Budaae Jjigae (Army Stew) Recipe - Korean Bapsang (2024)

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Budae jjigae (Army stew) is easy to make. As long as it has kimchi and some American processed meats, it’s a budae jjigae. This budae jjigae recipe will give you a few tips for making it delicious!

Budaae Jjigae (Army Stew) Recipe - Korean Bapsang (1)

What is budae jjigae?

Budae jjigae (부대찌개) is a fusion dish that incorporates American processed meats such as Spam, ham, bacon, and hot dogs into a Korean stew with kimchi. Budae is a general term for a military base in Korean, but budae jjigae is translated into “Army stew” or “Army base stew” because of its origin.

In the 1950’s, food was extremely scarce after the three-year long Korean war which ended in 1953. So, those surplus processed meats from the U.S. military bases were great sources for Koreans to supplement their food shortage. In the city of Uijeongbu (의정부), about 12 miles northeast of Seoul, where U.S. Army bases are stationed, a restaurant owner started to make a stew with those meats from the Army bases. Since then, budae jjigae has become immensely popular as a delicious comfort food all over Korea.

Budaae Jjigae (Army Stew) Recipe - Korean Bapsang (2)

How to make Korean army stew

As long as it has kimchi and some processed meats, it’s a budae jjigae. You can’t go wrong with the combination of sour kimchi and fatty bacon, spam, ham, and/or hot dogs. The older the kimchi is, the better your stew will taste.

Other popular bugae jjigae ingredients include: slices of American yellow cheese, canned baked beans, instant ramyeon (or ramen) noodles, and rice cake slices.

I kept it simple in this budae jjigae recipe. To make the stew, cut the ingredients into bite size pieces, and arrange them in a medium size shallow pot. Cook after adding the broth and seasoning ingredients.

Budaae Jjigae (Army Stew) Recipe - Korean Bapsang (3)

Tips for making and enjoying budae jjigae

  1. Use flavorful broth such as anchovy broth or good quality store-bought beef or chicken broth.
  2. Have extra broth so you can replenish while eating, if needed.
  3. Noodles absorb lots of liquid if you cook them in the stew. Pre-boil the noodles right before adding to the stew.
  4. Cook the stew over the portable burner at the table for more delicious experience. You can add more ingredients as the diners take some out to eat. Most ingredients in this recipe don’t take long to cook.
  5. Eat the noodles first while they are still nicely chewy. This will also prevent the noodles from soaking up too much liquid from the stew.
  6. Freeze the leftover processed meats for longer storage and more budae jjigae later.

More Korean stew recipes

Kimchi jjigae
Kimchi soondubu jjigae
Haemul jeongol (seafood hot pot)
Doenjang jjigae
Gamjatang (spicy pork bone stew)

Budaae Jjigae (Army Stew) Recipe - Korean Bapsang (4)

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Budaae Jjigae (Army Stew) Recipe - Korean Bapsang (5)

Budae Jjigae (Army Stew)

4.64 from 63 votes

Main

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 cups baechu (napa cabbage) kimchi
  • 2 hot dogs (or sausages)
  • 3 strips bacon (or about 3 ounces fatty pork),
  • can of spam (about 4 ounces)
  • 4 ounces tofu, sliced (about 1/2-inch thick)
  • 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 to 4 mushroom caps, sliced
  • 2 scallions, cut into 2 inch pieces
  • 1/4 red bell pepper, sliced - optional
  • 4 cups anchovy broth (or beef or chicken stock) More if you want extra broth. You can also use water.

Seasoning

  • 1 tablespoon gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes) Use more for a spicier stew
  • 1 teaspoon gochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste)
  • 1 tablespoon soup soy sauce (or salt to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons broth or water
  • black pepper to taste

Optional

  • 1 package instant ramyeon noodles Pre-boil right before adding to the stew to keep them from absorbing too much liquid from the stew

Instructions

  • Cut the ingredients into bite size pieces, and arrange them in a medium size shallow pot. Mix all the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl.

  • Add the broth, and stir in the seasoning.

  • Cook over medium high heat until the bacon is cooked through and the kimchi has softened. Add the optional ramyeon noodles and more broth or water if necessary. (The noodles soak up a lot of the liquid, so I briefly cook the ramyeon noodles in a separate pot of water before adding to the stew.)

    Budaae Jjigae (Army Stew) Recipe - Korean Bapsang (8)

Notes

  1. Use flavorful broth such as anchovy broth or good quality store-bought beef or chicken broth.
  2. Have extra broth so you can replenish while eating, if needed.
  3. Noodles absorb lots of liquid if you cook them in the stew. Pre-boil the noodles right before adding to the stew.
  4. Cook the stew over the portable burner at the table for more delicious experience. You can add more ingredients as the diners take some out to eat. Most ingredients in this recipe don’t take long to cook.
  5. Eat the noodles first while they are still nicely chewy. This will also prevent the noodles from soaking up too much liquid from the stew.
  6. Freeze the leftover processed meats for more budae jjigae later.

Tried this recipe?Mention @koreanbapsang or tag #koreanbapsang!

