Pork Kimchi Stew aka Kimchi Jjigae. A comforting, warm and delicious pork stew in a kimchi broth. Pairs wonderfully with steamed rice. Perfect for dinner or lunch. Easy to make in just one pot with minimal ingredients.
This Korean pork kimchi stew only takes 30 minutes to make!
What does kimchi jjigae taste like?
Imagine a steaming hot stew that tastes tangy from the kimchi, savoury from the pork, and slightly sweet and spicy. The soup will instantly warm you up and the deep flavours pair deliciously with plain steamed rice.
Popular Korean Dish
Pork kimchi stew recipe aka kimchi jjigae is a popular Korean food classic in many households. You can find it served at many restaurants with different variations of it. The pork version is my favourite!
Variations
Other variations of this popular Korean stew include tuna kimchi jjigae or tofu kimchi jjigae. The pork version is more savoury and meatier. However, the other versions are just as delicious thanks to the kimchi broth.
Perfect for cold weather
Kimchi jjigae stew is the perfect meal for this cold weather with some hot steamed rice. It contains protein, veggies and it's just a big bowl of flavour and comfort. The best part is that this quick kimchi jjigae recipe comes together in under 30 minutes.
Minimal ingredients
I really love this recipe so much thanks to the minimal kimchi jjigae ingredients and I'm very excited to share it with you!
Cooking tips
Here are some cooking tips below on how to make this kimchi jjigae for 1:
Use fatty pork for best taste
The fat from the pork really offers a delicious flavour to this stew especially when it's stewed. Of course, you can use a leaner cut for a healthier alternative.
Well-fermented kimchi is key!
Use sour tasting or well-fermented kimchi is a must for this kimchi jjigae with pork belly. The tangy juices make this stew iconic in terms of taste and balance out the savouriness from the pork.
Allow it to simmer and stew
You may be impatient like me but allowing the stew to simmer over 15 minutes is important. It allows for the fat from the pork to melt away into your stew and combine with the flavours from the kimchi, onion and garlic. So give it time and let it stew away.
You can use any small pot!
You can use any small pot for this recipe and you won't need to go out to buy an earthenware clay pot. This pot is typically used for Korean stews and soups because it keeps the dish bubbling hot and warm as you eat it. Never allowing for a cold bite!
For this recipe
You will need the following ingredients for my easy pork kimchi stew:
- Pork Belly, chopped (or marbled pork shoulder)
- White onion, thinly sliced
- Kimchi, well fermented kind (chopped)
- Garlic, minced
- Water
- Sesame oil
- Soy sauce, regular kind
- Gochugaru, Korean red pepper flakes (can be found at any Asian or Korean grocer)
- Sugar
- Korean green chili pepper, sliced
How to make Pork Kimchi Jjigae
- In a small pot set over medium heat, add sesame oil followed by white onion and pork belly. Sauté pork until it is 80% cooked.
- Next add chopped kimchi and minced garlic. Mix everything together and cook until kimchi juices have released.
- Pour in water, soy sauce, gochugaru, and sugar. Mix well.
- Let this come to a boil over medium heat. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, uncovered.
- Garnish with chopped Korean green chili pepper (optional). Enjoy with steamed rice!
Other recipes you may like!
If you enjoyed my easy kimchi jjigae, you may enjoy these other recipes:
TUNA KIMCHI JJIGAE
VEGAN KIMCHI TOFU STEW
Give it a try!
Well I hope you give my Pork Kimchi Stew recipe a try! It always excites me when you guys make my recipes and I hope this is one you try.
Thanks for visiting my blog! If you enjoyed this pork and kimchi stew, please share it with your family and friends or on social media! Take a picture if you've made my recipe and tag me on Instagram @christieathome in your feed or stories so I can share your creation in my stories with credits to you!
Made this recipe and loved it?
If you could leave a star rating for my spicy pork kimchi stew, I would greatly appreciate it 🙂 Thanks so much!
Take care,
Christie
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Pork Kimchi Jjigae - Kimchi Stew (30 min)
Ingredients
- 100 g Pork Belly chopped (or marbled pork shoulder)
- ¼ cup white onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup kimchi well fermented kind (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 ¼ cup water
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon regular soy sauce regular kind
- ½ teaspoon gochugaru
- ½ teaspoon white granulated sugar
- 1 Korean green chili pepper sliced
Instructions
- In a small pot set over medium heat, add sesame oil followed by white onion and pork belly. Sauté pork until it is 80% cooked.
- Next add chopped kimchi and minced garlic. Mix everything together and cook until kimchi juices have released.
- Pour in water, soy sauce, gochugaru, and sugar. Mix well.
- Let this come to a boil over medium heat. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, uncovered.
- Garnish with chopped Korean green chili pepper (optional). Enjoy with steamed rice!
Ivy
I was looking for a pork kimchi recipe and this one came up. It was simple, delicious and quick to make. Thanks!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
I'm always on the lookout for easy recipes like this that serve up such BIG flavors! Plus, you've made this tasty pork dish as easy as 1, 2, 3. Perfect!!
Bryn
Super duper tasty. So easy too. And it’s easy to double up as well depending on how many you’re serving. Really hits the spot.
christieathome
Thank you so much Bryn! I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Pam
Hi Christie! Thank you for your recipe, it seems easy to prepare! I don’t have gochugaru and I want to cook it tomorrow, is it fine to replace gochugaru with gochugang?
christieathome
Hi Pam! Sorry for the delayed response! You could replace it but it may give the stew a smoky taste which isn't a bad thing! But you can also omit it and add a bit more kimchi. Hope this helps!