Myeolchi bokkeum, or stir-fried anchovies are a salty, sweet and savory snack oftentimes served as banchan (small side dishes) in Korean cuisine.
Oftentimes, I purchase these at the Korean grocery store, but it’s so expensive! A medium sized container lasts me just a few days and sets me back over $12. If you know me, I like to try to recreate dishes that I find myself buying often.
I figured stir-fried anchovies couldn’t be that hard to make, and I was right! I couldn’t believe how easy it is to make. There are no complicated steps or ingredients hard to find. I was able to make this dish with ingredients I already had in my cabinet. All I had to do was purchase dried anchovies from the Korean supermarket, which are very cheap for the size given.
Ingredients Tips
- Use smaller anchovies for better results. These are able to crisp up more and have better “bite” than large anchovies.
- Drizzling with sesame oil at the end lends amazing flavor. Sesame oil should not be heated, it’s more of a “finishing touch” to your dishes. Furthermore, it has a low smoke-point and can be harmful if heated too high.
If you like Korean food, take a look at my other recipes:
Watch my video tutorial below!
Myeolchi Bokkeum (Korean Stir-Fried Anchovies)
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Myeolchi Bokkeum is a popular Korean side dish (banchan). It’s a combination of so many flavors – salty, sweet and umami.
Ingredients
- 1 cup small dried anchovies
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 3 garlic cloves, 18g
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp white sugar
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil to drizzle
- 1 Thai chili pepper (adjust based on preferred spice level)
- Neutral tasting cooking oil (vegetable, canola, etc.)
Instructions
- Finely mince the garlic and chop the chili pepper, if using and transfer to a small mixing bowl. Then add the rice vinegar, soy sauce and sugar and stir until combined.
- Heat a pan (non-stick preferably) using medium-high heat and add a drizzle of oil, using enough to lightly coat the pan.
- Add the dried anchovies to the hot pan and cook for about 1 minute, stirring often. Then add the sauce to the pan and continue stirring for about 3-5 minutes, or until the sauce has evaporated. Reduce heat if anchovies are cooking too quickly or at risk of burning.
- The anchovies are ready when sticky and crispy. You can taste a few while cooking like I always do!
- Pair with rice and enjoy as a delicious side dish to your meal!
Notes
In my video tutorial, I cooked the sauce first then added the anchovies but found adding oil first has better results. Either way works though (with or without oil) and will have good results!
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 5
Keywords: korean, myeolchi bokkeum, stir fried anchovies, glazed, sweet and sticky
