Budae Jjigae is a stew with a sad history. Right after the Korean War, South Korea was the poorest country in the world. There was not enough food for people, so they got food aid from the U.S. military bases. But they didn’t know how to cook these unfamiliar ingredients such as spam, sausage, baked beans, and cheese, so they just put all the stuff in a pot and make stews and that’s what we now call “Budae Jjigae” (a.k.a. Korean Army Base Stew). Today, let me show you 2 versions, the authentic one and a super simple version. Buckle up!
Classic Budae Jjigae (2-3 servings)
Ingredients:
- 1/4 green cabbage (7 oz, 200g)
- 1/2 Yukon Gold potato
- 2 green onions
- 7 oz (200g) Spam
- 3 sausages (or hot dogs)
- 2 strips uncooked bacon (60g)
- 7 oz (200g) ground beef
- 2 tbsp baked beans
- 1 slice American cheese
- 3.5 cups (840ml) water
- 1 instant ramyun noodles (optional)
Seasoning Paste:
- 3 tbsp Korean chili pepper flakes (gochugaru)
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
- 1/2 tbsp Korean beef stock powder (dasida) (or chicken bouillon powder)
- 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions:
MAKE SEASONING PASTE
In a small container, mix together Korean chili pepper flakes, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, chicken bouillon powder, Korean beef stock powder, oyster sauce, and water.
PREP INGREDIENTS
1. Chop the cabbage into bite-sized pieces.
2. Thinly slice the potato and green onions.
3. Thinly slice spam, sausages, and bacon.
4. Grab a little bit of ground beef and form it into a circle like meatballs. No need to season it.
ASSEMBLE & COOK
1. In a shallow pot, nicely arrange all the ingredients. Add the seasoning paste in the center followed by the baked beans (2 tbsp) and American cheese.
2. Add water (3.5 cups, 840ml) and bring it to a boil. Once it’s bubbling hot and the potato is cooked, you can start eating.
3. Optionally, you can add ramyun noodles with a little bit of water (about 1/2 cup). Or just serve it with hot rice. Enjoy~!
ADDITIONAL TIP
- If you want to make it extra delicious, I recommend using Korean beef bone stock (사골곰탕) instead of just plain water. Just mix that with water and make a 1 : 1 ratio. (Because that’s already seasoned, you can skip Korean beef stock powder and oyster sauce from the seasoning paste.) Trust me, that will taste phenomenal!
7-Minute Budae Jjigae (1 serving)
Ingredients:
- 1 sausage (or hot dog)
- 3.5 oz (100g) Spam
- 1-2 green onion
- 2.5 cups (600ml) water
- 1 spicy Korean ramyun
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp baked beans (optional)
- 1/2 American cheese
Instructions:
1. Cut the sausage and spam into bite-sized pieces.
2. Thinly slice the green onions. Make sure to include both parts.
3. To a pot, add water (2.5 cups, 600ml), sausage, spam, ramyun packets, and ketchup. Bring it to a boil.
4. Once it’s piping hot, add the ramyun noodles and cook for 4 minutes or until the noodles are cooked. Top with the baked beans (if using), green onions, and American cheese. Enjoy~!
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Budae Jjigae (Korean Army Stew)
Ingredients
- Classic Budae Jjigae (2-3 servings)
1/4 green cabbage (7 oz, 200g)
1/2 Yukon Gold Potato
2 green onions
7 oz (200g) Spam
3 sausages (or hot dogs)
2 strips uncooked bacon (60g)
7 oz (200g) ground beef
2 tbsp baked beans
1 slice American cheese
3.5 cups (840ml) water
1 instant ramyun noodles (optional)
- Seasoning Paste:
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
1/2 tbsp Korean beef stock powder (dasida) (or chicken bouillon powder)
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp water
- 7-Minute Budae Jjigae (1 serving)
1 sausage (or hot dog)
3.5 oz (100g) Spam
1-2 green onions
2.5 cups (600ml) water
1 spicy Korean ramyun
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp baked beans (optional)
1/2 slice American cheese
Directions
- Classic Budae Jjigae
- In a small container, mix together Korean chili pepper flakes, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, chicken bouillon powder, Korean beef stock powder (or chicken bouillon powder), oyster sauce, and water.
- Chop the cabbage into bite-sized pieces. Thinly slice the potato and green onions. Thinly slice spam, sausages, and bacon. Grab a little bit of ground beef and form it into a circle like meatballs. No need to season it.
- In a shallow pot, nicely arrange all the ingredients. And the seasoning paste in the center followed by the baked beans and American cheese. Add the water and bring it to a boil. Once it’s bubbling hot and the potato is cooked, you can start eating.
- Optionally, you can add ramyun noodles with a little bit of water (about 1/2 cup). Or just serve it with hot rice. Enjoy~!
- 7-Minute Budae Jjigae
- Cut the sausage and spam into bite-sized pieces. Thinly slice the green onions. Make sure to include both parts.
- To a pot, add the water, sausage, spam, ramyun packets, and ketchup. Bring it to a boil. Once it’s piping hot, add the ramyun noodles and cook for 4 minutes or until the noodles are cooked. Top with the baked beans (if using), green onions, and American cheese. Enjoy~!
Notes
- 1 Tbsp = 15 ml, 1 Cup = 240 ml
- If you want to make it extra delicious, I recommend using Korean beef bone stock (사골곰탕) instead of just plain water. Just mix that with water and make a 1 : 1 ratio. (Because that’s already seasoned, you can skip Korean beef stock powder and oyster sauce from the seasoning paste.)