This stir fried pork belly and kimchee is a fast, fiery Korean stir fry that turns fatty pork belly and tangy, fermented kimchi into a sticky, spicy, deeply savory weeknight dinner. The pork crisps in its own rendered fat, then everything gets tossed in a gochujang and gochugaru sauce until it caramelizes and the kimchi goes jammy at the edges. It is endlessly versatile, too: pile the leftovers over rice, fold them into fried rice, or add a splash of stock to turn it into kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew). The whole thing comes together in about 20 minutes in a single pan. Pile the leftovers into my Kimchi Fried Rice, round out the table with my Korean Potato Salad, or keep the Korean BBQ going with my Beef Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps.
Stir Fried Pork Belly and Kimchee at a Glance
- 🕒 Total Time: 20 minutes
- 👪 Servings: 4 (as part of a Korean spread)
- 🍝 Cuisine Type: Korean
- 🧂 Flavor Profile: Rich and porky, spicy and fermented, sweet-savory from gochujang with smoky gochugaru heat and crunchy scallions
- 📖 Dietary Info: Contains pork; dairy-free; gluten-free if you use tamari and a GF gochujang
- 📦 Storage Notes: Refrigerate airtight 3-4 days; reheats great in a hot pan; leftovers are even better in fried rice or kimchi stew; freezing not recommended (the texture suffers)
- ⭐Why You'll Love It: Crispy pork belly and tangy kimchi in a sticky gochujang glaze, all in one pan in 20 minutes. Big, bold Korean flavor with almost no effort. The leftovers might be even better than night one.
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It’s also a part of my Korean BBQ Dinner Party, which is so diverse- it includes the vegetarian spicy stir fried eggplant. You should totally make this season. It’s incredible!
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Ingredients
- 5 strips pork belly
- ½ small onion sliced
- 2 cups kimchee chopped
- 3 green onions sliced on a bias
- toasted sesame seeds to garnish
Stir Fry Sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons gochujang
- 2 tablespoons korean red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon garlic chopped
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
Substitutions & Swaps
🐖 Pork
- Pork belly (called for) - Renders fatty and crisp, the classic choice
- Thin-sliced pork shoulder - Leaner, still plenty of flavor
- Thick-cut bacon - Smoky shortcut; cut into pieces
- Ground pork - Faster; crumble and brown
- Extra-firm tofu - Vegetarian swap; press and sear hard for crisp edges
🌶️ Heat & Sauce
- Gochujang (called for) - Fermented chili paste, the sweet-savory backbone
- Gochugaru (called for) - Korean chili flakes, smoky and bright
- Sambal oelek - Decent stand-in for gochugaru in a pinch
- Sriracha - Sweeter and sharper; dial back the sugar
- Reduce the paste and flakes - For a milder version the kids will eat
🥬 Kimchi & Veg
- Napa cabbage kimchi (called for) - The riper and more sour, the better here
- Vegan kimchi - Check it's made without fish sauce or salted shrimp
- Sliced mushrooms - Soak up the sauce and add meatiness
- Extra onion or leek - Sweetens as it cooks down
🍶 Seasoning
- Toasted sesame oil (called for) - Finish with it for nutty aroma
- Soy sauce or tamari - Tamari keeps it gluten-free
- Mirin or a splash of rice wine - Rounds out the sauce
- Brown sugar instead of white - Deeper caramel notes
🐖🌶️🍶 Tips & Tricks for the Best Stir Fried Pork Belly and Kimchee
Crispy pork, jammy kimchi, and a sticky gochujang glaze
- Render the pork belly fat first. Start it in a dry, hot pan so the fat melts and the edges crisp before anything else goes in.
- Use sour, well-fermented kimchi. Older, tangier kimchi caramelizes better and gives the dish its signature funk. Fresh kimchi tastes flat here.
- Cook the kimchi until it goes jammy. Let it fry in the pork fat until the edges brown and it loses its raw crunch.
- Drain off excess fat. Pork belly throws a lot. Spoon some out so the dish stays glossy, not greasy.
- Mix the sauce before you start. Gochujang, gochugaru, soy, sugar, garlic, and sesame oil whisked ahead means you're not scrambling over a hot pan.
- Get the pan screaming hot. A stir fry needs high heat so things sear and caramelize instead of steam.
- Add the sauce at the end. Stir it in during the last couple of minutes so the sugars caramelize without scorching.
- Don't crowd the pan. Work in a wide skillet or wok so the pork crisps instead of stewing.
- Save the kimchi juice. A splash of the brine deepens the flavor and helps build the sauce.
- Plan for the leftovers. Stash extra for fried rice the next day, or add stock and tofu to turn it into kimchi jjigae.
FAQs
What is stir fried pork belly and kimchi?
It is a classic Korean stir fry of fatty pork belly cooked with fermented kimchi in a spicy gochujang sauce. The pork crisps in its own fat while the kimchi caramelizes, creating a sweet, spicy, deeply savory dish. It is typically served with rice as part of a Korean meal.
What kind of kimchi is best for cooking?
Older, more sour napa cabbage kimchi is ideal for cooking because its tang mellows and caramelizes beautifully over heat. Fresh, just-made kimchi tastes flat once cooked. If your kimchi is very ripe, this dish is the perfect way to use it up.
What can I make with leftover pork belly kimchi stir fry?
Pile it over steamed rice, fold it into kimchi fried rice, or add a splash of stock and some tofu to turn it into kimchi jjigae, a Korean stew. It also makes a great filling for rice bowls and lettuce wraps. The flavor deepens overnight.
Is Stir Fried Pork Belly very spicy?
It has a real kick from gochujang and gochugaru, but you control the heat. Cut back on the chili paste and flakes for a milder version, or add more if you like it fiery. A bowl of plain rice also tames the spice.
Can I make Stir Fried Pork Belly gluten-free?
Yes, swap the soy sauce for tamari and check that your gochujang is gluten-free, since some brands contain wheat. Everything else in the dish is naturally gluten-free. The flavor stays exactly the same.
Stir Fried Pork Belly and Kimchee
Ingredients
- 5 strips pork belly
- ½ small onion sliced
- 2 cups kimchee chopped
- 3 green onions sliced on a bias
- toasted sesame seeds to garnish
Stir Fry Sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons gochujang
- 2 tablespoons korean red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon garlic chopped
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
Instructions
- To make the sauce combine sauce ingredients and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium high heat add the pork in a single layer and cook, turning once, until slightly crisp, about six minutes. Cut the pork into 1 inch pieces with scissors and drain some of the fat from the skillet with a paper towel.
- Add the onion and cook for a minute and add the kimchee and give it a stir, 3 minutes. Add the sauce and toss until everything is cooked, about 5-6 minutes stir in the green onions. Transfer to a plate and garnish with toasted sesame seeds.
as a native korean, i'm impressed by this recipe! i would just half the sauce so that the kimchi flavor can really shine through.
This was sooooo good! The sauce was a perfect combination of flavors. I made without the kimchi and instead threw in what I had, some p
Red cabbage, and it was still outstanding!
A delight!
Loved it!