Kimchi Jjigae

Name: Kimchi Jjigae
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 180 g pork belly, skinless, cut into bite-size pieces; 1 tbsp rice wine (mirin or sake work well); 3 sprinkles freshly ground black pepper; 0.75 cup aged kimchi, well-fermented, cut into bite-size pieces; 0.25 brown onion, small, thinly sliced; 0.5 stalk green onion, small stalk, thinly sliced; 2 shiitake mushrooms, small, stems removed and sliced thin; 150 g firm tofu, sliced into 1cm rectangles; 1 cup water; 1 tbsp Korean chili flakes (gochugaru); 1 tbsp soy sauce, light or regular; 1 tsp Korean chili paste (gochujang); 0.25 tsp garlic, finely minced; 3 sprinkles freshly ground black pepper

Fiery Kimchi Jjigae with Tender Pork Belly

This soul-warming Korean stew transforms funky, aged kimchi into liquid comfort gold. The pork belly melts into silky richness while gochujang builds complex heat that'll clear your sinuses and warm you from the inside out.

KoreanDinnerSoupComfort FoodOne PotPorkWinter

Prep15 min

Cook25 min

Total40 min

Servings2

Difficultyeasy

Ingredients

Meat

180 gpork belly, skinless, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tbsprice wine (mirin or sake work well)
3 sprinklesfreshly ground black pepper

Kimchi & Others

¾ cupaged kimchi, well-fermented, cut into bite-size pieces
¼ brown onion, small, thinly sliced
½ stalkgreen onion, small stalk, thinly sliced
2 shiitake mushrooms, small, stems removed and sliced thin
150 gfirm tofu, sliced into 1cm rectangles
1 cupwater

Jjigae base

1 tbspKorean chili flakes (gochugaru)
1 tbspsoy sauce, light or regular
1 tspKorean chili paste (gochujang)
¼ tspgarlic, finely minced
3 sprinklesfreshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Toss the pork belly pieces with rice wine and black pepper in a bowl. Let them sit while you prep everything else — this brief marination removes any gaminess and adds subtle depth.
⏱ 15 min
Heat a dry skillet over medium heat and add the kimchi. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens and releases its tangy juices — about 4-5 minutes. The edges should look slightly caramelized.
Whisk together all the jjigae base ingredients in a small bowl until the gochujang dissolves completely. Layer the marinated pork in the bottom of your pot, then top with the cooked kimchi, sliced onion, mushrooms, and tofu. Pour in the water and spoon the sauce mixture over everything. Keep the green onion aside for now.
Bring the whole pot to a vigorous boil over medium-high heat, then dial it back to medium. Let it bubble away steadily, stirring gently every few minutes and ladling the developing broth over the tofu and vegetables. The pork should be completely tender and the flavors fully melded.
⏱ 15 min
Scatter the green onion over the surface, give everything one final gentle stir, and kill the heat. The residual warmth will wilt the green onion perfectly while keeping its fresh bite intact.