10+ Korean Food Recipes to Spice Up Your Cooking

10+ Korean Food Recipes to Spice Up Your Cooking

ByPin These Recipes Team Reading Time: 9 minutes

Korean food is a delicious blend of flavors, textures, and colors that make every meal exciting. You can discover a variety of easy-to-follow Korean recipes that will brighten your dining experience and allow you to explore this vibrant cuisine.

From spicy dishes to comforting soups, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

A table set with various Korean dishes, including kimchi, bulgogi, bibimbap, and banchan, surrounded by traditional Korean cookware and utensils

Cooking Korean food at home doesn’t have to be complicated. With the right ingredients and simple steps, you can create authentic dishes that bring the taste of Korea right to your kitchen.

So grab your apron and get ready to whip up some tasty meals that will delight your family and friends.

1) Kimchi Stew

A steaming pot of kimchi stew surrounded by traditional Korean ingredients and utensils

Kimchi stew, or kimchi jjigae, is a popular Korean comfort food. This dish combines kimchi with meat, usually pork, and other ingredients. It is savory and slightly spicy, perfect for warming you up.

To make kimchi stew, you start by heating the kimchi and meat in a pot. Then, add seasonings like salt, sugar, and hot pepper paste. Cover and let it simmer for a delightful meal.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups kimchi
  • ¼ pound pork (belly or shoulder)
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon hot pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon hot pepper paste
  • 1 cup water

Cooking Instructions

  1. In a pot, add the kimchi and pork.
  2. Mix in the onion, salt, sugar, hot pepper flakes, and hot pepper paste.
  3. Pour in the water and bring to a boil.
  4. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Enjoy!

2) Chicken Bulgogi

A sizzling skillet of Chicken Bulgogi with colorful vegetables and steaming rice on a wooden table

Chicken bulgogi is a delicious Korean dish that you can enjoy any night of the week. It’s made with marinated chicken that is grilled or broiled for a tasty and quick meal. The marinade usually includes ingredients like soy sauce, sugar, and garlic.

You can serve chicken bulgogi with rice or lettuce wraps. It’s great for family dinners or when you have friends over. Everyone will love the sweet and savory flavor!

Ingredients

  • 1 pound (450g) chicken breast, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup (60ml) soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 green onion, chopped
  • ½ Korean pear, grated (optional)

Cooking Instructions

  1. In a bowl, mix soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, and green onion.
  2. Add the chicken slices and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
  3. Preheat grill to medium-high heat (about 375°F or 190°C).
  4. Grill chicken for about 5-7 minutes on each side until cooked through.
  5. Serve with rice or in lettuce wraps. Enjoy!

3) Japchae

A sizzling wok stir-fries colorful vegetables, tender beef, and chewy sweet potato noodles for a traditional Japchae Korean dish

Japchae is a popular Korean dish made with sweet potato starch noodles. These noodles are often stir-fried with a variety of colorful vegetables and marinated meat, typically beef.

The dish is known for its savory, slightly sweet flavor, thanks to a tasty sesame dressing. You can also make it vegetarian by skipping the meat and adding extra veggies.

Making japchae is not only fun but also a great way to impress your friends and family with your cooking skills.

Ingredients

  • Sweet potato starch noodles
  • Spinach
  • Carrots
  • Bell peppers
  • Onion
  • Soy sauce
  • Sesame oil
  • Sugar
  • Garlic
  • Beef (or extra vegetables for a vegan option)

Cooking Instructions

  1. Cook the sweet potato noodles according to the package instructions.
  2. Stir-fry vegetables in sesame oil until tender.
  3. Add cooked noodles to the pan with the vegetables.
  4. Mix in soy sauce, sugar, and minced garlic.
  5. Serve warm, garnished with sesame seeds.

4) Pajeon

A sizzling hot plate of Pajeon, a traditional Korean savory pancake, topped with green onions and seafood, surrounded by various dipping sauces

Pajeon is a delicious Korean pancake made mainly with green onions. It’s a popular dish that you can enjoy as a snack or part of a meal.

To make pajeon, start with a simple batter of flour, water, and eggs. Add fresh green onions for great flavor. You can also mix in seafood or vegetables for extra taste.

You can fry the pancakes until they are crispy and golden brown. Serve them with a tasty dipping sauce made from soy sauce and vinegar.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup chopped green onions
  • Oil for frying

Cooking Instructions

  1. In a bowl, mix flour, water, egg, and salt until smooth.
  2. Stir in the chopped green onions.
  3. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat (350°F/175°C).
  4. Pour batter into the pan and spread it out.
  5. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.
  6. Serve with dipping sauce.

5) Gomtang

A steaming bowl of gomtang sits on a wooden table, surrounded by small dishes of kimchi and pickled vegetables. Steam rises from the bowl, and chopsticks rest on the side

Gomtang is a comforting Korean beef soup, perfect for any meal. This dish features meat boiled for a long time to create a rich and flavorful broth. The most common meat used is beef, but you can also try pork or chicken.

To make gomtang, you’ll need beef, garlic, scallions, and seasoning. The long cooking time makes the broth creamy and nutritious. Serve it hot with rice for a delicious meal.

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 pounds beef bones (cow heel bones)
  • 2 pounds beef brisket
  • 5 to 6 garlic cloves
  • 4 scallions, chopped
  • Sea salt to taste

Cooking Instructions

  1. Rinse the beef bones and brisket in cold water.
  2. In a large pot, add the bones, brisket, and enough water to cover.
  3. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 6 hours.
  4. Add garlic and scallions, and continue to simmer for another hour.
  5. Season with sea salt before serving hot.

6) Hotteok

A sizzling hotteok sizzling on a griddle, steam rising, filled with sweet syrup and nuts, ready to be devoured

Hotteok is a popular Korean street food that you can easily make at home. These sweet pancakes are usually filled with a warm brown sugar syrup. They are a delightful treat for any time of the day.

