Kimchi Jjigae - Korean Stew

Kimchi jjigae (김치찌개) is what a Korean kitchen does with kimchi that has gone too sour to eat straight from the jar. I made this batch with mature kimchi from my late-summer ferment, kept in vacuum bags, and it is exactly what you want on a cold day.

It is a thick, spicy stew rather than a soup: pork belly, kimchi, shiitake and tofu simmered until the broth turns deep and savoury. It is forgiving, so most of what goes in can be swapped for whatever the fridge holds, and like most stews it is better the next day.

If there is a jar at the back of the fridge that has turned sharp, this is what it is for.

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What is Kimchi Jjigae?

Kimchi jjigae is one of Korea’s most much-loved comfort foods - a hearty, spicy stew made with fermented kimchi, pork or tofu, vegetables, and a rich broth. It is the kind of meal that warms you instantly and feels like it has been simmering in Korean home kitchens for generations. If you love this kind of cozy, spiced bowl, my Japanese Potato Curry scratches the same itch on a cold day.

The flavour really comes from well-fermented kimchi. As it cooks, the sour and spicy notes mellow out and turn into a deep, savoury broth with a little tang. The pork (or tofu) soaks it all up, and every spoonful has that perfect balance of heat, umami, and warmth.

It is traditionally enjoyed as an everyday meal - not fancy, not complicated, just homely, nourishing, and incredibly satisfying. Koreans often make it when they have extra aged kimchi in the fridge, and it is usually served bubbling hot with a bowl of steamed rice and a few small side dishes on the table.

If you love bold flavours, cosy bowls of food, and recipes that get better as they simmer, kimchi jjigae is one of those dishes you will come back to again and again.

Kimchi Soup or Kimchi Stew? What to Call It

Plenty of people arrive here having searched for kimchi soup rather than kimchi jjigae, and they have landed in the right place. In English the two names get used for the same bowl. In Korean they are not quite the same thing, and the difference is worth knowing because it tells you how thick the finished pot should be.

A jjigae is a stew. It comes to the table bubbling in its own pot, it carries more solids than liquid, and it is seasoned hard enough to be eaten in small spoonfuls alongside rice rather than drunk on its own. A guk, or kimchiguk when it is made with kimchi, is a soup: thinner, gentler, ladled into an individual bowl as part of the meal. There is also tang, which sits somewhere between the two.

What follows is firmly a jjigae. A litre of stock across five servings, with pork belly, tofu and mushrooms in there too, gives you something you eat with a spoon and a bowl of rice, not something you sip.

If a soup is what you were after, it is an easy adjustment. Add another 500ml of stock, drop the gochujang to a teaspoon while keeping the gochugaru for colour and warmth, and use half the pork belly or leave it out altogether. You end up close to kimchiguk: lighter, cleaner, still unmistakably kimchi.

One more thing on names. Jjigae, jigae and chigae are the same Korean word written in Latin letters by different people, and kimchi turns up as kimchee and kim chee just as often. None of them will lead you astray.

Kimchi Jjigae and Japanese Kimchi Nabe Are Not the Same Dish

Search for kimchi nabe and you will find pots that look almost identical to this one: kimchi, pork belly, tofu and mushrooms, all bubbling away together. The resemblance is real, but the two come from different kitchens and taste noticeably different.

Kimchi jjigae is Korean. Aged, sour kimchi is the foundation rather than one ingredient among many, and that sourness is the whole point. It is built on anchovy or vegetable stock, pushed further with gochugaru and gochujang, and simmered down into something thick and sharp. It reaches the table still boiling in its earthenware pot, and it is eaten with rice.

Kimchi nabe is Japanese. It belongs to the nabemono family, the hot pots cooked at the table in a donabe over a burner. The base is dashi, usually rounded out with miso, soy and a little mirin, and the pot is loaded with Chinese leaf, negi, mushrooms, pork belly and tofu. Kimchi seasons that broth rather than defining it, so the result is milder, sweeter and far more brothy. Everyone cooks and picks straight from the same pot as they eat.

The endings differ as well. A nabe finishes with shime, where rice or udon goes into whatever broth is left so none of it is wasted. A jjigae needs no such thing, because the rice was there from the start.

The recipe below leans Korean, though it is not a hard border. My card lets you use dashi in place of anchovy stock, and if you take that option, ease off the gochujang and add more liquid, you will be heading towards nabe territory without changing anything else.

