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20 Easy Korean Food Recipes to Try in Your Kitchen
The Hallyu wave took the Philippines by storm about two decades ago, gaining steam across the globe in the 2000s. Evidently, it is here to stay. Filipinos’ love for K-culture knows no bounds; you’ll see its influence everywhere from K-dramas and K-pop to fashion and even Korean food trends. Chances are you have a list of your favorite Korean snacks and a handful of go-to Korean marts and Samgyeopsal joints to boot. Now it’s time to take your love for Korean culture to heart by bringing your Korean food trips home. Practice these easy Korean food recipes for starters. Before you know it, you’ll be your inner circle’s default hyung, oppa, unnie, noona, ahjumma, or ajusshi – you get the picture – for easy Korean recipes.
Appetizers
1. Kimchi
Let’s begin your immersion into the best and easiest Korean food recipes with banchan. In Korean cuisine, banchan are the many side dishes we’ve grown to love as they’re often served in unlimited portions (hooray refills!) at local Korean barbecue restaurants. While they are classified as side dishes, they can also be treated as appetizers and snacks for merienda.
For starters, the most basic banchan. Who doesn’t know Kimchi by now? Often cabbage or Korean radish, this easy Korean food recipe that's usually added to rice is typically salted and fermented with fish sauce, garlic, and ginger in airtight containers until it’s ready for consumption. Sounds like something you can easily put together and leave at home to ferment. The great thing about Kimchi is that it can be eaten on its own or combined with other Korean dishes or recipes – more on this later, so make sure to read till the end!
2. Eomuk-bokkeum
Much like our own tusok-tusok, Eomuk-bokkeum is a stir-fried fish cake dish that can be enjoyed alone or alongside other easy Korean recipes. These come pre-packed in Korean grocery stores – season with spices of your choice and stir-fry with Knorr Liquid Seasoning, or use it as a no-nonsense soy sauce dip. We have a Spicy Mayo Dip recipe that pairs well with this Korean street food favorite, too!
3. Gyeran Mari
Gyeran Mari literally translates to egg roll, and that’s exactly what it is. It’s that rolled omelet recipe we often see expertly folded for packed lunches in Korean dramas. If you want to make a Pinoy -inspired version of Gyeran Mari, start with this Tortang Ampalaya recipe, which you can practice folding and tucking at home. Slice into bite-sized pieces and mix things up a bit by combining Knorr Liquid Seasoning with Lady’s Choice Mayonnaise for a creamy yet savory dipping option.
4. Korean Corn Dog
If you’ve ever watched Jinny’s Kitchen, where Korean stars Lee Seo-jin, Jung Yu-Mi, Park Seo-jun, Choi Woo-shik, and BTS darling V operated a Korean restaurant in Bacalar, Mexico, then you’d be well acquainted with the appeal of Korean Corn Dogs. You can try out the many variants: covered in ramyeon noodles, cubed potatoes, or coated with plain pancake batter then sprinkled with sugar. Serve with your choice of special dips: this Asian-inspired umami dip with sesame seeds or this barbecue bacon dip that will complement the corn dogs’ meaty taste.
5. Tteokbokki
Spicy rice cakes are a street food favorite in Korea, and the best thing about making them at home is you can control the spiciness of this easy Korean recipe. Tteokbokki is yet another popular pre-packed snack you can spot in the chillers of any K-mart. You just leave the rice cakes to cook in gochujang and soup stock typically made with dried kelp and dried anchovy.
Alternatively, you can also prepare soy sauce-based Tteokbokki – ideal for those who have zero tolerance for spicy food. Or, you can take the simplest route and make Tteokbokki not from scratch, but with pre-made stock and gochujang that’s also available in many Korean groceries.
Main Course
6. Bibimbap
Now onto the mains! Even when these popular picks take the spotlight in any Korean spread, some are still easy Korean recipes you can enjoy in the comforts of your own home. Take Bibimbap, for example. Like our own silogs, Bibimbap has everything you might ever want in one meal – conveniently placed in a single bowl. Make it with meat, rice, and vegetables, so that you can party with all the food groups.
7. Bulgogi
Bulgogi is one of the easy Korean food recipes that still technically falls under Korean barbecue or gui (meaning, grilled). Thinly sliced beef strips marinated and grilled, then topped on steaming servings of fluffy white rice – divine! Pick up some rib eye for prime Bulgogi, or stick to thinly sliced sirloin if you’re on a budget. Either way, if you follow our Bulgogi recipe down to a T, you’ll end up with a homemade Bulgogi meal that might even trump your favorite restaurant’s version! Our secret? Knorr Beef Cubes, of course.
8. Dak Dusut Jim
You won’t hear about this dish often, but your ability to cook up a storm with it will just confirm how much of a Hallyu disciple you are. Dak Dusut Jim is a braised chicken dish that comes with generous servings of mushrooms. If you follow our simple Dak Dusut Jim recipe, you should be enjoying this dish in about 30 minutes. Challenge accepted.
9. Eumok-tang
emember when we said that eumok (fish cakes) can be enjoyed in various easy Korean recipes? Here’s a simple one that will warm the heart as much as it comforts the stomach. Eumok-tang or Eumok guk is its hot pot version, so you get to enjoy fish cakes with soup! Now we know what you’ll be having on rainy days.
