Notes about Recipes in this book

• Barley rice (Boribap)

  • jenburkholder on July 28, 2023

    The chewy barley drastically improved the rice.

• Bibimbap with sliced raw fish (Hoe-deobap)

  • ethedens on February 03, 2025

    This was really good! 4/5

• Avocado, mushroom, and vegetable bibimbap (Avocado beoseot yachae bibimbap)

  • CowboyAngel on May 05, 2026

    Added boiled eggs for a little more protein but this was a success.

• Octopus porridge (Muneo-juk)

  • ethedens on October 15, 2024

    Would be a 4 as is. Onions and carrots sauteed longer, rice cooked before adding, and soy sauce added. Would have salted octopus boiling water next time. What we made was 4.5/5. Very simple flavor but so good

• Vegetable stock (Yachae-gukmul)

  • Yildiz100 on January 02, 2022

    The long cooked cabbage in this recipe gives the stock a sulfurous flavor that clashes with many recipes. It worked well with the clear doenjang soup though.

• Beef bone broth (Sagol-gukmul)

  • ethedens on March 02, 2025

    Alex loved this. A lot of work, but worth it. 4.5/5

• Clear soybean paste soup (Malgeun doenjangguk)

  • Yildiz100 on January 03, 2022

    Nice simple soup. A good use for the books vegetable stock, which doesnt work in every recipe.

• Soybean paste stew with beef (Sogogi doenjang-jjigae)

  • stepharama1 on May 19, 2023

    Wow this stew rocks! We may be fighting for the leftovers. I subbed ground wagyu beef for the beef brisket. I suggest using a good quality doenjang paste because it makes a difference.

  • jenmacgregor18 on June 13, 2023

    For such a simple preparation, it was excellent. More than the sum of its parts. I subbed chayote for zucchini. It needed 5 more minutes cooking time to cook the chayote. This also tenderized the brisket, which was still a bit tough. I ate some with kimchi. Another bowl with Sriracha. Both very good. I referred to her online recipe which notes you can use any cut of beef or ground beef. https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/sogogi-doenjang-jjigae

  • shapije1 on January 12, 2026

    The “funkiness” of the fermented soybean paste (doenjang) wasn’t so popular at our dinner table—I might try a different brand or dial back the amount I use. I also opted for mushrooms in place of potatoes (as I didn’t have any on hand) and think that the potatoes would work much better in combination with the beef.

• Seaweed soup (Miyeokguk)

  • Pandan on August 09, 2024

    This was the first dish I was able to cook postpartum. Felt like it would be indeed nourishing while breastfeeding. Did manage to soak the seaweed while holding my newborn, cut the beef and garlic while dad changed her diapers and cook the soup later while she was napping. Added salt and a pinch of MSG and only used half the amount of beef steak. I wouldn’t want to eat this for several weeks every day but I liked it. Also good low carb/keto dish.

• Spicy soft tofu stew with seafood (Haemul sundubu-jjigae)

  • lina on January 05, 2026

    Perfect!

• Spicy soft tofu stew with vegetables (Yachae sundubu-jjigae)

  • jenburkholder on August 18, 2020

    Good way to use up old kimchi. Very flavorful, made a complete meal for two with a bit of rice

• Vegetarian kimchi (Chaesik kimchi)

  • jenburkholder on August 18, 2020

    Excellent vegetarian kimchi.

• Bite-size napa cabbage kimchi (Mak-kimchi)

  • southerncooker on October 21, 2020

    We love Korean food and especially Kimchi. I've always wanted to try my hand at making some. I got napa cabbage in my farm share along with ginger and some beautiful radishes, so I decided it was time. The radishes aren't daikon, they are very hard to find around here. I made a half recipe. I got two full pints. It'll be ready in two weeks. I'll report back then on how it turns out. Pretty sure it's gonna be spicy. Even though I wore plastic gloves when massaging in the Korean hot pepper flakes, my hands are still burning some.

• Mustard greens kimchi (Gat-kimchi)

  • jenburkholder on November 06, 2020

    This is good, but very pungent. Mellows out in a stew, or also nice mixed with some napa cabbage kimchi. A good use of Asian mustard greens besides making Chinese preserved mustard!

