Hello hello everybody! : )
I’m re-introducing jjajangmyeon recipe (noodles in black bean sauce) to you today with a new, updated video. I originally uploaded a video showing you how to make jjajangmyeon in 2007, not long after I started posting to YouTube. Yes, it was 5 years ago! Time flies too fast!
That video was so popular that I decided to make a new version that’s easier to follow, and also shows you how to make jjajangbap with rice instead of noodles.
Jjajangmyeon is everybody’s favorite food. It’s actually a very popular Korean Chinese dish, created by early Chinese immigrants in Korea, catering to Korean tastes. Tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) is another example. The almost caramel taste of the savory black bean sauce over the thick, chewy wheat flour noodles makes for a really unique taste and texture. When I was young, a plate of jjajangmyeon from a Chinese restaurant always made me excited. When you order it delivered they bring you the noodles in a special tin box in under 30 minutes! I usually ended up covered in jjajang sauce and my mom had to give me a Kleenex.
Koreans even have a nonofficial celebration for jjm on April 14th, when single people celebrate their shared loneliness on Black Day with a bowl of jjajangmyeon.
Enjoy the recipe!
Ingredients for 2-3 servings
- jjajangmyeon noodles
- ½ pound pork belly, cut into ½ inch cubes (about 1½ cups’ worth)
- 1 cup of Korean radish (or daikon), cut into ½ inch cubes (about 1 cup’s worth)
- 1 cup of zucchini, cut into ½ inch cubes
- 1 cup of potato, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
- 1½ cups of onion chunks
- 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- ¼ cup and 1 tablespoon of chunjang (Korean black bean paste)
- 2 tablespoons of potato starch powder, combined with ¼ cup water and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a small bowl, set aside
- 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil
- ½ cup cucumber, cut into thin matchsticks for garnish
- water
Directions for making jjajang sauce
- Stir-fry the pork belly in a large, deep wok (or pan) with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil for about 4-5 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.
- Pour out the excess pork fat.
- Add radish and stir fry for 1 minute.
- Add potato, onion, and zucchini and keep stirring for about 3 minutes until the potato looks a little translucent.
- Clear a space in the center of the wok by pushing the ingredients to the edges.
- Add 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil to the center of the wok, then add ¼ cup of black bean paste and stir it with a wooden spoon for 1 minute to fry it. Then mix everything in the wok and keep stirring.
- Add 2 cups of water to the wok and let it simmer and cook with the lid closed for about 10 minutes.
- Open the lid and taste a sample of the radish and potato. If they’re fully cooked, stir in the starch water little by little. Keep stirring until it’s well mixed and thick.
- Add the sesame oil and remove from the heat.
- Serve with noodles (jjajangmyeon) or steamed rice (jjajangbap).
Make jjajangmyeon
Noodles for jjajangmyeon can be found at Korean grocery stores. The noodles are thick and chewy.
- Boil the noodles in a large pot and drain. Rinse and strain in cold water.
- Put one serving of noodles onto a serving plate and add the jjajang sauce over top. Garnish with cucumber strips and serve immediately with kimchi or yellow pickled radish.
Make jjajangbap
I have a detailed recipe for jjajangbap but this is the basics:
- Make one serving of rice, and add the jjajang sauce over top.
- Garnish with cucumber strips on top of the jjajang sauce and serve it with kimchi or yellow pickled radish.
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I have a question for this receipe and the one in the plater too.
Can I make them just with fish and sea food instead of meat?
yes! seafood works great
This is the first time I have used black bean paste, delicious, really.
My daughter in South Korea says this is comfort food for Koreans, she also told me that Maangchi’s cookbook is the go to book in South Korea for Americans.
because for Americans even if you can read the korean cookbooks it is really really hard to translate into English you can understand.
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I have been wondering where to order this in my area and good thing i tried making this. It’s sooo good!
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I finally made this jjajangmyeon and jjajangbap! Thanks Maanchi! Love it!!!!
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Congratulations!
I made it for my 77yo father today. He said it was very good!!
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Nice!
Last night, despite of the heat wave, I had a craving for jjajangmyeon and I felt lucky when I realized that I had enough ingredients in the fridge to do it from scratch: zucchini + sweet potatoe + onion + SMOKED SAUSAGE !! this one made the sauce so good !
I use to do it with pork belly because it’s the only cut that is suitable for the recipe according to me… Chunjang is so savory that some cuts of pork meat can appear bland in comparison.
So , pork belly for me and now I know that smoked sausages are an alternative.
I love jjajangmyeon!
Thank you for letting us know smoked sausage worked nicely! I should try it out someday.
