How to Cook 7 Favorite Korean Food Your Kpop Idols Are Diehard to Get

With the rise of the Korean wave, more and more people are obsessed with all-Korean-related stuff, including culinary. If you want to try cooking some Korean dishes, here are recommended favorite Korean food your Kpop idols are diehard to get, including tteokbokki, Korean BBQ, many kinds of Korean jjigae, and more. We also provide you with the recipe for how to cook those Kpop idols favorite Korean food.

How to Cook Favorite Korean Food Your Kpop Idols Are Diehard to Get

1. Tteokbokki (떡볶이)

Who doesn’t know one of the most popular Korean street foods in Korea? Tteokbokki, or also called ddeokbokki or dukbokki (떡볶이), has all elements to be liked: texture, sauce, and easiness.

How to cook Tteokbokki

Ingredients:

Main:

• 350 gr Korean rice cakes
• 2 cups Korean soup stock (dried kelp and dried anchovy stock)
• 60 gr thinly sliced onion

Tteokbokki sauce (mix all well)

• 3 tbs gochujang (Korean chili paste)
• 1½ tbs raw sugar
• 1 tbs soy sauce
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)

Garnish:

• 1 tsp roasted sesame seeds
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 stalk thinly chopped green onion

Steps:

1. Soak the rice cakes in warm water
2. Boil the soup stock in a shallow pot over medium-high heat. Dissolve the tteokbokki sauce and stir it with a spatula.
3. Once the stock is boiling, add the rice cakes and onion. Mix well and simmer them for 3 to 5 minutes until the rice cakes are fully cooked.
4. After the sauce is thickened, simmer it over low heat for a further 2 to 4 minutes.
5. Put your delicious tteokbokki in a serving bowl and add sesame seeds, sesame oil, and green onion. Serve warm.

Some Kpop idols who love tteokbokki

Sandara Park, Wonder Girls Sunye, Pentagon Yuto, SEVENTEEN Joshua, BTS Suga, SF9 Taeyang, EXO Chanyeol, MAMAMOO Solar, TWICE Jeongyeon, Cosmic Girls Mei Qi, Hwang Eunbi (GFRIEND SinB)

2. Korean BBQ

Sit down, and enjoy mouthwatering flavors with your friends. Having a Korean BBQ, everything is smoky, meaty, savory, and delicious.

How to cook Korean BBQ

(Source: tasty.co)

Ingredients:

• 1½ lb ribeye steak (700 g), or any other well-marbled, tender cut
• 1 onion, 1/2 roughly chopped, and 1/2 thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic cloves
• ½ pear, peeled and roughly chopped
• 3 spring onions, 1 cut into pieces and 2 sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ⅓ cup soy sauce (80 g)
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame seed
• 2 cups cooked rice (400 g)
• Banchan (Korean side dishes), for serving (optional)

Steps:

1. Slice the beef as thinly as you can, then set it aside in a large bowl. Using frozen or cold beef will make the slicing easier.
2. In a blender or food processor, blend the onion chunks, garlic, pear, green onion pieces, brown sugar, pepper, soy sauce, and sesame oil until smooth.
3. Pour the marinade over the beef, add the thinly sliced onion, then mix to coat evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
4. Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over high heat. Pat the meat dry.
5. Be careful not to crowd the pan; sear the marinated beef and onions until browned. Sprinkle with the sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
6. Serve with rice and side dishes, and enjoy!

Some Kpop idols who love Korean BBQ

NCT WinWin, WANNA ONE Ha Sungwoon, Red Velvet Seulgi, Red Velvet Yeri PENTAGON Kino, PENTAGON Yeoone, PENTAGON Jinho, MONSTA X Hyungwon, SEVENTEEN The8, all ITZY members.

3. Jajangmyeon (자장면)

Korean-Chinese noodles cuisine with black bean sauce is rich and delicious. Jajangmyeon (자장면) or also called jjajangmyeon (짜장면), is one of a few favorite Korean food of Kpop idols which is not spicy.

How to cook Jajangmyeon

Ingredients:

Main:

• 1kg (35 ounces), fresh jajangmyeon noodles (Or you can use fresh udon or ramen noodles)
• 1 large onion (150g / 5.3 ounces), cut into small cubes
• 1 medium zucchini (110g / 3.9 ounces), cut into small cubes
• 2 large potatoes (470g / 1 pound), cut into small cubes
• 7 large button mushrooms (240g / 0.5 pounds), sliced    
• 1/4 small cabbage (160g / 5.6 ounces), cut it into pieces

Jajangmyeon sauce:

• 6 Tbsp Korean black bean paste (Chunjang, 춘장)
• 90g / 3.2 ounces lard (or 6 Tbsp cooking oil – e.g., rice bran oil)
• 2 tbs brown sugar
• 4 tbs rice wine (or mirin)
• 1 cup chicken stock (as natural as possible)
• 1 cup water
• Slurry (potato starch 5 Tbsp + water 4 Tbsp)

