Budae Jjigae

Name: Budae Jjigae
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: korean
Ingredients: 1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced; 5 ounces Korean radish or daikon, peeled, quartered, then thinly sliced crosswise; 1 (12-ounce) can Spam, quartered lengthwise and thickly sliced crosswise; 1 pound link sausages (a mix of sliced kielbasa, hot dogs, breakfast sausages and sweet or spicy Italian sausages), cut into bite-size pieces; 1 cup coarsely chopped napa cabbage kimchi; 2 tablespoons gochugaru; 1/4 cup gochujang; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 tablespoon fish sauce; 4 garlic cloves, crushed and coarsely chopped; Salt; 1 (3- to 4-ounce) package instant ramyun or ramen; 1 slice American cheese; 2 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal; Steamed white rice, for serving

By Eric Kim

Updated Feb. 29, 2024

Total Time: 30 minutes
Rating: 5(394)
Comments: Read comments

Though it stems from the Korean War, budae jjigae — or “army base stew,” named after the leftover United States Army rations that make it up — is a symbol of resourcefulness and survival during a time of great poverty. The fiery broth is fortified with kimchi, gochujang and an assortment of flavorful sausages. Hot dogs are common, but kielbasa, breakfast sausage and Italian sausage all lend their own special character to the final broth, so use what you like. Arrange the ingredients in the pot in sections, and don’t stir too much while cooking: The joy of eating a big, burbling budae jjigae is reaching for your favorite part of the stew. For many, it’s the Spam, both salty and sweet; for others, it’s the American-cheese-laden noodles, bouncy with chew. Serve this soul-warming stew family style, with white rice to balance its punchy flavors. (Watch the video of Eric Kim making budae jjigae here.)

Featured in: Eric Kim’s Essential Korean Recipes

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

1medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
5ounces Korean radish or daikon, peeled, quartered, then thinly sliced crosswise
1(12-ounce) can Spam, quartered lengthwise and thickly sliced crosswise
1pound link sausages (a mix of sliced kielbasa, hot dogs, breakfast sausages and sweet or spicy Italian sausages), cut into bite-size pieces
1cup coarsely chopped napa cabbage kimchi
2tablespoons gochugaru
¼cup gochujang
2tablespoons soy sauce
1tablespoon fish sauce
4garlic cloves, crushed and coarsely chopped
Salt
1(3- to 4-ounce) package instant ramyun or ramen
1slice American cheese
2scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
Steamed white rice, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

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Step 1
In a large, wide pot or Dutch oven, arrange the onion, radish, Spam, sausages and kimchi in 5 individual piles. Over these piles, add the gochugaru, gochujang, soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic and 6 cups cold tap water. (Don’t worry about stirring at this stage.)
Step 2
Cover and bring to a rolling boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a gentle boil. Partly cover the pot and stir the liquid gently and occasionally while leaving the piles intact, until the sausage is warmed through and the broth is deeply seasoned with meaty flavor, 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and add salt as needed; this stew has many salty ingredients, but a little salt brings out the nuances of each component, resulting in a wonderful broth.
Step 3
Nestle in the noodles and cook according to package instructions, without stirring, until loose and chewy but not soggy and distended. Remove the pot from the heat. Top the noodles with the American cheese and cover until melted, just a few seconds. Scatter the scallions over the stew and serve immediately in the center of the table, family-style, with a ladle, tongs and bowls of fresh white rice.

Ratings

5 out of 5

394 user ratings

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Comments

Rachelyvr3 months ago

@Carol I respect your desire to not eat these things but I don’t love the disrespect to the history and origins of the dish. Sometimes it’s more couth and cultured to go with the flow and learn sonething new. I strongly encourage you to watch the lovely longer video attached to the recipe. This dish means a lot to Korean people and though I have never eaten spam in my life I’ll be buying a can to make this as written. Wish you all the best

Kyria H.3 years ago

Wow. This is amazing. Make it ASAP. So easy, so tasty. So balanced. The American cheese on the ramen noodles - don’t skip. Arguably one of the best things I’ve put in my mouth.

Hannah2 years ago

Add canned baked beans. That definitely makes the dish complete and tranforms it with added smokey creamy goodness.

Aurora2 months ago

Fantastic recipe! Super easy and perfect for cold nights when you’re craving ramen but don’t want to put in the work of making it from scratch.

David L3 months ago

This was delicious. My Korean-American wife and I really enjoyed it. I did not find it too salty but I have been eating Korean food for decades.

Sarah3 months ago

Just made this for lunch and made a few changes. Used spam but no sausages here so used tofu for more protein. Added zucchini and enoki mushrooms (instead of radish). Skipped the cheese (dairy intolerance). This is a Korean american household and we all loved it!!!

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