By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 6
156 cal · 55 min
Kimchi Jjigae
Recipe GLPR582b7e1b378816
A warming Korean stew featuring tender pork belly simmered with tangy fermented kimchi, creating a deeply flavorful, slightly spicy broth. The pork releases rich collagen as it cooks, thickening the soup naturally, while the kimchi fermentation adds complex umami depth. This comforting dish is traditionally served over steamed white rice.
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Ingredients
3 cups sour kimchi, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1.5 liters water
½ onion, sliced
⅓ cup kimchi juice (drained from kimchi jar)
½ pound pork belly, chopped into 1-inch cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Directions
Pour the water into a large pot and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
Add the pork belly cubes to the boiling water and continue cooking for 10 minutes. Periodically skim off any gray or white film that rises to the surface of the broth, discarding it. This creates a cleaner, clearer broth.
Stir in the chopped kimchi, sliced onion, minced garlic, and kimchi juice. Bring the mixture back to a boil.
Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle boil and continue cooking for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The pork should become very tender, the kimchi will soften and meld into the broth, and the liquid will take on a creamy appearance and rich, complex flavor from the rendered pork fat and fermented kimchi.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the sesame oil, distributing it evenly throughout the stew.
Ladle the hot stew into serving bowls and serve immediately alongside steamed white rice.
Comments
Kimchi jjigae is a genuine weeknight stew, but the stated 55 minutes omits the reality: pork belly needs at least 20 minutes of simmering to render properly, making honest total time closer to 75 minutes. Kimchi and kimchi juice are specialty items that force a dedicated stop at an Asian market—Harris Teeter, Food Lion, and the major chains do not stock them reliably—which adds real cost and planning friction for a weeknight. At roughly $3 to $4 per serving once you factor in pork belly and the specialty shopping trip, this is a budget dish but not a throwaway price. It does reheat beautifully and feeds a family without fussiness, so it suits a weekend cook-ahead or someone with easy access to an Asian grocery in their regular route.
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