25 Classic Korean Dishes To Try

Kimchi is a spicy and savory dish with a hint of sweetness. It is made with fermented vegetables like cabbage and other leafy vegetables, and seasoned with Gochujang (Korean red chili paste), Gochugaru (Korean Red chili powder), a lot of garlic, ginger, and other spices. 

Did you know? Kimchi was first developed 4,000 years ago!

It is usually a side dish but can be a snack as well. All you need is some fermented cabbage, spices, ginger, and garlic. The fermentation process helps preserve the veggies, therefore, extending the lifespan of the dish. 

Korean Barbeque is one of the most wholesome and delicious food, plus, it is also quite fun to eat. The process includes grilling the pork meat with other condiments, which allows the excess fat from the pork to drip down, making it a bit more healthy than stir-frying the pork meat.

The best quality beef, pork, or chicken meat often gets marinated and sliced. The grilling is done in a portable gas station that is placed on the table for you to cook and eat simultaneously. The meat is usually dipped in various side dishes wrapped on a lettuce leaf and eaten at once.

Korean Barbeque is not just a dish, it is an experience. It emphasizes high-quality food items and a variety of greens.

The exact translation to "Bulgogi" is "Fire meat". It is one of the traditional main courses of Korea that is usually prepared from thinly sliced beef that gets marinated and grilled. 

The meat is marinated in a mixture of many spices and sauces like, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, and other spices and seasonings. It has a unique flavor of sweet and savory taste. The marination process helps to enhance the flavor of the meat as well as tenderize the meat and is a delightful juicy Korean dish. 

Bibimbap, meaning "mixed rice", is a Korean dish consisting of a bowl of seasoned rice, minced meat, vegetables, and an egg (usually uncooked). It is considered one of the healthiest main courses in Korean cuisine and the world. 

The dish is served in a bowl made up of stone or aluminum to make the food remain hot for a longer time. It consists of many vegetables and ingredients making it a pleasant and vibrant-looking dish combined with wholesome tastes and textures.

The vegetables that are commonly used are carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, spinach, and mushrooms. Since the dish is loaded with different vegetables, it is considered very healthy. It is rich in vitamins, minerals, and fibers.

One of the most famous dishes from the Korean Cuisine, Gimbap or Kimbap consists of rice(bap) alongside many veggies and chunks of meat which is rolled in a sheet of seaweed (gim).

This dish is similar to sushi as it has ingredients such as carrots, pickled radish, eggs, and often some kind of meat like beef, crabs, chicken, fish cakes, etc., rolled in a sheet of seaweed.

Gimbap is a well-balanced and nutritious dish. The seaweed is rich in vitamins and minerals which support thyroid regulation. The rice in Gimbap provides necessary carbs and the veggies help in overall health. 

Do you like Spicy food? Tteobokki could be the perfect dish for you. It can be considered both a light meal and a snack. It is a spicy stir-fried rice cake cooked in a perfect blend of taste and texture.

Tteobokki is a short chewy cylindrical rice cake cooked in spicy sauce. The sauce is made up of spicy gochujang (chili paste) sauce with boiled eggs, scallions, and fish cakes. It is traditionally to go dish and is often a convenience food for Koreans and now people worldwide.

You will need to combine gochujang,gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, and minced garlic in water to create a smooth sauce. After a boil, just add the rice cake meat or seafood of your choice or even noodles and garnish with some sesame seeds.

Samgyeopsal means the 'three-layer flesh'. It is a very popular Korean full-course dish that consists of Pork meat with three layers, which is the Flesh, Fat, and meat. The thick and fatty sliced pork belly is grilled on the table.

Samgyeopsal is accompanied by many side dishes including kimchi, lettuce leaves, and other pickled and fermented veggies. 

The star of the show; pork belly is wrapped in lettuce along with other condiments and dipped in the ssamjang( a thick and spicy dip), creating a burst of flavors inside your mouth. The dish is prepared by slicing fresh pork belly marinated and grilled. The meat is then wrapped in lettuce leaf with other spices and veggies and dipped in sauce. 

Kimchi Jjigae is a famous stew made up of kimchi, pork (or sometimes other meat), tofu, and vegetables. It is a loaded meal that you can enjoy as lunch or dinner. Combining all the ingredients into a simmer makes an amazing and flavourful broth.

The base of this dish is Kimchi stew, which is fermented veggies, resulting in a pronounced and enhanced taste. The dish is served in a bowl and is usually eaten with rice.

The food is warm and cozy. It is loaded with protein and vitamins. Kimchi Jjigae is made by chopping some kimchi, tofu, preferred meat, and a lot of vegetables and made into a stew.

The viral food all over the world, Ramyeon or Ramyun is a favorite to all. From spicy Ramyun challenge to local snacks, Ramyun sure has a special spot in our hearts. Unlike its Japanese counterpart, Ramen, which has a longer process of making, Ramyeon is often dried noodles packaged with spices.

