Korean Black Bean Noodles (Jajangmyeon)

About This Recipe

Jajangmyeon is one of Korea's most popular comfort foods, thick chewy noodles coated in a deeply savory sauce made from fermented black bean paste (chunjang), pork, and diced vegetables. Though it has Chinese origins, the dish evolved distinctly Korean over the past century and is now a staple of Korean-Chinese restaurants nationwide. The key technique is frying the chunjang paste in oil before adding other ingredients — this step, called for by the paste's raw bitterness, mellows it into something deeply savory and slightly sweet rather than harsh and one-note.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 500 gfresh wheat noodles (jjajangmyeon noodles)
• 300 gpork shoulder(diced small)
• 0.5 cupchunjang (black bean paste)
• 1onion(diced)
• 1potato(diced)
• 1zucchini(diced)
• 3 tbspvegetable oil
• 1.5 cupswater
• 1 tbspsugar
• 1 tbspcornstarch(mixed with 2 tbsp water)
• 1cucumber(julienned, for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Fry the black bean paste

   Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. Add chunjang and fry, stirring constantly, for 3-4 minutes until it darkens slightly and smells nutty rather than raw.

   This step mellows the paste's bitterness — don't skip it even though it looks like the paste is already dark.

2. 2

   Cook the pork

   Push the paste to one side, add pork to the empty space, and cook until browned, about 5 minutes, then mix with the paste.

3. 3

   Add vegetables

   Add onion, potato, and zucchini, stirring to coat in the sauce. Cook 5 minutes until slightly softened.

4. 4

   Simmer with water

   Add water and sugar, bring to a simmer, and cook 10-12 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

5. 5

   Thicken the sauce

   Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens to a glossy, clingy consistency.

6. 6

   Cook noodles and serve

   Boil the noodles according to package directions until chewy-tender, drain, and top with the sauce. Garnish with julienned cucumber.

Variations

• •

  Add seafood like squid or shrimp for jjamppong-adjacent variations of the sauce.

• •

  Make it vegetarian using extra vegetables and mushrooms instead of pork.

• •

  Serve over rice instead of noodles for a dish called jajangbap.

Storage

Store sauce and noodles separately; the sauce keeps 3 days refrigerated and reheats well, but cook noodles fresh each time for the best texture.

Frequently Asked Questions