Today, we’ll be making some easy Korean side dishes for samgyupsal and Korean BBQ! We’ll show you how to make easy korean side dishes like gamja bokkeum (stir-fried potatoes), bean sprout and spinach namul (seasoned vegetables), and a simple salad in a korean-style dressing! Let us show you how to make korean side dishes at home so you can enjoy them any time you’d like!
Watch how to make Korean Side Dishes
Korean Side Dishes - My Favorite Part Of The Meal!
When you go out to any Korean restaurant, you will be served a plethora of Korean side dishes. These side dishes are called banchan and are a staple of any Korean meal. Not only are they delicious, but having so many varieties of foods and flavors makes the meal much more exciting!
And while eating all these different dishes is fun, you may be thinking that it’s a pain to actually make them all. But in reality, they’re so easy, you can make a lot at a time, and you can keep them in the fridge and enjoy them with any meal!

3 Simple Korean Side Dishes
Today, we’re making 3 kinds of simple Korean side dishes! These are great for a weeknight meal and perfect for when you want to bring that Korean BBQ experience home with all of the delicious banchan! The first Korean side dish we’ll be making is called gamja bokkeum.
This is a delicious stir-fried potato dish that cooks up in no time and has a simple, yet addictive flavor. These are usually the first ones to run out in our house!

The second Korean side dish is bean sprout and spinach namul. Namul is a vegetable side dish that is seasoned simply with sesame oil, salt, and crushed sesame seeds. You can use almost any kind of vegetable you’d like, with the most traditional being spinach, bean sprout, and carrots.

The third side dish is heavily inspired by my mother-in-law. It’s a simple side salad that consists of mixed greens in a spicy, nutty, tangy Korean-style dressing. While my MIL usually uses dandelion greens to make this, we’ve found that her dressing recipe is so versatile and works great on almost any kind of green vegetable!

When we usually eat Korean Side Dishes
We don’t make these side dishes all the time, but there are certain meals that we just cannot enjoy without them! The first is that well-loved classic: Korean BBQ! If you’ve never made Korean BBQ at home, then you definitely should! It’s easy and so fun to enjoy a meal of pork, fire, and good times!

With the weather getting colder, Mrs. Eats and I are totally in the mood for stews. This delicious Korean soft tofu stew is our favorite meal to warm up with. With the addition of some Korean side dishes, we turn a simple stew into a magnificent feast!
When we’re both feeling kind of lazy, we like to make some spicy pork Bulgogi. It’s as simple as blending a few ingredients, pouring it over some sliced pork, then letting it marinade. We usually do this the night before, then when we get back from work, we throw it in a pan, and serve it with our Korean side dishes.
Let me tell you, just by adding these 3 different dishes, it really makes any simple meal feel special!
Ingredients for Korean Side Dishes
These side dishes are so simple and you won’t need too many exotic ingredients to make them! The ones that you will need, however, are commonly used in Korean cooking. So if you are planning on making more delicious Korean food, like my fiery hot bulgogi recipe, you should be set!
- Potatoes
- Onions
- Carrots
- Jalapenos
- Garlic
- Sesame Oil (See it on Amazon) – Great nutty aroma, and made with 100% pure sesame oil
- Rice Wine Vinegar (See it on Amazon) – This is my favorite brand.
- Bean sprouts
- Spinach
- Green salad mix
- Gochujang (See it on Amazon) – Korean fermented chili paste. This is the backbone of our delicious Korean salad dressing.
Delicious Korean Side Dishes, Perfect For Any Meal!
Korean side dishes are clutch for turning any meal into a feast! They’re easy to make, keep for a good while, and can be on the dinner table in minutes! I think once you make these for yourself, you’ll see how much they’ll transform your ordinary weenight dinner into a grand and sumptuous dinner!

Make sure you check out some of my other Korean recipes! I know you’ll absolutely love them!
Sign up for the FREE Straight Up Eats Newsletter to have the latest news delivered to your inbox! Let’s stay in touch on Facebook and our Facebook group, on Youtube, and Instagram!
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest Straight Up Eats news!

Korean Side Dishes
Ingredients
[Gamja Bokkeum]
- 2 cups Potatoes cut into matchsticks
- 1/4 Onion sliced
- 1/4 cup Carrot cut into thin strips
- 1 Green chili or jalepeno seeded and minced
- 2 cloves Minced garlic
- 1 tsp Toasted sesame seeds
Sesame Oil (See it on Amazon)
[Bean Sprouts & Spinach Namul]
- 1 cup Mung bean sprouts
- 3 bunches Spinach
- 1 tsp Toasted sesame seeds
Sesame Oil (See it on Amazon)
[Spring Greens in Korean Dressing]
- 2 cups Baby greens and spring salad mix
- 1/8 Onion thinly sliced
- 4 tsp Toasted sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp
Gochujang (See it on Amazon) - 2 tbsp
Rice Wine Vinegar (See it on Amazon) - 1 tbsp
Sesame Oil (See it on Amazon) - 2 cloves Garlic minced
Instructions
[Gamja Bokkeum]
- Add potatoes to a large bowl and cover with cold water for 10 minutes.
- In a pan over medium heat, add sesame oil and add garlic. Cook for one minute, then add chilies. Cook for another minute, then add drained potatoes, carrots, and onions. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Season with salt and add cooking wine. Put lid on and cook for another 5 minutes, or until all the vegetables have softened and are cooked through.
- Remove from heat and plate the vegetables. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and serve.
[Bean Sprouts & Spinach Namul]
- Microwave the bean sprouts in a microwave-safe dish for 2 minutes at 600 watts and remove.
- In a pan, add sesame oil and cook the bean sprouts one minute. Season with salt and crushed, toasted sesame seeds, then remove from pan.
- In a pot, bring water to a boil, and blanche the spinach for about 1 minute. Remove the water and shock it in ice water. Squeeze out the excess moisture in the spinach. Season with sesame oil, salt, and toasted sesame seeds. Serve with the bean sprouts.
[Spring Greens in Korean Dressing]
- Soak onions in cold water for about 20 minutes to make them more mild.
- In a food processor or blender, blend the gochujang, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and 3 tsp of sesame seeds, along with 1 tbsp of water. If the mixture is too thick, thin it out by mixing in a teaspoon of water at a time until it reaches a liquid consistency. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
- Drain the onions and toss with the salad mix. Pour the dressing into the salad and toss to coat the vegetables in dressing. Sprinkle the rest of the toasted sesame seeds on top and serve."