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.
Maangchi's Amazon picks for this recipe
It's always best to buy Korean items at your local Korean grocery store, but I know that's not always possible so I chose these products on Amazon that are good quality. See more about how these items were chosen.
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Hello Maangchi
I was searching for Korean cooking and I found your website, REALLY great thank you, specially this recipe I was looking for it , it looks delicious. I’m from Saudi Arabia but my whole family and I adores Korean dramas, food and people. I’ll bookmark your site and try your recipes I’m not telling my family that I found the recipe I’ll surprise them ^_^
Keep up the good work Unni !
Take care
what is the difference from black bean garlic paste and black bean paste?
Yes I wonder the same, I cant find the black bean paste at all, I can only buy black bean and garlic sauce, is it okay to buy this?
The black bean paste I use for jjajangmyun is sold at a Korean grocery store or sometimes at an Asian grocery market.
https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/black-bean-paste
yes I tried finding but in my city there is only one asian grocery >< is that okay? they tried giving me soy paste but you said isnt the same so I didnt buy. And online they dont sell either, only korean pepper…
I like jjajangmyun very much!! and I stocked several boxes of Chapagettie in my apt!
Can you make a recipe of those yellow sweet and sour radish that usually comes with jjajangmyun in Korean dramas please?~~ I bought some from Chinese market and loved them alot! I really want to make them by myself!
Thank you!!
–Yidan
I have never made danmuji (yellow pickled radish), but I will keep your request in mind.
aigo! aaaiigoooo!!!
lol! You really make me loudly now!
Hi!
Well, last weekend i tried it the first time and my jjajang-myeon tasted great (so much better than the instant-jjajang-myeon from the supermarket;))
Thanx for the recipe:D
Thank you for your update! Now you can make your delicious jjajangmyun anytime you feel like, isn’t it cool?
Hello unni!
I made this for my korean boyfriend and he loved it!
I didnt use meat though and I put carrots and apples to see how it would turn out and it still tasted great! :)
I also want to thank you for posting the names in Korean,
I am trying to learn some food names because I know I will eat alot when I go to Korea with him. :)
oh, ok, thanks!
anneyong maangchi unni! can i use meat instead of pork belly?
because i am muslim but i really want to make jjangmyun, it looks delicious and i always want to try to make it since i watched Witch Yoo Hee (K-Drama)..
Kumapta! :)
yes, you can use beef, chicken, or lamb, too.
Maangchi,
Thank you for the recipe. I just made it for lunch and it tasted great!
wow, good news!!
Hi Maangchi,
Can i use soy bean paste instead of black bean paste? what’s the difference?
huge difference! It’s like difference between ketchup and mustard! : )
You need this black bean paste sold at a Korean grocery store.
https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/black-bean-paste
ok will try to find the black bean baste instead. bought soy bean paste at first. wonder where i could use it. also there is seasoned soy bean paste. what’s the difference between the taste of just soy bean paste & seasoned soy bean paste? thanks a lot!
seasoned soy bean paste must be ssamjang (dipping sauce)
Check how to make ssamjang in my grilled beef recipe. Homemade ssamjang is the best.
https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/grilled-beef
hey maangchi!
i just bought 춘장 and i was wondering if you are suppose to store it in the fridge?
and for the noddles will it be alright if i use udong?
yes, after opening it, keep it in the refrigerator. Yes, udong noodles will be ok.
hi,, this was actually the first time i made Jjajangmyun.. it was also the first time i tasted it too.. i followed the exact recipe (minus the meat coz im vegetarian,,,i replaced it with tofu though) and im just wondering what Jjajangmyun is supposed to taste like anyway? i thought that what i made was kind of bland but then i thought that what if im just not used to it or something,,, is it suppose to salty? or sweet?
and how long can i store the jjangmyun sauce in the refrigerator? i made too much and i think it’ll take me a week to be able to finish it.. would it be okay to store it that long?
and by the way,,, your recipe turned out very helpful,, the sauce i made looked exactly like the one you made in the video (just not sure if it tastes the same though).. keep up the good work!!!
I think the reason that it would probably taste bland to you is because you used tofu. Pork usually gives dishes that it is cooked in lots of flavor. I’m not sure though because I myself am a vegitarian, and have made other dishes that I used to eat when I wasn’t a vegitarian, with tofu, and they don’t taste the same.
