Gamja Bokkeum (Korean Stir-Fried Potatoes)

A recipe for Gamja Bokkeum (Korean Stir-Fried Potatoes)! Matchstick potatoes are quickly stir-fried with carrots and onions until tender.

Gamja Bokkeum (감자볶음) is a light and easy Korean side dish (banchan, 반찬). It comes together in less than 30 minutes with only a handful of ingredients! The most difficult part is thinly slicing all the vegetables.

Potatoes are peeled, then cut into matchsticks to make the base for this dish. After rinsing several times in cold water and seasoning with salt, they are gently stir-fried with carrots, onions, and garlic until just tender.

Serve warm from the pan or at room temperature topped with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

A Few Tips

Cut the potatoes into thin matchsticks about 1/8th inch (3 millimeters) thick. Keep all the pieces as even as possible. This will help them cook quickly with a similar texture.

Rinse the cut potatoes well to remove any starch. This will prevent them from sticking together while in the pan and add to the lightness of the dish. Toss with salt and set aside at room temperature for 10 minutes before cooking.

Make sure the pan is thoroughly heated before adding the potatoes. This will keep the ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pan. If they do start to stick, add a little more oil.

The potatoes should be cooked until just tender, but still holding their shape and not falling apart.

I paired the potatoes with carrots, garlic, and onion. Some recipes may include other ingredients such as thinly sliced bell peppers or ham.

Looking for more Korean recipes?

Try my:

• Gyeran Bbang (Korean Egg Bread)
• Goguma Latte (Korean Sweet Potato Latte)
• Korean Strawberry Milk

This recipe was originally posted in May 2013 and updated in September 2022.

Gamja Bokkeum (Korean Stir-Fried Potatoes) Recipe

Adapted from Casa Veneracion

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Gamja Bokkeum (Korean Stir-Fried Potatoes)

A recipe for Gamja Bokkeum (Korean Stir-Fried Potatoes)! Matchstick potatoes are quickly stir-fried with carrots and onions until tender.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Korean

Keyword banchan, carrot, Korea, Korean, potato

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2 -4 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound (450 grams) Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
• 1/2 onion peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 small carrot
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Garnish:

• Toasted sesame seeds
• 2 green onions thinly sliced

Instructions

• Peel the potatoes and cut into thin matchsticks about 1/8th inch (3 millimeters) thick
• Place the potatoes in a colander and rinse well with cold water to remove any starch. Toss the potatoes with the 1 teaspoon salt and allow to drain for 10 minutes.
• Drizzle the vegetable oil in a large wok or pan over medium heat.
• Once thoroughly heated, add the garlic, onion, and carrot. Cook until just fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Add the matchstick potatoes and toss well to coat in the oil. Season with pepper.
• Cook, gently tossing often, until the potatoes are just tender but not falling apart, about 10 minutes.
• Season to taste, adding a little more salt if needed, and remove from heat.
• Serve immediately topped with green onions and sesame seeds.