Cheese Budae Bokkeum Stir-Fry Recipe [Korean Food]

---

Today’s recipe is Cheese Budae Bokkeum, my best home attempt at the “budae stir-fry” that often shows up in Korean convenience-store lunch boxes, finished with melted cheddar on top. It takes the same ingredients you’d use for budae jjigae (Korean army base stew) and turns them into a stir-fry instead of a soup. When you’re craving that ham-loaded budae jjigae flavor but want something even bolder, this recipe hits the spot. The ingredient list barely changes from the classic stew, so it’s surprisingly easy to make. So let’s get straight into how it comes together.

---

📋 At a Glance

• Dish: Cheese Budae Bokkeum (army base stew turned stir-fry, with cheese)
• Servings: 3 to 4 people
• Main ingredients: 200g Spam, 2 Johnsonville sausages, 3–5 strips bacon, 100g kimchi, 2–3 handfuls cabbage, 2 tbsp baked beans, 2–3 slices cheddar cheese
• Key sauce: 1 tbsp gochujang, 2 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp each sugar, oligosaccharide syrup, and ketchup, plus 1 tbsp minced garlic
• Time: 20 min prep + 20 min cooking
• Verdict: ★4.5 — a deep, ham-forward take on budae jjigae packed into a stir-fry that works as both a meal and a drinking snack.

---

Cheese Budae Bokkeum: Ingredient Rundown

Before getting into the list, let me be honest: tracking down all the little bits for a proper budae jjigae can be a hassle. Since this version is a stir-fry, I also added cabbage. The easiest shortcut, if it’s available where you live, is to grab a ready-to-cook budae jjigae kit from a specialty shop, add whatever you want, swap the sauce a touch, and stir-fry the whole thing on high heat.

[Budae Bokkeum recipe — serves 3 to 4]

• 1 small can Spam (200g)
• 2 sausages (Johnsonville)
• 3 to 5 strips bacon
• 100g kimchi
• 2 to 3 handfuls cabbage
• 1/4 onion
• 1 stalk green onion
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 tbsp baked beans
• 2 to 3 slices cheddar cheese

[Sauce recipe]

• 60 mL water
• 1 tbsp gochujang
• 2 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oligosaccharide syrup (or honey)
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp ketchup

[Recipe at a glance]

1. Prep the vegetables. Cut the green onion into 2-finger-width pieces, the cabbage into bite-size squares, and the onion into slices.
2. Cut the meats budae-jjigae style. Slice the bacon and Spam into squares, and cut the sausages on a diagonal.
3. Make the sauce. Combine 1 tbsp gochujang with 60 ml water, then add 2 tbsp gochugaru, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp oligosaccharide syrup, 1 tsp black pepper, and 1 tbsp ketchup, and mix well.
4. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wide pan over high heat, add the onion, green onion, cabbage and 100–150g of kimchi, and stir-fry briefly.
5. Add the sausages, ham, bacon, 2 tbsp baked beans and the sauce, and stir-fry everything together over medium heat.
6. Once the sausages and ham are cooked through, cover briefly to finish, then top with cheese and cover again so it melts.
7. Feel free to add extra vegetables or toppings to taste.

🍖 Try beef bone broth instead of water in the sauce for extra depth.
🍝 If you like, you can boil 1 portion of ramen noodles slightly firm and stir-fry it along with the rest. In that case, bump the water in the sauce up to 80–100 ml.
🧂 For more umami, add a tiny pinch of beef dashida or MSG to the sauce.
🍗 Adding minced meat works beautifully too.

🍝 Prep time: 20 min
🍳 Cook time: 20 min

Since this is a stir-fry rather than a soup, the ham flavor easily accounts for 70% of the final dish. That’s why I strongly recommend Spam for the canned ham and Johnsonville for the sausages.

---

Cheese Budae Bokkeum: Prepping the Ingredients

Start with the vegetables. I just snipped the kimchi into bite-size pieces with kitchen scissors. Since this is a stir-fry, slightly larger pieces work better, so I cut the green onion into 2-finger-width chunks. Some shops sell green onion pre-shredded rather than in larger pieces, but you don’t need to fuss over that either way.

ⓒ

Copyright PAKOC https://pakoc.net

ⓒ

Copyright PAKOC https://pakoc.net

Cut the cabbage into bite-size squares and slice the onion. Cabbage isn’t a traditional budae-jjigae ingredient, but I added it for the fiber and the bit of crunch.

ⓒ

Copyright PAKOC https://pakoc.net

ⓒ

Copyright PAKOC https://pakoc.net

Now the ham, sausages, and bacon. Slice the bacon to a manageable length, the Spam into small squares, and the sausages on a diagonal.

ⓒ

Copyright PAKOC https://pakoc.net

ⓒ

Copyright PAKOC https://pakoc.net

And that wraps up the prep. You can throw everything in at once, but I prefer my cabbage well-cooked, so I kept the vegetables and meats in separate bowls and cook them in stages.

