# Korean Jajangmyeon in Black Bean Sauce

> Jajangmyeon is thick Korean noodles in a sauce of **fermented black bean paste (chunjang)**. The most important step is **frying the chunjang in plenty of oil for 3–4 minutes** first — it removes the bitterness, and without it the whole dish turns out bitter.

**Korean Cuisine · 45 min · 4 servings · 560 kcal per serving**

Jajangmyeon is Korea’s best-loved comfort food, and it is ordered from delivery restaurants more than anything else. The secret that separates a successful home version from a failed one is a single step: frying the bean paste.

## Ingredients

- 400 g — thick jajangmyeon noodles (or udon)
- 250 g — veal, in small cubes
- 5 tbsp — Korean black bean paste (chunjang)
- 5 tbsp — vegetable oil
- 1 — large onion, diced
- 1 — courgette, diced
- 1 — potato, in small dice
- 1 cup — diced white cabbage
- 1 tbsp — sugar
- 1 tbsp — cornflour
- 250 ml — water or stock
- 1 tsp — sesame oil
- 1 — cucumber, thinly sliced, to serve

## Method

1. **Frying the bean paste** — Heat **4 tablespoons of oil** in a small pan over medium heat, add the chunjang and stir for **3–4 minutes**. You’ll notice its smell change from sharp to sweet and its texture loosen. **This step is the difference between a sweet sauce and a bitter one** — don’t skip it.
2. **The meat** — In a wide pan, heat a spoon of oil and brown the meat cubes over high heat for **4 minutes** until golden on all sides. Sprinkle over half a teaspoon of sugar in the last minute so it caramelises slightly.
3. **The vegetables** — Add the onion and stir for **3 minutes**, then the potato and cabbage for **5 minutes**, and finally the courgette for **2 minutes**. The order follows how firm each vegetable is — potato first, courgette last.
4. **Combining the sauce** — Add **the fried chunjang with its oil** to the vegetables and stir for **2 minutes** until everything is coated. Add the water or stock and the rest of the sugar, bring to the boil, then simmer over low heat for **7–8 minutes**.
5. **Thickening with cornflour** — Dissolve the cornflour in **3 tablespoons of cold water** and pour it into the boiling sauce, stirring constantly. It will thicken in **one minute** and turn **glossy, coating the back of a spoon**. Add the sesame oil and turn off the heat.
6. **Noodles and serving** — Boil the noodles according to the packet, **then rinse them in cold water and drain** — rinsing removes the starch that makes them stick. Put the noodles on the plate, pour the sauce over and garnish with cucumber slices. Mix before eating.

## Tips

- Fry the chunjang in oil for 3–4 minutes — without it the sauce turns out bitter.
- Cut all the vegetables into small, even dice so they cook together.
- Rinse the noodles in cold water after boiling so they don’t stick.
- The raw cucumber isn’t decoration — its coolness and crunch cut through the rich sauce.

## FAQ

### The sauce turned out bitter — what went wrong?
You didn’t fry the chunjang in oil before adding it. The raw paste is bitter, and frying it in plenty of oil for 3–4 minutes turns the bitterness sweet. It is the most important step in the recipe.

### Can I make it without meat?
Yes — use mushrooms and cubed tofu instead of meat, and add more vegetables. The dish is then fully plant-based and still delicious, because the main flavour comes from the bean paste, not the meat.

### Which noodles should I use?
Thick jajangmyeon noodles are ideal. If you can’t find them, use thick udon or even thick spaghetti. They need to be thick to carry the heavy sauce — thin noodles get lost under it.

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Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/korean-cuisine/korean-jajangmyeon
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-10-23