This Instant Pot adaptation of the classic Korean stew made with kimchi is so flavorful and rich! The texture of the kimchi turns out nice and soft in a fraction of the time.

Kimchi jjigae (김치찌개) is a classic Korean stew made with flavor-packed old kimchi! It absolutely is one of my favorite comfort foods of all time. Lately, I’ve been making it in my Instant Pot, and I really like how it turns out. The stew is flavorful and rich, and the texture of the kimchi turns out nice and soft in a fraction of the time. In this recipe, I’ve adapted my stovetop kimchi stew recipe for my 6 quart Instant Pot.

How to make kimchi jjigae in the Instant Pot

To develop extra flavor, I usually stir-fry the kimchi and pork before adding water or broth. The Saute mode of the Instant Pot comes in handy for this step.

Once the liquid is added, use the Soup mode for pressure cooking. The actual cooking time is substantially shorter than the stovetop method. But, the time saving benefit diminishes if you count the time for the Instant Pot to build up the pressure.

After the quick release of the pressure, add some tofu slices and scallions (and onion slices if you like) and cook for a few additional minutes, using the Saute button. If you don’t use tofu, you can wait for a few minutes for the natural pressure release, and then stir in the scallions.

Kimchi for the stew

When cooking with kimchi, you should always use fully fermented, sour kimchi. The older the better! If you don’t have old kimchi, don’t let that stop you from making this kimchi stew or other dishes made with kimchi. Your Korean market may carry commercially packaged kimchi called mukeunji (묵은지), meaning old kimchi.

If the kimchi is overly sour, add a teaspoon or two of sugar to the stew to balance out the sour taste.

Meat for kimchi jjigae

I make kimchi stew mostly with fatty pork. It’s simply the best! However, I know some of you don’t like or eat pork. If so, use beef or canned tuna. You can cut the meat into large chunks if you like! You won’t have a problem with tough meat after it has been cooked in the Instant Pot. This reminds me, kimchi jjigae with pork ribs will be great cooked in the Instant Pot.

More recipes made with kimchi

Everything tastes better with kimchi, right? Try these other favorites:

Kimchi soondubu jjigae (soft tofu stew)

Tofu kimchi

Kimchijeon (pancake)

Kimchi mandu (dumplings)

Kimchi fried rice

Kimchi kongnamul guk

Kimchi bibim guksu

Kimchi ssambap

Spaghetti with kimchi

Kimchi jjim.

If you’re inspired to make some napa cabbage kimchi at home and let it get old for some of these dishes, here are my time tested pogi kimchi, mak kimchi and vegan kimchi recipes.

More Instant Pot recipes

Braised Oxtail (kkorijjim)

Dakbokkeumtang (spicy chicken stew)

Boiled chicken and rice

Instant Pot Spicy Galbijjim (Braised Short Ribs)