If 2020 was the defining year for cooking, this year has played a massive role in eating healthy and nutritious food. People are getting aware of how important it is to have an excellent immune system. As curtains are falling on this year rather rapidly, it is time for you to try some unique New Year’s Eve recipes. 

This year, Koreans have taken the world by storm! Be it the food, fashion, or entertainment industry – people love everything that Korean folks do. Hence, try some nutritious Korean New Year’s Eve recipes this year.  

Healthy New Year’s Eve Recipes to Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions!

Korean food is delicious and effortless. You can easily make recipes at your home without spending too much time in the kitchen on New Year’s Eve. Additionally, the food is so delicious that it will be hard for your guest to resist the temptation of eating some more.

Here, we will present you with some of the healthiest and delicious Korean dishes that will rule your New Year Eve’s feast. These recipes are nutritious and effortless. From the healthy welcome drink to toothsome dessert – here is the full Korean-themed New Year’s Eve menu for you:

  • Korean Corn Tea (Oksusu Cha)
  • Mushroom and Shrimp Pancakes (Pajeon)
  • Bulgogi Beef BBQ
  • Korean Hamburger (Tteokgalbi)
  • Makgeolli Ice Cream 
  • Dalgona Candy 

Korean Corn Tea (Oksusu Cha) 

Traditionally known as Oksusu Cha in Korea, this corn tea is mild and light tea that you can enjoy with your meals. In this recipe, corn kernels are slow-roasted until they are almost blackened. Then, we will boil them in water until the water takes on the nutty taste of the corn. 

Korean Corn Tea New Year's Eve Recipes
Korean Corn Tea

Quick Stats 

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes 

Serving: 5 serves 

Ingredients 

  • Half cup of roasted corn
  • 5 cups water

Method to Prepare

  • Add corn kernels and water to a medium-sized pot and bring them to a boil. It will only take a minute or two. 
  • Reduce the flame once the kernels start to boil. Simmer the liquid for around 15 to 20 minutes. Ensure the flame is on low. 
  • Filter the tea and remove the corn kernels. 
  • When filtering is done, serve it hot, warm, or however you like it and enjoy! 

Mushroom and Shrimp Pancakes (Pajeon) 

If you are looking for something effortless for your dinner, try this pajeon or mushrooms and shrimp pancakes. These crispy and savory pancakes are full of healthy veggies and delicious seafood. Easy-to-make and delicious – pajeon is one of the perfect New Year’s Eve recipes!

Mushroom and Shrimp Pancakes New Year's Eve Recipes
Mushroom and Shrimp Pancakes

Quick Stats 

Prep Time: 15 minutes 

Cooking Time: 20 minutes 

Serving: 4 serves 

Ingredients 

  • ¾ cup rice flour
  • Six tablespoons self-rising flour
  • Two tablespoons doenjang
  • ½ teaspoon ground pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
  • One ¼ cup cold water
  • Five large oyster mushrooms, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
  • Five scallions, thinly sliced
  • Four large raw shrimp, peeled, chopped, and deveined 
  • Two large cloves of garlic, grated
  • Two red Korean chilies, julienned
  • One Korean green chile or jalapeño, julienned
  • Two tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Method to Prepare

  • Take a large bowl and whisk rice flour, self-rising flour, doenjang, pepper, and salt. Pour water and whisk water until smooth. 
  • Add mushrooms, scallions, shrimps, garlic along with red and green chilies.
  • Take a large non-stick skillet and heat 1 ½ teaspoons over medium-high flame until shimmering but not smoking.  
  • Scoop ⅔ cup of batter into the hot oil and spread it evenly to make a pancake. 
  • Cook it until it is golden brown and crispy, for about 3 minutes per side. 
  • Transfer the cooked pancake to a paper-towel-lined plate. Repeat with the remaining batter. 
  • Cut them into wedges and serve them with a dipping sauce of your choice. 

Bulgogi Beef BBQ

If you think there is no BBQ recipe in Korean cuisine, you may have to rethink. This Bulgogi beef is one of the most flavorful and juicy dishes that are amazingly delicious. It is Korea’s most popular BBQ dish made from marinated thin slices of beef. Grill it on the open flame for sweet, salty, and garlicky flavors. 

Bulgogi Beef BBQ New Year's Eve Recipes
Bulgogi Beef BBQ

Quick Stats 

Prep Time: 2 hours 

Cooking Time: 15 minutes 

Serving: 6 serves 

Ingredients 

  • 1 ½ pounds boneless rib-eye steak
  • ½ small pear, peeled and coarsely grated
  • ¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • Two tablespoons brown sugar
  • Two tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  • Three cloves garlic, minced
  • One tablespoon freshly grated ginger
  • One tablespoon gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
  • Two tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
  • Two green onions, thinly sliced
  • One teaspoon of toasted sesame seeds

Method to Prepare

  • First of all, wrap the steak in plastic wrap and slide it into the freezer for half an hour. 
  • Unwrap it and slice across the grain for 1/4-inch thick slices.
  • Take a medium bowl and add pear, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, gochujang, and ginger. 
  • Take a gallon size Ziploc bag and combine soy sauce mixture and steak. Let it marinate for at least 2 hours. Turn the bag occasionally. 
  • Take a grill pan and heat one tablespoon of vegetable oil over a medium-high flame. 
  • Add sliced steak one by one in a grill pan and cook it. 
  • Flip it once, until charred and cooked through, for about 3 minutes. 
  • Repeat this process with the remaining vegetable oil and steak. 
  • Serve it directly from the grill pan, garnish it with green spring onions and sesame seeds. 