10. Galbi Jim
Have you ever thought about the Korean counterpart of our Bistek Tagalog? Look no further, Galbi Jim will answer that question. This hearty beef stew dish is topped with a plain omelet julienned into strips – talk about protein loading! In many meat preparations, though, Koreans love using stock as a marinade. A simple and quick alternative? Use Knorr Beef Cubes for your homemade stock.
11. Kimbap
We love a good rice roll, from Sushi to Kimbap. And it’s pretty easy to prepare, in case you haven’t tried it for yourself yet. You just bring together ingredients of your choice (think about what you’d like your rice roll to have inside), cook what needs to be cooked, slice what needs to be sliced, then bring it all together with a sheet of seaweed and a wooden roller if you have it around. Otherwise, you can just fold your Kimbap any way you want.
12. Kimchi Fried Rice
This one’s pretty straightforward. If you already have Kimchi readily available at home, then why not toss it in a pan with some rice, spices, and other vegetables or meat. Voila – Kimchi Fried Rice! Our Kimchi Fried Rice recipe should help you along. If you’re feeling more adventurous and have guests coming over, though, you can impress them by going for a more fusion-inspired recipe. This Kimchi Sinigang recipe brings together the best flavor profiles of a Pinoy favorite and a Korean staple. What you get is a spicy, tangy, savory bowl of soupy goodness, all thanks to Knorr Sinigang sa Sampalok Mix Original or Knorr Sinigang na may Gabi Mix. Your choice, really.
13. Korean Fried Chicken
With or without beer, Korean Fried Chicken is da bomb, period. Choose from a sesame-laden saucy version that will keep you busy in the kitchen for 40 minutes to an hour. Or, if you’re feeling extra: Whip up a batch of Extra Crispy Korean Fried Chicken and everyone’s All-Time Favorite Pinoy Fried Chicken, and make it a battle-of-the-fried-chicken party! Your friends will absolutely love this idea. They can even come over to help in the kitchen.
14. Samgyeopsal
Like Bulgogi, Samgyeopsal is actually a type of Korean barbecue (it’s grilled pork belly) rather than an all-encompassing term for gui (grilled meat), as many Filipinos might assume. At home, you can simply grill your own Samgyeospal with seasonings, marinades, and side dishes of your choice. Some people even invest in a mini gas grill that looks exactly like the ones we see in K-dramas and popular Samgyeop joints.
Noodles
15. Kimchi Ramyeon
Korean noodles are so varied and diverse, that they deserve a separate section! Since most of these preparations involve instant noodles found in your neighborhood K-mart or Korean grocery store, we’ll breeze through these super easy Korean recipes so that you can slurp on your own bowls in no time. Starting with Kimchi Ramyeon. It’s as simple as it sounds: your go-to ramyeon pack with the Kimchi you prepared for the week. Additional topping options are endless; there are no rules. If you have it in your kitchen and it tastes good with ramyeon, then drop it in your bowl and enjoy!
16. Jajangmyeon
Ramyeon with black bean noodles is available in instant preparations, but you can also try cooking your own black bean sauce at home. To make Jajangmyeon sauce, you’ll need black bean paste, sugar, diced pork or chicken, onions, cabbage, and chicken broth. Stir-fry the meat with onions and cabbage. Do the same with your black bean paste and some sugar. When both are ready, mix together with chicken stock made from Knorr Chicken Broth Cube until it turns into a tasty, thick slurry. After that, you can pour your sauce over cooked ramyeon.
17. Japchae
Glass noodles are such a treat, and it’s a flavor profile that most Filipinos enjoy because it’s savory and sweet! Follow this Japchae recipe that’s loaded with shiitake mushrooms. The umami you’ll experience from this easy Korean food recipe is unbelievable and it will take you less than 30 minutes to prepare.
18. Mayo Ramyeon
Some people might find this pairing weird, but it has certainly gained its own cult following on social media. Picture it: instant ramyeon noodles made creamy with mayonnaise. Simply combine Lady’s Choice Mayonnaise, grated garlic, and a raw egg with the instant noodle flavorings that come with the pack. Then prepare as usual and enjoy!
19. Rabokki
Another combo that just makes sense as far as Korean flavor profiles go – ramyeon zhuzhed up with Tteokbokki toppings. Nuff said. Get our easy-to-follow Rabokki recipe.
20. Cheese Ramyeon
We top our picks of no-fuss Korean food recipes with one that’s for cheese lovers. Ramyeon with cheese: parmesan, cheddar, mozzarella, easy melt – anything goes! This is especially comforting after a long day at work or school. You deserve this treat. Plus, you can have it ready in a few minutes.
Now that got us hungry. Which easy Korean recipe will you try whipping up at home first? Afterward, you might want to try your hand at making Korean dessert. If you have an ice shaver, homemade Bingsu is simple enough, and you can go crazy with the toppings! A heavy-duty blender should do the trick as well. Or, you can always cap your meal with your favorite Korean ice cream if you’re doing a K-mart run.
