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    Home » Recipes » Mains

    Homemade Jjapaguri (Ram Don)

    Modified: Apr 25, 2024 · Published: Nov 16, 2023 by Christie Lai · This post may contain affiliate links · 9 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    Thick chewy noodles in a spicy savory black bean sauce with cabbage, onion, and steak with umami flavors! This quick and easy homemade jjapaguri (aka Ram Don) is inspired from the Korean movie "Parasite". A great dinner idea made from scratch!

    homemade jjapaguri (ram don)
    Jump to:
    • What are Jjapaguri noodles?
    • Ingredients & Substitutes
    • Expert Tips
    • Instructions
    • Storage
    • Pairing Suggestions
    • FAQ
    • Other recipes you may like
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    What are Jjapaguri noodles?

    Jjapaguri features thick wheat noodles and tender beef tossed in a savory, spicy black bean sauce with a hint of seafood flavor!

    This famous dish was inspired by the Korean film, Parasite, which won multiple Oscars in 2020 - one of them was Best Picture!

    Homemade Jjapaguri (Ram Don)

    The movie featured these noodles, which are made by combining two Korean instant ramen brands: "Chapagetti" and "Neoguri" with tender steak.

    After seeing this become such a big trend on social media, I decided to create my homemade version of jjapaguri from scratch.

    The roasted black bean sauce and gochujang give the noodle dish that savory spicy flavor. The seafood taste comes from the oyster sauce!

    Ingredients & Substitutes

    Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements. 

    • Rib eye steak: or substitute with flat iron steak, strip steak, sirloin steak or flank steak. Not a red meat eater? Substitute with chicken or tofu.
    • Thick Korean wheat noodle: or sub with udon noodles
    • Korean roasted black bean sauce: aka chunjang that you can find at most Korean markets. Or substitute with Chinese roasted black bean sauce.
    • Gochujang paste: a Korean red chili paste that is a red thick spicy paste that comes in a red tub sold at many Korean grocery stores in the sauce aisle.
    • Gochugaru: these are Korean red chili flakes that offer spice.
    • Onion
    • Green onion: for the sauce and as a garnish
    • Regular green cabbage: avoid using napa cabbage as it's too watery
    • Cold water
    • Cornstarch: or potato starch to help thicken the sauce
    • White Granulated Sugar
    • Oyster sauce: or substitute with vegetarian stir-fry sauce
    • 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.

    Note: most Korean grocery stores will carry Asian specific ingredients.

    Expert Tips

    • Don't overcook the steak and cook until medium rare because we are later stir frying the beef in sauce.
    • Use a non-stick pan or wok for easy cooking and cleanup.
    • Fry the black bean paste in oil for at least 2 minutes, this removes the bitterness and makes the paste smooth.
    • Allow the sauce to thicken. This may take some time but the sauce needs to be thickened.
    • Do not overcook the noodles and taste them as you boil them until they're al dente.

    Instructions

    1. In a small bowl, mix together your cornstarch and water. Set aside.
    2. In a large non-stick pan set over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and add cubed steak. Fry until medium rare (about 2-4 minutes total). Remove the steak and set aside.
    3. Reduce to low heat and add 2 tablespoon of oil followed by roasted black bean paste, gochugaru and gochujang paste. Mix and swirl it around in the oil to make it glossy, about 2 minutes. Push the paste to the side.
    4. Raise heat to medium. Add onion, green onions and cabbage. Stir fry until soft. Then mix in with the black bean sauce.
    5. Add cornstarch water mixture, oyster sauce and sugar. Mix until well combined with veggies and sauce. Allow this to simmer and thicken.
    6. Once sauce has thickened, add in steak and cook for 1 minute. Remove sauce off heat.
    7. Boil Korean wheat noodles for 3-4 minutes total or until al dente. Strain noodles and add noodles into the sauce.
    8. Garnish with more green onions!

    Storage

    • Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
    • Freezer friendly? I don't recommend freezing jjapaguri as the noodles will go soggy.

    Pairing Suggestions

    Jjapaguri serves well with Korean side dishes like:

    • kimchi, Korean cucumber salad, beansprout salad, zucchini fritters, or Korean spinach

    FAQ

    Can I make this in advance? 

    The sauce in jjapaguri can be made in advance as well as the steak but I recommend boiling the noodles closer to serving as they will go soggy over time.

