Time for the monthly Pinterest Challenge and this month, I’m making Bacon Jajangmyeon or noodles covered with bacon black bean sauce!
If you aren’t familiar with the Pinterest Challenge, it’s a monthly blog challenge to get us pin hoarders motivated to try pins from our boards. Here are the two traditional Jajangmyeon pins that inspired the cooking method for this month’s recipe –> Korean Black Bean Noodles + Korean Jajangmyeon and one that used bacon –> Korean Jajang Myeon.
I recently discovered Jajangmeyon through Korean variety shows and really wanted to try it for this month’s challenge. Jajangmyeon is a Chinese dish that was adapted by Koreans and is currently one of the most popular Korean/Chinese fusion dishes in Korea. The dish is basically pork and vegetables with a black bean sauce that is served over noodles. While, the traditional recipe uses pork belly, it isn’t something I always have on hand. On the other hand, bacon is a staple at our house, so I knew it would make a good substitute.
What I like about Jajangmyeon is that it’s easy to substitute vegetables and can be made vegetarian by omitting the bacon. It’s also a great way to get kids to eat veggies since the veggies are covered in a delicious black bean sauce with bacon, which is hard to resist. So without further ado, let’s get to the recipe!
Delicious and vegetable packed bacon black bean noodles in about 35 minutes.Bacon Jajangmyeon – Bacon Black Bean Noodles
Bacon jajangmyeon cooks up pretty fast, so get all the prep work done before starting. Get all the vegetables chopped and have the other ingredients near.
Cook bacon till slightly crisp. Drain out oil, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pan and save 1 tablespoon for later. Add in the onions and potatoes, cooking until both start to become transparent.
Start to boil water for the noodles. Korean noodles can be found in the refrigerated section of many Asian markets and have a chewy texture. Cook to package directions. Set aside.
Note: Only cook as much noodles as you will eat. One bundle of noodles is usually one large serving and can be split in two for younger children. The remaining sauce can be stored for up to 2-3 days in an airtight container in the fridge and it’s best to serve over fresh cooked noodles.
Add in the cabbage, zucchini, garlic, and mushrooms. Continue to cook until the cabbage is wilted, about 4-5 more minutes.
Make a well in the center of the mix and add the reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon oil, black bean paste, and sugar. Mix to combine, then mix to thoroughly coat the vegetables.
Add water and chicken stock. Test vegetables with a fork for tenderness. If vegetables are tender, add the cornstarch slurry to thicken and mix throughout. If vegetables are not fork tender, cook until fork tender before adding cornstarch slurry.
The sauce should be glossy, thick, and slightly salty.
Serve over warm noodles or hot rice (my daughter sometimes eats it this way).
Bacon Jajangmyeon - Black Bean Noodles
Noodles with black bean sauce, bacon, and vegetables.
Ingredients
- 7-8 thick cut bacon - sliced into 1/2" pieces
- 3 T. bacon oil (reserve from cooked bacon)
- 1 cup rough chopped onion - 1/2" pieces
- 1 cup cubed potato - 1/2" cubes or slightly smaller
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 cups cubed zucchini - 1/2" cubes or slightly smaller
- 2 cup shredded cabbage - 1/4" thick
- 1 cup mushrooms (I used cleaned brown Shimeji)
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 6 T. black bean sauce
- 1 T. sugar
- 3 T. corn starch
- 4 T. water
- salt to taste if needed
- julienned cucumbers - optional
- green onions - optional
- seasame seeds - optional
- Korean Noodles
Instructions
- Before starting, prep all the vegetables and slice bacon. Set aside. Have all other ingredients on hand, as this cooking goes quickly.
- Cook bacon on medium high heat until the edges are crispy. . Drain excess oil, keeping 2 T. in the pan with the bacon. Save 1 T. of drained oil for later.
- Start to boil water for noodles. Follow package directions for cooking. Set aside when done.
- Add onions and potato. Cook around 4-5 minutes or until onions and potatoes are just starting to become translucent.
- Add cabbage, zucchini, mushroom, and garlic. Cook for about 3-4 minutes.
- Make a well in the middle of the pan, add the reserve oil and 6 T. black bean sauce and 1 T. sugar. Mix to combine and then mix through the vegetables.
- Add water and chicken stock. Mix thoroughly to combine everything. Check to see if vegetables are fork tender. If so, move to step 8. If not, cook until vegetables are fork tender.
- Make cornstarch slurry by mixing 4 T. water and cornstarch. Add to pan and mix in to thicken sauce.
- Optional - top with cucumbers, green onions, and sesame seed. For more creaminess, top with a sunny side up egg.
- Store leftover sauce in an air tight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Notes
- Swap vegetables (carrots, bell peppers, sweet potato) to your liking, but try to keep the ratio to 6-7 cups of vegetables. Cook times may vary depending on the vegetables substituted.
- Sauce will taste a bit salty, but this will be diluted when coating the noodles.
- If you can't find Korean Jajangmyeon noodles, substitute another thick noodle.
- Leftover bacon oil can be kept in the fridge to saute vegetables or to flavor other recipes.
Let’s meet this month’s Pinterest Challenge hosts and see what pins inspired them!
My Pinterventures • Cookies Coffee and Crafts
Sew Crafty Crochet • Sum of their Stories • Eye Love Knots
This Autoimmune Life • Love My Little Cottage
Across the Boulevard • Suzerspace • My Sweet Things
Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After
Purple Hues and Me • Decorate and More with Tip
Mom Home Guide • Our Unschooling Journey • Our Good Life
Intelligent Domestications • Craftify My Love
Life Beyond the Kitchen • K’s Olympic Nest • Teadoddles
Our Crafty Mom • My Family Thyme
Farm Girl Reformed
If you’re also a pin hoarder, join us every third Tuesday each month and try out some pins. Just tag us with #mppinterestchallenge on Instagram so we can see what you created. If you’re a blogger and would like to join next month’s challenge, click here to sign-up ⇒ July Pinterest Challenge
Now, let’s see what the other hosts have created ⇓⇓
I have never tried black bean paste but it looks really delicious! I guess the bacon is helping too
Pili, yes the bacon makes it delicious 🙂
Thank you for sharing at #OverTheMoon. Pinned and shared.
Erlene, that looks so yum and you are right…it’s not difficult to make and seems to work wonders in using up whatever vegetable you have at home once you have the black bean paste and noodles in the pantry. I love to eat any kind of asian food but I hardly ever make it at home. I really should fix that. Also, I love the little glitter in your nail polish. Pinning!
Sounds delicious! Bacon and onion always makes it a great dish for me!
These noodles look so delicious! I’m always looking for new recipes to try, so I’m pinning this to my Yummy board. Yum!
You had me at bacon. Pinned before I even read the recipe. Really want to try this one so I appreciate that you added pictures of the the Korean ingredients as well as tips for how much to use.
If you can’t find the Korean noodles, you can try it with spaghetti or fettuccine noodles.
Your recipes always look so delicious! Even better because it has bacon.
Thanks. Can’t lie, bacon makes everything better 🙂
That looks really tasty! I have never heard of black bean paste before but I will be looking for it on our next shopping trip. Pinned.
I love black bean paste on noodles. Sooo good! You can use it with chicken and veggies too.
Yum! That sounds delicious! We love Asian food, so we will definitely be trying this!
I think you’ll like this. LMK if you try it.
this looks likes delicious. I am going to pin for later and make this one night for dinner. Thanks for hosting the blog hope!
Terrie, Let me know if you try it 🙂