Ramyeon can be accompanied by a lot of veggies, rice cakes, meat chunks, fish cakes, kimchi, and many others making it all in one food with decent nutritional values.

Making a Ramyeon is pretty straightforward, put the noodles in boiling water, add your preferred veggies or meat of your choice, some gochujung and gochugaru, and kimchi, and you are done.

Japchae is made from sweet potato starch noodles (making it translucent) which are stir-fried with a variety of veggies, meat, usually beef, and seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil.

It can be enjoyed as a side dish or a light meal. The noodles are fried with a lot of colorful vegetables like carrots, spinach, mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers. 

Japchae is a well-balanced meal and very easy to make. You just need to fry the cooked sweet potato starch noodles with veggies, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame seeds to taste. Its balanced taste and flavor provide a range of essential nutrients, making it a healthy and satisfying meal.

Sundubu Jjigae is a soft tofu stew which considered a comfort food by many. It is usually devoured as lunch or dinner. This comforting food includes a spectrum of ingredients such as various vegetables, mushrooms, seafood (usually shrimps or clams), and meat (usually pork or beef).

The stew also incorporates the star spices of Korean Cuisine, Gochujang (Korean red chili paste), and Gochugaru (red chili powder) giving the dish a spicy kick. The Sundubu Jjigae is served hot in an earthware pot, with a raw egg cracked into the stew. The stew also has many health benefits. The key ingredient, the soft tofu, is rich in protein and contains all essential amino acids.

To experience this meal, just saute garlic and onions in sesame oil, add some gochujang and gochugaru, add vegetables, the meat of your choice, and the soft tofu, and stir fry them lastly pour some broth made from anchovies, kelp, or beef and boil them all.

Korean Fried Chicken also known as "Chikin" in Korea is famous worldwide. Unlike American Fried Chicken, this dish is known for its thin, crispy crust with drenched in spicy sauce.

The sauce is a perfect blend of sweet and spicy flavors or a soy-garlic glaze. This dish is usually served with a side dish of pickled radish and a chilled beer. 

Korean Fried Chicken is double-fried which reduces the overall greasiness of the chicken, making it less oily compared to other fried chicken. The tangy pickled radishes provide a low-calorie contrast to the fried chicken.

Jjajangmyeon is a Korean-Chinese full-course meal made with wheat noodles and topped with a thick, savory black bean sauce. The black bean sauce also known as jjajang, is made by fermenting the black bean soybean paste.

The dish also features diced meat, usually beef or pork, and many veggies like potatoes, zucchini, and onions. The meat and the veggies are sauteed and stir-fried until they are tender.

Then the soybean paste is cooked in the same pan in the center and water is added with some seasonings like sugar and soy sauce. Then the gravy is thickened and topped on the wheat noodles ready to be devoured.

Naengmyeon means "cold noodles". It is a local dish in Korea that is eaten especially during the summer as lunch or dinner. This dish usually comes in two types of bases, Mul-naengmyeon (chilled beef broth) and Bibim-naengmyeon, mixed with a spicy-sweet and tangy sauce.

The noodles are sourced out of buckwheat and starch, resulting in chewy textures. This dish is usually topped with thinly sliced cucumbers, a boiled egg, a few slices of beef, and kimchi.

The noodles are boiled, cooked, and kept aside to cool. For Mul-naengmyeon, the chilled beef broth is poured into the noodles. And for the Bibim-naengmyeon a mixture of sugar and spices is kept to make a spicy-sweet sauce.

Hoddeok exteriorly will look quite familiar to the outside world. The good old outer batter of wheat flour, milk, sugar, and yeast cooked to golden brown on a greased griddle. The filling is usually made up of sweet ingredients like brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, peanuts, etc.

Undoubtedly, due to the sweet flavoring of the sweet treat, it is usually enjoyed during festivals and carnivals. Else it can be commonly found in food stalls in markets all across Korea. To get the most flavorful experience, people eat it right off the hot griddle when the sweet filling has melted.

The delightful combination of gooey fillings and the chewiness of the sweet outside layer makes it a delicacy among locals and tourists alike. Hoddeok is a playful comfort snack that evokes exciting feelings of warmth and home despite the raging winter outside.

Soondae, an appetizer, is a unique Korean sausage made up primarily of pork blood and other ingredients such as starches, green vegetables, and seasonings like salt, garlic, pepper, etc. In some variations of Soondae, ingredients such as smaller pieces of meat and kimchi are also added for a more satisfying version of Soondae.

The fillings are stuffed inside the intestines of pigs which have been washed and cleaned thoroughly, of course. Then once the filling is nice and tight, the sealed-up intestines are boiled or steamed in seasoned water until the sausage is fully cooked.

Once cooked, Soondae is sliced into discs and then served with dipping sauces like spicy gochujang-based sauce. Soondae is best enjoyed with other Korean side dishes like tteobokki or sundubu jjigae or other types of condiments that complement each other’s flavors.

