Budae Jjigae (Korean Army Stew)

About This Recipe

Budae-jjigae (부대찌개) — literally 'army base stew' — is one of the most historically resonant dishes in Korean culinary history, born from the poverty and scarcity of post-Korean War (1950–1953) South Korea. When US military bases distributed surplus canned goods — Spam, hot dogs, canned baked beans, processed cheese — to local communities around Uijeongbu and Songtan, Korean cooks incorporated these American ingredients into the fiery, kimchi-and-gochujang-based stews that anchored Korean cooking, creating an entirely new dish that embodied the painful history of that era. Today budae-jjigae is a celebrated Korean comfort food and restaurant staple, eaten communally around a tabletop gas burner, the broth intensely flavored with gochugaru, gochujang, garlic and anchovy stock, loaded with Spam, sliced hot dogs, kimchi, tofu, mushrooms, ramen noodles and American processed cheese melted on top. The genius of budae-jjigae is how it transforms the most disparate, mismatched ingredients into something cohesive, bold and deeply satisfying — a testament to Korean culinary ingenuity.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 200 gSpam(sliced into 1cm planks)
• 3hot dogs or Korean sausages(sliced diagonally)
• 1 cupwell-fermented kimchi(roughly chopped)
• 200 gfirm tofu(sliced into 1cm slabs)
• 1 packetinstant ramen noodles(seasoning packet discarded)
• 4 slicesAmerican processed cheese (Kraft singles)
• ½ canbaked beans
• 100 genoki or button mushrooms
• 3 cupsanchovy-kelp stock(or light chicken stock)
• 2 tbspgochujang
• 2 tbspgochugaru
• 1 tbspsoy sauce
• 1 tbspsugar
• 4 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2green onions(sliced)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the broth base

   Combine gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar and garlic in a small bowl. Stir into the stock in a wide pot or Korean ttukbaegi pot.

2. 2

   Arrange ingredients

   Bring the broth to a simmer. Arrange Spam, hot dogs, kimchi, tofu, mushrooms and baked beans in sections around the pot — this communal arrangement is traditional.

3. 3

   Simmer

   Cover and cook 8–10 minutes until everything is heated through and the broth has absorbed flavor from all the ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning.

4. 4

   Add ramen and cheese

   Add ramen noodles directly to the pot and lay cheese slices over the top. Cook 3–4 minutes until noodles are tender and cheese has melted.

   American processed cheese is not optional here — its gooey, creamy melt is part of the dish's identity and flavor.

5. 5

   Serve

   Bring the pot to the table and serve communally — diners take directly from the shared pot. Top with green onions.

Variations

• •

  Uijeongbu style: the original version, typically with more Spam and fewer vegetables.

• •

  Vegetarian budae-jjigae: omit Spam and hot dogs; substitute pan-fried tempeh and vegetarian sausage with vegetable stock.

Storage

The stew can be made ahead and refrigerated up to 2 days; cook noodles fresh when reheating as they absorb all the liquid overnight. Reheat in a pot over medium heat, adding extra stock as needed.

Frequently Asked Questions