A comforting, spicy, delicious pork stew in a tangy kimchi broth. This quick and easy pork kimchi stew is the perfect main with rice. Easy to make in one pot with minimal ingredients and little time. This is pure comfort food at heart!
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What is Pork Kimchi Stew?
Pork Kimchi Stew (also known as "Kimchi Jjigae" in Korean) is made of tangy kimchi, savory pork, onions, garlic, stock and other seasonings simmered in one pot.
It's a popular Korean food served at many Korean restaurants as a main dish with steamed rice and banchans. There are different variations of this stew such as Tuna Kimchi Jjigae or Tofu Kimchi Jjigae.
This kimchi stew is so comforting especially when you dip your rice in the steam. It's the perfect meal for the colder weather as it instantly warms you up!
The best part is it only takes 25 minutes to make with simple ingredients. You can also use a normal pot to make it and you don't need an earthenware pot for this.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Pork Belly: or substitute with pork shoulder for a leaner option.
- Onion: or substitute with green onions
- Well-Fermented Kimchi: to check if it's well-fermented the cabbage is more reddish and tender rather than white and sturdy.
- Garlic
- Chicken stock: or substitute with anchovy stock, dashi stock or water
- Sesame oil
- 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.
- Gochugaru: these are Korean red chili flakes. This makes the stew spicy and red in color. If you don't want it to be so spicy, reduce the amount.
- White granulated sugar
- Korean Green Chili Pepper
Note: Most Asian grocery stores will carry most of the Asian specific ingredients.
Expert Tips
- Use fatty pork belly for best taste. The fat from the pork really offers a delicious flavour and fattiness to this stew. Of course, you can use a leaner cut of pork for a healthier alternative.
- Well-fermented kimchi is key! Use sour tasting kimchi is a must for this. The tangy juices balance out the savouriness from the pork.
- Allow it to simmer for 15 minutes as it allows for the fat from the pork to melt away into your stew and this brings more depth to the broth.
- You can use any small pot! You don't need to go out to buy an earthenware clay pot to make this although it'll just keep the stew warmer for longer.
Instructions
- Heat sesame oil in a small pot on medium heat. Sauté onion and pork belly until pork is cooked through.
- Next add chopped kimchi and minced garlic into the pot. Mix everything together and cook until kimchi juices have released, about 2 minutes.
- Pour in stock or water, regular soy sauce, gochugaru, and sugar. Mix well.
- Bring this a boil on medium-high heat and then reduce to low-medium heat. Simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered.
- Garnish with chopped Korean green chili pepper (optional). Enjoy with steamed rice!
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? This can be stored in a freezer friendly bag and frozen up to 3 months or until you see freezer burn. To reheat, defrost it and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop in a pan.
Pairing Suggestions
Kimchi Jjigae serves well with:
- white rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice or fried rice
- other Korean side dishes like Korean cucumber salad, beansprout salad, zucchini fritters, gamja jorim, Korean spinach, or japchae
FAQ
This can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To enjoy, reheat it in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop on medium heat.
Yes, feel free to substitute the pork with a protein you enjoy such as thinly sliced chicken or beef, canned tuna or soft tofu.
📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew)
Ingredients
- 4 oz Pork Belly chopped (or marbled pork shoulder)
- ¼ cup 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
- ½ teaspoon gochugaru aka Korean red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon white granulated sugar
- 1 Korean green chili pepper sliced
Instructions
- Heat sesame oil in a small pot on medium heat. Sauté onion and pork belly until pork is cooked through.
- Next add chopped kimchi and minced garlic into the pot. Mix everything together and cook until kimchi juices have released, about 2 minutes.
- Pour in stock or water, regular soy sauce, gochugaru, and sugar. Mix well.
- Bring this a boil on medium-high heat and then reduce to low-medium heat. Simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered.
- Garnish with chopped Korean green chili pepper (optional). Enjoy with steamed rice!
sonika
easy fast it was great
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe, Sonika! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
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!
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!
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!!
A Nakata
Curiosity, which would you recommend stock wise in place of water? Chicken, beef, veg? Or dashi?
Christie Lai
Dashi is a great substitute or sub with chicken stock.
Ivy
I was looking for a pork kimchi recipe and this one came up. It was simple, delicious and quick to make. Thanks!