    Other recipes you may like

    • Jajangmyeon Black Bean Noodles
    • Jajang Tteokbokki
    • Korean Kimchi Bibim Guksu

    📖 Recipe

    homemade jjapaguri (ram don)

    Quick & Easy Homemade Jjapaguri (Ram Don)

    Christie Lai
    Homemade Jjapaguri (Ram Don). Korean noodles smothered in a spicy umami flavored black bean sauce with cabbage, onion, and steak. Inspired from the Korean movie Parasite. Ready in 30 minutes!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Korean
    Servings 4
    Calories per serving 613 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 lb fresh wheat noodles thick Korean kind
    • ½ lb rib eye steak diced
    • 1 ½ cups cabbage finely chopped
    • 1 cup onion finely diced
    • ⅓ cup green onion sliced into 1 inch pieces
    • ⅓ cup Korean roasted black bean paste aka chunjang
    • 1 tablespoon gochujang
    • 1 teaspoon gochugaru add another ½ teaspoon if you prefer spicier
    • 1 tbsp oyster sauce or sub with vegetarian stir fry sauce
    • 3 tablespoon white granulated sugar *add more sugar if you like it sweeter
    • 3 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
    • 1 green onion finely diced for optional garnish

    Cornstarch water mixture:

    • 2 tablespoon cornstarch
    • 2 cups water cold

    Instructions
     

    • In a small bowl, mix together your cornstarch and water. Set aside.
    • In a large non-stick pan set over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and add cubed steak. Fry until medium rare (about 2-4 minutes total). Remove the steak and set aside.
    • Reduce to low heat and add 2 tablespoon of oil followed by roasted black bean paste, gochugaru and gochujang paste. Mix and swirl it around in the oil to make it glossy, about 2 minutes. Push the paste to the side.
    • Raise heat to medium. Add onion, green onions and cabbage. Stir fry until soft. Then mix in with the black bean sauce.
    • Add cornstarch water mixture, oyster sauce and sugar. Mix until well combined with veggies and sauce. Allow this to simmer and thicken.
    • Once sauce has thickened, add in steak and cook for 1 minute. Remove sauce off heat.
    • Boil Korean wheat noodles for 3-4 minutes total or until al dente. Strain noodles and add noodles into the sauce.
    • Garnish with more green onions!
    Enjoyed my recipe?Please leave a 5 star review (be kind)! Tag me on social media @christieathome as I'd love to see your creations!

    Suggested Equipment & Products

    • Large Non-Stick Pan
    • Measuring Set
    Nutrition
    Calories: 613kcal | Carbohydrates: 107g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 58mg | Potassium: 524mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 202IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 6mg

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Amalia

      March 25, 2024 at 2:17 pm

      Hi! The recipe says, to remove the kelp.does the recipe have kelp? did i miss something?

      Reply
      • Christie Lai

        March 27, 2024 at 3:54 pm

        Hi Amalia! Thanks so much for letting me know! I've correctly updated the recipe which used to contain kelp (but now it doesn't). Thanks again!

        Reply
    2. Barbora

      March 01, 2021 at 12:20 pm

      Hello, I would like to try this recipe this week, as I only order this as a takeout. Would please just share with me where do I find specifically korean roasted black bean sauce? I could find some black bean sauces on Amazon but they weren’t “roasted”. Tha nk you in advance!

      Reply
      • christieathome

        March 01, 2021 at 5:42 pm

        Hi Barbora, you can find roasted black bean sauce at any Korean grocer and I would recommend asking the staff which aisle it's located. You may also get lucky and find it at an Asian grocer. I hope you enjoy my recipe!

        Reply
    3. Kerry N

      January 21, 2021 at 1:30 pm

      5 stars
      Looks great, I will be trying this by the end of the week. Thank you for the recipe.

      Reply
      • christieathome

        January 22, 2021 at 1:25 pm

        Thanks Kerry! I hope you enjoy my homemade version of it! Just a note, it's not as "seafoody" as the instant version but just as delicious 🙂 Have a great day!

        Reply
    4. Heidi | The Frugal Girls

      September 14, 2020 at 4:28 pm

      5 stars
      I love what you used to create your spicy roasted black bean sauce, so perfect! 😋

      Reply
    5. Michelle | Sift & Simmer

      August 10, 2020 at 9:42 pm

      5 stars
      Yum, my kids love ramdon! This version looks so savoury and saucy!

      Reply
      • christieathome

        August 14, 2020 at 4:26 pm

        Oh nice! I love that they enjoy it! It's such a great and indulgent dish!

        Reply

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    Christie

    Christie is an Recipe Blogger with an expertise on Asian recipes! She makes Asian cooking approachable with step-by-step pictures, ingredient & recipe tips and a helpful cooking video. Her quick and easy recipes have been featured on BuzzFeed Tasty, Food52, The Kitchn, The FeedFeed, Sur La Table, Yummly and more! With a following of over 1M+, her recipes are made repeatedly by her loyal readers.

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