• Soy-vinegar dipping sauce (Cho ganjang)

  • jenburkholder on August 18, 2020

    This is a delicious sauce. I’ve served it a couple times with roasted potatoes and greens for a lazy dinner.

• Soybean paste dipping sauce (Ssamjang)

  • rouge8 on August 24, 2025

    Too salty for my taste. Might increase the sugar next time?

• Seasoned scallions (Pajeori)

  • mamacrumbcake on May 18, 2021

    This is really good, especially the sauce, which I can see making for lots things. The 14 scallions was enough for 8 servings with leftovers.

• Soy-butter pan-grilled chicken (Ganjang-beoteo dakgui)

  • ethedens on October 28, 2024

    Very good, very easy. 3.5/5

• Spicy grilled chicken (Maeun-dakgui)

  • rebekahbryce on March 11, 2026

    Delicious! Used in lettuce wraps. Next time, will make without the skin and will make the dipping sauce. Also, will grill outside. It made a caked-on mess on the cast iron pan (she warned about this, but it was raining and this was the other option)

  • nathanperetic on May 02, 2026

    This has the perfect spice level and was so delicious!! We at it just as she suggests in the recipe and it was amazing

• Sweet, crunchy fried chicken (Dakgangjeong)

  • TequilaMockingbird on October 20, 2020

    Excellent wing recipe, this recipe is a household favorite that I make regularly. I substitute honey for rice syrup.

  • ethedens on October 29, 2024

    This was so, so good. 4.5/5

• Duck soup (Ori-tang)

  • lina on January 05, 2026

    I usually find Maangchi recipes to be very reliable, but this one wasn't. The recipe calls for 1.5 cups of perilla seed powder, mixed with 1 cup of water, which is pictured as creating a thin liquid. It actually creates a thick paste, which makes for an unpleasant soup. I'm guessing it was a typo and meant to be 1.5 tablespoons of perilla seed powder. (In a similar recipe for gamjatang on her website, Maangchi calls for 0.25 cups perilla seed powder).

• Bulgogi with noodles (Bulgogi-wa dangmyeon)

  • Bessp on April 03, 2024

    Very nice! Replaced mushrooms with red bell peppers. Next time I'll add some gochujang to the marinade for some spice. I used pre made beef from H-Mart, it wasn't very flavorful so next time I'll slice and marinate my own. A very satisfying dinner.

  • ethedens on April 17, 2025

    I did this for the bulgogi and did not make the noodles. But the bulgogi was fine, not the best I've had. 3.75/5

• Spicy stir-fried pork (Dwaejigogi-bokkeum)

  • ethedens on October 18, 2024

    This is Alex's go-to and it is delicious. 4/5

• Pan-fried cod fillets with sesame oil (Daegu-jeon)

  • southerncooker on October 13, 2020

    This was delicious although mine were not yellow. I did fry on just under medium heat as suggested

  • Beebopalulu on December 18, 2023

    Very tasty, though mine were not as pretty as pictured, and I don’t think I’ll bother with separating eggs next time.

• Pan-fried oysters (Gul-jeon)

  • ethedens on April 17, 2025

    This was so, so good. Needs the sauce. 4.25/5

• Garlicky cooked soybean sprouts (Kongnamul-muchim)

  • mamacrumbcake on December 29, 2024

    Yummy! If the neighborhood grocery store sold soybean sprouts, I’d be making this every week! Good and easy.

  • ethedens on April 17, 2025

    This was good, but would do soy sauce and not fish sauce next time. Not quite what I was used to. 4/5

  • rebecca_t7jk4b on March 01, 2026

    This is a household staple now!

• Blanched seasoned spinach (Sigeumchi-namul)

  • mamacrumbcake on May 18, 2021

    This was very tasty and easy! I microwaved the spinach for 2 minutes instead of blanching. This makes the whole job easy enough for a weeknight. After chopping the spinach, it still needed to have excess water squeezed out.

