Top 10 Korean Recipes that You Have to Try (2024)

Top 10 Korean recipes that are most popular on Kimchimari. From Korean BBQ and fried chicken to Korean glass noodles and spicy soft tofu stew, these are the recipes most enjoyed by Korean food lovers. Try them all!

Top 10 Korean Recipes that You Have to Try (1)

Top 10 Korean recipes that you don’t want to miss… because I have been blogging for almost 8 years now with over 180 recipes and I wanted to celebrate my blogging anniversary (coming up fast on Dec. 10th) with you all. So you’re invited to celebrate with me as we take a look at the top 10 most popular Korean recipes on Kimchimari!

These are recipes that my blog readers love and cook often. It’s obvious why: they are easy, authentic, and big in flavors. Plus, they are personal to me and help tell my story from my childhood in Korea to my family life in the US.Thank you for sharing the love of Korean food with me!

Top 10 Korean Recipes

#1 Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Beef)

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Korean BBQ Beef or Bulgogi is definitely my top #1 post, day in and day out. And would you believe this is my also my very FIRST post I wrote — back on 2010?!!! I still remember the day I was publishing this post and thinking…

‘Oh dear… who is ever going to read my blog?

Probably no one…but that’s OK, I know my daughter will use it, that’s good enough for me.😍’

Grilling Bulgogi in our backyard with my whole family was probably one of the happiest moments of my childhood. My father was a great cook when he was not handling foreign affairs as a Korean diplomat. Sadly he is not with us anymore but I think about him and feel his love for food whenever I cook his favorite dishes.

#2 Japchae (Simple One-Pan Korean Glass Noodles)

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Japchae made easy. The trick is to soak the noodles in advance, and you can have this traditional Korean dish ready in half the usual cooking time. The authentic flavors are not compromised at all. I’m really proud of this recipe! But if you want to make it the most traditional way, here’s a more classic Japchae recipe.

#3 Pajeon (Korean Scallion Seafood Pancake)

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What makes this Haemul Pajeon (Korean seafood pancake) special is the way it is cooked. Unlike the usual pajeon, which is made by mixing everything together in the batter, this recipe calls for the ingredients to be cooked in layers, resulting in just the right amount of batter and generous fillings of seafood and green onions.

#4 Bibimbap in Dolsot (Stone Pot)

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Bibimbap probably belongs in every Korean recipes list. And my list is no exception.

“Bibim” means to mix and “bap” means rice, so this is essentially mixed rice, but as simple as it sounds, the flavors are a beautiful combination of various vegetables and seasoned meat or seafood on top of rice. No wonder it has become one of the most popular Korean dishes outside of Korea!

This recipe is for making it in the stone pot which produces crispy rice on the bottom. If you want one using more traditional Korean namuls, here’s a more classicBibimbap recipe.

#5 Korean Fried Chicken with Soy Glaze

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There’s something about Korean fried chicken that makes it the other famous KFC! Jokes aside, what you need to know about this recipe is the chicken is fried twice and the coating/batter is really thin so the chicken is very crispy. Yes, it’s so finger-licking good that my daughter wanted to marry it when she was younger! 😝

#6 Sundubu Jjigae (Spicy Soft Tofu Stew)

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Korean Spicy Soft Tofu Stew (Sundubu Jjigae) was the most requested dish when I ran a survey to ask my readers what I should cook next. When cooked correctly, the understated tofu can be a marvelous ingredient that everyone can love. This hearty, flavorful stew is a delicious proof of that!

And you can make my seasoning sauce in a large batch, store in the fridge and use it anytime later. A great time saver! I also have a recipe forKimchi Soft Tofu Stew.

#7 Kimbap (Seaweed Rice Rolls)

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Kimbapalways reminds me of school picnic in Korea, which was probably my favorite day of all my school days except for the running competition part. HAHA.. You can read more about that story in my Kimbap post. The ingredients that go into kimbap vary, and this recipe is my family’s version, which has ground beef, spinach, carrot, egg, and pickled daikon radish.

I also have a very very simple, single ingredient stuffing ones called mini Mayak Kimbap for busy times.

#8 Kaan Jjajangmyeon (Noodles in Black Bean Sauce)

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This was actually a bit of a surprise for me that it was in my top 10 Korean recipes list as it is a actually a Chinese dish, introduced to Koreain 1905 by a Chinese chef in Incheon. But Jjajangmyeon has fully become a part of the Korean culture over time. If you ever watch Korean drama, you will probably see this ordered for delivery at offices or homes.

I’ve been making Jjajangmyeon since I got married because my husband loves it, and my daughter has said that my recipe tastes better than most restaurant versions.

#9 Tteokbokki (Korean Spicy Rice Cake)

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Thistteokbokkiis the simplest Korean spicy rice cake recipe ever and calls for only five ingredients. So easy that I used to make this as a late-night snack when I was in high school which added quite a bit to my waistline.. 😭 Requiring only 15 minutes of your time, anyone can make this, which is why it’s such a popular recipe!

