Kimchi jjigae is definitely my soul food as a Korean.
Today, I’m going to share my tuna kimchi jjigae recipe. It is the most easiest kimchi jjigae to make!
First, deliciously well fermented Napa Cabbage Kimchi.
If your kimchi is delicious and fermented well, your Kimchi Jjigae is 3/4 way succeeded.
There is nothing wrong with store bought kimchi but it really can’t beat homemade one. If you have time and willing to give a effort to this, please try to make kimchi at home.
If you would like to, check out my kimchi recipes. Both below can be used for kimchi jjigae!
Second, the stock.
Instead of using water or store bought stocks, make Korean stock that goes perfectly with Korean cuisine. It really makes a huge difference between delicious to authentic delicious.
So if you have time in your hand please make this stock for any type of Korean soup, stew or sauce.
But if you don’t feel making a stock from scratch, you can use store bought chicken, beef or veggie stock!
If you want to know how make Korean stock, please check it out my Ultimate Korean Stock recipe!
Ultimate Korean Stock : Basic Korean Stock Recipe for All Korean Food
If you have these 2 main ingredients, it’99.99% Kimchi Jjigae has done& succeeded.
Heat a pot over medium high heat; add oil and kimchi.
Sauté the kimchi for 4 to 5 minutes, or until it’s soften. Stir occasionally.
Meanwhile slice onion, tofu and green onions.
Push the kimchi to a side and place onion, tofu and green onions. Pour kimchi juice and stock.
Season the stew with fish sauce or salt. Adjust the seasoning amount depending on how salty your kimchi is and if you are using homemade or store bought stock. Usually store bought stocks has some sodium already.
Increase heat to high and bring it boil then cover, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Add tuna and simmer for additional 5 minutes.
I like to use Korean tuna (usually in oil) for Korean cooking, but you can use any tuna! I prefer tuna in oil for this tuna kimchi jjigae recipe.
Serve with warm cooked rice and any Korean side dishes that you like!
Enjoy!
Print
Tuna Kimchi Jjigae (Stew)
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Ingredients
- 2 tsp cooking oil
- 2 cups kimchi, cut into bite sizes if needed
- 1/2 large onion, sliced
- 1/2 block of medium soft tofu
- 4 green onions, cut into 2 inch long pieces
- 1/2 cup kimchi juice
- 3 cups Korean ultimate stock, chicken stock, beef stock or vegetable stock
- 1/2 to 2 tsp fish sauce (depending on how salty your kimchi is and if you are using homemade or store bought stock)
- 9 to 10 oz canned tuna in oil
Instructions
- Heat a pot over medium high heat; add oil and kimchi. Sauté the kimchi for 4 to 5 minutes, or until it’s soften. Stir occasionally.
- Push the kimchi to a side and place onion, tofu and green onions. Pour kimchi juice and stock. Increase heat to high and bring it boil then cover, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Add tuna and simmer for additional 5 minutes. Serve with warm cooked rice and any Korean side dishes that you like and enjoy!
- Cook Time: 25 mins
11 comments
Thank you so much for this recipe!! Love it. This is one of my favourite korean, can’t believe I can make it myself!!
Would it work with pork instead of tuna?
Yes that would work fine!
Hello! Can I mix pork and clams to make kimchi jjigae? I am craving for seafood. All I see is sondubo jjigae.
Yes! You totally can add those ingredients into a kimchi jjigae recipe! They would be delicious in it!
So delicious! It was what I was hoping it’d be and very easy to make. Thank you for both the print recipe as well as step-by-step pics. I love tofu in soup but hadn’t really cooked with it very much myself. The visuals were helpful 🙂
Thank you! So glad I could help out! (:
This was really good and a lot easier than I anticipated. It reminded me of the kimchi jjigae I used to get at my local Kimbap Nara. I made the 2x scale of the recipe and used a tbsp of gochujang for a little extra spice.
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
What is the pot you use for the soup call.
Thank you ,
Sonya
It is called a ttukbaegi!
I love tofu in soup but hadn’t really cooked with it very much myself
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!