Easy Jajangmyeon Recipe – Korean Date Dinner

Indulging in jajangmyeon (자장면) is a must if you’re planning a date nights or a late snack at least in K Dramas!

Looking at these noodles smothered in a thick layer of rich savory black bean sauce makes me want to eat jjajang sauce all the time. However, if you want something more real and appetizing than instant jajangmyeon which can satisfy your pangs this recipe can be ready in under 30 minutes

Yields: 4 portions
Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 30 mins Total: 40 mins

What are Jjajangmyeon?

A big bowl of jjajangmyun noodles never fails to impress with the appetizing look, texture and the taste of black bean paste or jjajang sauce.

It’s taste is savory, slightly sweet, and rich, thanks to the thick black bean sauce that coats the noodles. The sauce is made by stir-frying fermented black bean paste (chunjang) with pork and vegetables, and then thickened with cornstarch or potato starch.

The texture of jajangmyeon is also unique as the noodles used are typically thick, chewy, and slightly slippery to pair well with the thick sauce. Most certainly, the chewy noodles covered in the tangy sweet black bean sauce mixed with the soft zucchini and juicy pork belly pieces is the secret behind the most popular comfort food in Korea.

Why this recipe works?

• If you’re not Korean, eating noodles can be an alternative to your Friday night dinners. Changing a bit our normal routine makes it even more fun.
• Preparing Jajangmyeon is quite easy if you keep black bean paste in your pantry.
• If you don’t eat pork you can swap for beef or just eat it only with veggies.
• It’s addictive and there’s no way that anyone who loves Asian food won’t like this one repeatedly.

Jajangmyeon Recipe

Ingredients

How to make jjajangmyeon noodles?

Cook the black bean sauce:

• First, pat dry the pork belly with kitchen paper and cut into small cubes.
• Wash and dice the zucchini. 
• Peel the onion and dice small. 
• Peel and finely chop the ginger.
• Heat a skillet without adding any oil and sear the pork belly turning frequently for 5 minutes.
• Add the zucchini and onion cubes and the ginger to the meat.
• Mix everything well and fry for another 5-7 minutes.
• Add oil to the middle of the pan, pushing the contents to the side of the pan.
• Stir the black bean paste together with the oyster sauce into the oil and sauté for about 1 minute.
• Mix all the ingredients in the pan well.
• Add the water and then cover and simmer on a low flame for about 8 minutes.
• Mix the cornstarch with a little sugar until smooth and mix into the black bean sauce, stirring constantly.

Cook the noodles:

• In a large sauce, boil salted water following the direction on the packet of noodles. You can do this while the sauce is simmering.
• Add the noodles and cook according to package directions. Then drain and leave to drain briefly.
• Divide into 4 portions and cover with sauce.
• Top with julienned cucumber if desired.
• Enjoy!

Jajangmyeon Recipe

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Korean

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  

Jajangmyeon noodles

• 8 oz Jjajang noodles or dried udon noodles
• ½ cucumber

Jjajang sauce

• ½ lbs pork belly cubed
• 4 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 onion
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 inch ginger grated
• 1 zucchini
• 5 tbsp level Black Bean Paste Chunjang
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions

 

How to make jjajangmyeon noodles?

Cook the black bean sauce:

• First, pat dry the pork belly with kitchen paper and cut into small cubes.
• Wash and dice the zucchini.
• Peel the onion and dice small.
• Peel and finely chop the ginger.
• Heat a skillet without adding any oil and sear the pork belly turning frequently for 5 minutes.
• Add the zucchini and onion cubes and the ginger to the meat.
• Mix everything well and fry for another 5-7 minutes.
• Push the contents to the side of the pan, adding oil to the middle.
• Stir the black bean paste together with the oyster sauce into the oil and sauté for about 1 minute.
• Mix all the ingredients in the pan well.
• Add the water and then cover and simmer on a low flame for about 8 minutes.
• Mix the cornstarch with a little sugar until smooth and mix into the black bean sauce, stirring constantly.

Cook the noodles:

• Boil salted water in a large saucepan following the direction on the packet of noodles. You can do this while the sauce is simmering.
• Add the noodles and cook according to package directions. Then drain and leave to drain briefly.
• Divide into 4 portions and cover with sauce.
• Top with julienned cucumber if desired.
• Enjoy!

Keyword black bean sauce, jajangmyeon, korean noodles