A Closer Look at the Ingredients

Kimchi jjigae has just a few key players, and each one earns its place in the pot:

• Well-fermented kimchi the star of the dish - the more sour and mature, the deeper the flavour.
• Kimchi brine a splash of the juice adds extra tang and a lovely colour.
• Pork belly it melts into the broth and makes everything rich and savoury.
• Tofu soft, silky pieces that soak up the spicy broth.
• Shiitake mushrooms for an earthy, almost meaty depth.
• Gochugaru & gochujang Korean chilli flakes and paste - the heat and the colour.
• Stock anchovy, beef or chicken - a good stock is the savoury backbone.
• Aromatics onion, spring onions, garlic, ginger and a drizzle of sesame oil to finish.

What protein can I use for Kimchi Jjigae?

• Seafood: In coastal parts of Korea, seafood kimchi jjigae is very common. Shrimp and squid work beautifully - they pair really well with the spicy, tangy kimchi and give the stew a lovely sweetness from the sea. If you like seafood stews, this variation is definitely worth trying.
• Pork (most traditional): Pork is the classic and most loved choice for kimchi jjigae. The fat from the pork belly melts into the broth, softens the kimchi, and creates that rich, deep flavour this stew is famous for. You can also use pork shoulder or thinly sliced pork loin.
• Other meats: Chicken and beef are also perfectly acceptable and taste great, especially if that is what you have on hand. The flavour will be slightly different, but the stew remains hearty and comforting.
• Vegetarian option: Tofu is the go-to protein for a vegetarian kimchi jjigae. It soaks up all the spicy, savoury broth and adds a lovely soft texture. Eggs can also be cracked in at the end and gently poached in the broth, although they are not as traditional. If you want to make this fully vegetarian or vegan, just make sure your kimchi is made without fish sauce.

What Kimchi to use for the Jjigae stew?

Kimchi jjigae was traditionally a winter dish, made when fresh vegetables were scarce and families relied on their jars of well-fermented kimchi. The deeper the fermentation, the richer and more complex the stew becomes. Slightly sour, fully matured kimchi is ideal here - it gives the broth its bold, tangy flavour and that comforting depth you expect from a proper jjigae.

If you can, make your own kimchi. It is incredibly budget-friendly, and the only ingredient that tends to be pricier is gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes). The flavour payoff is huge though, and homemade kimchi lets you control the spice, salt, and fermentation level.

I make mine in vacuum bags instead of jars - it saves a lot of fridge space and ferments beautifully. You can check out my vacuum-bag kimchi recipe if you want to try it too.

What stock should I use for Kimchi Jjigae?

The most traditional base for kimchi jjigae is anchovy stock. It gives the stew a deep umami backbone and balances the sour richness of the kimchi. To make it, simmer about 5 large dried anchovies and a piece of kelp (around 30 g) in 1 litre of water for roughly 20 minutes, then strain. It is simple, and it makes a big difference.

If you do not have dried anchovies, you can still get that savoury depth. Add ½ to 1 teaspoon of anchovy paste directly to the broth instead. It melts in and gives a similar umami richness, so it is a great shortcut to keep in your pantry.

For a vegetarian version, use a good vegetable stock or bouillon. The stew will still be delicious. Chicken or beef stock also works well if that is what you have on hand - the flavours become a little richer and more rounded.

No kelp in the cupboard? Do not worry. Adding 1 teaspoon of MSG brings back that savoury depth and keeps the broth nicely balanced. It is a very common home-cooking shortcut in Korea and does the job perfectly.

Best Pot for Kimchi Jjigae (And the Pan I Used)

Traditionally, kimchi jjigae is cooked in a ddukbaegi - a Korean clay pot that keeps the stew bubbling hot and gives it that signature cozy, restaurant-style feel. There is something special about serving this stew still boiling at the table. The flavour somehow feels deeper and more comforting in earthenware.

For this recipe, I used a wide shallow pan with a lid because I cook on an induction hob. A pan works really well here - the pork belly gets space to soften, the kimchi spreads out nicely, and the broth reduces into that rich, full-bodied base that makes this stew so addictive.

That said, if you enjoy Korean soups and stews, I highly recommend getting a ddukbaegi. It is brilliant for dishes like kimchi jjigae, sundubu, doenjang stew, and even instant ramyeon. It keeps food hot for ages and brings that authentic touch to the table.

Standard ddukbaegi pots are great on gas, electric coil, and radiant cooktops. If you are on induction like me, just look for an IH-compatible ddukbaegi - it has a metal base so the hob can detect it, and you can enjoy the traditional clay-pot experience at home.

