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Korean

Budae jjigae (army base stew)

Non-vegetarian

부대찌개 · budae jjigae

A bubbling, spicy hot pot of luncheon meat, sausages, kimchi, tofu and baked beans, finished with instant noodles and a slice of melting cheese. Born from scarcity after the Korean War and now a beloved comfort food.

Budae jjigae (army base stew) is a Korean stew from South Korea, ready in about 30 minutes and made with canned luncheon meat, pork sausage and kimchi. It serves 3 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
15 min
Total
30 min
Serves
3
Level
Easy
Calories
740

Ingredients

3 servings

Seasoning paste

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the chilli flakes (opens in a new tab), gochujang (opens in a new tab), soy sauce (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab) and sugar (opens in a new tab) into a paste.

    • 2 min

  2. Step 2

    Arrange the luncheon meat (opens in a new tab), sausages (opens in a new tab), kimchi (opens in a new tab), tofu (opens in a new tab), onion (opens in a new tab), a spoonful of tinned beans in tomato sauce (opens in a new tab) and the spring onion (opens in a new tab) in sections in a wide shallow pot. Spoon the paste into the middle.

  3. Step 3

    Pour in the stock, bring to a boil and simmer until the kimchi (opens in a new tab) softens and the broth turns red.

    • 8 min
    • medium-high heat

  4. Step 4

    Add the noodles and cheese and cook until the noodles are just tender. Serve from the pot at the table.

    • 3 min
    • medium-high heat
    Pasta boiling in a pot of water
    How it looks · Photo: Gianpiero Ferraro on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Uijeongbu, South Korea · Well documentedDeveloped near US army bases in the 1950s using surplus processed meats.More food from South Korea
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Stews & braises · Main courses
Cooking method
Simmered, Boiled
Taste
spicy (chilli heat), savoury, salty, rich
Diet
No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Beef-free · High-protein
Without the optional extras: Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Everyday
Cook more with
Pork sausage · Kimchi · Red chilli flakes · Soy sauce · Garlic · Sugar
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom cheddar
  • May contain: Eggsfrom ramen noodles
  • Contains: Fishfrom kimchi
  • Contains: Crustaceansfrom kimchi
  • Contains: Wheatfrom gochujang, soy sauce, pork sausage, ramen noodles
  • Contains: Glutenfrom gochujang, soy sauce, pork sausage, ramen noodles
  • Contains: Soyfrom gochujang, soy sauce, tofu, ramen noodles
  • May contain: Celeryfrom chicken stock
  • May contain: Sulphitesfrom pork sausage

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

740 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 592 g · recipe makes 3

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 20%
  • Carbohydrate 26%
  • Fat 54%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy740 kcal125 kcal
Protein37.9 g6.4 g
Carbohydrate48.9 g8.3 g
Net carbohydrate42.3 g7.1 g
Sugars——
Added sugars2.2 g0.4 g
Fibre6.6 g1.1 g
Fat45.5 g7.7 g
Saturated fat14.9 g2.5 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol90 mg15 mg
Sodium2600 mg439 mg
Salt equivalent6.5 g1.1 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1103 mg
Calcium
410 mg
Iron
7.8 mg
Magnesium
90 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
—
Vitamin C
8 mg
Vitamin D
—
Vitamin B12
0.8 µg
Folate (DFE)
—

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: gochujang, cheddar.
  • Red chilli flakes: Ground cayenne (FDC 170932) used as a stand-in for dried chilli flakes such as pul biber or Aleppo pepper.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Add more stock as you eat — the broth reduces and gets saltier.

Common mistakes

  • Using the instant-noodle seasoning packet — with the luncheon meat and kimchi, the stew becomes far too salty.

Serve with

  • Serve with steamed rice.

Food safety

  • Simmer until the sausages are piping hot all the way through.
  • Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat to a full boil.

Storage

  • Best eaten from the pot. Leftovers (without the noodles if possible) keep 2 days in the fridge.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 2, 4

Reviews & corrections

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