a savory base, and cooking the pork in the same stock adds richness before the pork goes into the stew.
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The broth tastes thin | A shortcut stock was used | Make the anchovy, kelp and shiitake stock. A powdered base makes a different, simpler version |
| It is turning too salty | Spam, sausage, kimchi and gochujang are all salty, and the liquid has cooked down | Do not add more seasoning. Top up with the remaining stock |
| The noodles go limp | They stayed in the boiling pot too long | Serve the noodles as soon as they are soft, and keep cooking the rest of the pot afterward |
| It is too spicy | 2 tablespoons gochugaru is a lot for some eaters | Use less gochugaru next time. This changes the amounts above, and the color and aroma will shift too. Sugar or cheese will not necessarily cancel the heat |
| The pot gets crowded | Optional add-ins or extra noodles were added | Extra ingredients change the volume, the saltiness and how much stock you need. Add stock as needed |
Variations
These options let you adjust the pot. The first four come from the optional ingredients in the table above; the others are changes to the base recipe.
- With tofu: Add ½ cup sliced tofu along with the processed meats.
- With baked beans: Add ¼ cup canned baked beans.
- With rice cakes: Add 12–16 sliced rice cakes. How long they take depends on their shape and thickness, so check that they are soft.
- With cheese: Add 1 slice of American cheese. You can lay it over the whole pot to melt, or melt it over one portion only.
- Different greens: Use spinach, watercress or arugula in place of the radish sprouts.
- Milder: Reduce the gochugaru. This changes the amount above.
- Extra noodles at the table: In the Korean style of adding sari (사리), more noodles can go in as you eat. They are an addition beyond the four-serving recipe, so add stock as needed.
How Budae-jjigae Is Eaten in Uijeongbu and Across Korea
The dish has strong ties to Uijeongbu, but it does not belong to that city alone. VISITKOREA also connects it to Pyeongtaek and Songtan, and it notes that each restaurant has its own kimchi, stock and ingredients. Maangchi's version, with its anchovy, kelp and shiitake stock, pork, cabbage, glass noodles, Spam, sausage and ramyeon, is one home version among many.
At the table, the shallow pot sits in the middle and keeps bubbling while everyone serves themselves. VISITKOREA describes sari: extra items such as noodles, rice cakes or dumplings added to the pot, which turns the meal into a matter of choosing what goes in next. It also describes the custom of eating the ramyeon before it overcooks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between budae-jjigae and kimchi-jjigae?
Kimchi-jjigae is built around kimchi. Budae-jjigae uses kimchi as one part of a pot that also holds processed meats, noodles and vegetables, all cooked together. The name itself, "army base stew," points to that postwar combination.
Is Spam essential?
Maangchi's recipe uses 4 ounces. You can use another canned luncheon meat, but the salt and fat will be different, and the result will move away from this recipe.
Do I use the ramyeon seasoning sachet?
No. The recipe uses half a package of instant ramyeon, noodles only. The sachet is not part of the ingredients or the method.
Can I use other glass noodles instead of dangmyeon?
Maangchi specifies sweet potato starch noodles. Noodles made from other starches or cut to a different thickness soften differently and have a different texture, so they are not the same. If you use them, eat them when they are soft rather than following a set time.
Why cook the pot at the table?
Maangchi presents the stew cooked on a tabletop burner and shared around it, and VISITKOREA describes eating the noodles first while the pot keeps simmering. Cooking at the table lets you serve each ingredient at its best, especially the noodles. If you do, keep the burner stable and be careful with the hot pot and broth.
How long do leftovers keep?
No storage time or reheating guidance is given here. The stew is meant to be eaten as it cooks, and the noodles soften further if left in the pot. If you do keep leftovers, follow your local food-safety guidance.
How does Maangchi's version compare with other recipes?
Recipes differ widely. The Food Network Kitchen recipe courtesy of Esther Choi uses ingredients such as fish sauce, mirin, bacon, mizuna and mozzarella. This article follows Maangchi's version only, with its anchovy, kelp and shiitake stock and its gochujang-gochugaru paste.
Sources
- Maangchi, "Budae-jjigae (Army Base Stew)." The four-serving recipe used here: all ingredients and amounts, optional ingredients, the anchovy, shiitake and kelp stock, cooking the pork in the stock, the spicy paste, how to arrange the pot, cooking at the table, and eating the noodles once soft. Also the author's own account of the debated postwar origin. https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/budae-jjigae
- Korea Tourism Organization (VISITKOREA), "Budaejjigae: The West meets Korea in a Pot." The link to Uijeongbu after the Korean War, specialty restaurants around Uijeongbu's Jeil Market in the 1960s, the 2008 commemoration of the street, the change from budae-bokkeum to a stew, other base towns, restaurant variation, sari, and eating the noodles before they overcook. https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/svc/contents/contentsView.do?menuSn=904&vcontsId=221258
- Food Network Kitchen (recipe courtesy of Esther Choi), "Budae Jjigae." A separate recipe used only to show that ingredients vary between recipes, including fish sauce, mirin, bacon, mizuna and mozzarella. Its amounts and method are not used here. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/budae-jjigae-korean-army-stew-3630292