Meat:

• 600g / 1.3 pounds diced pork 1 Tbsp rice wine  (mirin)
• 5 sprinkles ground salt
• 5 sprinkles ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp ginger powder

Toppings:

• 1 large cucumber (150g / 5.3 ounces)
• Peas or sweet corn (from a tin, optional)
• Hard-boiled egg (optional)

Steps:

1. Rinse the meat in cold water and pat it dry with kitchen paper. Add marinade sauce onto the meat. Mix them well, and leave it for 15 minutes.
2. Pre-heat the wok and the cooking oil. Add the black bean paste and constantly stir over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Add brown sugar and stir for another 2 to 3 minutes. Scoop the black bean paste and set it aside.
3. Use the left oil on the wok to cook the meat. Add the meat into the wok and stir until the meat is half-cooked.
4. Add the onion, zucchini, and potato. Stir for 3 to 5 minutes over medium heat.
5. Add the mushroom and cabbages and stir for another 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Add the cooked jajangmyeon sauce into the wok, and mix them well. Stir for 1 to 2 minutes.
7. Add the chicken stock, water, and rice wine. Simmer it for 5 to 7 minutes over medium heat.
8. To thicken the sauce, add the slurry into the wok and stir it.
9. While cooking step 8, boil some water in a pot and add the noodles. Boil until the noodles are cooked (usually around 3 to 5 minutes).
10. Once the noodles are cooked, rinse them in cold water and drain. Put them on a serving bowl/plate.
11. Add the jajangmyeon sauce and meat you have cooked before on top of the noodle. You can garnish it with some cucumber slices, green peas or sweet corn, or hardboiled egg if you want to.
12. Mix the sauce and the noodles well, and dig in!

Some Kpop idols who love Jajangmyeon:

Kpop idols like BTS RM, BTS Jin, Kang Daniel, and almost all EXO, ITZY, and TWICE members list Jajangmyeon as their favorite Korean food

4. Samgyeopsal (삼겹살) / Korean Pork Belly BBQ

Samgyeopsal is a Korean pork belly BBQ. As mentioned in its name, the main ingredient of this dish is pork belly. This is one of the most favorite Korean food among Kpop idols. There is even Samgyeopsal Day (삼겹살데이) every March 3.

How to cook Sampgyeopsal

Ingredients:

Main:

• 3 pounds of pork belly
• Pajeori (green onion salad):
• 14-16 green onions (about 5 cups), sliced thinly
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tbs roasted sesame seeds
• 1 tbs sesame oil
• 2 tbs hot pepper flakes (gochugaru)

Dipping sauce:

• 1 cup of doenjang
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tbs gochujang
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp roasted sesame seeds
• 1 tbs sesame oil

Vegetables:

• 1 bunch of lettuce, washed and drained
• Perilla leaves (optional), rinsed and drained
• 2 carrots, cut into bite-size sticks
• 1 English cucumber, cut into bite-size sticks
• 7 to 8 green chili peppers, chopped
• A dozen of raw garlic, sliced
• 1 large onion, cut across into ¼ size pieces

Steps:

1. Slice pork belly into bite-sized pieces. Put it on a large plate and keep it in the fridge.
2. Meanwhile, let’s prepare the salad and sauce.
3. Soak shredded green onion in cold water for 5 minutes. Rinse and drain.
4. Mix soy sauce, sugar, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and hot pepper flakes in a small bowl. Set aside.
5. Put the shredded green onion into small serving bowls, and pour the sauce you made on top of each. Set aside.

Now, let’s make the dipping sauce.

• Mix soybean paste, hot pepper paste, sugar, green onion, garlic, sesame seeds, and sesame oils in a bowl. Set aside.

It’s time to enjoy the Korean pork belly BBQ or samgyeopsal!

How to enjoy samgyeopsal/Korean pork belly BBQ

1. Heat your grill plate or pan. Put a little sesame oil and put the pork belly on it. Grill them and turn them over when the bottoms get a little crispy. Remember to cut them into pieces while cooking. You can use scissors to do so. Keep cooking and turning them over until both sides are crispy.
2. As the pork belly pieces get ready to eat, take them off the grill and put them on a small side plate. Or you can take it directly from the grill.
3. Put a piece of lettuce in your hand, add a piece of perilla leaf, and a piece of the grilled pork belly.
4. Add the dipping sauce, cooked onion or garlic, and some green onion salad on top. Fold the lettuce leaf over so you have a little package.
5. Pop it into your mouth in one shot! Don’t bite!
6. Eat, but keep cooking.