One of the popular variations of egg in Korea, Gyeran-jimm is usually enjoyed as a side dish (banchan). The eggs have a custard-like silky smooth texture and are nutrition-dense. Due to the high customizability of the side dish and the runniness form factor, this dish is almost at all times mixed with other dishes of tougher texture.

First, the egg is mixed with some water (preferably)  to create a fluffy texture and alleviate the flavor. Then, once proper seasonings are added and customizable ingredients such as seafood, beef, vegetables, and mushrooms may be added for extra flavor.

Then the mixture is beaten thoroughly and is poured into heat-proof covered bowls and steamed until the eggs are completely cooked. Gyeran-jimm is a side dish that can be used in cases of spreads, sauces, gravy, and as a standalone dish.

Also known as tteokguk, Ddeokguk is a traditional Korean soup made primarily from rice cakes called ddeok into a clear broth. The full-course meal can be enjoyed during the day or night and has a savory flavor from all the juices mixed into the broth with a chewy texture from the rice cakes.

Ddeokguk is a nutrient-rich balanced meal with carbohydrates coming from the rice cakes, the minerals from the broth, the vitamins from the vegetables, and protein if the broth is made from meat.

Do you like pancakes? Haemul Pajeon is a pancake with a savory twist. It is composed of seafood and vegetables. This dish is often enjoyed as a snack or a light meal, especially on a rainy day. 

The Haemul Pajeon contains various seafood, therefore, making it rich in protein and a good source of vitamins and minerals from the vegetables. If it is not overfired, it is considered low in calories as well.

You simply mix flour, eggs, and water to make a batter. Then add chopped green onions, other veggies, and sliced seafood. Then you cook the batter as you cook a pancake. The result is a crispy exterior with a soft and flavorful inside.

A protein-powered meal, Dakgalbi is a popular Korean dish that has its origin in Chuncheon. This dish is spicy stir-fried chicken and is usually served in a round pan. The Dakgalbi is considered a meal on its own rather than a snack as it comes in large portions satisfying hunger as a main course.

If not overeaten, the dish is relatively low in fat and high in protein, and the Capsaicin from the spice may help you with your metabolism. The bite-sized chicken is marinated and stir-fried with other veggies in a sauce made with soy sauce, gochujang, gochugaru, garlic, and of course to balance out, sugar.

Kimchi Bokkeumbap is considered a tasty meal and is often served as a main dish for lunch or dinner. The dish features, as the name suggests, Kimchi as its main flavoring element. It is a Korean fried rice with some leftover ingredients. 

The dish contains fermented Kimchi, which is a good source of prebiotics, vegetables in it are rich in vitamins, and is a good fiber food. Kimchi Bokkeumbap is often served with a topping of fried egg and garnished with green onions. It is a quick and easy-to-make meal that offers tangy, spicy, and savory flavors.

Banchan is a side dish that usually can be refilled. This side dish is served with a main course of any sort. They consist of a variety of veggies, tofu, fish, etc.

Since it is sourced from various veggies, it has diverse nutrients from various vegetables. It also includes fermented foods which are good for your gut health. They are typically low in calories and provide a balanced nutrition complementing the main dish.

Banchan is an integral part of Korean Cuisine, which offers a variety of flavors, tastes, textures, and nutritional values. As per the occasions, the variety and the quantity of Banchan varies.

Galbijjim is a beef meat dish. The beef short ribs are marinated and braised making it tender and flavorful. This dish is typically prepared on special occasions. It is a main dish in Korean Cuisine and is often considered the centerpiece of any event.

The Galbijjim is served with a bowl of rice and many side dishes. It is eaten as a part of lunch or dinner satisfying hunger as it is a primary meal component. The beef is high in protein and contains minerals like iron and zinc.

The slow cooking method preserves nutrients and the vegetables provide essential vitamins and fiber.

Koreans love pork meat. Boosam is a popular Korean dish made from pork belly with various condiments, which is typically eaten wrapped in lettuce or other leafy vegetables. 

The pork provides protein, whereas, the leafy veggies provide vitamins and minerals that are good for your overall health. Bossam is usually considered the star of the show, it is primarily a main course as it is accompanied by various side dishes.

They are typically shared among diners as a central dish. The boiled pork is thinly sliced and wrapped in lettuce and sometimes dipped in soy sauce before indulging in this dish.

Pot stickers or dumplings, have reached every corner of the world. Mandu is a Korean style dumplings. The dumplings are filled with a mixture of seasoned meat (of any choice), vegetables, and spices. Mandu is considered both the main dish and a snack. 

You may steam or even stir-fry them, dip them in soy sauce or hot sauce, and indulge in a burst of flavors inside your mouth. The dish has balanced nutrition as it consists of protein from the veggies and meat, and since it is a steamed delicacy, it is low in fat.