Korean Beef Stew with Gochujang

This Korean-inspired beef stew simmers chuck, potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms in a savory broth rounded out with gochujang, garlic, and soy sauce. Home-style versions vary, but this one balances gentle heat with a little sweetness and is especially good served over rice to catch the rich broth.

Ingredients

2 lb beef chuck, cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) cubes (900 g)
1 tbsp neutral oil, such as canola (15 ml)
1 medium yellow onion, cut into wedges (about 7 oz / 200 g)
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 12 g)
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger (6 g)
3 tbsp gochujang (45 g)
2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce (30 ml)
1 tbsp mirin (15 ml)
1 tbsp packed brown sugar (12 g)
4 cups low-sodium beef broth (950 ml)
1 cup water (240 ml)
1 tbsp rice vinegar (15 ml)
½ tsp fine salt (3 g), plus more only if needed
½ tsp ground black pepper (1 g)
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) chunks (about 14 oz / 400 g)
2 medium carrots, cut into thick diagonal pieces (about 7 oz / 200 g)
8 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps halved (225 g)
1 tsp toasted sesame oil (5 ml)
2 scallions, thinly sliced (about 30 g)
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds (3 g), for serving

Instructions

Prepare the beef and vegetables. Pat the beef dry with paper towels; this helps it brown instead of steam. Cut the onion, potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms, keeping the potato pieces fairly large so they hold their shape during the long simmer. In a small bowl, stir together the gochujang, soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, salt, and black pepper. Measure out the broth and water so they are ready to add.
Brown the beef, about 12 minutes. Set a heavy Dutch oven or other large, lidded pot over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, then add the neutral oil. Brown the beef in two batches, turning the pieces so several sides take on a deep color. Give the pieces room; crowded meat releases moisture and will not brown as well. Transfer the browned beef to a plate. If the pot has very dark, burnt bits, wipe those away, but leave the browned fond in place.
Build the base, about 7 minutes. Add the onion to the pot and cook for 5 minutes, stirring and scraping up browned bits. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute, just until fragrant. Stir in the gochujang mixture and cook for 1 minute. Keep it moving so the paste does not scorch; a little sizzling is fine, but burnt chile paste can make the broth bitter.
Start the simmer. Pour in the broth, water, and rice vinegar, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any remaining fond. Return the beef and any plate juices to the pot. Bring the liquid just to a boil, then lower the heat until it bubbles gently. Cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer for 1 hour 36 minutes, stirring every 25 to 30 minutes. If the liquid is boiling hard, reduce the heat; a quiet simmer keeps the beef moist and the broth from reducing too quickly.
Add the vegetables and finish cooking, 20 minutes. Stir in the potatoes, carrots, and shiitake mushrooms. Cover the pot slightly ajar again and simmer for 17 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a knife and the beef yields easily to a fork. The beef should be very tender, not merely cooked through. USDA FSIS lists 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest as the safe minimum internal temperature for whole cuts of beef; check the thickest piece with a food thermometer, and let the covered stew stand off the heat for 3 minutes before serving. This stew simmers well beyond that minimum to soften the chuck.
Season and serve. Stir in the sesame oil. Taste the broth before adding more salt: gochujang and soy sauce both contribute salt, and the level varies by product. Add a splash of water if the broth has reduced more than you like, or simmer uncovered briefly if you prefer it more concentrated. Scatter scallions and sesame seeds over the pot and serve hot.

Tips

Choose chuck and cut it evenly. Beef chuck has connective tissue that becomes tender during a slow simmer, making it a better fit than lean steak. Pieces close to 1½ inches cook at a similar rate; much smaller cubes can dry out or break apart before the vegetables are ready.
Adjust the heat carefully. Gochujang brands differ in heat and saltiness. Three tablespoons make a noticeably savory, gently spicy stew; start with 2 tablespoons if you are sensitive to chile, then stir in more near the end. Do not confuse gochujang with gochugaru, the Korean chile flakes: they have different textures and cannot be swapped in equal amounts.
Use a practical substitute if needed. Gochujang is a fermented Korean chile paste and is widely available in Korean grocers and many supermarkets. If you cannot find it, mix 1½ tablespoons mild miso with 1 tablespoon tomato paste and ½ to 1 teaspoon hot sauce. The substitute gives a savory, mildly spicy broth but lacks gochujang’s distinctive fermented chile flavor, so add hot sauce gradually.
Keep the simmer gentle and check the pot. A rapid boil can make the beef tough and cause potatoes to crumble. If the stew looks dry before the beef is tender, add hot water or broth in ¼-cup (60 ml) increments. If it seems thin at the end, remove the lid and simmer for a few minutes rather than adding flour, which can dull the broth.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the stew in deep bowls with steamed short-grain rice, either underneath the beef or alongside it. Rice is useful for soaking up the chile-seasoned broth, while a small bowl of kimchi or quick-pickled cucumber provides a crisp, tangy contrast. Keep those sides separate until serving so their acidity and texture remain distinct.

