Noodles · Korean home cooking

Pork and onion jajang ramyeon

Name: Pork and onion jajang ramyeon
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: Instant Korean black-bean noodle packs with included sauce; Water for boiling noodles; Ground pork; Onion, diced; Neutral cooking oil; Cucumber, cut into fine strips

Sweet fried onion and well-cooked ground pork turn instant black-bean noodles into a generous one-pan meal without hiding the familiar jajang flavour.

25 min2 servings6 stepsDifficulty: Easy

AI-generated cooking illustrations. Follow the written quantities and instructions.

01 / Before you start

Ingredients

2 servings

Everyday kitchen measurements

For 2 servings. Use a small 180 ml paper cup, a level eating spoon (about 15 ml) and a small teaspoon (about 5 ml).

How to fill the cup and spoons

Use the same cup and spoons throughout. Their sizes vary, so these amounts are approximate. Spoon flour in loosely and level the top without pressing. Measure vegetables after chopping, without packing them down. The amounts in g/ml are the original reference quantities. For part of a pack, use the specified pack weight and divide the contents evenly.

King Arthur Baking

Essential, optional and substitute ingredients

Keep essential ingredients. For a replacement, use its listed amount and cooking changes instead of that ingredient’s original amount. Skip optional ingredients and their preparation if omitted. Photos show the original recipe.

Instant Korean black-bean noodle packs with included sauce2 packsOriginal quantity: about 280 g total
Substitute available
If Instant Korean black-bean noodle packs with included sauce is unavailable

Use instead
Plain instant noodle blocks plus ready-to-eat Korean black-bean sauce

Substitute quantity
2 blocks + ½ paper cup sauceReference quantity: about 200 g noodles + 90 g sauce

Cook the plain noodles to their packet time. Use the ready-to-eat sauce instead of the missing powder sachets; it may already contain salt and oil, so start with less noodle water.
Water for boiling noodles5 paper cupsOriginal quantity: 900 ml
Essential
Boil noodles in 900 ml water. Before draining, save ⅔ paper cup (120 ml) of this water; you will add only what the sauce needs.
Ground porkabout ⅓ of a 450 g packOriginal quantity: 150 g
Substitute available
If Ground pork is unavailable

Use instead
Firm tofu, crumbled

Substitute quantity
about ½ of a 300 g packReference quantity: 150 g

Press out extra moisture and brown the crumbled tofu in the pan instead. The texture is softer and the dish is meat-free.
Onion, diced1 small onionOriginal quantity: about 100 g
Substitute available
If Onion, diced is unavailable

Use instead
Spring onion, sliced

Substitute quantity
2 stalksReference quantity: about 40 g

Cook the white parts briefly and add the green parts at the end; the sauce will be less sweet.
Neutral cooking oil1 small teaspoonOriginal quantity: 5 ml
Optional
Omit if the pork releases enough fat; use no extra oil sachet unless the sauce is dry.
Cucumber, cut into fine stripsabout ¼ paper cupOriginal quantity: 40 g
Optional
Adds crunch on top; omit if unavailable.

Tap each ingredient as you prepare it. Check product labels for egg, soy, sesame, wheat, fish or shellfish where relevant.

02 / You’re ready to cook

Step-by-step cooking

Step 1

Dice the onion and cut optional cucumber into thin strips. Keep raw ground pork and its utensils separate from ready-to-eat cucumber. Open two black-bean noodle packs and set both sauce sachets aside; keep any dried-vegetable sachets for the boiling water.
Step 1
Step 2

Heat a wide nonstick pan over medium heat. Add optional 1 small teaspoon of oil, then the ground pork. Break it into small pieces and cook for 4–5 minutes until no pink remains. A food thermometer should read at least 71°C in the ground pork. If using crumbled tofu, brown it instead until hot and lightly golden.
Step 2
Step 3

Add the diced onion to the cooked pork or tofu. Stir for 3–4 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Lower the heat if it catches. Turn off the pan while boiling the noodles so the onion does not burn.
Step 3
Step 4

In a separate pot, boil 5 paper cups (900 ml) water. Add both noodle blocks and any dried-vegetable sachets. Cook 3–4 minutes, or one minute less than the packet time. Save ⅔ paper cup (120 ml) noodle water in a heat-safe cup, then drain the noodles.
Step 4
Step 5

Reheat the pork-onion pan on low. Add the drained noodles and both full sauce sachets. For powder sauce add 4 level eating spoons (60 ml) saved noodle water; for liquid sauce start with 2 level eating spoons (30 ml). Toss for 30–60 seconds. If dry, add reserved water 1 level eating spoon at a time until glossy, not soupy.
Step 5
Step 6

Turn off the heat and split between two bowls. Top with optional cucumber. Check the pork is fully cooked before serving, and taste before adding salt because the black-bean sachets are seasoned. Serve straight away while noodles remain springy.
Step 6

03 / Enjoy your meal

Finished dish

Helpful tips

Ground pork must reach 71°C; if using ground chicken as a different substitute, cook to 74°C. The tofu option changes texture but uses the same sauce. Use no extra soy sauce until tasting the finished noodles.