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Slow Cooker Kimchi Stew with Beef

Slow cooker kimchi stew with beef  is a perfect comfort food for cold wintry days. It’s spicy, tender and delicious! 

Slow Cooker Kimchi Stew with Beef | MyKoreanKitchen.com

I’ve been wanting to try a slow cooker  for some Korean dishes for a while. It seems like a great idea when I run out of time to cook meals most of these days. I first tried this slow cooker kimchi stew with beef two weekends ago and it turned out quite well.

After cooking this, I was almost about to publish the recipe on my blog on that same night. But I didn’t/couldn’t. Because my husband (aka, the taste tester) didn’t give me the ‘go signal’. He said it was a bit too sour. Well, hello~! You normally make kimchi stew with aged (sour) kimchi!

FYI, he hadn’t had kimchi stew for a very long time and he doesn’t normally like eating aged kimchi at all. (He prefers fresh kimchi that’s less than a week old.)

For the sake of pleasing my picky taste tester, I decided to revise it so that it accommodates people who are not used to the sour kimchi taste. So here is the taste tester approved Slow Cooker Kimchi Stew with Beef (Slow Cooker Kimchi Sogogi Jjigae, 슬로우쿠커 김치 소고기 찌개)!

It was very delicious with a slight spicy kick and it wasn’t sour at all. Both the kimchi and the meat was so tender and it melted away very quickly in our mouth. Even the microwaved leftovers were still tender and moist.

This recipe is just perfect for anyone on the go constantly. Once you put everything in a slow cooker, you can literally forget about it for a half day. How convenient! I hope you enjoy this warm and comforting dish. 🙂

Slow Cooker Kimchi Stew with Beef

Ingredients for Kimchi Beef Stew, 6  servings

Main

  • 4 cups of kimchi, cut into bite sized
  • 1kg (2.2 pounds) chuck steak – (This can be substituted with other kinds of meat e.g. pork. Meat with some sorts of fat would make the meat tenderer. I tried using fatless meat before and it was a bit tough.)

Sauce – mix these in a bowl

  • 2 cup water
  • 1 Tbsp minced garlic
  • ¼ tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp rice wine
  • 2 Tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce – reduce/limit this if you’re using aged kimchi
  • 1 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) – reduce this to make it less spicy
  • 1 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)

(Note: In my opinion, aged kimchi is kimchi older than 2 weeks+.)

* 1 Tbsp = 15 ml, 1 Cup = 250 ml

** If you want to learn more about Korean ingredients, check my 30 essential Korean cooking ingredients list!

How to Make Slow Cooker Kimchi Beef Stew

1. Rinse the steak in cold running water to get rid of the blood. Pat it dry with some kitchen paper. Cut them into small chunk pieces.

Step 1. Cut the beef

2. Add all ingredients in a slow cooker. In the order of 2 cups of kimchi – steak – 2 cups of kimchi – Sauce. The order of placement shouldn’t really matter too much, but I thought steak would absorb the kimchi and seasoning taste better by being sandwiched.

Step 2. Add all the other ingredients into a slow cooker

3. Set the slow cooker on low heat and cook it for 8 hours. Stir it a bit occasionally. (The food is ready to eat from the 5th hour. However, an additional three-hour simmering makes the kimchi and the meat even tenderer.)

Slow Cooker Kimchi Stew with Beef
After 8 hrs of slow simmering – Both kimchi and beef was so tender. Almost melting in your mouth.

4. Serve the stew with rice once it is cooked.

Slow Cooker Kimchi Stew with Beef

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Slow Cooker Kimchi Stew with Beef

How to make kimchi stew with beef using a slow cooker. It is a perfect comfort food for cold wintry days.
4.95 from 18 votes
Print Pin Rate Save
Course: Stew
Cuisine: Korean
Keyword: kimchi beef stew
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 418kcal
Author: Sue | My Korean Kitchen

Ingredients

Main

  • 4 cups kimchi cut into bite sized
  • 1 kg chuck steak (2.2 pounds), This can be substituted with other kinds of meat e.g. pork. Meat with some sorts of fat would make the meat tenderer. I tried using fatless meat before and it was a bit tough.

Sauce – mix these in a bowl

  • 2 cup water
  • 1 Tbsp minced garlic
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp rice wine
  • 2 Tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce – reduce/limit this if you’re using aged kimchi
  • 1 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) - can reduce this to make it less spicy
  • 1 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)

Instructions

  • Rinse the steak in cold running water to get rid of the blood. Pat it dry with some kitchen paper. Cut them into small chunk pieces.
  • Add all ingredients in a slow cooker. In the order of 2 cups of kimchi – steak – 2 cups of kimchi – Sauce. The order of placement shouldn’t really matter too much, but I thought steak would absorb the kimchi and seasoning taste better by being sandwiched.
  • Set the slow cooker on low heat and cook it for 8 hours. Stir it a bit occasionally. (The food is ready to eat from the 5th hour. However, an additional three-hour simmering makes the kimchi and the meat even tenderer.)
  • Serve the stew with rice once it is cooked.

Notes

*1 Tbsp = 15 ml, 1 Cup = 250 ml

Nutrition Info (per serving)

Calories: 418kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 307mg | Potassium: 612mg | Vitamin A: 420IU | Vitamin C: 0.9mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 3.9mg

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Tried this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Rate this recipe with a comment below and tag me on Instagram @MyKoreanKitchen.

 

Written by: Sue

Last Updated:

Welcome to my Korean kitchen! I’m so happy that you're here. I am Sue, the creator behind My Korean Kitchen (since 2006). I love good food and simplifying recipes. Here you will find my best and family approved recipes. Thanks for stopping by!