Once you try serving your stew in a ddukbaegi, you will see why it is such a much-loved piece of Korean cookware. It is simple, rustic, and makes the whole meal feel special.

How to Make Kimchi Jjigae, Step by Step

Full quantities are in the recipe card below. Almost everything goes into one pan at the start, so the technique here is really about timing: what goes in when, and when to take the lid off.

1. Kimchi and brine into a wide, shallow pan. Use the brine, do not drain it away, it is the sourness the whole stew is built on. Add the sliced pork belly, mushrooms, onion and the white parts of the spring onions. A wide pan rather than a deep one gives you more surface to reduce across later.
2. Season, then add the stock. Salt, sugar, gochugaru and gochujang, a drizzle of sesame oil, then the stock, and finally the grated garlic and ginger.
3. Cover and bring to a gentle boil for about ten minutes. This first stretch starts the pork tenderising and pulls the seasonings together.
4. Down to low for twenty minutes. The broth deepens and the kimchi softens. This is where a young, crunchy kimchi turns into something mellow, and it cannot be rushed.
5. Uncover, stir, and lay the tofu on top. Spoon a little broth over the slices so they warm through and take on the flavour rather than sitting there bland. Lay it on top rather than stirring it in, or it will break up.
6. Cover again for fifteen minutes, then decide on the lid. If you want a thicker, more concentrated stew, take the lid off for the last few minutes and let it reduce.
7. Finish and serve. Green spring onion tops, chilli flakes and sesame seeds over, and serve it properly hot with steamed rice.

Recipe Card for Kimchi Jjigae

Tips for the Best Kimchi Jjigae

• If your kimchi is not sour enough, ripen it first. This is the difference between a proper jjigae and a bowl of spicy cabbage soup, and it is the most common reason a stew tastes flat. Take the jar out of the fridge and leave it on the worktop for a day, two or three if your kitchen is cool, until it smells tangy and fizzes slightly when you open it. In a hurry, stir a teaspoon of rice vinegar into the pot instead.
• Fry the kimchi if you want more depth. My method is a genuine one pot stew and the long simmer does soften everything, but if you have five spare minutes, cook the pork and the kimchi in a little oil until the edges catch and caramelise before the stock goes in. It is the single biggest flavour upgrade available.
• Season for savouriness, not just salt. A restaurant bowl tastes deeper because of what is in it besides salt. A teaspoon of fish sauce, a small spoon of doenjang, or Korean soup soy sauce will all do it. Add a little, taste, add a little more.
• Save the water from rinsing your rice. Koreans call it ssalddeumul and use it in place of some of the stock. The suspended starch gives the broth a slightly fuller, softer body and costs nothing.
• Keep a little sesame oil back. Mine goes in with everything else, but toasted sesame oil loses its aroma over a long simmer, so a few drops over each bowl at the table brings the nutty smell right back.
• Reduce it if you like it punchy. The last few minutes with the lid off concentrate the broth. Restaurant jjigae is usually thicker and sharper than the home version.

Variations

• Tinned tuna (chamchi kimchi jjigae) a proper Korean classic in its own right and a brilliant store cupboard dinner. Leave out the pork, and stir in a drained tin of tuna in oil in the last five minutes so it keeps some texture.
• Ramen noodles or rice cakes add a block of instant noodles or a handful of tteok for the final few minutes. It turns the stew into a full meal and is exactly what most Koreans do with a bubbling pot at the table.
• An egg cracked in make a small well in the simmering stew near the end and crack an egg into it. Cover for two minutes and let it set softly in the broth.
• A knob of butter stirred in right at the end it rounds off the sharp edges of very sour kimchi. Not traditional, but it works and plenty of Korean cooks do it.
• Extra vegetables courgette, potato or a handful of enoki mushrooms all suit the pot. Potato goes in early, everything else near the end.

Chamchi Jjigae, the Tinned Tuna Version

Worth pulling out of that list, because in Korea the tuna version is not a fallback. Chamchi jjigae is what a great many households actually cook on a weeknight, and tinned tuna is a store cupboard staple there for exactly this reason.

The swap is not simply tuna instead of pork. Pork belly goes in first so its fat renders out and becomes the base the kimchi fries in, and tuna has no fat to give and will shred to nothing if you treat it the same way. Use the oil from the tin instead: a spoonful of it in the hot pan, then the kimchi and aromatics as usual. Buy tuna in oil rather than brine, and keep that oil.

