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Home » Sauce » Gochujang Sauce

May 27, 2020

Gochujang Sauce

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image of a red sauce in a bowl set on top of a gray napkin

Gochujang Sauce—spicy and slightly sweet, this Korean sauce is delicious served over chicken or pork, with meatballs, used as a dipping sauce, on bibimbap, and so much more! This isn’t gochujang, this is a homemade sauce made with gochujang so you can enjoy the fabulous flavors of this Korean staple with a variety of dishes. 

image of a red sauce in a bowl set on top of a gray napkin

This sauce is:

  • Spicy
  • Slightly sweet
  • Thick
  • Versatile 
  • Quick & easy to make
  • Vegan-friendly 
  • Gluten-free 

What’s in this gochujang sauce?

The ingredient list is simple and is made up of pantry ingredients and Asian staples.

  • Grapeseed oil (grapeseed oil is a healthy neutral oil and gives this sauce a slight “fried” flavor).
  • Onion 
  • Garlic 
  • Ginger
  • Gochujang 
  • Soy sauce (always opt for low-sodium)
  • Mirin (a slightly tangy and sweet rice wine which is a key ingredient in teriyaki and ramen)
  • Honey 
  • Black pepper
Overhead image of ingredients mise en placed in small bowls

WHAT IS GOCHUJANG?

Gochujang is a fermented Korean chili paste that’s sweet, spicy and savory. It’s bright red in color, is sticky and thick, and is used in sauces or simply as a condiment on its own (think sticky tomato paste). 

WHERE CAN I FIND GOCHUJANG? 

You can always find gochujang at your local international market, but it’s becoming increasingly easier to find in mainstream grocery stores. Look for gochujang in the Asian section of most supermarkets, it comes in a short bright red container. And if you can’t find it there, you can also get gochujang on Amazon.

image of a red sauce in a bowl set on top of a gray napkin

How to make gochujang sauce

Start to finish, including prep time, this sauce comes together in just 15 minutes. 

To get started, mince an onion and grate some garlic and ginger. (Use a microplane to grate your garlic and ginger.) The rest of the prep is just measuring out pantry ingredients—grapeseed oil, gochujang, soy sauce, mirin, honey, and black pepper. 

Begin by heating the grapeseed oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring frequently to avoid burning, until onion is softened.

Add in the gochujang and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Stir in the remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer, and cook until the mixture has thickened and just briefly leaves a trail on the bottom of the pan when a spatula is pulled through.

Let the sauce cool slightly then use as desired, or let cool completely and transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.

  • onion, garlic and ginger cooked in a small saucepan with honey, gochujang, soy sauce and mirin measured out in bowls set around sauce pan
  • thick red mixture cooking in a saucepan with honey, soy sauce and mirin measured out and set around saucepan
  • thick red sauce cooking in a small saucepan
image of a red sauce in a bowl set on top of a gray napkin

How spicy is this gochujang sauce?

This sauce is medium in spice level but can be modified to be more mild or spicier if you wish. If you’re looking for a more mild sauce simply leave out the black pepper. And if you love it fiery, add some red pepper flakes to the mix. 

How long does this sauce last?

Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, this sauce should last two weeks. Stored in the freezer, this sauce should last up to one month.

Make this sauce for…

  • bibimbap 
  • crispy chicken 
  • pork chops
  • spring rolls 
  • meatballs (use this gochujang sauce instead of the hoisin sauce in these Asian Turkey Meatballs) 

You may also like…

  • Saucy Gochujang Noodles
  • Banh Mi Bowls
  • Weeknight Chicken Pho
image of a red sauce in a bowl set on top of a gray napkin

Make sure to tag me @ZESTFULKITCHEN ON INSTAGRAM or tag #zestfulkitchen on social media if you make a recipe! 

Don’t forget, if you make this gochujang sauce, leave a comment and rating below!

To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can click the button on any of the photos, or the red button on the bar below the recipe. Happy cooking!

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Gochujang Sauce

  • Author: Lauren Grant
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: scant 1 cup 1x
  • Category: Sauce/Dip
  • Method: Stove top
  • Cuisine: Korean
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Description

Spicy and slightly sweet, this gochujang sauce is delicious served over chicken or meatballs, as a dipping sauce for spring rolls, or as a sauce for bibimbap. This sauce is easy to make and stores well, making it a great sauce to have on hand at all times. 


Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoons grapeseed oil (or olive oil)
  • 1 small onion, minced
  • 6 garlic cloves, grated (1 tablespoon)
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • ¼ cup gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
  • ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • ¼ cup mirin
  • 3 tablespoons honey*
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, optional

Instructions

Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high, add onion, garlic, and ginger, reduce heat to medium and cook until softened, about 4 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir in gochujang and cook 1 minute. Stir in soy sauce, mirin, honey, and pepper. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook until thickened and a spatula leaves a trail just briefly on the bottom of the pan; about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let sauce cool slightly.

Store sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.


Notes

* VEGAN: keep this vegan and use brown sugar or maple syrup in place of honey.

GLUTEN-FREE: to ensure this is gluten-free, seek out low-sodium soy sauce and gochujang that are labeled as certified gluten-free.

Gochujang is easier to work with if you let it sit out on the counter for about 10 minutes prior to using.

If you halve the sauce, only cook it for 1 minute. If you double the sauce, cook it for a minute or so longer.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
  • Calories: 41
  • Sugar: 7g
  • Sodium: 408mg
  • Fat: 1g
  • Saturated Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 8g
  • Fiber: 0.5g
  • Protein: 1g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg

Keywords: gochujang sauce, gochujang, gochujang sauce for chicken, gochujang dipping sauce

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a comment below and tag @zestfulkitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #zestfulkitchen!

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Filed Under: Recipes, Sauce, Year-Round Tagged With: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

About Lauren Grant

Lauren Grant is a professional culinary food scientist, food writer, recipe developer, and food photographer. Lauren is a previous magazine editor and test kitchen developer and has had work published in major national publications including Diabetic Living Magazine, Midwest Living Magazine, Cuisine at Home Magazine, EatingWell.com, AmericasTestKitchen.com, and more.

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