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  4. Budae jjigae (army stew)

Calories · Korean

Calories in budae jjigae (army stew)

A typical restaurant serving of budae jjigae (army stew) (one person’s share of the pot (1-inbun), with ham, sausage and tofu, before the noodles and rice, about 600 g) is about 400 calories, usually 330–870.

Restaurant portions vary; this is a typical estimate, not a label. Also called army stew, army base stew, budae jjigae.

~400
Budae jjigae (army stew)

The usual range

Drawn on one 0–2,000 scale shared by every dish page, so plates compare at a glance.

Protein, carbs and fat

  • Protein18 g
  • Carbs40 g
  • Fat19 g

One serving

Serving
one person’s share of the pot (1-inbun), with ham, sausage and tofu, before the noodles and rice
Weight
~600 g
Per 100 g
~67

The dish

About budae jjigae (army stew)

Budae jjigae is a spicy stew of Spam, sausages, kimchi, tofu and ramyeon noodles, cooked at the table for two or more. Korea’s food composition database measures a restaurant pot at 55–67 per 100 g, so one person’s 600 g share is about 400 before the noodles and rice; home-style and meal-kit versions run richer.

Ways it comes

One dish, a few numbers

Budae jjigae (army stew) · rough numbers

  • Stew only, one share~400
  • With half a block of ramyeon noodles~580
  • With ramyeon and a cup of rice~780
  • Home-style pot, one share~740

What moves the number

Why one plate is 330 and another 870

  • Spam, sausages and ham in the pot
  • The ramyeon noodles added halfway (about 180 for half a block)
  • A bowl of rice on the side (about 200)
  • A slice of American cheese melted on top

Ordering lighter

If you want a lighter plate

  • Count the noodles as a share, not a block each
  • Skip the cheese slice
  • Load up on the tofu and cabbage

Side by side

Next to other Korean dishes

Korean · typical restaurant servingAll about Korean food →

  • Kimchi jjigae~240one bowl of stew, rice not included · usually 180–400
  • Hotteok (sweet Korean pancake)~250one street-stall hotteok with brown-sugar and seed filling · usually 170–420
  • Sundubu jjigae (soft tofu stew)~280one restaurant earthenware bowl (ttukbaegi) of kimchi sundubu with a raw egg cracked in, rice on the side not counted · usually 170–520
  • Japchae~290one plate of stir-fried glass noodles with vegetables and beef · usually 220–450
  • Kimbap~320one whole roll, usually cut into 8 to 10 slices · usually 250–480
  • Beef bulgogi~340one serving of marinated beef, rice and side dishes not included · usually 250–520
  • Korean corn dog~380one Korean corn dog with mozzarella or half sausage, half cheese, before sugar and sauces · usually 240–550
  • Budae jjigae (army stew)~400one person’s share of the pot (1-inbun), with ham, sausage and tofu, before the noodles and rice · usually 330–870
  • Tteokbokki~480one restaurant plate · usually 350–750
  • Dakgalbi~600one portion of spicy stir-fried chicken with cabbage and rice cakes · usually 450–850
  • Bibimbap~640one bowl with rice, vegetables, beef, egg and gochujang · usually 480–850
  • Kimchi fried rice~640one restaurant plate of kimchi fried rice with a fried egg on top · usually 450–840

In PlateDiary

A rough number for the dishes you save — only if you want one.

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How these numbers were made

Method and sources

Last reviewed

Restaurant portions and cooking vary, so these are typical estimates for one serving, built from the sources below. Treat it as a rough number: your plate may land anywhere in the range.

If you manage a health condition, ask a doctor or registered dietitian.

AI helped draft this page; every number was checked against the sources.

  1. Korea MFDS Food Composition Database — Budae jjigae (부대찌개), restaurant, 600 g serving
  2. Korea MFDS Food Composition Database — Budae jjigae (부대찌개), restaurant
  3. Korea MFDS Food Composition Database — Budae jjigae meal kit, Odeng Sikdang style (오뎅식당 부대찌개)
  4. USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) — Ramen noodle soup, dry (block without flavor packet, 81 g), FDC 171177
  5. USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS 2021–2023) — Rice, white, cooked (1 cup, 158 g), FDC 2708408

Questions

Questions people ask.

How many calories are in budae jjigae (army stew)?

A typical restaurant serving of budae jjigae (army stew) (one person’s share of the pot (1-inbun), with ham, sausage and tofu, before the noodles and rice, about 600 g) is about 400 calories, usually 330–870. The number depends mostly on the portion and how it is cooked.

How many calories are in budae jjigae with ramen and rice?

About 780 for one person: roughly 400 for a share of the stew, 180 for half a block of noodles and 200 for a cup of rice.

How many calories are in 1 serving of army stew?

About 400 for a 600 g restaurant share before noodles and rice; home-style pots in the same database run near 740.

Is budae jjigae high in calories?

The broth itself is moderate. The processed meats, ramyeon and rice are what lift the meal, more than in kimchi jjigae.

What changes the calories in budae jjigae (army stew)?

Spam, sausages and ham in the pot. The ramyeon noodles added halfway (about 180 for half a block).

How can I order budae jjigae (army stew) lighter?

Count the noodles as a share, not a block each. Skip the cheese slice.

Can PlateDiary show calories for the dishes I eat out?

Yes, if you want it to: calories in PlateDiary are off unless you turn them on. Switch them on and each dish you save from a photo of the table gets one rough “~” number you can accept or change.