🍂 Top 10 Korean Dishes for Autumn

Autumn, right after Chuseok (the harvest festival), is a key time in Korean cuisine: seasonal produce abounds, and dishes become warmer, deeper, and more nourishing. Here's a selection of traditional recipes to savor when temperatures drop — followed by some revisited ideas to vary your pleasures while staying true to the Korean spirit.

🥢 Traditional Korean Autumn Dishes

1. Doenjang Jjigae (된장찌개)

As the cold weather arrives, nothing beats a steaming bowl of doenjang jjigae. This stew, made with fermented soybean paste, concentrates the flavors of the earth: mushrooms, tofu, root vegetables… It embodies Korean peasant cuisine in all its depth. It's an everyday dish, nourishing and rooted in tradition, perfect for the first cool days of autumn.

2. Kimchi Jjigae (김치찌개)

Autumn is the ideal time to prepare a kimchi jjigae: simmered with tofu, pork, and onions, this spicy stew warms the heart and awakens the taste buds. A classic family meal, to be enjoyed piping hot with warm white rice.

3. Jangjorim (장조림)

As the days grow shorter, we appreciate dishes that can be prepared in advance. Jangjorim, shredded beef simmered in a flavorful soy sauce, is ideal: salty, slightly sweet, it keeps for several days in the refrigerator. Served with a bowl of rice, some pickles, and a marinated hard-boiled egg, it offers a simple but deeply flavorful meal, typical of Korean autumn.

4. Autumn Vegetable Jeon (전)

Jeon (Korean pancakes) are a classic at festive meals like Chuseok, and they evolve with the seasons. In autumn, you can add vegetables like squash, radish, or spring onions. Pan-fried until golden, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, they are served as a side dish with a vinegared soy sauce — a true taste of a family meal.

5. Sujebi (수제비)

This rustic dish is often prepared on rainy days: a simple soup based on anchovy or seaweed broth, with hand-torn homemade dough pieces. Add autumn vegetables like zucchini or potato, and you get a humble but deeply comforting meal. It’s one of the best soups I've tasted in Korea, in a tiny restaurant along a mountainous road.

6. Yachae Bokkeumbap (야채 볶음밥)

Vegetable fried rice is a staple for an empty fridge — or weekend leftovers. Cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, a fried egg… All stir-fried in a wok with soy sauce or a dash of gochujang. Simple, quick, and perfect for a warm meal when the weather cools down.

7. Gyeran Jjim (계란찜)

This steamed egg custard is often served as banchan to balance a spicy meal. With its airy and melting texture, gyeran jjim soothes and comforts. It can be enriched with broth, chives, or small pieces of vegetables — and it often arrives at the table in its small earthenware pot, fresh from the fire.

8. Baechu Doenjang Guk (배추 된장국)

A simple, rustic soup made with napa cabbage (baechu) and fermented soybean paste (doenjang), often prepared after Chuseok, when temperatures drop. The slightly crunchy baechu absorbs the deep flavors of the doenjang broth. Less dense than a jjigae, this light soup is a perfect accompaniment to an everyday meal and highlights seasonal ingredients.

🍠 Autumn-inspired Recipes (Revisited Versions)

9. Revisited Tteokbokki with Autumn Vegetables (떡볶이)

Traditionally popular on the streets of Seoul, tteokbokki is known for its spicy red sauce and chewy rice cakes. In autumn, consider revisiting it by adding seasonal vegetables like cabbage, squash, or shiitake mushrooms. This more generous version, slightly sweet and deeply flavorful, transforms this iconic snack into a complete and comforting dish, perfect for a dinner with friends or a family meal.

10. Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Doenjang

Korean sweet potatoes, sweet and tender, are emblematic of autumn markets. Here's a stewed dish with autumn flavors that combines the tenderness of chicken, the sweetness of sweet potatoes, and the umami depth of doenjang (fermented soybean paste). Rich, rustic, and tender, this dish is perfect for a comforting evening meal. We love it served with steamed rice and some crunchy pickles.

🍽️ Craving autumn with Korean flavors?

These recipes are the ideal opportunity to cook with simple, seasonal ingredients, while discovering (or rediscovering) the great classics of Korean cuisine.  

Want to try them at home? Browse our essential products for cooking Korean this autumn:

👉 See all Korean oils and sauces
👉 See all our fermented products
👉 See all recipes

And most importantly, tell us in the comments: what's your favorite Korean dish when it's cold?