I know in Japanese cooking, you can use seaweed broth to give dishes a richness. Maybe find some Dashi-Konbu (broth seaweed) and boil water with the seaweed to get the 3 cups of water (only instead, broth!) Because Korean and Japanese have similar styles of cooking, I’m pretty sure this would work.
Hi Maangchi!
I absolutely love Jajangmyun, and I tried making it and it turned out really great!, Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I hope to see more coming! ♥
Take care and happy cooking :)
– Soulkid09
You made delicious jjajangmyun! Congratulation!
hi Maangchi..
youre recipes all look really yummy (it made me hungry while watching you cooking)
but its just that im a vegetarian,,, is it possible to make Jjajangmyun without meat in it?would it affect the taste that mcuh? or can i replace the meat with shittake mushrooms or something?…
Try it out without using meat. yes, mushrooms are good replacement. Why not? I hope it’s delicious.
Hi Maangchi,
35 years ago, I was stationed in Seoul for a year and fell in love with the foods there. Jjajangmyun was one of my favorites and towards the end of my tour, I ate it almost everyday. I knew that after I got back to Iowa, that flavorful dish would be difficult to find. Thank you for the wonderful video, hopefully I will learn to make it myself soon.
-davey
wow, 35 years ago! Jjajangmyun was your favorite food when you were in Korea! Now you can make this homemade jjajangmyun. : )
check this out,
http://www.koreanfeast.com/korean_markets_in_the_us.htm
Hi Maangchi –
Can I use daikon in place of the asian radish? Is this the same thing? I just wanted to make sure.
Thank you!
hi, maangchi. can i use soybean paste for this recipe instead of black bean paste since it is very hard for me to find it here in manila. or is it ok to use japanese black soybean paste. thanks!
No, you will have to get the black bean paste to make jjajangmyun. https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/black-bean-paste
Find it at a Korean grocery store.
And check this out please,
https://www.maangchi.com/talk/forum/where-to-buy-korean-cooking-ingredients
Hi Maangchi,
Your food always looks so good! I’m planning on making jjajangmyun one of these days but i want to put some tofu in it instead of radish. what kind of tofu do you think would be good for this recipe?
tofu in jjajangmyun? heh, I have never heard about it. Anyway being creative is always good, I guess.
If you want to use tofu, it should be firm.
“do you think would be good for this recipe?” I don’t think so, but try it out and let me know the result. : )
Hi Maangchi!
I’ve been itching to learn a new recipe for days now, and good thing I was watching some Korean Dramas and got some inspiration to try jjajangmyun! I’m going to try the recipe tomorrow, but I was wondering whether using corn starch instead of potato starch would make a difference in the end result.
Thanks,
Liz
yes, you can use either corn starch or potato starch. Good luck with making delicious jjajangmyun!
Hi. Can I change the Pork to Beef? Would it make any difference? And where can I find this Black Bean Paste?
Yes, you can! The black bean paste for jjajangmyeon is sold at a Korean grocery store.
https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/black-bean-paste
I made Jiajangmyun today. I followed your recipe closely,I got all the neccesary things from Super H Mart. I’m not korean so I don’t know how exactly Jiajangmyun is suppose to taste. The Jiajangmyun I made tasted a little bland. What did I do wrong?
If it’s too bland for you, use more black bean paste next time you make it again.
hi maangchi
ive looked in the internet for korean stores near but its 2 hours away, do u think there are black bean paste in a chinese store?
I don’t know. I hope they sell it though.
hi…
i’m a bit confuse with the onion..is the onion, brown onion or white onien? and can i use normal potato instead of sweet potato,coz i can only find golden sweet potato in here and when i peel is orange or red inside? thank you
You can use either brown onion or white onion, and also potato can be used instead of sweet potato. I sometimes use potato, too. Yeah, the orange inside sweet potato is not good for this recipe.
annyeong maangchi
umm would it be alright i used beef or chicken to replace the pork?
yes, of course you can replace pork with beef or chicken.
hi maangchi, i’ve tried korean jiajangmyun before when i visited NYC, but as I remember there were no meat in the dish, is it a diffrent version of jiajangmyun perhap ?