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Ryan
January 22, 2018 6:39 am

Are you able to cook this on the stove top?

Barb
January 8, 2018 2:36 pm

Hi Sue – I’m dinky-di Aussie who happens to adore most Asian food but especially kimchi. I have it daily for breakfast and lunch with chopped up vegetables, usually 700grams a week. I am expecting kimchi for my next secret santa.
I cooked this amazing dish recently and would like to provide my feedback.

The flavours are totally delish however I felt the kimchi lost some of it’s oomph after cooking for 8 hours leaving the dish to be more of a chilli beef.

Next time when I make it, there will definitely be a next time, I will add the kimchi with maybe 1 hour to go so it doesn’t wither away. I will also be doubling the Korean spices, they’re amazing plus I’ve been using the paste to marinade various meat on the BBQ.

Thanks for this wonderful dish = bees knees!

Amy
April 10, 2017 2:31 pm

I made this today and loved it. I ended up leaving it in my slow cooker on low for 9 hours and warm for another hour because I forgot to make rice. I added zucchini when I switched it to warm and it was just right. It was delicious, thank you for the recipe!

Heather
September 20, 2016 12:04 pm

Love this recipe, it sounds delicious and I can’t wait to try it out! If I were to throw in glass noodles, at what point would you recommend adding them in? Thanks!

Kav
March 6, 2016 9:32 am

This provided me with a good place to start since I love never cooked Korean food before and have only used a crockpot once. I subbed one cup of chicken broth for a cup of water, used de-boned chicken thighs with skin on for the meat, used extra pepper paste because I didn’t have flakes, and added silken tofu at the last hour. It was yummy to me! Thanks for the recipe!

Kathy
August 6, 2015 1:48 am

Can I use store bought kimchi for this? Thank you

Erin
December 12, 2014 11:53 pm

Thanks for the recipe idea! I love kimchi and was so happy to see something actually pop up when I Googled “Kimchi + slow cooker”! I swapped Sambal Olek for Gochujang, as I don’t have any on hand (really need to get to H Mart!) , omitted the Korean spice powder as I don’t have any, upped the garlic, and added some vinegar, as my kimchi was not aged any (I don’t have the patience!). Came out very tasty! Have been eating this over rice and it is a hearty meal that’s not your “average” pot roast.

Mike
July 25, 2014 8:38 am

Hi, I can’t wait to try this recipe after making a big batch of my own kimchi. However can you please clarify the “rice wine” listed in the ingredients? Is this rice wine vinegar, sake, or perhaps something I’m unaware of that’s simply referred to as rice wine. Thanks

Ben
January 7, 2016 5:08 pm
Reply to  Sue

Sorry to ask this question again, but I’m also having trouble understanding the ingredient “rice wine”. Could you possibly write the name in Korean, so that I could do an image search and find it in my Korean mart? I would appreciate the help – thanks!

May 10, 2014 2:05 pm

Just love this recipe!

March 31, 2014 11:42 am

Oh Sue! This is to die for…I love love sour taste in stews, correction Korean stews! So yummy! Your pictures are making me drool! Delicious recipe

March 6, 2014 4:35 pm

A slow cooker has been on my wish list for a while. Must be so convenient to let it cook for you and you can eat for two days (or more)…. so tempting!!! Your kimchi stew looks so good – meat will be so tender after long hours of cooking. 🙂

ray
March 3, 2014 9:22 am

The meat must be very tender and flavorful. I love eating kimchi but I’ve never had it in a stew form. It is a great and delicious idea. This is my first time visiting your site and I will sure come back often. Thank you. 🙂

February 28, 2014 8:47 am

Slow cooker is a perfect tool to cook kimchi stew in. I wish I can dig in to the bowl of this stew with some rice right now.

February 25, 2014 4:26 pm

I’ve pinned & tweeted this. Such an interesting recipe this is. I never thought of using kimchi in a stew.

Caroline in San Francisco
February 25, 2014 8:31 am

What a great idea! I recently made a pot roast because I was craving beef. Then I made a big batch of kimchi-soy bean sprouts soup because I was craving Korean food. Your recipe combines the two beautifully! I am so making this. One question: Do you think it will make a difference for the better to brown the meat first or not that much? Thank you!

Texas Pitou (강아지)
February 25, 2014 10:00 pm
Reply to  Sue

Now thank you Sue for your recipes , and I will try this latest one with great fun, when I brown meat I tend to use my http://cookware.lecreuset.com Crock pot in the stove for 2 hours at 375’F to get the same result a 6 hours slow cooker, since my brains and work requires me to move along in the morning, the stove options works better for me in the long run, Ill let you know how it turns out.

Somewone asked ” why brown meat?” Being a cook in French Continental Cuisine, my perspective on Browning meat is ; “Strictly speaking, meat doesn’t need to be browned before it’s added to the slow cooker, The caramelized surface of the meat will lend rich flavor to the finished dish. And meat dredged in flour before browning will add body to the sauce (as in this Provençal Beef Stew). ”

InTexas (Houston) we are blessed with H-Mart in Little Korea, and I can get everything for an authentic Korean Meal from it.. kudos to the web site

Patrick Bureau
January 20, 2016 10:55 pm
Reply to  Sue

Sue, almost a year past and I just bumped into your reply, I am so sorry I never replied to you in time, well I posted it on a blog page (only recipe actually) so you can see the result.
http://patsculinaryadventures.blogspot.com/2014/02/crock-pot-aged-kimchi-stew-with-pork.html
cheers

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