For a fuller table, add a simply dressed green salad or blanched spinach with sesame. The stew is substantial, so sides do not need to be elaborate. Put extra sliced scallions, sesame seeds, and a small dish of gochujang on the table for people who want more garnish or heat. If serving children or guests with different spice preferences, portion their bowls before adding any extra paste.

Variations

Change the vegetables: Daikon radish is a fitting addition; use about 10 oz (280 g), peeled and cut into chunks, and add it with the potatoes. It becomes mild and tender as it cooks. A handful of napa cabbage can also go in during the final 8 to 10 minutes, though it will soften more than the root vegetables. For a convenient option, use cremini mushrooms in place of shiitakes; the flavor will be less earthy but still savory.

Make it less sweet or more robust: Reduce the brown sugar to 1 teaspoon for a sharper chile-and-soy profile, or omit the mirin and use an extra tablespoon of water if you prefer not to cook with it. For a deeper fermented flavor, add 1 teaspoon of doenjang, Korean soybean paste, along with the gochujang. Doenjang can be hard to find; a small amount of miso is a workable substitute, though its flavor is usually milder and less rustic. Taste before adding salt when using either paste.

Use another cut: Boneless beef short ribs can replace chuck at the same weight, but trim excess surface fat and expect a richer broth. Depending on the size of the pieces, they may need a little more simmering to become fork-tender. Avoid very lean cuts such as eye of round, which are more likely to turn dry during a long stew.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking. Let a large pot cool briefly, then divide the stew among shallow, covered containers so it chills promptly; do not leave it out to cool completely. Store it in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. The broth may thicken as it cools, and the potatoes can absorb some liquid, so add a splash of water or broth when reheating.

Reheat only the portion you plan to eat in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until it is steaming throughout and reaches 165°F (74°C), the USDA FSIS safe temperature for reheated leftovers. Check with a food thermometer rather than relying only on bubbling at the edges. You can also microwave an individual portion in a covered, microwave-safe bowl, stirring halfway through and checking the temperature in several spots. Freeze cooled stew in airtight containers for up to 2 to 3 months for best quality; thaw it in the refrigerator before reheating. Potatoes may be softer after freezing, but the broth and beef remain suitable for a comforting meal.

Frequently Asked Questions

How spicy is Korean beef stew with gochujang?

With 3 tablespoons of gochujang, this recipe has a gentle-to-moderate chile warmth rather than an intensely hot finish, though pastes vary. For a milder pot, begin with 2 tablespoons and taste after the beef is tender. You can add more paste at the end, but you cannot remove heat once it is mixed in.

Can I make this stew in a slow cooker?

Yes. Brown the beef and cook the onion, garlic, ginger, and gochujang mixture in a skillet as directed, then transfer them to the slow cooker with the broth, water, vinegar, and beef. Cook on low for about 7 to 8 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours, until the beef is fork-tender. Add the potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms for the final 1½ to 2 hours on low, checking that they are tender before serving. Slow cookers vary, so use tenderness rather than the clock alone as your guide.

Can I prepare the stew a day ahead?

Yes. Cool and refrigerate it within 2 hours, then reheat it gently the next day to 165°F (74°C). The flavors settle as it sits, and the broth may become thicker. Add a little water or broth while reheating, and taste again before adding salt. For the best texture, garnish with scallions and sesame seeds just before serving.

What can I use instead of mirin?

Use 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of water with an extra ½ teaspoon of brown sugar, or use an equal amount of dry sherry if you have it. Mirin adds mild sweetness and a rounded flavor, so the water substitute will taste a little simpler. Avoid adding extra vinegar as a direct replacement; the recipe already includes rice vinegar for balance.

Can I use stew meat instead of chuck?

Usually, yes, if the package contains pieces cut from a suitable braising cut such as chuck. Packaged stew meat can include pieces of different sizes and cuts, so trim oversized pieces to a similar size and check tenderness as it simmers. If some pieces soften before others, remove the tender ones temporarily and return them to the pot when the vegetables are nearly done.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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