If you want a side dish that brings together crunchy soybean sprouts and chewy fish cakes, try Chef Jung Ho-young’s spicy soybean sprout and fish cake stir-fry. It’s a simple Korean stir-fry: green onion and onion are cooked first for aroma, then the fish cakes and sprouts go in. A spicy sauce made with gochugaru, soy sauce, and oyster sauce coats everything, and the sprouts are stir-fried quickly so they keep their crunch. Finish with sesame oil off the heat and serve it with warm rice.
⏱️ Cooking Time: About 15 minutes
🍳 Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆
✓ Ingredients
🥣 Main Ingredients
- 3 sheets Korean fish cake (eomuk)
- 150 g (5.3 oz) soybean sprouts (kongnamul)
- 1/2 onion
- 1/2 stalk green onion (Korean daepa)
- 1 Cheongyang chili (Korean hot green chili)
🧂 Sauce & Seasonings
- Cooking oil, as needed
- 2 tbsp Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Korean cooking wine (matsul)
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 0.5 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
(Measurement guide: 1 tbsp = 15 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml, 1 Korean paper cup = 180 ml)
✓ How to Make Soybean Sprout and Fish Cake Stir-Fry
- Slice the fish cakes: Cut 3 sheets of fish cake into bite-size pieces.
- Slice the onion: Cut 1/2 onion into strips of medium thickness.
- Prep the green onion and chili: Cut 1/2 stalk of green onion into large pieces and thinly slice 1 Cheongyang chili.
- Cook the vegetables for aroma: Heat cooking oil in a pan, add the green onion and onion, and stir-fry until fragrant.
- Add the fish cakes and sprouts: Add the fish cakes and stir-fry, then add 150 g (5.3 oz) soybean sprouts.
- Add the sauce and stir-fry: Add 2 tbsp gochugaru, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp cooking wine, 2 tbsp sugar, and 1 tbsp oyster sauce, and stir-fry until everything is well coated.
- Add the garlic and chili: Add 0.5 tbsp minced garlic and the sliced Cheongyang chili and stir-fry once more. Soybean sprouts go limp if cooked too long, so stir-fry quickly until just cooked to keep them crunchy.
- Finish with sesame oil: Turn off the heat and drizzle in 1 tbsp sesame oil.
- Plate and serve: Transfer the stir-fry to a plate and enjoy it with rice.
✓ Key Tips for Success
- Don’t overcook the sprouts: Cooking too long makes soybean sprouts go limp and lose their crunch. Stir-fry quickly so the sauce coats evenly, and finish as soon as the sprouts are cooked.
- Prep everything first: If you prep the garlic or chili while cooking, the stir-fry takes longer and the sprouts can overcook. Get all the ingredients and measured seasonings ready, then add them in order.
✓ Serving Tips
- Serve the finished stir-fry with warm rice to enjoy the spicy sauce and nutty sesame oil aroma together.
- Pick up the fish cake and sprouts in one bite to enjoy the contrast between chewy and crunchy.
✓ How to Choose Good Soybean Sprouts
- Stems and heads: Choose sprouts with moderately plump stems and bean heads that aren’t soft or mushy.
- Color and surface: Check that the yellow bean heads have no black spots or mushy areas.
✓ Soybean Sprout Nutrition per 100 g (3.5 oz)
| Nutrient | Amount per 100 g (3.5 oz) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 43.00 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 3.44 g |
| Protein | 4.66 g |
| Fat | 1.19 g |
| Sodium | 3.00 mg |
Basis: Raw soybean sprouts, per 100 g. Actual nutrition may vary by variety, part, product, and cooking method. These values are not for the entire finished stir-fry.
Source: Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (Korea) Food Nutrient Database — Soybean sprouts, raw
✓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1. In what order do you add the soybean sprouts and fish cakes?
Stir-fry the green onion and onion first, add the fish cakes, then add the soybean sprouts. After that, add the measured sauce and stir-fry until evenly mixed.
Q2. Why do my soybean sprouts turn limp?
Soybean sprouts go limp and lose their texture when stir-fried too long. Prep the ingredients and sauce in advance, and once the sprouts go in, stir-fry quickly and finish.
Q3. When should I add the sesame oil?
Add 1 tbsp sesame oil at the very end, after turning off the heat. Stir-fry the garlic and Cheongyang chili first, then drizzle in the sesame oil to finish.
This soybean sprout and fish cake stir-fry is a spicy Korean side dish that puts two different textures on one plate. The crunch of the sprouts and the chew of the fish cakes make every bite fun to eat. Yellow bean heads and green vegetables peek through the red sauce for a colorful dish, and the sesame oil added at the end brings a nutty aroma to the spicy seasoning.
On days when you can’t decide on a side dish, fill the table with these two familiar ingredients. Everything is stir-fried in order in one pan, so the steps are easy to follow. If you love spicy side dishes, it’s a great match for warm rice. When sharing with family, serve the fish cakes and sprouts together so everyone can enjoy both textures. After you make it, jot down what you liked and how your family reacted to help plan your next meal.
If you have soybean sprouts and fish cakes on hand, use these amounts to make today’s side dish.
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