The Spiciest Korean Dishes You Need to Try

Korean food has become one of the most popular cuisines worldwide in recent years, and for good reason. Filled with bold, complex flavours including some incredibly healthy and delicious dishes, there’s something for everyone when shopping in Korean supermarkets.

One aspect of Korean cuisine that has become particularly popular is its spicy food. Korean ingredients like gochujang and gochugaru are great for adding a kick to lots of dishes, particularly Korean street food, but also some classic homely meals. Discover some of our favourite spicy Korean dishes to try.

Tteokbokki

A classic Korean street food, tteokbokki is primarily made up of cylindrical rice cakes (known as garaetteok) that simmer in a spicy gochujang-based sauce until lovely and chewy. Fish cakes (eomuk) are often included in the broth to add a little more substance.

Good tteokbokki is primarily about the sauce. Tteokbokki is naturally tasteless but soaks up the spicy gochujang beautifully – it’s the perfect warming food after a hard day.

Galbijjim

Galbijjim (or braised short ribs) is usually something saved for special occasions in Korea, such as New Year’s or someone’s birthday. However, we won’t blame you if you can’t wait that long!

When preparing ribs for this classic Korean dish, you parboil them first to remove excess fat and blood. The ribs are then simmered alongside vegetables, nuts and mushrooms.

This is a wonderful slow-cooker dish that can be adapted to suit people’s tastes. If you love it spicy, remember to add some gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes).

Nakjibokkeum

The simplicity of nakjibokkeum (stir-fried octopus) is a big reason why this dish has become so popular. The nutritional benefits of octopus are also part of the reason you’ll see this dish being prepared in Korean homes as well as in restaurants.

Nakjibokkeum is simply small cuts of octopus meat (traditionally small wang octopus) stir-fried for a couple of minutes, alongside vegetables such as onions and peppers. A spicy sauce often made up of soy sauce, gochugaru (chilli flakes) and pepper is used to marinate at the end to give it that lovely spicy flavour.

Buldak

Buldak (literally meaning fire chicken) is one of Korea’s most famous spicy foods, but not in the way you perhaps expect.

There are many different ways Korean spicy chicken can be prepared, including grilled or fried. What makes it buldak is the spicy sauce, usually a blend of gochujang, gochugaru and garlic, along with its cheesy topping.

Buldak the food isn’t as popular as buldak the flavour, however, particularly the buldak instant noodles that are now popular across the globe.

Jjambbong

There’s something particularly heartwarming about a spicy noodle soup on a cold day. Jjambbong, a blend of Korean and Chinese cuisine, is one of the most popular versions of this classic dish.

Jjambbong is usually a noodle soup featuring lots of different seafoods (octopus, mussels, shrimp etc.) and very thin, slightly charred vegetables. Of course, the trick is in the broth; usually a deep red and packed with chillis to give it a hearty kick.

Jjambbong is one of Korea’s most popular takeaways, perfect for those days when you want something spicy to liven you up.

While these are some of the most popular, traditionally spicy Korean foods, there are so many more dishes that can be made spicy with some classic Korean ingredients. Fill your cupboard with things like chilli oils, gochujang and gochugaru, and you’ll be able to whip up some incredibly hearty dishes in no time.