Kimchi Duruchigi is a flavorful Korean stir-fry made with pork belly and kimchi. This savory, tangy, and spicy dish is a perfect go-to for any Korean food lover craving a quick and satisfying meal.
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What is Duruchigi?
Duruchigi (두루치기) is a traditional dish from South Korea’s Gyeongsang provinces, where pork is stir-fried with kimchi and a mix of vegetables. There are also versions made with squid, beef or tofu.
This dish is the perfect blend of a stir-fry and a stew. The pork (or beef, squid, or tofu) and vegetables are seared in a tasty sauce, then simmered with a little water until everything is flavorful and tender.
Duruchigi is often called a “rice thief” (밥도둑, bapdoduk) because its bold, spicy, and savory flavors are so addictive, you’ll find yourself reaching for extra bowls of rice to soak up all that delicious sauce.
If you’re on a low-carb diet, be warned—this dish might tempt you to break it!
Even though I’m Vietnamese, kimchi-based dishes like kimchi stew (kimchi jjigae), kimchi pancakes (kimchijeon), and kimchi fried rice are my go-to comfort foods. I also love fusion dishes like kimchi udon or kimchi pasta.
Recently, I’ve been totally hooked on Kimchi Duruchigi!
Ingredients
- Soysauce
- Gochugaru (Korean red chili flakes)
- Gochujang (Korean red chili paste)
- Sugar
- Minced garlic
- Minced ginger
- Sesame oil
- Thinly sliced pork belly or pork shoulder (commonly found at many Asian supermarkets; if you can’t find it, regular pork belly works just as well).
- Onion (thinly sliced)
- Scallions (white part and green part separated then finely chopped)
- Kimchi (chopped) & kimchi juice
- Steamed rice
- Roasted sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the sauce by mixing soy sauce, gochugaru, gochujang, sugar, minced garlic, minced ginger together.
- Pan-fry the pork belly until the fat is rendered. Remove the pork belly from the pan.
- In the same pan, add the diced onion and the white part of scallions. Sauté until fragrant, then add the kimchi and its juice.
- Return the pork belly to the pan. Pour in the marinated sauce. Stir well and add 1/3 cup of water (80-90ml).
- Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Once the mixture is boiling, reduce the heat to medium. Cook for about 10 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Add the green part of the scallions and a drizzle of sesame oil. Give it a final stir.
- Garnish the dish with roasted sesame seeds if desired. Serve hot with steamed rice.
Helpful Tips
- You can find thinly sliced pork at most Asian markets, usually in the hotpot meat section. If that’s not available, regular pork belly works great too.
- You can also use thinly sliced beef or chicken thighs, which both work well in this recipe. For a vegan or vegetarian option, fried tofu is a delicious substitute.
- If the dish feels too spicy, you can adjust the amount of gochujang. Gochugaru is mainly for adding that vibrant red color.
- For an authentic Korean touch, try wrapping the pork belly, kimchi, and rice in lettuce leaves for a fun, hands-on meal.
- Got leftovers? Turn them into a flavorful Kimchi Fried Rice! Simply stir-fry leftover steamed rice with the remaining Kimchi Duruchigi, and for an extra burst of flavor, top it with a fried egg.
Kimchi Duruchigi – Easy Korean Kimchi Pork Belly Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 1 tbsp gochujaang (Korean chili paste)
- 1½ tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- ½ tbsp minced ginger
- ⅓ cup water (80ml)
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- ½ bulb onion (sliced)
- 1 sprig scallion (white and green parts separated and finely chopped)
- ⅔ cup chopped kimchi with kimchi juice (150g)
- ⅔ pound thinly-sliced pork belly (300g)
- ¼ tsp roasted sesame seeds (optional)
- Steamed rice
Instructions
- To make the sauce, combine soy sauce, gochugaru, gochujang, sugar, minced garlic, and minced ginger.
- Render the fat from the pork belly in the pan with some cooking oil, then remove the pork belly from the pan.
- In the same pan, sauté diced onion and the white part of scallions until fragrant. Add chopped kimchi and its juice.
- Return the pork belly to the pan and add the sauce. Stir well, then pour 1/3 cup of water (80-90ml).
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 10 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Add the green part of the scallions and a drizzle of sesame oil. Stir to incorporate the flavors.
- Optionally, garnish with roasted sesame seeds. Serve hot with steamed rice.