  • ethedens on April 17, 2025

    Fine, but I've had better. 3.25/5

• Sweet, sour, and spicy lettuce salad (Sangchu-geotjeori)

  • jenburkholder on August 18, 2020

    This is very tasty, but significantly too salty as written, even with rice and other, blander dishes. Cut down the soy sauce. Would make again with that change.

  • southerncooker on October 03, 2020

    This was tasty but agree with other poster a little too salty. I used aragula and green onions from my farm share. I used a black soy sauce.

  • TequilaMockingbird on October 20, 2020

    Yes this is a salt-forward recipe, but I believe the intent is to serve it as a side dish paired with cooked white rice (among other things), so the saltiness would pair well with a side of bland/unsalty rice.

• Watercress seasoned with soybean paste (Mulnaengi-doenjang-muchim)

  • jenburkholder on January 12, 2026

    Yum. One of those sauce combinations that could make cardboard edible.

• Sautéed cucumber (Oi-bokkeum)

  • jenburkholder on August 18, 2020

    Good, easy, tasty.

  • mamacrumbcake on May 18, 2021

    This was very nice and easy. Also a convenient dish for entertaining since it does not have to be served hot.

• Spicy, crisp Korean radish salad (Mu-saengchae)

  • jenburkholder on August 18, 2020

    Not the best mu salad I’ve had, but good. Despite what she says, it keeps fine, just gets a little waterier.

  • Yildiz100 on February 18, 2022

    I agree that this isn't the best. Unlike other versions it has no vinegar or sugar so it is a little bland.

• Pan-fried marinated eggplant (Gagi yangnyeom-gui)

  • jenburkholder on March 29, 2021

    Tasty, but the marinade wasn't liquid enough to keep from scorching. Turn down the heat or add some water.

• Stir-fried kimchi with tuna (Kimchi-chamchi-bokkeum)

  • Lepa on January 22, 2020

    Hello, new favorite lunch! This dish packs a ton of flavor. It is easy and quick to throw together (about seven minutes from start to finish) and uses ingredients I always have on hand. I didn't have a pound of kimchi so I used about 9-10 ounces but otherwise followed the recipe and the proportions seem fine. I served it with leftover rice. I highly recommend this to all the kimchi lovers out there!

  • jenburkholder on August 18, 2020

    This is barely even a recipe, but easy and delicious for a lunch or fast dinner. Just needs rice and maybe something green - quite rich and salty.

  • Skamper on September 25, 2025

    These was an easy weeknight meal; good, but not amazing. Next time, top with a fried egg.

• Chive pancake (Buchujeon)

  • jenburkholder on August 18, 2020

    This is okay, but very heavy. Probably would be better as just a slice for more people.

  • Blitzkolsch on January 24, 2026

    A great and very simple way to make a chive pancake. Very delicious and quick to put together.

  • ShayLRoss on March 02, 2026

    I make this often whenever I get a bundle of chores and don't use them up soon enough. They're easy to make, and come together quickly. I like to cut them into bite sized pieces to eat with soup.

• Tuna pancakes (Chamchijeon)

  • southerncooker on October 02, 2020

    I couldnt find Korean tuna here so just used regular. I bet would have been better with the Korean tuna. It was good though and hubby loved it.

  • jenburkholder on January 24, 2021

    These were very enjoyable. A wee bit salty, IMO, so taste! Needs a sauce - I drizzled with gochujang and rice vinegar.

• Eggs and green chili peppers in soy broth (Gyeran-putgochu-jangjorim)

  • Yildiz100 on January 04, 2026

    The broth needs a bit of sugar for balance. Added 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp mirin, which worked well. Used my own cooking times. Made a simple kelp broth since I didn't have anchovies.

• Fried gochujang with ground beef and pine nuts (Gochujang-bokkeum)

  • angrygreycat on July 10, 2022

    This was okay but I am not sure about how to serve it best. I made it with rice and had some Kimchi and served it as a dinner and it was a little much. I think it would have been better as a smaller portioned appetizer or maybe in a lettuce wrap. It was pretty spicy but the gochujang I had open was marked hot so maybe with mild it would have worked better as dinner dish.

