Kkwarigochu Spam Stir-Fry: Sweet-Savory Korean Side [Recipe]

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Today’s recipe is Kkwarigochu Spam Stir-Fry. Ever finish a batch of soy-braised beef or stir-fried anchovies and end up with a handful of kkwari-gochu peppers you don’t know what to do with? Toss them into a pan with Spam and it’s solved in one go. It’s a sweet-savory rice-stealer, so even family members who usually avoid these peppers will happily dig in. The crisp, mildly spicy peppers pair beautifully with the salty bite of Spam. So let’s jump right into how it comes together.

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📋 At a Glance

• Dish: Kkwarigochu Spam Stir-Fry
• Category: Korean side dish (stir-fry)
• Main ingredients: kkwari-gochu peppers, Spam, onion, garlic
• Seasonings: dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, oligo syrup, sesame oil
• Cookware: wide skillet
• Time: 20 min prep and 15 min cooking
• Difficulty: easy
• Yield: a generous side dish for 2 to 3
• Tip: stir-fry the kkwari-gochu only briefly to keep it crisp, and swap the Spam for ham or sausage if you like

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Kkwarigochu Spam Stir-Fry: Meet the Ingredients

At heart, this dish is kkwari-gochu peppers and Spam stir-fried with onion and garlic in dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, and oligo syrup. It’s simple, yet the flavor is genuinely great, which makes it a wonderful side for rice. Feel free to skip the onion, and you can swap the sliced garlic for minced garlic if that’s easier.

[Kkwari-gochu Spam Stir-Fry Ingredients]

• Kkwari-gochu (shishito-type green peppers), 15
• Spam, 400 g (two small cans or one large can)
• Onion, 1/2
• Garlic, 4 cloves
• Dark soy sauce, 2 Tbsp
• Oyster sauce, 1/2 Tbsp
• Oligo syrup, 1
• Sesame oil, 1 Tbsp
• Cooking oil, 2 Tbsp
• Black sesame and toasted sesame seeds (optional)

[Quick Recipe Steps]

1. Rinse 15 kkwari-gochu peppers well, then pat them dry.
2. Cut the peppers into thirds for easy eating, and slice half an onion.
3. Slice 4 garlic cloves thinly.
4. Cube 400 g of Spam into bite-size pieces.
5. Heat 2 Tbsp of cooking oil in a wide skillet, then stir-fry the onion and sliced garlic over medium heat.
6. Once the onion and garlic turn golden, add the Spam and stir-fry it all together.
7. When the Spam is partly cooked, add the peppers along with 2 Tbsp dark soy sauce, 1/2 Tbsp oyster sauce, 1 Tbsp oligo syrup, and 1 Tbsp sesame oil, and stir-fry.
8. Stir-fry the peppers to your liking, then finish with a sprinkle of black and toasted sesame seeds.

🌶️ Overcooking the peppers makes them go limp and dull-looking. Stir-fry just until they seem slightly underdone for a crisp, tasty bite.
🥓 You can swap the Spam for regular ham or Vienna sausages and it’s just as good.
🧄 Instead of sliced garlic, use a touch less than 1/2 Tbsp of minced garlic if you prefer.

​🌶️ Prep time: 20 minutes
🍳 Cook time: 15 minutes

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Prepping the Ingredients

Now let’s get started on the prep. Slice half an onion into thin pieces. If you’d like, you can chop it even finer. Cut four cloves of garlic into thin slices. If you don’t have fresh garlic on hand, minced garlic works fine too. Personally, I’d recommend about 1/2 Tbsp.

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Shake the water off the rinsed peppers well. Pull off the stems and cut the peppers into thirds for easy eating. Get 400 g of Spam ready, which is two small cans or one large can. Cube it into moderate, bite-size pieces.

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And the prep is done. Pretty simple, right? Put the sliced garlic and onion together in one bowl, and keep the Spam and peppers in separate bowls so you can add them in order.

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Cooking It Up

Next, let’s move straight into cooking. Coat a wide skillet with 2 Tbsp of cooking oil. To start, heat it moderately over medium heat.

First, add the onion and sliced garlic and stir-fry over medium heat. Keeping the heat low lets everything cook evenly without burning. Once it turns lightly golden, add the Spam and stir-fry together. The Spam releases some of its own oil, and while it cooks, the garlic and onion will soften right through as well.

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Once the Spam turns golden, add the peppers you set aside. Cook the peppers to your own taste. Personally, I love a crisp texture, so I cooked them only very lightly. Overcook them and they’ll go limp and weep a lot of water after a stint in the fridge.

For the sauce, add 2 Tbsp dark soy sauce, 1/2 Tbsp oyster sauce, 1 Tbsp oligo syrup, and 1 Tbsp sesame oil. Give it a gentle toss to finish. Think of the oligo syrup as just a little something for a glossy sheen.

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At the very end, I ground in a little pepper and mixed everything evenly once more. This really comes down to taste, so it isn’t a must.

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Take a bite of the well-cooked Spam and peppers and you’ll find them nicely savory, perfect alongside rice. Finish by sprinkling on black and toasted sesame seeds.

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Finished Dish Gallery

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The Finished Kkwarigochu Spam Stir-Fry

And here’s the finished dish. For something this easy to make, it doesn’t look half bad, does it? The flavor is that addictive sweet-and-salty with lovely umami, a true rice-stealer.

It’s a perfect way to use up the kkwari-gochu peppers left over from making dishes like soy-braised beef. Unlike peppers tucked into braises, seasoned salads, or stir-fried anchovies, which kids often won’t touch, this version is one they’ll happily eat.

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Let the finished dish cool for a moment, then store it in a container and it keeps well for three or four days. It works as a side for rice and just as nicely as a light snack with drinks. It’s the kind of flavor you absolutely won’t regret.

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For more about Spam, the main ingredient, see the Wikipedia entry on Spam, the canned ham.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can I make this stir-fry without Spam?

Regular ham or Vienna sausages work as an easy swap. They give you a similar salty, savory bite to the Spam. Minced garlic can also stand in for the sliced garlic.

Q. How long does this dish keep?

Cooled and stored in an airtight container, it keeps well in the fridge for three to four days. It’s great as a rice side or a light snack with drinks. Just serve out what you’ll eat to make it last longer.

Q. How do I keep the kkwari-gochu peppers crisp?

Stir-fry them only until they look slightly underdone. Overcooking makes them go limp and weep water in the fridge, so adjust the time to taste. A quick toss is all they need.

Q. Are these peppers very spicy?

Kkwari-gochu peppers are generally mild, not very hot. Paired with the sweet-savory sauce, even kids tend to enjoy them. Grind in a little pepper at the end if you want more of a kick.