Two tins, drained, roughly 300g, stands in for the pork belly here. Fold it through in the last five minutes so it stays in recognisable flakes. Everything else holds, but the stew needs less time overall, since there is no pork to render or tenderise. Cleaner and lighter than the pork version, and on the table faster.

FAQ for Kimchi Jjigae

What kimchi is best for kimchi jjigae?

Old, sour, well-fermented kimchi is the secret - the more mature the better, and a splash of its brine adds even more tang. Fresh kimchi still works, but the flavour will be milder.

Can I use beef or chicken instead of pork?

Yes - beef (or beef bone broth) is a popular swap and just as delicious, and chicken works too. Pork belly is the classic choice for its richness.

How do I make it vegetarian or vegan?

Skip the meat, use a kelp or vegetable stock in place of anchovy or meat stock, and add extra tofu and mushrooms. Just check your kimchi and gochujang are made without fish or shrimp.

My stew is too spicy - how can I tone it down?

Add a little more stock or a spoon of sugar, and use less gochugaru and gochujang next time. A bowl of plain rice alongside cools it down too.

What stock should I use?

A savoury anchovy stock is traditional, but beef, chicken or a good bone broth all work well. In a pinch, water plus a little extra kimchi brine still makes a tasty pot.

What do I serve with kimchi jjigae?

A bowl of warm short-grain rice is a must. Add a few simple Korean sides like Korean Cucumber Kimchi, or serve it as part of a spread with Tteokbokki. Something cold and sharp is welcome against a stew this hot, and my salad builder will build one.

How do I store leftovers, and can I freeze it?

It keeps in the fridge for three to four days and genuinely tastes better on day two, once the kimchi has had longer in the broth. It freezes well too, with one catch worth knowing: tofu turns spongy and full of holes once it has been frozen and thawed, so lift the pieces out before the container goes in the freezer. Reheat gently on the hob rather than in the microwave, and leftovers make brilliant kimchi fried rice, using the same method as my Chinese fried rice.

Why did my stew turn out dry?

You probably let too much broth cook away. Keep the lid on while it simmers and top up with a little more stock if needed - it should stay brothy.

My kimchi is not sour enough. Can I still make this?

You can, and there is an easy fix. Sour, well fermented kimchi is what gives jjigae its backbone, so shop-bought kimchi straight from the chiller often makes a stew that tastes thin. Leave the jar out at room temperature for a day or two, until it smells properly tangy and bubbles a little when opened, and it will be transformed. If you need to cook tonight, a teaspoon of rice vinegar stirred into the pot gets you most of the way there.

Why does mine taste flat compared to the restaurant version?

Nearly always one of three things. The kimchi was not sour enough, the kimchi was never fried and so never caramelised, or the pot is missing a savoury seasoning beyond salt. Korean kitchens lean on fish sauce, salted shrimp, soup soy sauce or a spoon of doenjang for that background depth. Fix any one of the three and the difference is obvious.

What is the difference between kimchi jjigae and kimchi guk?

Jjigae is a stew and guk is a soup, and the difference is mostly ratio. A jjigae is thick, heavily loaded with kimchi and meat and served as the centre of the meal in the pot it was cooked in. A guk is much brothier, lighter on the solids, and served in an individual bowl alongside rice as one part of a spread. This recipe is firmly a jjigae.

Which tofu should I use, firm or silken?

Medium or regular is the sweet spot, and it is what Korean shops sell as stew tofu. Very firm tofu never takes on the broth and stays a bit rubbery, while silken tends to collapse into the pot if you stir it. Lay the slices on top near the end rather than mixing them through, and they will hold their shape and drink up the broth.

A Few Words from the Chef

I am a huge fan of Korean and East Asian cooking, and this stew is exactly why. Kimchi jjigae has that perfect balance of sour, spicy, savoury, and a little sweetness - the kind of flavour you taste once and immediately want another spoonful.

The pork belly really shines here. I honestly should have thrown in more, because the way it melts into the broth and softens the kimchi is incredible. I let my stew reduce slightly, so every bite with a spoonful of rice was rich, bold, and full of umami.

And then the tofu comes in and just rounds everything out. Soft, delicate, and a nice little reset between flavour-packed bites.

Would I make it again? Absolutely. I would happily eat this every week in winter. For me, this one is a strong 10 out of 10 - comforting, hearty, and deeply satisfying.

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