Yukgaejang Recipe (Spicy Korean Vegetable Beef Soup) (2024)

Yukgaejang Recipe (Spicy Korean Beef and Vegetable Soup)

Looking for your new favorite twist on vegetable beef soup? Look no further than Korean Yukgaejang!

Yukgaejang is a comforting spicy Korean beef and vegetable soup that gets its bold flavor from a combination of Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru) and Korean red pepper paste (gochujang).

It's a hearty and warming dish, very easy to make, and also easy to customize the heat and spice levels to your preference.

I hope you love it as much as we do!

Let's talk about how to make yukgaejang, shall we?

Yukgaejang Ingredients

The full ingredients list with measurements is listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• Beef Brisket. Or use other stew beef like beef chuck, short ribs.
• Vegetables. Onion, dried shiitake mushrooms, garlic, bean sprouts, dried fernbrake (gosari or bracken fern fiddleheads), scallions or green onions.
• Important Spices. Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) and Gochujang (Korean red pepper paste). Also salt and black pepper to taste.
• Sesame Oil.
• Soy Sauce.
• For Serving. Cooked glass noodlesoptional

How to Make Yukgaejang (Spicy Korean Beef Stew) - the Recipe Method

Make the Stock and Simmer the Beef. First you'll heat 3-4 quarts water with the the brisket, onion, and shiitake mushrooms. Simmer the whole pot for 1 hour, or until beef is nice and tender.

The shiitake mushrooms are very important for delicious flavor.

When the beef is done to your liking, skim the fat from the top, remove the brisket and mushrooms and discard the spent onion.

Strain the broth and return it to the large pot.

Add Vegetables and Flavor Building Ingredients. Next, combine the garlic, bean sprouts, pre-soaked fernbrake, and scallions.

Stir in the gochugaru, gochujang, sesame oil, soy sauce, and salt and pepper to taste.

Stir the vegetable mixture into the pot and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Slice and Warm the Beef and Mushrooms. Slice the beef and mushrooms and add them back to the pot. Simmer the beef stew for 5-10 minutes to warm. Adjust for salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot in bowls with cooked glass noodles (if desired).

Boom! Done! Your yukgaejang is ready to serve. Spicy beef stew! It doesn't get any better than this. I hope you love it.

Recipe Tips & Notes

• Use Quality Beef. Choose the best quality beef for best results. Brisket is most commonly used, though stew beef with good marbling will give the best flavor, such as shank or short rib.
• Simmer as Long as Needed. Simmer the broth as long as you need to achieve maximum flavor from the meat. It could take up to 2 hours.
• Don't Forget to Pre-Soak the Fernbrake (Gosari): If using dried fernbrake (gosari), soak it in hot water for an hour or longer until it's tender before cooking.
• Add Some Egg. Consider swirling some beaten egg into the soup to as an enhancement. I love the silky ribbons of egg.

Serving Yukgaejang

Serve your Korean beef and vegetable soup on it's own in a bowl, or with a bowl of rice as a side dish.

It is also commonly served with glass noodles swirled into the pot.

Storage & Leftovers

Leftover yukgaejang will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. It really does taste better the next day. Simple reheat it in the pot to enjoy again.

You can also freeze it for 2-3 months.

Heat Factor

Medium. You'll get some nice heat from the gochugaru and also the gochujang, depending on the brand you use.

You can dial back the heat by cutting back on both of those ingredients. Up the heat factor by adding a bit more, and also by including a few spicy peppers or chili oil into your broth while simmering.

Cookbook Recommendation

If you enjoy Korean cuisine, check out the following cookbooks, which helped me adapt this recipe. Great recipes!

• Seoul Food Korean Cookbook, by Naomi Imatome-Yun (affiliate link, my friends!)
• Maangchi’s Real Korean Cooking, by Maangchi with Lauren Chattman (affiliate link, my friends!)
• Also, check out my own cookbook,“The Spicy Food Lovers’ Cookbook – Fiery, No-Fuss Meals”, by Mike Hultquist (affiliate link, my friends!)

Products Used in This Recipe

• Buy Gochujang (affiliate link, my friends!)
• Buy Gochugaru (affiliate link, my friends!)
• Fernbrake/Dried Bracken (affiliate link, my friends!)

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Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes

• Spicy Gochujang Noodles
• Bo Kho (Spicy Vietnamese Beef Stew)
• Bo Luc Lac Recipe (Vietnamese Shaking Beef)
• Classic Beef Stew
• Carne Guisada (Latin Beef Stew)
• Birria (Mexican Beef Stew)
• Oxtail Soup
• Galbi Jjim Recipe (Korean Braised Short Ribs)