Korean Potato Stew (Pork & Potato Spicy Gochujang Pot)

Quick answer

Total time: 35 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 5

About this dish

Gamja-jjigae is a straightforward Korean stew of potatoes and pork seasoned with gochujang and gochugaru.

The potatoes are added in large pieces and cooked until completely soft, releasing starch into the broth as they break down and giving the liquid a naturally thick, hearty consistency without any thickening agent. Pork provides a mild, clean meatiness that anchors the stew without overwhelming it, while the gochujang contributes a fermented depth and slight sweetness and the gochugaru adds a sharper, drier heat. The seasoning builds gradually as the ingredients cook together, and by the time the potatoes are done the broth has absorbed the flavors from both the meat and the chili paste. With a short ingredient list and no complex steps, this is a reliable home-style stew that comes together quickly.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

Potato3 piecepiece

Pork100 gg

Gochujang1 tbsptbsp

Red pepper flakes1 tbsptbsp

Water500 mlml

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Heat

Peel 3 potatoes and cut each into 4 to 6 large chunks.

Slice 100 g pork about 2 cm thick so the meat cooks through while the potatoes soften without falling apart.
2

Season

Pour 500 ml water into a pot and dissolve 1 tablespoon gochujang first.

Stir until no thick paste remains, because clumps can leave parts of the broth bland and other parts overly salty or spicy.
3

Control

Add 1 tablespoon gochugaru and set the pot over high heat.

When the edges boil and the broth turns an even red, the seasoning is dispersed enough for the potatoes and pork.
4

Control

Add the potatoes and pork, then bring the pot back to a boil.

Reduce to medium heat and simmer about 12 minutes, stirring only occasionally so the potato edges do not break down too early.
5

Control

When a chopstick slides into a potato piece, simmer 3 to 5 minutes longer.

The potato starch should lightly thicken the broth, and the pork should be fully cooked with no raw center.
6

Finish

Check the broth consistency at the end.

Turn off the heat and serve hot when the potatoes are tender and their starch has thickened the broth.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Gamja jjigae thickens naturally as potato starch dissolves into a spicy broth, balancing the sharp heat of gochugaru with mild, tender pork.
Finish cue: Turn off the heat and serve hot when the potatoes are tender and their starch has thickened the broth.
Avoid this: Reduce to medium heat and simmer about 12 minutes, stirring only occasionally so the potato edges do not break down too early.