Jjajangmyeon (Black Bean Noodles)
Updated April 22, 2025
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 55 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Ingredients
- 1tablespoon canola or grapeseed oil, plus more if needed
- 8ounces boneless, skinless pork belly, sliced crosswise into ½-inch-thick pieces
- Salt
- 1medium white onion, coarsely chopped
- ½small green cabbage, cored and coarsely chopped
- 2½ tablespoons chunjang, sometimes labeled as jjajang (fermented black bean paste; see Tips)
- 4cups chicken broth
- 2tablespoons maple syrup
- 1small russet potato
- 1½pounds fresh wheat noodles for jjajangmyeon (see Tips)
- 1small cucumber, cut into thin matchsticks
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
1162 calories; 45 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 18 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 151 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 16 grams sugars; 38 grams protein; 1411 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat a large Dutch oven or large, deep skillet over medium. Add the oil and pork belly, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and some fat has rendered, about 10 minutes.
- Step 2
Raise the heat to high. Add the onion and cabbage and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and the bottom of the pot starts to get brown and sticky, 3 to 5 minutes. Add more oil if the bottom is dry.
- Step 3
Add the chunjang and cook, stirring constantly, until the pork is slicked with the paste, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Step 4
Stir in the chicken broth and maple syrup, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any caramelized brown bits. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the pork is tender, about 20 minutes.
- Step 5
Peel and grate the potato, then stir it into the sauce and raise the heat to high to bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thick like gravy, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Step 6
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to package instructions, then transfer with tongs to a colander or sieve in the sink. Rinse under cold water until no longer sticky, then dunk back into the hot water to reheat the noodles. Drain well, then distribute the noodles among bowls.
- Step 7
Generously ladle the jjajang sauce over the noodles, top with the cucumbers and eat immediately.
- Chunjang, the word for the fermented black soybean paste that forms the base of jjajang sauce, isn’t always listed on the label for this product. What you’re looking for is a jet-black paste, often labeled “black bean paste,” with ingredients like black soybeans, salt, wheat flour and caramel.
- Jjajangmyeon-specific fresh wheat noodles can be found in the refrigerated and frozen sections of Korean grocery stores and most Asian markets. Delightfully chewy and elastic, they’re worth seeking out. They’re thicker, chewier and more substantial than Italian pasta, but a pound of linguine, thick spaghetti and bucatini can be substituted.
Private Notes
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Comments
Hi everyone, You can watch me cook this recipe from start to finish here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuCvIvU7LAg&t=672s Happy Friday! Eric
Thanks so much for cooking this! Agree that the thickening step is the trickiest part here: I found that it just takes some patience to let the water evaporate from the food. It doesn't really matter whether it's 4 cups or 3 cups, you want to reduce the gravy enough — while vociferously simmering — to create an emulsion between fat and liquid. The emulsion is what gives you jjajangmyeon's quintessential thickness and shine.
How would you fake this for a vegetarian instead of pork?
I pretty much followed the recipe as is, except I doubled the meat (1/2 pound did not seem like a lot for 3 people). I did not double any of the other ingredients. Sprinkled some coriander on top, to taste, and that was good too. Next time some crispy fried onions to give it some light crunch. Came out great, and would definitely make it again.
Delicious. To folks suggesting it needs more heat - not all Korean food is spicy or tastes like gochujang. It’s like adding basil and tomatoes to carbonara - right country, wrong dish.
If you're in a hurry, this recipe plays very well with instant Chapagetti or similar brands out of the packet. Follow the first few steps exactly, then add the instant powder in place of chajang. Add the chicken broth and omit the maple syrup, then add the potato as instructed and cook the noodles according to the packet. Certainly not as good as making it all homemade, but very fast and easy.