Must-try:- Teriyaki Chicken Tacos with Sesame Nori Recipe – A Flavorful and Tasty Dish!

Korean Hamburger (Tteokgalbi) 

This Korean dish is a festive delicacy to celebrate a special occasion or holiday. Hence, it is one of the best New Year’s Eve recipes you can add to this year’s menu. This Korean Hamburger will provide you with enough nutrients and flavors.  

Korean Hamburger New Year's Eve Recipes
Korean Hamburger

Quick Stats 

Prep Time: 15 minutes 

Cooking Time: 15 minutes 

Serving: 6 serves 

Ingredients 

  • 1¼ lb beef short rib meat 
  • ½ onion minced
  • Two cloves garlic minced
  • ½ tsp ginger puree
  • 3 tbsp finely chopped pine nuts or walnuts
  • 4 tbsp sweet rice flour
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp sweet rice wine
  • 12 burger buns
  • Half cup of butter
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped pine nuts or walnuts for garnish

For the Glaze:

  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil

Method to Prepare

  • First of all, saute the onion with a little oil until soft. Set it aside to cool. 
  • Meanwhile, preheat the oven to broil setting and slide a rack.
  • Put rib meat into the food processor and pulse a few times to get finely chopped meat. 
  • Transfer the chopped meat into the mixer with a paddle attachment. 
  • Then, add sauteed onion, garlic, ginger, nuts, sweet rice flour, honey, salt. Sweet rice wine, sesame oil, and nuts in the mixer. 
  • Mix them well by using a spoon. Then, beat them on medium speed, for about 4 minutes. You will get a perfect mixture now.  
  • Form patties from this mixture and place them on a greased baking sheet. 
  • Broil these patties for around 5 minutes on each side. Make sure that you don’t burn them. 
  • Meanwhile, mix soy sauce, honey, and sesame oil to glaze.
  • After that, butter-roast burger buns.  
  • Once the patties are ready, brush the prepared glaze over them. 
  • Then, place these patties into butter-roasted whole-grain burger buns and serve warm! 

Makgeolli Ice Cream 

Makgeolli is traditional Korean alcohol that enjoys a great fan following. So, how about we make ice cream using this milky alcohol? Well, you ought to try it to enjoy it. Let’s make something unique and try this one of the most amazing Korean New Year’s recipes.  

Makgeolli Ice Cream New Year's Eve Recipes
Makgeolli Ice Cream

Quick Stats 

Prep Time: 5 minutes 

Cooking Time: 25 minutes 

Serving: 6 serves 

Ingredients 

  • 230 ml makgeolli
  • 100 g sugar
  • 150 ml whole milk
  • 200 ml heavy whipping cream 
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/4 tsp Sea Salt 
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1-2 tbsp walnuts or macadamia nuts, chopped

Method to Prepare

  • Mix 100 ml of makgeolli and 100g of sugar in a small pot to make the Makgeolli syrup. 
  • Bring this mixture to a boil and simmer it on a low flame until reduced by one-half.
  • Add cornstarch along with 50 ml of milk and set it aside. 
  • Now, take another small bowl and add 130 ml of makgeolli. Bring it to a boil until reduced by one-half. 
  • Pour it into a bowl and keep it aside to cool. 
  • Once both syrup and reduced makgeolli are cooled, add 100 ml of milk, makgeolli syrup, and reduced makgeolli into a pot. 
  • Gently mix everything with the help of a whisk and bring it to a boil. Simmer it as well to reduce it. 
  • When simmering, stir in the prepared cornstarch and milk mixture once again. 
  • Keep whisking until the mixture is thick. Turn off the flame and ensure the mixture has a runny consistency. 
  • Add salt, mix, and let it cool. 
  • When the ice cream base is cool, whip the heaving cream until you achieve a soft peak.
  • Then, add ice cream base and lemon juice to whipped cream. Mix everything. 
  • Transfer it to a medium-sized container. 
  • Cover it and slide it in the freezer for 5 to 6 hours. 
  • Check after 6 hours and see if it has a hardened top or not. Then, use a fork to scrape the top and fluff up the ice cream. 
  • Do it twice to give it a more sorbet-like texture than a heavy ice cream texture. 
  • Serve it cold, and enjoy!

Dalgona Candy

If you have watched Squid Games, you know what these candies are. Well, you can make your New Year’s Eve party enjoyable with these candies. Present your guests with these candies and a needle. Let them carve out the shape from the candies and enjoy your fabulous New Year party.

Dalgona Candy New Year's Eve Recipes
Dalgona Candy

Quick Stats 

Prep Time: 2 minutes 

Cooking Time: 5 minutes 

Serving: 2 serves 

Ingredients 

  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • Pinch baking soda
  • Cooking spray

Method to Prepare

  • Prepare a small baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. 
  • Then, add sugar in a very small non-stick skillet or a ladle. 
  • Place it directly over medium flame, and stir the sugar with a small spoon until it starts to melt. 
  • Once the sugar is melted and gets amber color, remove the ladle or skillet instantly from the flame. 
  • Add baking soda until the mixture has aerated little and changes its color to light brown.
  • Now, pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet in equal circles. 
  • Spray the flat side of a metal measuring cup with the cooking spray and press the candy to a ¼ inch thickness.
  • Then, with the help of a cookie-cutter, create your desired shape. 
  • Let it cool and serve it to your guests. 

Must Read:- Top Korean Recipes You Must Try!

Final Words

Keeping your New Year’s resolutions is undoubtedly tough. However, we will help you with that. These delicious and healthy Korean New Year’s Eve recipes will ensure that you enjoy food without compromising the taste. So, try these dishes and add a bit of Korean touch to your New Year Eve’s feast!