Jajangmyeon (Blackbean Sauce Noodles)
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
10 mins
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Cook Time
25 mins
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Total Time
35 mins
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Servings
3 people
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Calories
637 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Soup
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Cuisine
Korean
Jajangmyeon (Blackbean Sauce Noodles)
Description
Jajangmyeon (Blackbean Sauce Noodles) involves cooking fresh wheat noodles until tender, then rinsing them in cold water to stop cooking and firm their texture. The key element is the black bean paste sauce, where chunjang paste is sautéed in vegetable oil until aromatic and slightly caramelized. This is combined with sautéed onions, cabbage, pork cubes, and optional mushrooms, zucchini, and carrot to develop complex flavors and textures.
The sauce simmers with added water or chicken broth and sugar to balance saltiness and deepen the taste. Sauteed vegetables add crunch while the pork brings richness. The assembled dish is topped with julienned cucumber for freshness and a drizzle of vegetable oil for shine. The noodles’ chewiness contrasts the thick, robust sauce, making it satisfying and well-rounded.
This dish pairs well with fermented side dishes like kimchi or tangy pickled yellow radish (danmuji). Variations include substituting the noodles with white or fried rice (jajangbap) and chicken or beef for pork according to preference. Using broth can enrich the sauce but watch saltiness. Serve warm for the best textural contrast.
Ingredients
Noodles
- 3 ervings fresh noodles for jajangmyeon or kal guksu
For Sauteeing Black Bean Paste
- 1/2 cup black bean paste 춘장 chunjang/choonjang, Chinese
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
To finish sauce
- 1 onion chopped, medium size
- 1 1/2 cup cabbage , chopped
- 5 oz pork loin cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup or 3 fresh , dried or fresh shitake mushrooms, chopped (optional)
- 1/2 cup zucchini , chopped
- 1 carrot , chopped (optional)
- 2 green onions , chopped
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 cup water or chicken broth
Cornstarch slurry (optional - omit for Gan Jjajangmyeon)
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
Garnish
- 1/2 cucumber , julienned
- 3-4 Tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
Noodles
- Boil a pot of water for noodles. Cook noodles in boiling water for 7-10 min (based on package directions) and rinse in cold water.
- NOTE - Fresh noodles are best. You can buy one’s that says “짜장면 국수” or "칼국수"(Kalguksu/Kalgooksoo) - both work fine. You can also make your own homemade fresh noodles by following my recipe in my Kalguksu post.
Prep Ingredients
- Chop all vegetables and meat into small cubes. Julienne cucumbers to add as garnish.
Make Sauteed Chunjang
- In a non-stick frying pan, add equal amount of chunjang and oil to pan on medium/medium low heat. Stir often, cook for 7 min.
- Remove chunjang from pan. It should be easy to bunch up the cooked chunjang and remove from oil. Discard the leftover oil in pan.
Make Sauce
- In ANOTHER pan, add 2 T oil to pan on medium heat. Sauté onions and cabbages for 10 min or more until onions become translucent.
- Remove onions and cabbages from pan and set aside. Sauté pork on med-high heat for 2-3 min in the same pan.
- Once pork is cooked, return onions, cabbages to pan. Add 1 T oil and remaining vegetables. Sauté all ingredients on med-high heat for 5 – 7 min. Veggies should still be slightly crunchy.
- Add cooked chunjang paste to pan and stir everything, making sure the paste coats the ingredients evenly.
- Stir fry for 2 min. Add 1 C water and 1 T sugar. Mix. Simmer fro 3-4 min.
- Add the cornstarch slurry and stir for 2-3 min. It's ready when sauce has thickened to a little thicker than gravy consistency. Omit this step and just reduce the sauce to make a more conentrated Gan Jjajangmyeon.
- Serve noodles topped with sauce and then some julienned cucumbers.
Notes
- Substitute noodles with white rice or leftover fried rice to make Jajangbap (black bean sauce rice).
- Chicken or beef can be used instead of pork based on preference.
- For a richer sauce, use chicken broth but adjust salt content accordingly.
- Serve with kimchi, pickled yellow radish (danmuji), and raw onions paired with uncooked chunjang for traditional accompaniments.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 3people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 637 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 637kcal | 32% |
| Carbohydrates | 134g | 45% |
| Protein | 22g | 44% |
| Fat | 3g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 17mg | 6% |
| Sodium | 1308mg | 55% |
| Potassium | 611mg | 13% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 10g | 20% |
| Vitamin A | 3605IU | 72% |
| Vitamin C | 23.3mg | 26% |
| Calcium | 43mg | 4% |
| Iron | 0.9mg | 5% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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