But if you want a more elaborate one with vegetables and fish cake added, try my other Tteokbokki recipe. I also have a chili oil recipe calledGireum Tteokbokki which is one of my personal favorite.

#10 Gyeran Jjim (Korean Steamed Eggs in Hot Pot)

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Last but not least, among the Top 10 Korean recipes isGyeran Jjim— the ultimate Korean comfort food which is actually really easy to make with egg as the main ingredient and a handful of seasoning agents that you probably already have on hand.

This recipe is cooked in a hot pot and best served immediately. The burnt bottom is the best part!! I also have another version if you’d like –Gyeran Jjim with Shrimp that’s steamed which is closer to the Japanese version Chawamushi.

There you have it. The top 10 Korean recipes on Kimchimari. Thank you so much for your support, and celebrating my blogging anniversary with me.

Don’t forget to get the Korean BBQ Dinner e-cookbook I made for you. All you have to do is subscribe to my blog and get it for FREE. (Sign Up box is on the right column –>)

It has been a true honor and a pleasure cooking Korean food with you!

May you all have a wonderful end of 2018!

XOXO ❤️,
JinJoo

Top 10 Korean Recipes that You Have to Try (2024)

FAQs

What is the best Korean dish to try? ›

10 Great Korean Dishes
  • Red rice cakes (tteokbokki)
  • Bulgogi.
  • Korean stew (jjigae)
  • Jajangmyeon.
  • Samgyeopsal.
  • Korean fried chicken.
  • Spicy cold noodle (bibim nengmyun)
  • Ginseng chicken soup (samgyetang)

What Korean food should I try for the first time? ›

Bibimbap, a beloved Korean classic, is all about hearty satisfaction. This dish showcases a vibrant array of fresh vegetables artfully arranged on a bed of rice, topped with a perfectly fried egg.

What food do Koreans eat the most? ›

Rice is a Koreans' staple food. However, they enjoy wheat bread also. They enjoy Kimchi(Fermented oriental cabbages and radishes), DoinJang(Fermented Soy beans) as side dishes.

What is Korea's main dish? ›

Traditionally the main dish of any Korean meal is rice, which is supported by soup and banchan. However, in Korean restaurants these dishes are often presented to customers as main dishes.

What is Korea's signature dish? ›

Bulgogi is probably the most popular Korean dish, with thinly sliced meat that has a smoky-sweet flavor. You can enjoy it broiled, grilled, or stir-fried. The beef is usually accompanied with lettuce wraps and gochujang (spicy red pepper paste) for wrapping and spicing up the meat.

What are top 5 Korean dishes? ›

What are the most popular Korean foods?
  • Bibimbap. Colourful, nutritious food bowls are bang on-trend. ...
  • Tteokbokki. Tteokbokki is translated as 'stir-fried rice cake'. ...
  • Bulgogi. Even if you aren't very familiar with Korean food, you may well have heard of bulgogi. ...
  • Japchae. ...
  • Samgyetang. ...
  • Korean fried chicken.

What does Korean says before eating? ›

Koreans say “잘 먹겠습니다.”(jal meoggessseubnida) before eating. This means “l will enjoy this food” in English.

What do Korean babies eat first? ›

Juk is one of the first solid foods that a Korean child is given. This boiled rice is watery and much like a porridge/congee, often mixed with finely minced vegetables and/or meat.

Who is the most famous person in South Korea? ›

Celebrities with the most followers on Instagram in South Korea as of June 2023 (in millions)
CharacteristicFollowers in millions
J-Hope (BTS)49.11
Suga (BTS)48.64
Jin (BTS)48.09
RM (BTS)45.84
6 more rows
6 days ago

What are 3 common foods in Korea? ›

Apart from kimchi, there are many other famous and delicious Korean dishes, such as bibimbap (mixed rice with vegetables and meat), bulgogi (marinated and grilled beef), samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly), kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew), and tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes).

What is the most famous dish in Seoul? ›

Tteokbokki. Tteok (pronounced “tok”) are glutinous tubular rice cakes, typically submerged in a red chilli pepper sauce called gochujang. This dish fuels Korean life, sold at every other food stall and frequently eaten standing up, trying a bite is a must when eating in Seoul.

What is the most popular dish in Seoul? ›

10 Best Local Dishes from Seoul
  • Chueotang.
  • Bindaetteok.
  • Tteokbokki.
  • Samgyetang.
  • Ganjang gejang.
  • Jokbal.
  • Soondae bokkeum.
  • Jukkumi bokkeum.

What is a traditional Korean comfort food? ›

Korean comfort foods include dishes like Kimchi Jjigae (kimchi stew), Samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly), Dolsot Bibimbap (hot stone pot rice), Tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), Sundubu Jjigae (spicy tofu stew), Japchae (glass noodle stir-fry), Kimbap (sushi rolls), and Hoddeok (sweet pancakes).

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