Spicy & Sweet Jjolmyeon: The Ultimate Chewy Noodle Recipe
Homemade Jjolmyeon! Delicious Sauce with the Secret to Non-Soggy Noodles
Make restaurant-quality jjolmyeon right in your own kitchen! This recipe features a perfectly balanced spicy and sweet sauce that will have you craving more. With a few simple tricks, you can enjoy delightfully chewy noodles that stay firm until the very last bite. It’s so good, your family will be asking for seconds!
Main Ingredients
- Jjolmyeon noodles (for 2 servings)
- 1/2 cucumber
- 1 handful of cabbage (approx. 50g)
- 1/3 carrot (approx. 30g)
- 1/2 pack bean sprouts (approx. 50g)
- 3 large lettuce leaves
- 1 hard-boiled egg (for garnish)
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
Spicy & Sweet Jjolmyeon Sauce (for 5 servings)
- 4 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 4 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 4 Tbsp vinegar
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 3 Tbsp maesilcheong (Korean plum extract)
- 1 Tbsp cooking wine (mirin)
- 1/3 cup (approx. 65ml) soda water (or Sprite/7-Up)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 4 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 4 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 4 Tbsp vinegar
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 3 Tbsp maesilcheong (Korean plum extract)
- 1 Tbsp cooking wine (mirin)
- 1/3 cup (approx. 65ml) soda water (or Sprite/7-Up)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Let’s start by making the star of our jjolmyeon: the sauce! In a bowl, combine gochujang, gochugaru, and vinegar, each at 4 tablespoons. These three ingredients form the foundational spicy flavor.
Step 2
Next, we’ll add the elements that bring sweetness and umami. Mix in sugar, soy sauce, and maesilcheong, also 3 tablespoons each. This step is crucial for balancing the overall taste.
Step 3
To enhance the complexity of the flavors, add 1 tablespoon of cooking wine (mirin). Then, to achieve a smoother and slightly thinner consistency, pour in 1/3 cup (about 65ml) of soda water. The carbonation in the soda water helps to meld the flavors beautifully.
Step 4
For a nutty aroma, crush the toasted sesame seeds lightly with your hands before adding them to the sauce. Hand-crushing releases more fragrance than grinding. Finally, add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic and mix everything thoroughly.
Step 5
Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning to your preference. If it’s not tangy enough or needs more depth, add a little more soy sauce, maesilcheong, or vinegar. Remember, the sauce will be mixed with noodles and vegetables, so a slightly bolder flavor now is perfectly fine.
Step 6
Now, let’s prepare the fresh toppings. Blanch the bean sprouts in boiling water until they are just tender-crisp, then rinse them under cold water and drain. Thinly slice the cucumber, cabbage, and carrot into matchsticks. For the cabbage and carrots, using a vegetable peeler to create thin slices first and then cutting those into julienne strips will result in beautifully fine shreds and a better texture.
Step 7
It’s important to loosen the jjolmyeon noodles before cooking. If they remain clumped together, they won’t cook evenly. Gently separate the strands by hand before adding them to the boiling water.
Step 8
Here’s the secret to perfectly chewy, non-soggy jjolmyeon: add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil (or vegetable oil) to the boiling water! Carefully place the loosened noodles into the water and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring gently with chopsticks to prevent sticking. (Refer to the package instructions, but around 4 minutes is usually ideal.)
Step 9
As soon as the noodles are cooked, immediately rinse them thoroughly under cold running water. This rapid cooling stops the cooking process, firms up the noodles, and prevents them from clumping together.
Step 10
Because we cooked the noodles in oil, you’ll notice they have a lovely sheen even after rinsing, and the water won’t turn cloudy. This step significantly helps maintain their bouncy texture for longer.
Step 11
Place the drained noodles into a serving bowl. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of sesame oil over them and toss gently. This adds a wonderful nutty aroma and helps the sauce adhere better to the noodles. Arrange the prepared fresh vegetables attractively on top of the noodles.
Step 12
Many of us have experienced jjolmyeon becoming soggy while waiting to eat or take photos. Here’s my personal hack to combat that: after boiling the noodles in oil-infused water and rinsing them in cold water, toss them with a bit of sesame oil right away. This creates a protective coating.
Step 13
This technique truly makes a difference in keeping the noodles chewy, ensuring that every single bite, right down to the last one, is just as delicious as the first! Now, simply add a generous dollop of that amazing sauce and mix everything together to enjoy!
