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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Hi maangchi, i made jjajangmyun recently and the sauce looks so beautiful-very shiny and glossy brown-black! best of all, the noodles are really delicious! Here’s how it looks-what do you think? :) http://www.meilengloh.com/?p=478
wow, your jjajangmyun looks more delicious than mine! Photos are good, too! I am happy to hear that it was really delicious! Thanks a lot!
can i used blanded fermented black bean instead of black bean paste coz i can’t find any black bean paste here.thank u
no, you need the black bean paste “jjajang” or “Choonjang” to make jjajangmyun.
I love this website!!!!
Hi,
Maangci, hope you could see this post…
Is soy bean paste same as the black bean paste?
no, very different! Check the ingredient section please!
Hi Maangchi,
I will cook jjajangmyun again tonight. It will be the second time to cook it. The first time cooking was very delicious. When I told my husband I will cook jjajangmyun again he gave me a big smile. :)
Thanks very much for your delicious recipes and great video!
You’re giving me a big smile, too! Good luck!
Thanks, Maangchi. :)
That’s the one at Christie station, right? I used to go to PAT when I had the metropass. I drive now, and since I live in Scarborough, I just thought Galleria is easier to go to. I really enjoyed the handmade circle dumplings that they kept in a freezer ziplock bag! So delicious! I think I’ll visit PAT when I can borrow my sister’s metropass. :) In the meantime, I’ll have to finish up this jar of jjajang sauce first >_< (it’s not as good as using black bean paste).
Eleckid,
oh, I used to go to PAT store. I found this article for you. Check this out.
http://toronto.cityguide.ca/pat-korean-supermarket-on-bloor-015910.php
Thank you Maangchi for the quick reply. I took a look at the jar again, and I think I’ve got tricked. >_<
In English, it says ‘black bean paste’, but in Korean I think it says ‘(something) jjajang’. I can’t really read Korean so I just read the English one. I looked at the ingredients and it had soy bean, caramel, salt, msg. It wasn’t super salty…I think I got the wrong one…no wonder it tasted different!!! T_T I was wondering where in Toronto I could find the container of black bean paste? I couldn’t find it in Galleria Supermarket (the huge, new one in Thornhill).
Eleckid,
I’m sorry to hear that your jjajangmyeon didn’t turn out delicious. I don’t know what kind of black bean paste you bought. Is it salty? It’s usually very salty. If it’s not salty, I’m suspicious of the product. It might be not black bean paste but jjajang sauce.
Anyway if it’s blackbean paste and the sauce you made is too bland, add more black bean paste to the sauce.
Yeah, about 1 tbs sugar is enough for this recipe.
Maybe I should make my jjajangmyeon again following my recipe. : ) I will leave the result here soon. Or you could send me email at maangchi@gmail.com.
I’m very confident about my jjamangmyeon sauce which is delicious and healthful compared to restaurant jjajangmyeon.
Don’t give up making delicious jjajangmyeon.
Hi Maangchi,
I went to Galleria Supermarket today (in Toronto) but couldn’t find the black bean paste you told us to get. So I just bought the one in glass jar. I printed out your recipe and tried making it tonight, but realized that you’ve forgot to write down how much sugar to add to the jjajang sauce. I just added some but it wasn’t sweet enough. Also, the sauce didn’t taste quite right…it was dark brown and the taste was different from the one I had in a Korean restaurant (which was more black & different taste). I don’t know…could be cuz of the black bean paste brand?
Richie,
wonderful! Good luck with making jjajangmyun (black bean noodles)! I’m sure your hubby will love it!
after reading this receipe, i may try it tonite. i just tried it last few days when travelling to seoul. my hubby loves it soooo much!
Eleckid,
Thank you for pointing it out. You can use either sweet potato or potato. https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/sweet-potatoes
Hi,
I have a question. In your video, you said “sweet potato”, but in your blog it’s written just “potato”. So which is it? And if it’s sweet potato, what kind? (like can I find it in a Chinese grocery store?)
Thanks a lot. I’m really looking forward in making this dish (after we finish all the japchae first from your recipe). Jjajangmyun is one of my fav dish~ (pork bone soup would be another fav)
Eleckid,
Thank you for the good information!
I hope many people read your comment.
Ginger C,
Wonderful! wonderful! : )
I have always envied those people eating jajangmyun in korean dramas cos it seem so good. So today, we followed your recipe for dinner and it was superb! Now, everybody loves jajangmyun.
