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Korean

Jjajangmyeon (Korean black bean noodles)

Non-vegetarian

짜장면 · jjajangmyeon

Thick wheat noodles smothered in a glossy, savoury-sweet sauce of fried black bean paste with pork, onion, potato and courgette. Korea's favourite Chinese-Korean takeaway dish.

Jjajangmyeon (Korean black bean noodles) is a Korean noodle dish from South Korea, ready in about 40 minutes and made with chunjang (korean black bean paste), onion and udon noodles. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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A close-up of Korean jjajangmyeon noodles in a traditional bowl, showcasing vibrant flavors.
Photo: Theodore Nguyen / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
15 min
Cook
25 min
Total
40 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
807

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Fry the black bean paste in half the oil over low heat, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Scrape into a bowl, keeping the oil.

    Frying the paste removes its raw bitterness.

  2. Step 2

    Add the remaining oil and fry the pork until golden, then add the onion (opens in a new tab), potato (opens in a new tab), courgette (opens in a new tab) and cabbage (opens in a new tab) and stir-fry until the onion is translucent.

    • 8 min
    • medium-high heat

    Food safety: Cook pork through.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Stir in the fried paste and sugar (opens in a new tab), add the water and simmer until the potato (opens in a new tab) is tender.

    • 8 min
    • medium heat

  4. Step 4

    Stir in the starch slurry and cook until thick and glossy. Finish with sesame oil (opens in a new tab).

    • 2 min
    • medium heat

  5. Step 5

    Boil the noodles, drain and divide between bowls. Pour over the sauce and top with cucumber (opens in a new tab). Mix well before eating.

    Pasta boiling in a pot of water
    How it looks · Photo: Gianpiero Ferraro on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Incheon, South Korea · Well documentedDeveloped by the Chinese community in Incheon from northern Chinese zhajiangmian.More food from South Korea
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Noodles · Main courses
Cooking method
Stir-fried, Simmered, Boiled
Taste
savoury, sweet & savoury, umami
Diet
Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Beef-free
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday · Child-friendly
Cook more with
Onion · Udon noodles · Pork belly · Potato · Zucchini · Sugar
Techniques
Stir-frying · Boiling · Simmering

Allergens

  • Contains: Wheatfrom chunjang (korean black bean paste), udon noodles
  • Contains: Glutenfrom chunjang (korean black bean paste), udon noodles
  • Contains: Soyfrom chunjang (korean black bean paste)
  • Contains: Sesamefrom toasted sesame oil

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

807 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 489 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 9%
  • Carbohydrate 46%
  • Fat 44%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy807 kcal165 kcal
Protein19 g3.9 g
Carbohydrate93.5 g19.1 g
Net carbohydrate86.2 g17.6 g
Sugars——
Added sugars——
Fibre7.3 g1.5 g
Fat39.6 g8.1 g
Saturated fat10.9 g2.2 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol36 mg7 mg
Sodium2160 mg442 mg
Salt equivalent5.4 g1.1 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
745 mg
Calcium
76 mg
Iron
2.6 mg
Magnesium
67 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
9 µg
Vitamin C
24 mg
Vitamin D
—
Vitamin B12
0.4 µg
Folate (DFE)
48 µg

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: cabbage.
  • Chunjang (Korean black bean paste): Miso (FDC 172442) used as a stand-in; chunjang is a roasted, caramel-darkened fermented soybean paste, so sugar is slightly underestimated.
  • Udon noodles: Dry somen (FDC 168908) used as a stand-in; both are plain Japanese wheat noodles.
  • “—” 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

  • Frying the chunjang in oil first removes its raw, bitter edge — don't skip it.
  • Korean fresh jjajang noodles are thick and chewy; udon or thick wheat noodles are the nearest substitute.

Common mistakes

  • Burning the paste — keep the heat low and stir constantly during the first step.
  • Adding all the slurry at once; add it gradually until the sauce just coats a spoon.

Serve with

  • Serve with yellow pickled radish (danmuji) and raw onion with a little black bean paste.

Storage

  • Sauce keeps 3 days refrigerated.

Reheating

  • Reheat sauce with a splash of water.

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

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. 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, 5

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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