Gochujang Sauce Recipes that are easy and delicious! From rice cakes, pancakes to stews – you will love how amazingly versatile these gochujang sauce recipes are.
Gochujang sauce is all the rave these days and I am so happy about that but I realized many can be left with “Hmm… what do I do with Gochujang now?” And I am here to help. An essential ingredient in Korean cooking, gochujang is a spicy, sweet, and savory fermented chili paste used in so many different ways in Korean cuisine. Outside for Korea, I think it is used mostly in sauces or marinades. But in Korean cuisine, gochujang sauce can be found in a lot of dishes like jjigae (stew) and even in pancakes.
In Korea, gochujang is typically made in the winter months between November to February. The 4 to 6 months required for the fermentation process needs to take place in full sun but before the start of the very hot and rainy Korean summer.
Homemade gochujang is possible
In California, I like making gochujang in February because there are less rain and more sunny days.You can read about how I made gochujang at home and follow the recipe to try it yourself.It’s not a small undertaking (I even bought a Koreanhangari/onggi vessel to ferment the gochujang in!) and takes a bit of prep work but it can be a fun project, especially if you invite some friends over to join you and turn it into a party!
But hang on… if the idea of waiting for months seems too daunting, I also have an easy recipe for ready-to-eat gochujang in just a few hours. Believe it! I learned the recipe from a temple food cooking class I took when I was back in Korea. Here’s theEasy Homemade Gochujang Recipe.
What you need to know about store-bought gochujang
Most of us will end up buying gochujang from the store…and there’sabsolutelynothing wrong with that. Just choose wisely. A respectable gochujang should only have chili pepper powder (gochukaru), fermented soy bean powder (메주가루mejukaru), sweet rice/rice/brown rice/barley/wheat flour, rice syrup, maltbarley syrup or powder, and salt. If it has corn syrup (물엿), especially if it’s the first ingredient then you know what you will be mostly consuming. If you are looking to just try it in small quantity, I recommend this one.
Whether you make gochujang at home or buy it, here are my 6 easy gochujang sauce recipes:
#1 Gochujang Sauce Recipe – Korean Spicy Rice Cake (Tteokbokki)
READY in 15 MIN with only 5 INGREDIENTS!
Here you have the simplest spicy rice cake recipe that anyone can make. The rice cakes are available at Korean supermarkets. Then all you need to make the rice cakes pop are gochujang (of course!), sugar, and soy sauce.
#2 Bulgogi Rice Bowl with Gochujang Sauce
Oh, the convenience of the one-bowl meal. This childhood favorite of mine is a delicious assembly of rice, vegetables, andBulgogitopped with a sweet tangy gochujang sauce. If you don’t have bulgogi, you can just use ground beef. If you don’t even have ground beef, you can make it with chicken or tofu. And if you have previously frozen bulgogi, then you can make the whole bowl in just minutes! It’s a one-bowl meal with a kick!
#3 Spicy Zucchini Mushroom Stew (Gochujang Hobak Jjigae)
My go-to meatless stew (note that it’s not vegetarian because it’s made with anchovy stock) for something simple to pair with heavy dishes. BTW, if you want to make this completely vegetarian, you can use a kombu (dried kelp) stock instead. The red color all comes from gochujang, which also gives it a bit of oomph but not too spicy. Onions make this stew extra sweet and tasty.
#4 Gochujang Pancake (Jangtteok)
This traditional pancake goes back 300 years! It can be ready in 15 minutes with only 5 ingredients, including gochujang that seasons it perfectly so there’s no need for any dipping sauce. This recipe has chives added but you can add zucchini, tofu and even ground pork or beef to make it a hearty one. Great as anjou (food that goes well with alcohol) to Makgeolli or Soju.
#5 Gochujang Sauce Apple Pork Bulgogi
I created a marinade recipe with gochujang sauce and apples for a pork bulgogi that will set your taste buds on fire! The fruitiness and sweetness of apple goes so well with the multi-dimensional flavors of gochujang while adding a touch of freshness to the dish. This is not a traditional recipe but something I developed for a contest.
#6 Korean Tacos with Kalbi and Creamy Gochujang Sauce
You will love my Kalbi Taco that’s made with napa cabbage slaw and a wonderful creamy Gochujang sauce. The Creamy gochujang sauce is made with yogurt, mayonnaise, gochujang and lime juice which has a perfect balance of spicy, creamy and tangy. I also add my famous sweet and tangy radish salad that will just brighten up your palette and your day!
May these easy gochujang sauce recipes inspire you to use more gochujang in your cooking! Hope you will try making it at home and even have a gochujang-making party!!
Sending spiciness your way,
JinJoo
