Spicy Braised Potatoes (Maeun Gamja Jorim)

Spicy braised potatoesknown as Maeun Gamja Jorimthey are a hearty Korean side dish. The potato pieces are quickly braised in a flavorful sauce made from gochujang and gochugaru, resulting in potatoes that are soft and tender, full of umami and delicious in taste.

I had a bag of freshly harvested Korean potatoes and decided to make one of my favorite dishes: spicy potatoes, also known as Maeun Gamja Jorim. This dish is everything tender, braised potatoes covered in a spicy and flavorful gochujang sauce it’s full of umami in every bite.

Maeun gamja jorim is a classic example of Korean comfort food. It’s a rustic Korean potato side dish that brings back memories of simple yet incredibly satisfying home-cooked meals.

Korean spicy potato side dish in a serving dish.

Because you’ll love this spicy potato

Simplicity: This recipe is easy to make simply, every day Korean ingredients. The potatoes are cut into pieces and quickly boiled with spicy sauce. It’s amazing how such simple ingredients can create such delicious, soft and flaky potatoes.

Deep flavor: Many potato dishes can be bland, but not this one. The spicy condiments and anchovy broth add layers of flavor without any fishy taste—Just pure umami with just the right amount of heat

If you don’t like spicy foods, there is a milder version of this Korean braised potato dish called Gamja Jorim. It uses soy sauce instead of gochujang and gochugaru, making it perfect for kids and those who prefer heat. I highly recommend you try it too!

Be sure to watch the recipe video to see how easy it is to make these spicy potatoes, the Korean way!

Notes on key ingredients

Potatoes: I recommend using Yukon Gold or baby gold potatoes. They have less starch, so they hold their shape better during cooking while remaining tender and flaky.
- Russet or red potatoes tend to break apart easily, making the dish cloudy and less appetizing.
Anchovy broth: Even if you’re not a fan of anchovies, I highly recommend using them in this recipe. You won’t taste the fish, but it adds a rich umami flavor. Simply simmer the dried anchovies in water for a few minutes – that’s all you need!
Spicy sauce: The sauce is made with basic Korean seasonings like gochujang, gochugaruAND I’m willow. These ingredients create a sauce that is not only spicy, but full of deep, flavorful layers.
Fresh chili pepper (optional): Use mild chili peppers to prevent the dish from becoming too spicy. This ingredient is optional, but the fresh chili peppers add a refreshing aftertaste and a nice color contrast.
- I used both red and green chillies, but you can use just one color if you prefer.

How to Make Braised Korean Spicy Potatoes

Cut the potatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices and soak them in cold water for 5 minutes to remove excess starch. Then, drain them carefully.

Discard the anchovies from the broth into a pot.

Prepare the anchovy broth: Boil the dried anchovies in water for 5 minutes. Drain the anchovies and reserve about 1 cup of the broth. Save any extra broth in case you need more liquid during cooking.

Prepare the spicy sauce: In a small bowl, mix together gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sweet rice wine, garlic, and Korean corn syrup or oligo syrup. Mix until the sauce is smooth and well combined.

Fry the potatoes and onions in hot oil in a pan for 1-2 minutes. Then pour in the sauce and broth, cover and cook for 6-8 minutes over medium heat.

Potatoes cooked in spicy sauce in a pan.

Uncover the pan, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook the potatoes, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thickened and the potatoes are tender, about 5 to 6 minutes. If necessary, add salt.

Add the fresh chili slices and stir until heated through. Garnish with green onions and toasted sesame seeds and serve hot or at room temperature with rice.

Chopsticks holding a piece of spicy potato.

Recipe tips

This recipe uses a technique called braisea common cooking method in Korean cuisine. While braising typically involves slow cooking at low temperatures, this dish uses medium heat to speed up the process-a method often seen in Korean side dishes such as Korean braised tofu.
- If the liquid evaporates too quickly during cooking, just add a little more until the potatoes have reached the desired tenderness.
Soak the potatoes in cold water before cooking it helps to remove excess starch. This step improves the overall texture of the potatoes and prevents the dish from becoming cloudy.
For an extra boost of umami, consider adding a splash of Korean tuna sauce instead of salt at the end of cooking.
The Korean corn syrup not only adds sweetness, but also gives the dish a nice shine. If you prefer not to use corn syrup, you can replace it with 1 tablespoon of sugar Instead.

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