Jeyuk Bokkeum: Korean Spicy Pork Stir-Fry That Wins Hearts Across Borders
While working out with a friend from my neighborhood, we were chatting about this and that, and she mentioned that her husband absolutely loves jeyuk bokkeum.
But here’s the interesting part.
Her husband isn’t good with spicy food.
And yet, somehow, jeyuk bokkeum is the exception. ^^
And did I mention that her husband is American?
As soon as I heard that, I had a funny thought.
“Does jeyuk bokkeum somehow cross borders and win over men everywhere?” Haha!
Then, one person suddenly came to mind.
Korean actor Lee Byung-hun, who voiced Gwi-Ma in KPop Demon Hunters.
His wife, actress Lee Min-jung, once talked on her YouTube channel about how much her husband loves jeyuk bokkeum.
The title of her YouTube video even jokes that her husband eats it “seven days a week.” ^^
Korean men love it.
American men love it.
So… is jeyuk bokkeum really a dish that wins over men across borders? Haha!
If you’re curious about what makes this dish so irresistible, why not try making it yourself?
Today, I’m going to show you a simple way to make jeyuk bokkeum using thinly sliced pork.
We won’t marinate the pork ahead of time. Instead, we’ll quickly stir-fry everything together in a hot pan.
Ready?
Let’s start cooking!
What Is Jeyuk Bokkeum(Korean Spicy Pork Stir Fry)?
Jeyuk bokkeum (제육볶음) is a popular Korean spicy pork stir-fry.
It’s a familiar dish in Korean homes and restaurants, often served with warm rice and side dishes.
There are several ways to make it. Some people marinate the pork first or use gochujang (Korean red pepper paste).
For my recipe, I use gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) and soy sauce, without gochujang.
And because we’re using thinly sliced pork, there’s no need to marinate it ahead of time.
Ingredients
Servings: About 2
Total time: About 20–25 minutes
- 400 g (about 14 oz) thinly sliced pork
- ½ onion
- 1 large Korean green onion (daepa)
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- A little black pepper
- Sesame seeds for garnish
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons Korean soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru)
- 1½ tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon cooking wine or mirin
- 2 tablespoons water
- A pinch of ground ginger or a very small amount of minced ginger (optional)
Add all the sauce ingredients to a small bowl and mix them together.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Which pork should I use?
I usually use thinly sliced pork shoulder or pork neck. Both work well for stir-frying.
If you like a little more fat, pork belly is also a good choice. You may want to use less cooking oil because pork belly releases more fat.
You can find thinly sliced pork at Korean grocery stores such as H Mart. If you can’t find it, buy pork shoulder at a regular supermarket and slice it yourself.
Here’s a little trick: Put the pork in the freezer for about 30 minutes until it becomes slightly firm. This makes it much easier to slice thinly.
What if I don’t have gochugaru?
Gochugaru is Korean red pepper flakes. It gives this dish its red color and spicy flavor.
It’s different from gochujang, which is a thick, fermented red pepper paste.
For this recipe, I recommend using gochugaru. You can find it at Korean grocery stores or online.
If you’re not comfortable with spicy food, start with 1 tablespoon instead of 2 tablespoons.
What is daepa?
Daepa (대파) is a large Korean green onion. It has a thicker stem than regular green onions.
If you can’t find it, regular green onions work too.
Shall We Start Cooking?
Step 1. Prepare the Vegetables
Thinly slice the onion and chop the green onion.
Divide the green onion into two portions.
We’ll use half while cooking the pork and add the rest near the end to keep its fresh aroma and texture.
Step 2. Prepare the Pork
Sprinkle a little black pepper over the thinly sliced pork.
Today, we’re not going to marinate the pork.
Because it’s sliced thinly, the pork can quickly absorb the flavor of the sauce while cooking.
Step 3. Stir-Fry the Pork and Green Onion
Heat a large pan and add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil.
Add the pork and stir-fry over medium-high heat.
When the pork is about halfway cooked, add half of the chopped green onion.
Continue stir-frying until you can smell the green onion aroma.
Step 4. Add the Sauce
Now pour in the prepared sauce.
Quickly stir-fry everything together, making sure the pork is evenly coated.
I like adding the sauce after the pork has started cooking. This helps prevent the sugar and red pepper flakes from burning.
Step 5. Keep Stir-Frying
Continue stir-frying until the pork is almost fully cooked.
If there’s too much liquid in the pan, let some of it evaporate while stirring.
Remember…
We’re stir-frying the pork, not boiling it!
So don’t overcrowd the pan.
Step 6. Add the Onion
When the pork is almost cooked, add the thinly sliced onion.
Quickly stir-fry everything together.
If you’d like a little more heat and a brighter red color, you can add another ½ tablespoon of gochugaru at this point.
Continue cooking until the pork is fully cooked.
Step 7. Finish with Green Onion and Sesame Oil
When the onion is slightly cooked but still has a little bite, add the remaining green onion.
Drizzle in ½ tablespoon of sesame oil and give everything a quick toss.
Turn off the heat and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top.
And…
It’s done!
Don’t forget to prepare a bowl of warm rice.
Why?
Because this jeyuk bokkeum might make an entire bowl of rice disappear before you know it. Haha!
맛있게 드세요! Enjoy!
🍋Jin’s Cooking Tips
1. Use thinly sliced pork.
Thin pork cooks quickly, so there’s no need to marinate it for this recipe. If you’re using thicker slices, the cooking time will be longer.
2. Add the sauce after the pork and green onion.
I cook the pork first, then add the green onion when the pork is about halfway cooked. Once the green onion releases its aroma, I add the sauce. This helps keep the sauce from burning.
3. Use a wide pan if possible.
If you put too much pork into a small pan, it may release a lot of liquid. If you’re doubling the recipe, try
cooking in two batches.
How to Eat Jeyuk Bokkeum Like Koreans
Of course, warm white rice is a must! ^^
But have you tried eating jeyuk bokkeum with ssam (쌈)?
Ssam means wrapping food in a leaf, usually lettuce or perilla leaf.
Take a lettuce leaf, add a little rice and spicy pork, and top it with a little ssamjang (Korean dipping paste) or a slice of garlic.
Wrap everything together and enjoy!
You can also serve jeyuk bokkeum with kimchi or a simple soup, such as Korean egg soup or bean sprout soup.
Korean Expression: “최애” (Choe-ae)
In today’s title, I used the Korean expression “최애 음식” (choe-ae eumsik).
“최애” (choe-ae) is a word Koreans often use in everyday conversation.
It means “the thing you love the most” or simply “your absolute favorite.”
In English, you can think of it as “favorite” or “all-time favorite.”
For example:
“내 최애 음식은 제육볶음이야.”
Jeyuk bokkeum is my favorite food.
“이 노래는 내 최애야.”
This song is my favorite.
“내 최애 배우는 이병헌이야.”
Lee Byung-hun is my favorite actor.
The word “최애” comes from the Chinese characters 最愛, which literally mean “most loved.”
These days, Koreans naturally use choe-ae when talking about something they really love—a favorite food, song, actor, beauty product, and more.
So, give this jeyuk bokkeum a try.
Who knows?
It might just become your new 최애 음식—your new favorite food! ^^