I knew Koreans love jajangmyun from Chinese restaurants~ I really wanted to try some after watching ‘Coffee Prince’. Although it looked really gross, Eun Chan ate so much of it that I wanted to try some too!
I just had jajangmyun for lunch today at a Korean restaurant, and it was so good! (and so filling! I couldn’t finish my bowl)
I’m glad that I could find a recipe of it here~ I made your japchae yesterday & it was so good!
btw someone asked why jajangmyun are ordered in Chinese restaurants in Korea. Well, it is originally from China, but the taste is a little different (sweeter & more spicy). It’s also red instead of black. Though they use pork & onion, I think they use different ingredients. I like both kinds~
Did you know? A long time ago, many Chinese from China or Taiwan immigrated to Korea, and since they couldn’t speak Korean to do other work, they were only able to open restaurants. For some reason, Koreans love their jajangmyun, so those restaurants could survive.
So there you go! That’s why jajangmyun are usually ordered in Chinese restaurants in Korea! Anyway, thanks for posting your recipes, they are delicious and you’re so skillful with your chopping!
Marvin,
Welcome to my website!
Keep checking my website and try out some recipes.
Hi!! I just found out about your site today coz to tell you the truth I have not tasted korean food before…and I was looking for a recipe for Jjajjangmyun because like others, it seems to be the staple food in Korean Dramas….(although it wasn’t in Jewel in the Palace,,jeje). I’m so interested in Korean culture and food and I believe your site will make me feel closer to Korea. Kamsahamida!!!
samita,
yes,freeze them. That’s what I’m doing. thank you!
I love your website. Thanks for all the videos. I bought the asian style noodles for black bean noddles. I will not be able to get to it until couple of weeks. Can I freeze them ? The package says refrigerate after opening.
Thanks,
Samita
harley,
yayee, jjajangmyun party! Send me some photos later!
hi maangchi!i’m so happy to find ur site!i found this a few days ago and here i am already scouring for korean dishes recipe!i love eating korean food but i’ve never cook it myself…i already bought a tub of jjajang and am planning to cook jjajangmyun for 5 this friday (2 of my flatmates who are chinese and indian and 2 of my close friends who are american and maori, plus me!)…i hope mine will turn out fine!keep on the good work maangchi!
harley from auckland
just fyi –
wikipedia has pretty good explanation about the korean jjajangmyun vs Chinese chajiangmian :)
it’s not really the same, and korean jajang sauce is definitely VERY DIFFERENT from what Chinese call a black bean sauce.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jajangmyeon
sabina,
How about pork shoulder?
Can you suggest another cut of pork besides pork belly to use? I live in a rural area and my selection is quite limited.I see you also said that you could use beef, any certain kind?
what is this suppose to taste like after I make it?
I made this dish a couple of days ago, but I am not sure what it is suppose to taste like. Can you try to explain the flavors? and I LOVE YOUR VIDS!! Thanks so MUCH!
Mandi,
Yes, add more starch if your sauce is not thick enough.
Whenever I make this dish, I get right ingredients. No angel hair pasta please. I can’t imagine it with jjajangsauce! Thick spaghetti noodles will be ok though
if the soup doesnt thicken after you put the starch, do you add more starch?
and do you have to use “myun” noodles? or can you use something such as angel hair pasta or a thin pasta
jena,
You can get it at a Korean grocery store
where can I buy the black bean paste?
Hey,
I love the recipe and tried it today it was delicious but I have a question, I just start watchin the variety show we got married and I saw sobli cooking instant noodle for andy, is that instant Jjajangmyun because it looks delicious!
Susan,
yeah, makerel jorim (called “go deung uh jorim” in Korean) recipe will be posted someday.
You can leave your another question regarding frying fish on the forum to discuss it. https://www.maangchi.com/talk/forum/general-discussion
Thank you!
Hi Maangchi!
I’m Susan from Orange County, California and I absolutely love your website!!! Thank you for sharing your cooking skills with the world! :) I’m always mesmerized by the way you chop vegetables so quickly. By the way, do you happen to know how to make mackerel jo-rim? I think that’s what it’s called. And do you have secrets for seasoning/pan frying fish? I’ve eaten croaker (meenuh?) at a restaurant recently and it was perfectly crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. Thanks again for your videos!! Happy new year.
-susan