Some Kpop idols who enjoy Samgyeopsal a lot

Basically, almost all Kpop idols are diehard to get samgyeopsal as it is one of the most favorite Korean food ever. However, some who enjoy samgyeopsal A LOT are Red Velvet Seulgi, Red Velvet Yeri, HyunA, and BTS Suga.

5. Dakganjeong (닭강정) / Korean Fried Chicken

Korean fried chicken or so-called dakganjeong (닭강정) is one of the most famous Korean food all around the world. It is a deep-fried crispy chicken dish glazed in a sticky, sweet, and spicy sauce. As its name, the main ingredient is chicken; you can use a whole chicken cut up, or only the chicken wings. It depends on your preference.

How to cook Dakganjeong

Ingredients:

Chicken & seasoning:

• 1 to 1½ kg whole chicken cut up or chicken wings
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp minced ginger

Chicken coating:

• 2/3 cup potato starch or corn starch

Sticky, sweet, spicy sauce:

• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 1 tbs white vinegar
• ½ cup rice syrup or corn syrup
• 1 tbs brown sugar
• 1 tbs roasted sesame seeds
• Vegetable oil or peanut oil

Steps:

1. Prepare the chicken pieces, put them in a bowl, and mix them with seasoning (salt, ginger, ground black pepper).
2. Put potato starch or corn starch in a bowl and dip each piece of chicken in the powder to coat it, one by one. Then, squeeze each chicken piece to press the coating to it tightly.
3. Fry in hot oil for 7 to 8 minutes. Shake off, let sit, then fry again for another 12 to 15 minutes until they look golden brown and feel super crunchy.
4. While waiting, we can prepare the sauce.
5. Heat a non-stick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbs cooking oil, minced garlic, and the dried red chili pepper. Stir for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
6. Add the brown sugar and continue stirring. Remove the heat and set it aside.
7. Now it’s time to mix them up!
8. When all the chicken pieces are done, reheat the sauce until it bubbles and add the hot chicken. Mix well until the sauce coat all chicken pieces
9. Remove the heat and put them on a nice platter. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top and serve immediately.

Some Kpop idols who loves dakganjeong:

EXO Kai, SHINee Onew, BEAST Doojon, Red Velvet Joy, VIXX Ravi, WANNA ONE Park Jihoon, Cosmic Girls Cheng Xiao, SEVENTEEN Woozi

6. Kimchi Bokkeumbap (Kimchi Fried Rice)

It’s simply the legendary kimchi plus rice with smoky bacon. This is the best dish if you have leftover steamed rice.

How to cook Kimchi bokkeumbap

Ingredients:

• 1 cup kimchi, cut into small cubes
• 150 gr bacon, cut into pieces
• 200 gr mushrooms (optional, we recommend you to use enoki mushroom), root removed, rinse in cold water and drain
• 3 cups steamed rice
• Eggs, cooked sunny side up
• ½ tsp minced garlic
• ¼ cup kimchi juice (usually from the bottom of the kimchi container)
• ½ tbs sesame oil
• ½ tbs cooking oil

Garnish (optional):

• 1 to 2 tbs roasted sesame seeds
• ½ stalk green onion, thinly sliced
• Roasted seasoned seaweed, shredded

Steps:

1. Preheat the wok over medium-high heat, and add the cooking oil
2. Add garlic, stir it fast for about 10 seconds. Add the bacon and stir until it is half-cooked.
3. Put the kimchi in and stir until 80% is cooked.
4. Add the mushrooms if you use any, and mix them well for a few seconds. Then, reduce the heat to medium or medium-low.
5. It’s now time to add the rice and kimchi juice. Mix them well and thoroughly.
6. Add sesame oil, mix well, and remove from the heat.
7. Put the cooked kimchi bokkeumbap on a serving plate and garnish it with sesame seeds, green onions, and seaweed. Don’t forget to put the sunny-side-up egg on top of it. Enjoy!

Some Kpop idols who likes kimchi bokkeumbap

BLACKPINK members, Mark Tuan, BTS J-Hope (and other BTS members)

7. Different kinds of stew (Korean jjigae)

Stew is a popular dish in Korea. They have different kinds of stew, like doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), budae jjigae (army stew), and sundubu jjigae (soft tofu stew), galbi jjim (braised short ribs stew), and many more. Korean stew usually has spicy and rich flavors.

Some Kpop idols whose favorite food is kinds of Korean stew

Who can resist the savory taste of Korean jjigae? No one can, neither can our Kpop idols. BTOB Eunkwang, BLACKPINK Lisa, MONSTA X Kihyun, MONSTA X Jooheo, INFINITE L, Apink Bomi, BLACKPINK Rosé, Super Junior Donghae, JB, Gyuri, BTS Jimin, and EXO D.O are some of Kpop idols who love Korean jjigae.

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