I don’t know! Is it for a vegetarian? I can’t imagine jjajangmyeon without meat.
in your lastest print of recipes for jjajangmyun, you said 7 tbs of black bean paste. when you did the video, you said 2 tbs of black bean paste. which is right?
7 tbs is right. In this video, I said, 7 tbs, didn’t I?
Anyway, some of my earlier videos posted on Youtub had a little problems with measurement. I was not good at measuring when I filmed some videos. Youtube doesn’t allow me to change any words unless I take it down. This video embedded on this page,is from Vimeo that allows me to change some words.
Anyway, that’s why I always tell ppl to visit my website if they want to make some Korean dishes.
Hey Maangchi… I really love your recipe thank you very much for sharing it with us. I make the dwenjang jjigae yesterday and the squid and it was delicous thanks to you. Now i want to try to make jjajjangmyun. I was wondering, is it ok if i use bacon instead and doesnt use radish? will the taste still be good? thank you.
I would not use bacon in Jjajang sauce because it has its own strong smoke flavor.
Hi, I love watching your videos & your food always looks delicious. I was wondering if you were able to get black bean paste from asain stores besides the korean markets? I don’t have any korean markets close to where I live & i really wanted to make this recipe but I was hoping that I can find the black bean sauce at any asain supermarket. Thank you!
I sometimes find the black bean paste is sold at an Asian stores here. I hope you can find it easily.
https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/black-bean-paste
제가 망치의 사이트로 자장면을 처음 만들었습니다. 그 “옛날자장”보다 더 맛있었습니다! 혹시 시간이 있으면, 장조림 (메트리얼)같은 걸 가르쳐 주실래요? ^ ^ 고맙습니다 ^ ^
보바,
Thank you for your update! I’m happy to hear that your jjajangmyun turned out delicious! Yes, jangjorim recipe (salty beef side dish) will be posted soon. Thank you very much!
Hi Maangchi !
Thank you for your fast reply !!!
So after draining the noodles should i spill(“wash”) some water over it? You know with some noddles it may be nesessary, but do know if we need to do that with jajangmyun noodles…
I don’t rinse the cooked noodles because I want to keep them warm.
Hi Maangchi.,, I love your recipes !
I was wondering about the noodles that u used to make jajangmyun.
I was able to buy the exact same noodles that u used… at a korean marked. But there was no instruction in english on the package, so im wondering if u could give me the instructions…
omona, I would like to call your id “omona”! : )
I posted how to cook the noodles in my recipe!
“# Boil water in a big pot, add the noodles and close the lid. Cook for a few minutes according to the direction on the package (around 3 minutes).
# Try one sample noodle to check if it’s cooked properly or not. It should be soft and not stiff at all. If it’s cooked, drain the noodles and place them on a large plate or bowl.”
hi, maangchi!
Im glad that I found your website….I am a 17 years old student from Philippines and Im your fun….I always watching your video and it is so great…its a big help for me to my studies because im a culinary student and sometimes I visit to your video and it give’s me a good idea for my cooking….you are my hero!hahaha
…keep up the good work maangchi!…
…I want to meet you in person to thank…
…..kamsamnida maangchi!…..
heyy just want to ask, is it alright to subsitute potato starch with tapioca starch?
Yes, you could use tapioca.
Hi maangchi i was wondering instead of using lack bean paste could we use black bean sauce by lee kum kee?
Are you a fan of Lee Kum Kee sauce? I like it, too!
ok, my answer:
To make jjajangmyun, you need the black bean paste that I use in the video. https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/black-bean-paste
Dear Maangchi, thanks for those wonderful videos. I’m an older Korean who lives in Hawaii and has not learned to make many Korean dishes. One dish my dad used to make was “jungjidum” or “chungjidum”- not sure of the spelling or pronunciation. It was chunks of beef marinated in soy sauce with hot peppers. You can eat it cold over rice. Do you have a recipe for making that? Thank you.
oh, it sounds like you are talking about “jangjorim” (장조림 in Korean)salty beef side dish. It’s one of my upcoming video recipes!
thanks maangchi, it’s all due to your wonderful and marvelous recipe that i’m able to make delicious jjajangmyun! :D so far, i haven’t seen any korean restaurants in malaysia serving this dish.
hehe, you can sell your delicious jjajangmyun there! : ) Meileng’s jjajangmyun!