Easy to whip up and super accommodating to whatever vegetables you have in the fridge, this Korean sausage stir fry, aka sausage yachae bokkeum, is always a family favorite as a quick and easy meal for any time of the day.

A bowl of sausage bokkeum served with a side of white rice.

Growing up, Korean sausage stir fry, went by many names. Sausage yachae bokkeum, sausage vegetable stir fry, sausage bokkeum, etc. It's a dish kids look forward to because it's fun and tasty. It's a stir fry dish that parents, busy adults, and even college students look forward to preparing because it's so easy and quick to make and also super forgiving. Moms and grandmas, especially, love this stir fry because you can clean out the fridge making this stir fry. A very versatile dish.

Kyong recently introduced me to this Korean sausage bokkeum during our one month period of moving, furniture shopping, and just hectic schedule, and I wondered just where was I to have missed out on such a yummy and nostalgic stir fry dish. We hope this recipe is one you can add to your back pocket recipe collection and also one that you enjoy because it's so fun and tasty!

Close up view of picking up a sausage from the Korean sausage stir fry.

The right sausages to use for a Korean style sausage stir fry

The traditional sausages to use for this Korean style sausage stir fry are the Korean style mini Vienna sausages. However, unless you're able to shop at a large Asian supermarket like H-Mart, it'll be unlikely for you to find Korean Vienna sausages. BUT the good news is that you can use almost any sausages from those classic canned Vienna sausages to smoked mini cocktail sausages from your local grocery store.

We've practically tried all of the substitutions and have yet to find one we didn't like. Occasionally, we'll already have andouille sausage or regular hotdogs leftover from making Korean sausage breads, and they were great mini sausage substitutes. Just cut the sausages or hotdogs into ¼ to ½ inch diagonal slices for stir frying. For the mini sausages, give each one a couple of shallow, diagonal cuts to prevent them from bursting during cooking and also tp keep them pretty.

A plate of fish cake sheets cut into squares and sausages with shallow diagonal cuts. — Cut the fish cakes into more manageable size.

Bending a Korean Vienna sausage to show the shallow diagonal cuts. — Cut the fish cakes into more manageable size.

What does Korean style Vienna sausages taste like?

The main differences between mini cocktail sausages like Hillshire Farm and Korean style Vienna sausages is the flavor and texture. The first difference that comes to mind is definitely the different smokey flavor from both mini sausages. Our average mini cocktail sausages usually have a mild, slightly sweet smoke that reminds me of applewood or hickory. The Korean Vienna sausages have a more pungent, pronounced smokiness, along the lines of cedar or oak.

Texture is the next major difference between the two mini sausages. Our classic cocktail sausages have finer ground meat (usually beef), is juicy, and a thin sausage casing. The Korean Vienna sausages are usually a coarser grind (usually pork), a bit drier and have a little thicker sausage casing, probably due to a stronger or longer smoke.

The versatility of this sausage stir fry

To most kids growing up eating sausage bokkeum, it's the meal they look forward because it's super yummy. But to the parents who prepare this stir fry, it's probably their back pocket, always to the rescue recipe because it's so easy, quick, and flexible to make.

Rather than following the sausage stir fry recipe to the "t," feel free swap our the onions and bell pepper for whatever vegetables you have available in your fridge. Common and popular vegetables to use are: cabbage, broccoli, squash and zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, and even kale. Just make sure to cook the vegetables in order of hardiness.

Thinly sliced yellow onion, diced tri-color bell peppers, and green onion prepared for the sausage bokkeum.

If you can't get your hands on Korean mini sausages, use whatever you [cooked] sausages or hotdog you have. Popular choices are: canned Vienna sausage, hotdog, andouille, and cocktail sausage. For the mini sausages, you can just give each a couple of shallow, diagonal slits, and for whole hotdogs and sausages, cut them into ¼ to ½ inch slices.

Korean fried fish cake (sheets)

Korean fried fish cakes, the sheet style, is an optional but definitely an amazing add-on to this sausage bokkeum. They add seafood umami that to the stir fry that helps elevate the dish. If you are using fried fish cake sheets, we recommend cutting the sheets into 2 inch squares. This way the fish cakes will be more management to eat and cook. Also, do remember that this is totally optional and can be omitted.

We used Wang Korean fish cake sheets and Dong Won Korean Vienna sausages, but feel free to use which ever brand you like.

Don't overcook the vegetables!

With how flexible and forgiving this Korean sausage stir fry is, there is one thing that is an absolute must - not overcooking the veggies. The charm of this stir fry is having crispy, refreshing vegetables alongside every bite of mini sausage and fish cake. Plus, it provides the dish with color and fresh appearance. So make sure to cook the onion and bell pepper just until they are no longer raw and crunchy.

If you are substituting other vegetables for the onion and bell pepper, make sure to add them in order of longest cook time. For example, broccoli florets and cabbage are hardy, so those can be added and sautéd for a minute before you add kale or green onion. Sometimes, you can even blanch/ par boil hardier vegetables or cut them into smaller pieces to decrease the cook time.

Top down view of the sausage stir fry garnished with green onion and served with white rice.

Storing and reheating the sausage stir fry

If you are a busy bee or mom with a packed schedule, here's great news for you! This Korean sausage stir fry is great made ahead of time and reheat the next day. We love packing this for a quick easy lunch or use the leftover the next morning for breakfast.

To store the stir fry, let it completely cool at room temperature, then refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 1 week. For reheating, you can either microwave the sausage stir fry until thoroughly hot. Or, you can heat it up on the stovetop in a sauté pan over medium to medium high heat with a small amount of oil.

When you prepare this sausage stir fry for the next day, I do recommend undercooking the vegetables a little to accommodate for the reheating the next day. Also, I highly recommend storing it in heatproof airtight containers, such as glass pyrex, so that you can reheat or reuse the dish. Yay for less dishes!

Picking up a piece of sausage from the Korean sausage stir fry.

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Korean Sausage Stir Fry