Yum
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I cooked this a couple of days ago. My first time ever trying this as well as cooking it. It was a little adventurous to cook something I’ve never eaten before! But no regrets! It was so so so delicious!! My family loves it! It’s my new favorite too! Your steps & tips are always so easy to follow! Thank you, Maangchi!
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I have always been curious about the taste of this dish and to my surprise? I loved it hahahha…. made a success try out for me again with this one :) I saved alot of your recipes Maangchi that maybe by the time you will see all these posts from me has just minutes difference from one to another hahhaha. Just decided to post everything I’ve tried since am still awake past midnight here right now :)
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Love your recipes!! I have been following your recipes since January 2019. I share with Chinese friends and they say it is delicious too! Keep up the great work and thank you for sharing!!!
Hi Maangchi!
I have a wheat allergy and I would like to make the sauce for Jajangmyeon at home. I have preserved black beans and can grind them, but I noted on a youtube video from Korea that jjajang powder was used. I have been unable to find jjanjang flour/powder online. Wondering, is jjanjang flour the same as black bean powder – which seems lighter in color than the final Jajangmyeon sauce. And/or could you recommend a wheat free black bean paste? I’ve dug around and can’t really find one.
Thanks so much! Jessica
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Black-Bean-Powder-1-1-LBS-500-G/997329286
What type of noodles do I buy?
Well this came out okay, I couldn’t find black bean baste in the Asian grocery store nearby. There’s one Korean store but it’s too far so I couldn’t find the black bean paste at the store i went and I bought black bean sauce instead.
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Can I still make kalguksu noodles for jjajangmyeon if I can’t find jjajangmyeon noodles?
Sure, You can make Jjajangmyeon with kalguksu noodles.
Thank you maangchi
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Maangchi I was wondering if there is a substitute for the pork. My friend can not eat it, but wants to try jjajangmyeon so do you have any suggestions?
You can use scrambled eggs or beef, both work fine, that’s how we do it in China! The main flavour is from the black bean paste.
I forgot to upload a picture! It was very nice!! Will be making again. I found it made about 4 servings and as I couldn’t find the korean noodles here in Australia I used Udon which was also very good! I also added cabbage and a little less onion than what you said. Was very yum! Will have again.
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Fantastic!
May I ask? What kind of cabbage did you use?
Sorry for the late reply! I used a Chinese Cabbage you can just find them in the vegetables section of normal groceries
Hello
Thank you so much for this recipe! I love jjajangmyun so glad I found this recipe. For me it was somewhat bland.. what can I do differently or add to make it more 고소해? Thank you!
Add more meat and chunjang (black bean paste) if it’s bland.
I made it! Very yum!!! Really enjoyed it thank you for his recipie! I added cabbage as well and skipped the radish.
Dear Maangchi
I’m a fans of you and your recipe .
All my korean food following your recipes
Btw i need advice from you Maangchi
I can’t found Black bean paste in my country. only found black bean powder for jjangmyeon.
Need your advice please, how to use black bean powder to substitute black bean paste for jjangmyeon in your recipe? The measurements of black bean powder and should i fry it or just dissolve with water?
Thanks before
I use this recipe to make one https://www.maangchi.com/talk/topic/how-to-make-black-bean-paste my friends like it. you might as well try. or you can find at Tokopedia atleast
hi maangchi, i hope you can help me with this. can i use this type of black bean paste for jjajangmyeon, if yes, how can i use it? is it the same on the jjajangmyeon you made? please reply i will be waiting i cannot find black bean paste like you Used in this video
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I used this type of paste today and everything was delicious!
btw, I compared compounds of this paste and paste that Maangchi used and they seemed to be similar
Hi Maangchi! I made a Jiajangmyeon yesterday and today I want to show you my baby. Oh my god I have eaten 2 both jjajangmyeon and jjajangbap. I love this so much!!! thank you Maangchi <3
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Yay! I’m so happy to hear that you loved your jjajangmyeon and jjajangbap! Continue good luck with your Korean cooking!
When I found this recipe, I was very happy. When I lived in Seoul I was introduced to it and fell in love. I did find the instant version at my local Korean Market but have been wanting to make my own. I like mine with rice vinegar and topped with toasted sesame seeds, too. Thank you for posting these videos.
I also love your recipes for Kimchi. In June, my daughter-in-law’s mother and father are coming from Hawaii and they love Kimchi. I will be making a batch for them to enjoy.
I love how Korean meals are presented, with the side dishes everything looks so pretty. Since there are just a few Korean ingredients available here I’ve ordered a lot from Amazon and eBay (I think the staff at the post office are beginning to recognize me ). Here is my jjajangmyeon, very tasty. I couldn’t find the special jjajang noodles anywhere but found instant fresh udon noodles that you only have to heat up, and think they work just fine I was also surprised by how good raw onions with a little chunjang taste.
