Gamja Jorim. Tender potatoes simmered in a sweet savory stick glaze with a hint of sesame. These Korean braised potatoes are so easy to make with minimal ingredients. A great side dish ready in 30 minutes for the family to enjoy!
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What is Gamja Jorim?
Gamja Jorim (감자조림) is made of tender potatoes cooked in soy sauce, honey, garlic and sesame oil and garnished with sesame seeds and green onions!
Its a popular and delicious Korean potato side dish (or banchan) in South Korea. Often served at Korean restaurants along with your main course, a bowl of rice, and other sides like kimchi, beansprout salad, fish cake stir fry and cucumber salad.
It's served at room temperature or cold sometimes, but you can enjoy it warm. It's very simple to make at home with minimal ingredients!
This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy potatoes as it's packed with flavor and very delicious on its own. It's also a great way to add fiber to your diet!
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please see below recipe card for full measurements.
- Baby potatoes with skin on: The ideal size of baby potato should be 1.5 inches tall and 2 inches wide. Any larger and you may have to cut them into quarters. Or substitute with Yukon gold potatoes with the skin on and chop them into small quarters.
- Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid olive oil that has a low smoke point.
- Salt: to season the potato boiling water.
- Vinegar: like white vinegar, rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar. This helps the potatoes retain their shape as they boil. It causes the potatoes to form a thin crust around the potato causing it not to break apart when you go to toss them in the sauce.
- Green onions: optional garnish
- Toasted sesame seeds: optional garnish
Braising Sauce
- Regular soy sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce. If you’re gluten-free, substitute with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce. Avoid using dark soy sauce.
- Honey: or substitute with brown sugar or maple syrup as a vegan option.
- Garlic
- Sesame oil
Expert Tips
- Wash the potatoes to remove any dirt. I like to use a potato scrubber brush.
- Add salt and vinegar to the boiling water to help potatoes retain their shape so they don't break down.
- Boil potatoes until fork tender so monitor the boiling process.
- Do not rinse the potatoes off with cold water. We want them hot when they fry in the pan.
- Mix the sauce in advance for even ingredient distribution.
- Allow the sauce to bubble and thicken.
- Do not simmer the potatoes in the sauce for too long or the sauce can burn!
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make gamja jorim:
Wash Potatoes & Season Water
- Rinse baby potatoes under cold water to remove any dirt. Do not peel.
- In a large pot filled halfway with water, bring to a boil over medium high heat. Optional: add salt and vinegar to the boiling water. The salt seasons the potato, and the vinegar allows the starchy potatoes to hold their shape better.
Boil and Strain Potatoes
- Boil baby potatoes for 20 minutes until fork tender, uncovered.
- Once cooked, strain the potatoes in a colander.
Make Braising Sauce & Fry Potatoes
- In a small bowl, combine braising sauce ingredients and set aside.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan on medium heat. Fry strained baby potatoes for 2-4 minutes until slightly brown on both sides.
Simmer Sauce with Potatoes
- Then pour the braising sauce mixture on top of the potatoes. Gently toss potatoes into sauce for 5 minutes, until sauce has thickened slightly. Remove off heat. Serve and garnish with green onions and a drizzle of sesame oil. Enjoy!
Storage
- Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can enjoy the potatoes cold or at room temperature. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
- Freezer friendly? I don't recommend freezing gamja jorim as the freezer changes the texture of the potatoes.
Pairing Suggestions
Gamja Jorim serves well with:
FAQ
This can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. These can be enjoyed chilled or at room temperature. To reheat it in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop on low heat and add a splash of water.
To your savory sauce, add 1 teaspoon of Korean red pepper flakes (aka Gochugaru) or a 1 tablespoon of gochujang and mix well before adding to potatoes.
📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy Gamja Jorim (Korean Braised Potatoes)
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs baby potatoes or sub with quartered Yukon gold potatoes with skin on
- 2 teaspoon vegetable oil or any neutral tasting oil
- 1 tablespoon green onion finely chopped for garnish
- ½ teaspoon sesame seeds toasted
Braising Sauce
- 4 tbsp regular soy sauce not light or dark soy sauce
- 5 tablespoon honey or brown sugar
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil garnish
Optional
- 1 teaspoon salt for seasoning potatoes
- 2 teaspoon vinegar like white vinegar, rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar to help potatoes retain their shape during boiling process
Instructions
- Rinse baby potatoes under cold water to remove any dirt. Do not peel.
- In a large pot filled halfway with water, bring to a boil over medium high heat. Optional: add salt and vinegar to the boiling water. The salt seasons the potato, and the vinegar allows the starchy potatoes to hold their shape better.
- Boil baby potatoes for 20 minutes until fork tender, uncovered.
- Once cooked, strain the potatoes in a colander.
- In a small bowl, combine braising sauce ingredients and set aside.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan on medium heat. Fry strained baby potatoes for 2-4 minutes until slightly brown on both sides.
- Then pour the braising sauce mixture on top of the potatoes. Gently toss potatoes into sauce for 5 minutes, until sauce has thickened slightly. Remove off heat. Serve and garnish with green onions and a drizzle of sesame oil. Enjoy!
Concerned
You haven't posted anything anywhere in about a month; I hope all is well!
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for your concern! I really appreciate it. I'm taking a break from content creation so I can re-energize and comeback with lots more. Stay tuned and have a lovely day!
ROSEMARY
I'm renaming you the potato queen again! hehe you always have soo many different potato spice combinations and ideas!
Molly
These were so good and gone in seconds at my house! My husband loved them.