---

Cheese Budae Bokkeum: Making the Sauce

Next, the sauce. Drop 1 tbsp of gochujang into 60 ml of water so it dissolves smoothly, then add 2 tbsp gochugaru. From there, stir in 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp oligosaccharide syrup, 1 tsp pepper, and 1 tbsp ketchup, and mix until everything is well combined.

ⓒ

Copyright PAKOC https://pakoc.net

ⓒ

Copyright PAKOC https://pakoc.net

That’s it for prep. For my final lineup, I went with sliced cheddar for the cheese and added baked beans on top. Add anything else you like.

ⓒ

Copyright PAKOC https://pakoc.net

---

Cheese Budae Bokkeum: Cooking It Up

Start with the vegetables on high heat

Heat 2 tbsp of cooking oil in a wide pan over high heat, then start with the vegetables. Add the onion, green onion, cabbage and 100–150g of kimchi, and stir-fry until they’re cooked to your liking. If you want them softer and more thoroughly cooked, drop the heat to medium.

ⓒ

Copyright PAKOC https://pakoc.net

ⓒ

Copyright PAKOC https://pakoc.net

Add the meats and the sauce

Next, drop in the sausages, ham, and bacon, and stir-fry them with the vegetables to combine. Feel free to switch the order in which you add the vegetables and the meats based on your own preference.

ⓒ

Copyright PAKOC https://pakoc.net

ⓒ

Copyright PAKOC https://pakoc.net

Once everything has been stir-fried briefly, add the 2 tbsp of baked beans and the sauce, then stir to combine.

Cook the sauce and ingredients together over medium heat. Stir occasionally to keep anything from scorching, much like making jeyuk bokkeum (Korean spicy stir-fried pork). The vegetables will release some moisture, so keep stir-frying until most of that liquid cooks off.

ⓒ

Copyright PAKOC https://pakoc.net

ⓒ

Copyright PAKOC https://pakoc.net

Top with cheese to finish

Once everything is cooked through, lower the heat slightly, lay the cheese on top, and cover the pan for a moment if needed so the cheese melts. That’s it.

---

Cheese Budae Bokkeum: The Finished Dish

And here’s the finished Cheese Budae Bokkeum. I kept the topping minimal, just a sprinkle of lightly toasted sesame seeds.

Top with whatever else suits your taste. I went with sliced cheddar because it’s a familiar topping in budae jjigae, but if you prefer “snow cheese” (finely shaved cheese) or pizza cheese (shredded mozzarella), either of those works just as well.

ⓒ

Copyright PAKOC https://pakoc.net

ⓒ

Copyright PAKOC https://pakoc.net

Because everything is cooked in budae-jjigae sauce, this dish really shines as anju (a snack to go with drinks). It also holds up well as a regular meal or a side. If you make a big batch, portion some out and use it later as a topping for a rice bowl.

I had mine over plain white rice, and it was honestly outstanding that way too. On top of that, you can tweak the ingredients a little to your taste, which makes the recipe even more fun to play with.

ⓒ

Copyright PAKOC https://pakoc.net

ⓒ

Copyright PAKOC https://pakoc.net

---

Final Verdict — Using Up the Leftover Ingredients

When you shop fresh for this recipe, you’ll likely end up with leftover baked beans, sausages, and ham. Stir the leftovers into rice for a quick fried-rice variation, or add a splash of water along with the remaining baked beans and sausages to turn them into a hearty, spicy baked-bean stew. It’s a great way to use everything up and sort out another meal at the same time. If you’re cooking outside Korea, sliced cheddar and Spam are easy to find anywhere; the gochujang and gochugaru are best sourced from a Korean or Asian grocery, or online. It is, in a word, unforgettable.

ⓒ

Copyright PAKOC https://pakoc.net

ⓒ

Copyright PAKOC https://pakoc.net

For more on the history and food culture behind this dish, see the Wikipedia entry on Budae-jjigae.

---

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Where can I get gochujang, gochugaru and kimchi outside Korea?

Most well-stocked supermarkets in major cities now carry gochujang, gochugaru, and packaged kimchi in their Asian aisle. For a wider selection, Korean or Asian grocery stores are your best bet. Online retailers carry well-known brands like Chung Jung One and CJ, so you can stock up in a single order.

Q. How spicy is Cheese Budae Bokkeum?

It’s moderately spicy, with a deep, smoky-sweet heat from the gochujang and 2 tbsp of gochugaru, mellowed by melted cheddar on top. If you don’t handle heat well, you can halve the chili flakes and ease back on the kimchi juice. The 1 tbsp each of sugar and oligosaccharide syrup help round things out.

Q. Can I add instant ramen or other extras?

Absolutely. Boil one portion of ramen noodles slightly firm, then stir-fry it in with everything else; just bump the sauce water up to 80–100 ml. For deeper umami, swap the sauce water for beef bone broth, or stir in minced meat along with the ham and sausage.