Name: Gochujang Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: Korean
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

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.

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

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)

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

Print Recipe

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.

Ingredients

Scale

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.