Kimchi Jjigae (김치찌개) – Kimchi Stew with Pork Belly

Kimchi jjigae is the stew Korean families cook when the kimchi in the refrigerator has turned too sour for the side dish plate. You fry pork belly with the kimchi in its own fat, add water and kimchi juice and let it simmer with tofu and onion. Gochugaru and gochujang turn the broth red and hot.

By Laura Chen · November 4, 2026

40 Mintotal

4servings

470kcal

KoreanCuisine ›

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Use kimchi that has aged at least two, better four weeks and smells sour. Fresh kimchi tastes flat in the pot, and the broth gets too little acidity. If you ferment your own, start the kimchi a few weeks before cooking day. Fry meat and cabbage for five minutes before the water goes into the pot. This caramelizes the cabbage at the edges, and the fat takes up the chili.

A bowl of rice goes with the stew, and everyone spoons from the pot in the middle of the table. With soft silken tofu and seafood you cook Sundubu jjigae, with soybean paste instead of kimchi Doenjang jjigae. Sausage and instant noodles end up in Budae jjigae.

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Kimchi Jjigae (김치찌개) – Kimchi Stew with Pork Belly

Name: Kimchi Jjigae (김치찌개) – Kimchi Stew with Pork Belly
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 300 g pork belly, skinless, in 5 mm (¼ in) slices; 500 g aged, sour kimchi, in bite-size pieces; 100 ml kimchi juice from the jar; 1 tbsp neutral vegetable oil; 1 onion, in strips; 2 garlic cloves, chopped; 1 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes); 1 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste); 1 tsp sugar; 1 tbsp light soy sauce; 700 ml water or anchovy broth; 300 g firm tofu, in 1 cm (½ in) slices; 2 scallions, in diagonal rings; 1 tsp toasted sesame oil; Cooked short-grain rice as desired; Salt as desired

Laura Chen

Servings

Prep time

15 minutes

Cook time

25 minutes

Calories

470

Cuisine

Korean

Ingredients

For the stew:

300 g pork belly, skinless, in 5 mm (¼ in) slices
500 g aged, sour kimchi, in bite-size pieces
100 ml kimchi juice from the jar
1 tbsp neutral vegetable oil
1 onion, in strips
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
1 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp light soy sauce
700 ml water or anchovy broth
300 g firm tofu, in 1 cm (½ in) slices
2 scallions, in diagonal rings
1 tsp toasted sesame oil

To serve:

Cooked short-grain rice as desired
Salt as desired

Instructions

Cut the pork belly, kimchi, onion and tofu. Catch the juice that runs out of the kimchi as you cut and add it to the kimchi juice.
Heat the oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Fry the pork belly for 3 minutes, until the fat renders and the edges brown.
Add the kimchi, garlic, gochugaru and sugar and fry, stirring, for 5 minutes, until the cabbage is soft and browns at the edges.
Pour in the water and kimchi juice, stir in the gochujang and soy sauce and bring the stew to a boil. Add the onion and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
Lay the tofu slices on top and press them lightly into the broth. Simmer the stew uncovered for 5 more minutes.
Season with salt or a splash of kimchi juice. Scatter the scallions over it, drizzle with the sesame oil and serve the pot with rice.

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Kimchi Jjigae (김치찌개) – Kimchi Stew with Pork Belly

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Kimchi Jjigae (김치찌개) – Kimchi Stew with Pork Belly

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Instructions

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