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I made this for the first time last night. I think my Korean man fell in love with me all over again!
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Which one was for your Korean man? I guess the spicy jjajangmyeon may be his? : ) I’m very happy to hear that he loved your jjajangmyeon!
I’ve been looking forward to trying this and I was not disappointed. I love the taste of this and will definitely be making this again.!
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I found your photo just now! It looks great!
Here’s a solution for all those having a hard time finding chunjang. This is very, very close to sauce made with chunjang. I was in Seoul for 3 1/2 years and ate a LOT of jjajangmyeon, so I have a pretty good understanding of what it should taste like. It makes sense, since traditionally Korean soy beans and soy sauce are fermented in the same containers.
Per serving:
3/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup regular soy sauce
2 tbsp corn or potato starch
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
Combine ingredients in a bowl and stir to incorporate starch. Add to pot after frying other ingredients and then follow Maangchi’s recipe. As the sauce nears a simmer it will suddenly thicken and change from light brown to almost black. If the typical jet black sauce is desired it can be achieved with the same caramel food coloring that’s used in chunjang (and dark sodas and thousands of other things).
That’s interesting! I should try out your recipe. Thanks for posting it here!
Have you seen this black bean paste recipe posted by one of my readers on the forum?
https://www.maangchi.com/talk/topic/how-to-make-black-bean-paste
I did and plan to try it. If someone can’t get chunjang locally, though, they probably can’t get roasted fermented soybeans either. Of course both can be found online, but if someone had a jjajangmyun attack and had neither this would at least be close. Soy sauce is everywhere and can even be bought on holidays.
Dear Maangchi,
I love your Jjajangmyeon receipe it taste delicious and it not difficult to cook.
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Maangchi, I have had jjajangmyeon before but I think it was Chinese style. I like some things about your recipe more and some less. I like the pork belly instead of ground pork. I liked the addition of radish and squash (I used Korean squash). I did not care so much for flavor. I think the Chinese/Japanese jjajangmyeon use 甜面酱 sweet bean sauce and it is different flavor compared to Korean black bean paste. It is still delicious but I will try next time with alterations. Thank you!
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Thanx for recipe but i must change some ingredients coz not easy to find here..
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Hi! i am so so so excited to try this out! but i dont eat pork, so i was wondering what other meat i could use, and which parts excatly? Also i didnt find the same fresh twisted noodles you reccomended, but the shop clerk gave me these tall, hard,straight stick noodles instead. I did try to get the thickest type i could find, and made sure they were rice based. It was the best match i could find make against the special Jjangmeoyn noodles. Do you think they’ll work or should i endeavour to find the right noodles? Finally, i saw alot of posts that said to balance out the saltiness with sugar? i was luckly able to find the correct fremented blackbean paste, but i am cooking half the servings, so i just wanted to see if you could speculate how much sugar would that add up to
I was recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease and thus can’t have wheat in any form — or anything derived from wheat. I think the sauce is gluten free, but if I ever want to eat this again I’ll have to substitute the type of noodles used in the recipe. What type of gluten free noodle (made of rice, buckwheat, etc.) would be best for this as far as the taste goes?
Rice noodles or potato noodles.
In Korea, no salt is used? I do not like sweet foods.
Jjajangmyeon is the best! Thank you for this recipe. Which of noodles do you recommend?
I use these noodles. https://www.maangchi.com/ingredient/jja-jjang-myun-noodles
Thank you for posting these recipes!
How the heck did I get this black bean paste all over me? :) Awesome though… Oh, I added garlic! :) And guess what I used for the meat because I had no pork belly on hand? Good Ole Spam! LOL! Delicious…
Dear Maangchi,
after watching tons of your awesome, entertaining videos i’ve started my korean cooking adventures today with Jjajangmyeon and – sorry to say that – was a little disappointed. After browsing through the comments, i found out, that i’m not alone with that. And then, when i read your advise “to be careful with the very salty” black bean paste, i got it. The problem seems to lie in different black bean pastes which people use. I bought “chunjang” in a korean supermarket (see attached picture), which is absolutely not salty and after searching your video i saw in freeze frame that you used FERMENTED black bean paste, which obviously has a different flavour.
If we do not use the fermented black bean paste in that recipe it tastes just bland, watery and slightly bitter. I pimped the dish with light soy- and fishsauce, which gave a rounder body and saltiness to the nuty bean flavour sauce, but it’s probably not the same taste as it should be.
But when your doctor recommends to save some salt, you should go for the non-fermented paste, which gives you full control over the amount of salt you like, without being stingy with the black beans.
At the end i enjoyed my black and white noodles, especially the great jajang noodles, but are planning to lick my wounds with the glorious return of the much more colorful and life-affirming jobchae.
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