• Stir-fried fish cake (Eomuk-bokkeum)

  • jenburkholder on January 12, 2026

    Not my favorite fish cake stir fry I’ve made, but still very tasty.

• Omelet-rice dosirak (Omeu-raiseu dosirak)

  • southerncooker on October 20, 2020

    I had problems with the omelet. I tried one egg, strained as instructed in my cast iron skillet. Even though my pan is well seasoned it was impossible to flip and keep intact. Maybe I wiped out too much of the oil? Next I tried two eggs and used my non stick Swiss Diamond pan - it flipped a lot better but I still ripped it in several places. I used turkey instead of ham in my rice mixture. While mine wasn't as pretty as Maangchi's it was delicious.

• Lettuce-wrapped bulgogi rice dosirak (Bulgogi-ssambap dosirak)

  • bernalgirl on February 17, 2024

    Such an easy and flavorful dinner! The thinner the slices, the better

• Watermelon soju cocktail (Subak-soju)

  • wcassity on August 11, 2025

    Light, fruity, refreshing for summer.

• Sweet potato starch noodles with vegetables and meat (Japchae)

  • Lepa on January 23, 2020

    I made this without meat. I love the easy method but in the end it didn't have enough taste. I also needed to steam the veggies and noodles for an extra two minutes before they were tender.

  • Smokeydoke on July 03, 2020

    This recipe is almost identical to her famous YouTube one. She simplified the method but tbh I didn’t follow it because I like her original recipe even if it does take more time. It’s a great recipe, there’s a lot of flavor from the vegetables. I never follow the direction for seasoning, I do it purely by taste, using her measurements as a guideline and I added a lot more salt, sugar and soy sauce than called for. And I always use leftover meat, in this case smoked pork butt, so it added another dimension of flavor. I wouldn’t use unseasoned meat here, especially chicken breast. This dish does take considerable time and effort, I only make it for special occasions and parties. Photo included.

  • jenburkholder on August 18, 2020

    We’ve made this several times exactly as written and like it a lot. The “easier” method really does work, contrary to all sense when reading the recipe. On a whole, I’d say it’s not quite as good as the traditional method, but with the time savings this one comes out ahead most nights.

  • anya_sf on May 22, 2021

    I made the online recipe which the blog post says is the one from this book: https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/easy-japchae There's a fair amount of prep, but the cooking part is quick and easy. Used pork loin, made the egg garnish, added sliced red bell pepper and green onions with the vegetables. It turned out great; 3 of us finished it all.

  • shapije1 on February 02, 2026

    This is my go-to japchae recipe—I always receive compliments and requests for the recipe when serving it to guests. I often go for a vegan version by leaving out the meat/egg and adding more veggies. So colorful and easy to make in bulk quantities for parties or packed lunches.

  • rosasharne on April 15, 2026

    very ish version w snow peas and bean sprouts

• Sautéed zucchini with perilla seeds (Aehobak-deulkkae-bokkeum)

  • ShayLRoss on February 25, 2026

    Good side dish, the perilla flavor is nice and coats the zucchini well. Recommend pairing with something hearty.

• Spicy rice cakes in broth with ramyeon noodles (Rabokki)

  • Yildiz100 on January 02, 2022

    Not a great version of rabokki. 5 cups of broth was waaaay to much, and I think (though I cant be sure) that this sauce would have been bland even if the broth had been seriously reduced.

  • Pandan on July 15, 2024

    I found this excellent! My broth wasn’t bland at all, but I used more like a handful of small anchovies (from a Malaysian market) which gave the broth a lot of flavour. Also added some MSG and sesame oil in the end. Very rich umami flavour! Just the leftovers weren’t that good, as the rice cakes get quite mushy. I only used half the amount of rice cakes, Singaporean fish cake (which looked different than the one in the picture), double the amount of eggs and some egg tofu.

• Noodles and black bean sauce platter (Jaengban-jjajangmyeon)

  • jenburkholder on August 18, 2020

    A very good jjajangmyeon. I omitted the seafood and replaced with mushrooms, and used less pork belly than written (don’t care for it, but some is necessary for the flavor). The sauce reheats well, so it can be made in advance for a couple nights worth of meals.