Korean Black Bean Sauce Noodles (Jajangmyeon)
User Reviews
4.9
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
30 mins
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Total Time
50 mins
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Servings
6
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Calories
522 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Korean
Korean Black Bean Sauce Noodles (Jajangmyeon)
Description
Korean Black Bean Sauce Noodles (Jajangmyeon) combine fresh jajangmyeon-style noodles with a deeply flavored black bean sauce and tender diced pork. The preparation involves marinating the pork briefly with rice wine, salt, black pepper, and ground ginger before cooking. The black bean paste is carefully stir-fried with lard and brown sugar to mellow its intensity, then mixed with chicken stock for a smooth sauce. Cooking vegetables in stages ensures each retains their texture, with potatoes, onions, zucchini, mushrooms, and cabbage incorporated sequentially. This method results in a sauce that coats the noodles with a savory, slightly sweet flavor and a mixture of tender and crisp vegetable textures.
The dish is traditionally served with julienned cucumber on top, adding a fresh crunch that contrasts the rich sauce. Peas or sweet corn and even hard-boiled eggs can be added as toppings according to taste, complementing the mix of flavors and textures. This dish highlights the distinctive character of Korean black bean paste when paired with pork and fresh vegetables.
For best results, use fresh noodles such as jajangmyeon, udon, or kalguksu. The brown sugar and rice wine balance the bitterness of the black bean paste, while the lard imparts a silky mouthfeel. The layering of cooked ingredients avoids overcooking and preserves the individual flavors in the sauce.
Ingredients
Main
- 1 kg jajangmyeon noodles Or you can use udon noodles or Kalguksu noodles) (35 ounces, fresh
- 1 onion 150g / 5.3 ounces, large
- 1 zucchini 110g / 3.9 ounces, medium
- 2 potato 470g / 1 pound, large
- 7 button mushrooms 240g / 0.5 pounds, large
- 1/4 cabbage 160g / 5.6 ounces, small
- 600 g pork 1.3 pounds, diced
Pork marinade sauce
- 1 Tbsp rice wine (or mirin)
- 5 prinkles salt ground
- 5 prinkles black pepper ground
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
Korean black bean sauce
- 6 Tbsp black bean paste Chunjang, Korean style
- 90 g lard (or 6 Tbsp cooking oil – e.g. rice bran oil)
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 4 Tbsp rice wine (or mirin)
- 1 cup chicken stock (as pure and natural as possible)
- 1 cup water
- slurry (potato starch 5 Tbsp + water 4 Tbsp)
Toppings
- 1 cucumber 150g / 5.3 ounces, large
- pea or sweet corn (from a tin, optional)
- egg optional, hard boiled
Instructions
Preparation
- Rinse the pork in cold water and pat it dry with kitchen paper. Add the pork marinade sauce onto the pork. Mix them well and leave it for 15 mins.
- Cut the onion, zucchini and potato into small cubes.
- Thin slice the mushrooms.
- Cut the cabbage into small to medium size pieces.
- Julienne cut the cucumber.
Cooking
- Pre heat the wok until the bottom is heated well. Add the lard (or cooking oil) and melts it in the wok. Add the black bean paste and stir it constantly on medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes. (Try not to burn it.) Add the brown sugar and stir it for an additional 2 to 3 mins.
- Scoop out the black bean paste (without the oil) and set it aside. Leave the oil in the wok to use in the next step.
- Add the pork into the wok and stir until the pork is half cooked.
- Add the onion, zucchini, and potato and stir until all are 1/3 cooked (for 3 to 5 mins).
- Add the mushrooms and cabbages and stir for 2-3 mins.
- Add the black bean paste (from step 2) into the wok and mix it in with vegetables. Stir for 1 to 2 mins.
- Add the chicken stock, water and rice wine then simmer it for 5 to 7 mins on medium heat. (Cover the wok with a lid if possible. This will make the cooking process faster.)
- Add the slurry into the wok then stir it. (This will thicken the black sauce. It is the final stage of making the black bean sauce.)
- (While working on step 7) Boil some water in a pot and add the noodles when it starts to boil. Boil them until the noodles are cooked (for 3 to 5 mins).
- Rinse the noodles in cold water and drain. Put them into a serving bowl/plate.
- Add the black bean sauce (from the step 8) on top of the noodles. You can serve it as it is or decorate it with some cucumber slices, green peas or sweet corn or hardboiled egg.
- Mix the sauce and the noodles well with chopsticks. Dig in. (It is ideal to have them with some (yellow) pickled radish. Apparently it helps digestion. Also eat it up quickly before the noodles get swollen.)
Notes
- 1 tablespoon equals 15 ml, and 1 cup equals 250 ml for accurate measurements.
- Use fresh noodles like jajangmyeon, udon, or kalguksu according to availability.
- Adjust the toppings such as cucumber, peas, or eggs based on preference for texture and flavor contrast.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 522 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 522kcal | 26% |
| Carbohydrates | 22g | 7% |
| Protein | 22g | 44% |
| Fat | 37g | 57% |
| Saturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Cholesterol | 73mg | 24% |
| Sodium | 471mg | 20% |
| Potassium | 951mg | 20% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 8g | 16% |
| Vitamin A | 140IU | 3% |
| Vitamin C | 31.9mg | 35% |
| Calcium | 74mg | 7% |
| Iron | 3.9mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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