Budae Jjigae:

Korean Army Base Stew
In early 2026, I learned about a Korean hot pot stew that's supposed to be one of the most delicious stews in the world; and I knew I had to try this when I learned it's a stew made with spam, hot dogs, ramen noodles, baked beans, and American cheese...along with kimchi, mushrooms and Korean spices. It's really easy to make, like many popular dishes, and it's one of those dishes with a lot of variations, because it's really made by throwing together what you have in the fridge and seeing what happens. And what happened here? I was honesty surprised how delicious this was! You wouldn't expect the flavor combination to come together so well here, but it does. Before I tried it, I thought the addition of kimchi and gojujang (hot pepper paste!) made me think it would burn the inside of my mouth. But it turned out to be spicy and tangy but quite delicious, with a unique flavor that I really can't ascribe to anything else. When you eat the spam, you can taste it; likewise with the hot dogs. But the broth is truly unique, and that makes the entire dish worth trying.
Budae jjigae ("Army stew") was invented after the Korean War devastated the country of Korea. In a manner similar to Vietmanese phở (except the ingredients are wildly different!), this was put together to use up all of the extra food left behind by the American military, and that's why spam is essential in this dish. Just about all of the other ingredients are interchangeable, it wouldn't be real budae jjigae if it didn't have spam, kimchi and gojujang, which is hot and spicy Korean red pepper paste.
Pans needed: One large pot or skillet, deep enough to allow the ingredients to boil, with a lid. This can be made in a typical cast iron skillet or shallow braising pot.

Ingredients

Spicy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons gojujang, Korean fermented soybean paste
  • 1 tablespoon gochugaru (Koren red chili), or you can substitute smoked paprika if you have it
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic (about 3 cloves chopped garlic)
Stew ingredients
  • 1/2 of a white onion, sliced into strips
  • 3 to 5 green onions, sliced
  • 12 ounces Spam (1 can), sliced into rectangular strips
  • 8 ounces hot dogs, sliced into thin slices (You can use fancier sausages if you want!)
  • 1 ounces enoki mushrooms
  • 1 ounce shiitake mushrooms
  • 8 ounces firm tofu (1/2 block), sliced into cubes
  • 2/3 cup rice cakes
  • 1 cup kimchi (place in the center)
  • 1 cup baked beans (add on top of the kimchi)
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 pack ramen noodles
  • 2 slices American cheese
  • Scallions, sliced, to garnish the dish
If the rice cakes are dry, soak them in water before beginning your preparations, and soak them for about 15 to 20 minutes; then drain them. Fresh rice cakes don't need to be soaked.
Slice onion and scallions. Chop and mince garlic.
Slice spam into long rectangular pieces. Slice hot dogs. (If you want to be fancy, slice the hot dogs at an angle.) Slice tofu into small squares.
Prepare the sauce, using the sauce ingredients listed above: gojujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, salt and pepper, and garlic. Mix the sauce together.
Use a large shallow pan with a lid to cook this dish. Korean style cooking calls for the ingredients to be placed into the pan into bunches, all around the dish. Don't mix the ingredients together until the very end. In the center of the pan, add the sliced onions and scallions. Around the sides of the pan, place the Spam in a pile. Next to the Spam, place a pile of the hot dogs; then keep placing piles of the ingredients next to each other. Add the mushrooms, tofu, and rice cakes. Now, in the center of the pan add kimchi, then pour or scoop the baked beans over the kimchi. Pour the sauce mixture on top of the baked beans.
Pour 4 cups of chicken broth into the pan. Cover the pan and bring to a boil, about 15 minutes. When it's at a boil, uncover the pot and place a brick of ramen noodles in the center; then top the ramen noodles with two slices of cheese. Cover the pot, lower the heat, and simmer for only about 5 minutes.
Uncover the dish, and while it's still hot and bubbling, mix everything together. Serve into bowls, and be sure to ladle the broth into each bowl.

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