Budae Jjigae (Korean Army Base Stew)
Hard African Soup

Budae Jjigae (Korean Army Base Stew)

Total Time
1h 33m
28m prep · 65m cook
Servings
4 people
Rating
Difficulty
Hard
33 views

This dish originated after the Korean War when food was scarce. Canned spam, hot dogs, and beans from U.S. military bases were combined with kimchi, vegetables, noodles, and spicy seasonings to create a hearty stew. I first tried it at a Korean restaurant near my home and loved it so much I learned to make it myself. My version is fairly spicy!

Ingredients

  • 1 can fully cooked luncheon meat , 12 ounce
  • 14 ounces smoked sausage , such as Eckrich®
  • 1 large onion , sliced
  • 6 ounces kimchi
  • 0.25 cups Korean red pepper powder
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons gochujang , Korean hot pepper paste
  • 5 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1 pinch ground black pepper
  • 1 bunch green onions , chopped
  • 2 containerss chicken broth , 32 ounce
  • 7.75 ounces ramen noodles , such as Ottogi Ramyonsari®
  • 1 slice American cheese , Optional

Instructions

  1. 1

    Divide luncheon meat into 2 piles on either side of a stock pot. Layer sausage, onion, and kimchi on top, leaving an empty space in the center of the pot.

  2. 2

    Mix red pepper powder, soy sauce, gochujang, garlic, and black pepper together in a small bowl. Pour into the center of the pot. Sprinkle in green onion. Pour in chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors combine, about 10 minutes.

  3. 3

    Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add ramen noodles. Cook, stirring until partially cooked and softened, about 2 minutes. Drain, and transfer to the pot with meat-kimchi mixture. Cook, stirring until ramen noodles are tender but firm to the bite, about 5 minutes. Top stew with American cheese.

Rate this Recipe

/5 from

Be the first to rate!

Sign in to rate

Nutrition Facts

Per serving

🍳

Want to cook this?

Open in the PantryLink app to scale servings, check your pantry stock, and generate a shopping list.

Sign In to Save Recipe Create Free Account

Suggest an Edit

Help improve this recipe's categorization, image, or dietary info. Earn points and badges!

Suggest Changes in App

Prefer a printed copy? Use our print-friendly view with adjustable servings and font size.

Open Print View