This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Dosirak is a Korean lunchbox, similar to the more well known Japanese bento. Like the bento, dosirak almost always has rice, side dishes, and some main protein.
For many years in Korea, it was customary for moms to pack lunch for their children. In my mom’s family, she took on that responsibility as the eldest daughter. My mom had 4 siblings, so she was packing 5 lunches a day!
If you’ve seen Squid Game or are familiar with modern dosirak items, you’ve probably seen things like Spam or other processed meats. Back when my mom was in school, Spam was pretty new in Korea and only the rich could afford it. My mom grew up kind of poor, so her lunches were often made with fish cakes or cheap sausages.
What to Pack in Your Dosirak
Korea has four distinct seasons, and this played a big factor in what you were able to pack for lunch. There were no microwaves or refrigerators in schools at this time, so your lunch options were limited. My mom could only pack perishable vegetables such as seasoned spinach and seasoned bean sprouts during the fall and winter months.
During the winter, some kids put their dosirak on top of burning coals to heat it up. My mom recalls heating up her food this way.
Some other dishes my mom included in her lunchbox rotation are: stir fried fish cakes, gyeran mari (Korean rolled omelette), gimbap (Korean seaweed rolls), and kimchi fried rice.
These days, Korean lunches are packed in more modern lunch boxes that are often layered and can fit more food. The lunch box that I used here is somewhat a thing of the past. Recently, it has made a comeback in restaurants due to the nostalgic experience it brings. It is also interactive!
Unlike the Japanese bento, Korean lunches are sometimes shaken vigorously inside the lunchbox to mix everything together like bibimbap. The dosirak has also recently been popularized by the viral Korean Netflix drama, Squid Game.
You can find disposable dosirak sets at convenience stores all over Korea now as well. I would compare them to gas station food, but 10 times better. I survived off these lunches when I visited Korea a few years ago- they are very good!
If you enjoyed this Dosirak (Korean Lunch Box) recipe, please leave a star rating below and share your experience in the comments. Your feedback means so much and helps others discover this delicious dish!
Dosirak 도시락 (Korean Lunchbox)
Ingredients
- Rice
Stir Fried Fish Cakes
- 5 oz fish cakes
- sliced onion
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
- 1 tsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tsp mirin
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp rice syrup
Banchan
- seasoned spinach, recipe linked below
- seasoned bean sprouts, recipe linked below
- stir friend anchovies
- kimchi
Extras
- Seasoned seaweed
- Fried egg
Instructions
- Cut your fish cakes into bite sized pieces if they are large. You can use any kind you prefer- sheets, fish balls, etc.
- Add some oil to a pan on medium heat and stir fry the onions and fish cakes for about 1 minute.
- Add the sauce to the pan, but reserve about 1 tablespoon of the sauce to use for your dosirak (optional).
- Stir fry for 2-3 minutes but be careful not to burn. Lower the heat if needed.
- Pack your lunchbox with the fish cakes, rice, and whatever banchan you have. I am using kimchi, seasoned spinach, seasoned bean sprouts, and stir fried anchovies (recipe soon).
- Top the rice with the reserved sauce from the fish cakes, some seasoned seaweed, and a fried egg.
- Shake the dosirak vigorously to make bibimbap or you can just enjoy as is.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