You may also like:

  • Instant Pot Kimchi Jjigae (Stew)
  • Sundubu Jjigae (Soft Tofu Stew)
  • Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew)
  • Gochujang Jjigae (Gochujang Stew with Zucchini)

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Budaae Jjigae (Army Stew) Recipe - Korean Bapsang (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between kimchi jjigae and budae jjigae? ›

Kkongchi kimchi-jjigae (꽁치 김치찌개) is made with Pacific saury. Budae-jjigae (부대찌개) is made by stewing kimchi with various ingredients not native to Korean cuisine, including Spam, hot dogs, and American cheese slices.

What is the Korean dish known as budae jjigae made from? ›

Budae-jjigae (Korean: 부대찌개; lit. army base stew) is a type of spicy jjigae (Korean stew) from South Korea that is made with a variety of ingredients, often canned or processed. Common ingredients include ham, sausage, Spam, baked beans, kimchi, instant noodles, gochujang and American cheese.

Why is it called Army stew? ›

Budae jjigae (부대찌개) is a fusion dish that incorporates American processed meats such as Spam, ham, bacon, and hot dogs into a Korean stew with kimchi. Budae is a general term for a military base in Korean, but budae jjigae is translated into “Army stew” or “Army base stew” because of its origin.

Does Army Stew contain beef? ›

Some of the common ingredients include all kinds of sausage, hot dogs, Spam, bacon, tofu, pork, ground beef, instant noodles, macaroni, rice cake, American cheese, scallions, and whatever vegetables are in season. These ingredients are cooked in a Korean chili-pepper-based soup, sometimes with the addition of kimchi.

Is it okay to eat kimchi jjigae everyday? ›

Along with fiber, vitamins, and minerals, kimchi contains natural probiotic bacteria. If you eat them regularly, the probiotics in fermented foods can be beneficial to your gut microbiome. Studies suggest that eating kimchi on a daily basis could help to improve some digestive problems.

What is the most popular stew in Korea? ›

Kimchi-jjigae 김치찌개

Kimchi stew is one of the most-loved of all the stews in Korean cuisine. It's a warm, hearty, spicy, savory, delicious dish that pretty much everyone loves. As long as they can handle spicy food, I never met a person who didn't like kimchi-jjigae.

What is the difference between Cheonggukjang jjigae and doenjang? ›

As mentioned, Cheonggukjang is fermented for only a few days. But Doenjang is fermented for much longer, typically for a month or longer. For texture, Cheonggukjang still contains whole beans. But in Doenjang, the beans have crumbled and mushed into a paste.

What does jjigae mean in Korean? ›

Jjigae (Korean: 찌개, Korean pronunciation: [tɕ͈iɡɛ]) are Korean stews.

Why is Army stew popular? ›

In the aftermath of the Korean War, necessity created an enduringly popular fusion of Korean vegetables and spices with shelf-stable American processed food, budae jjigae, or "Army Base Stew." It's a dish that started its life as a means of survival, but continues to be sold across South Korea because it's actually ...

Why is Spam so popular in Korea? ›

First introduced to Korea by the US army during the Korean War, the pre-cooked meat's strong flavors and saltiness captivated many Koreans as a perfect side dish for plain white rice, which reigns supreme at the local dining table.

What does Korean army stew taste like? ›

Korean army stew or budae jjigae is a Korean stew is a popular dish that originated after the Korean war. I love this dish because you can really adjust it to your own liking and enjoy it however you want. The main flavor component for the stew is gochujang and gochugaru which provide spice, umami, and saltiness.

What is Budae in English? ›

Budae (부대) is a general term for a military base in Korean and Jjigae (찌개) is a term for soup/stew. Hence the word army stew or army base stew was born.

What is army stew called in Korean? ›

Budae Jjigae, also known as Korean Army Stew, is one of the best comfort food you can make this winter. Korean Army Stew is the ultimate comfort food, loaded with delicious and comforting ingredients such as sausages, spam, American cheese, rice cakes, and instant noodles.

What is the difference between Tang Guk and jjigae? ›

Stews (you'll recognize them by the suffix "-jjigae") are generally cooked quickly, bringing together a panoply of ingredients, whereas Korean soups (with the suffix "-guk" or "-tang") are brothy, spartan, and cooked for hours—or even days. Both are meant to be eaten with rice on the side.

What is the difference between kimchi jjigae and soft tofu jjigae? ›

Soondubu has a much softer and fluffier texture from the silken tofu and the egg that gets cracked in at the end. Kimchi jjigae uses firm tofu that doesn't break down in the stew, and uses a lot more kimchi which is the predominant flavor.

What is the difference between kimchi and soondubu jjigae? ›

Kimchi jjigae is a kimchi-based stew served with blocks of firm tofu, and, usually, small pieces of pork, whether pork belly or pork shoulder. On the other hand, soondubu jjigae, or sundubu jjigae, is a soft tofu stew, made by simmering silken tofu, assorted vegetables, and chopped kimchi in a spicy broth.

Is kimchi soup the same as kimchi jjigae? ›

Kimchi soup, called jjigae, is a satisfying example. The fermented kimchi vegetables quickly provide deep flavor to the broth, so the soup can be produced in little more than half an hour.

What is the difference between kimchi jjigae and kimchi soondubu? ›

The main ingredient in kimchi jjigae is kimchi, hence the name 'kimchi stew'. In soondubu jjigae, however, the main ingredient is the soft and silky tofu, hence the name 'extra soft tofu stew'. In terms of flavor, soondubu jjigae has a more delicate flavor than kimchi jjigae.

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