To make hotteok, you need basic ingredients like flour, yeast, and sugar. Adding nuts or seeds to the filling makes them even more delicious.

Get ready to enjoy crispy outside and a gooey inside. They are perfect for sharing with friends or family.

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp white sugar
  • 1 tsp instant dry yeast
  • ½ cup lukewarm milk (125 ml)
  • Brown sugar (for filling)
  • Optional: nuts or seeds

Cooking Instructions

  1. In a bowl, mix flour, salt, and sugar.
  2. In another bowl, combine lukewarm milk and yeast. Let it sit until bubbly.
  3. Add the yeast mixture to the flour mix and knead until smooth.
  4. Let the dough rise for about 1 hour.
  5. Divide the dough, fill with brown sugar, and shape into balls.
  6. Heat a pan and cook the balls, flattening them slightly, until golden brown. Enjoy!

7) Tangsuyuk

A sizzling hot plate of tangsuyuk surrounded by colorful vegetables and a bowl of tangy sweet and sour sauce

Tangsuyuk is a delicious Korean dish that combines crispy fried pork with a sweet and sour sauce. This dish is popular in Korean-Chinese cuisine and is loved for its crunch and flavor.

To make Tangsuyuk, you’ll start by frying the pork until it’s golden brown. The secret is in the double frying, which makes it extra crispy. Then, you prepare a tasty sauce with a mix of vinegar, sugar, and colorful vegetables.

Here’s what you’ll need to whip up this tasty dish.

Ingredients

  • 500 g pork tenderloin (or chicken thigh)
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp mirin
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1½ cup potato starch
  • Sweet and sour sauce (store-bought or homemade)
  • Colorful vegetables (like bell peppers and carrots)

Cooking Instructions

  1. Cut the pork into bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper.
  2. Dredge the pork in potato starch.
  3. Heat oil in a frying pan to 350°F (175°C).
  4. Fry the pork until golden brown and crispy.
  5. Remove and drain on paper towels.
  6. Fry again for extra crunch.
  7. In another pan, mix your sweet and sour sauce with vegetables.
  8. Combine the fried pork with the sauce and serve hot.

8) Korean Army Stew

A bubbling pot of Korean Army Stew surrounded by various ingredients like spam, sausage, tofu, and kimchi. Steam rises from the hearty, spicy soup

Korean Army Stew, or Budae Jjigae, is a hearty dish filled with flavors. It combines ingredients like spam, sausages, ramen noodles, and kimchi. This stew is popular for gatherings and is easy to make.

To start, gather your ingredients. You will need spam, sliced sausages, tofu, kimchi, ramen noodles, and a spicy broth mix. The mix usually includes Korean chili paste and various seasonings.

Cooking is simple. In a large pot, combine your broth ingredients and bring them to a boil. Next, add the spam, sausages, and kimchi. After a few minutes, stir in the ramen noodles.

Let everything simmer until the noodles are cooked. Serve your stew hot and enjoy with friends or family!

Ingredients

  • Spam
  • Sausages
  • Tofu
  • Kimchi
  • Ramen noodles
  • Korean chili paste
  • Soy sauce
  • Water

Cooking Instructions

  1. In a large pot, mix broth ingredients and bring to a boil.
  2. Add spam, sausages, and kimchi.
  3. Stir in ramen noodles.
  4. Simmer until the noodles are cooked.
  5. Serve hot.

9) Spicy Raw Fish

A wooden table with assorted raw fish, vegetables, and spicy Korean sauces

Spicy raw fish dishes are popular in Korean cuisine. They often feature fresh ingredients and bold flavors. One well-known dish is hoe-muchim, which mixes raw fish with vegetables and a spicy sauce.

To prepare, you’ll need fish like red snapper. Then, you mix it with a sweet, sour, and spicy sauce. Another option is mulhoe, a spicy fish soup with fresh vegetables.

You can also try hweh, thinly sliced raw fish served with a spicy dipping sauce made from gochujang and vinegar. These dishes are not only tasty but can also be a healthy choice.

Ingredients

  • Fresh fish (like red snapper or sashimi-grade fish)
  • Hot pepper paste (gochujang)
  • Korean hot pepper flakes (gochugaru)
  • Sugar
  • Kosher salt
  • Vegetables (like cucumbers and radishes)
  • Rice wine vinegar
  • Garlic

Cooking Instructions

  1. Cut the fish into thin slices.
  2. Mix the fish with the vegetables.
  3. Combine gochujang, vinegar, and garlic to make the sauce.
  4. Pour the sauce over the fish and mix well.
  5. Serve immediately and enjoy!

10) Folded Gimbap

A plate of neatly arranged folded Gimbap surrounded by colorful side dishes

Folded gimbap is a fun twist on traditional Korean gimbap. It’s easy to make and perfect for a quick meal or snack. Instead of rolling, you fold the ingredients inside the seaweed.

You can fill it with your favorite items like tuna, eggs, and vegetables. This method makes it simple to eat on the go.

To make it, layer the fillings in a square shape on your nori. Once you fold it up, you can hold it like a sandwich. No need to cut it into pieces!

Ingredients

  • Nori (seaweed sheets)
  • Cooked rice
  • Canned tuna or spam
  • Eggs
  • Kimchi
  • Carrots (shredded)
  • Mayonnaise

Cooking Instructions

  1. Prepare your fillings. Cook rice, shred carrots, and make scrambled eggs.
  2. Lay a sheet of nori on a flat surface.
  3. Spread rice evenly on the nori.
  4. Add a layer of tuna and other fillings.
  5. Fold the nori into a square.
  6. Enjoy your folded gimbap right away!

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