14 Easy Recipes that use Gochujang Sauce

Do you have too much Gochujang on your hands? You can make these 14 Easy Gochujang Sauce Recipes that are easy and delicious! From rice cakes, and pancakes to stews— you will love all these versatile recipes!

Gochujang sauce is all the rave these days, and I’m really happy that it’s getting the recognition it deserves! However, I realized many people are probably left with a tub of Gochujang, wondering, “I’ve made what I wanted to eat… now what am I supposed to do with the rest of this tub?”

Well, I’m here to help!

Gochujang is a spicy, sweet, and savory fermented chili paste that can be used in many different ways in Korean-style cooking. While it’s mostly used exclusively in sauces and marinades outside of Korea, it’s one of the most essential cooking ingredients used in Korean cuisine! 😊🧡

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, before the start of the sweltering and rainy Korean summer.

Homemade gochujang is possible!

I have been making Gochujang at home ever since I came back from Korea in 2014 because once I tasted my homemade one, I could never go back to store-bought one! BTW, if you want to try making it at home, here’s my latest post on 🌶️ How to make Gochujang at home.

Now, if the idea of waiting for 6 months (that’s how long it takes to fully ferment) feels too daunting, I have a quick and easy recipe for ready-to-eat Gochujang that can be made in just a few hours! I learned the recipe from a Temple Food (Sachal Eumsik 사찰음식) cooking class back in Korea and it’s pretty close to the slow one.

What you need to know about store-bought gochujang

If you are going to buy gochujang from the store, I want to share some tips for choosing them. A good quality gochujang should have limited ingredients like below. It’s awesome if you can find truly fermented (숙성) one that doesn’t contain corn syrup but unfortunately most gochujang will have corn syrup instead of Rice Syrup.

• Chili Pepper Powder (Gochukaru)
• Fermented Soybean Powder (Mejukaru 메주가루)
• Sweet rice / Rice / Brown Rice / Barley / Wheat Flour
• Rice Syrup (Jocheong 조청)
• Salt

Whenever I buy Gochujang, I try to buy ones that don’t have corn syrup as the #1 ingredient because since that means gochujang consists mainly of corn syrup. Here’s my current favorite brand of Gochujang that you can buy from the store or online HERE.

Whether you make Gochujang at home or buy it, here are my 14 Easy Gochujang Sauce Recipes to try your hand at!

Tteokbokki (Korean Spicy Rice Cakes)

Tteokbokki – Korean Spicy Rice Cakes

This is a 15-minute recipe with minimum ingredients for one of the most popular Korean street foods ever, and 100% the reason why I always keep some rice cakes at home no matter what. I used to make this as my nighttime snack when I was studying for exams as a high school student.

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I also have recipes for Chili Oil Tteokbokki, as well as one for Tteokbokki with Fish Cakes that you cook at the table.

Microgreens Bibimbap

Bulgogi Rice Bowl with Gochujang

I just LOVE making this simple and convenient ONE BOWL dish. This childhood favorite is a delicious assembly of rice, fresh vegetables like lettuce, perilla, onions, radish sprouts, and Bulgogi, topped with a sweet tangy gochujang sauce. If you don't have Bulgogi, substitute with ground beef or tofu for a vegan version.

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Gochujang Hobak Jjigae — Spicy Korean Zucchini Stew

Gochujang Hobak Jjigae (Spicy Zucchini Stew)

My go-to meatless spicy stew (note that it's not vegetarian because it's made with anchovy stock) that goes well with any meal. If you want to make this vegetarian, use my Vegetable Stock recipe instead.

P.S. Lots of onions make this stew extra sweet and tasty! 😉

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Gochujang pancake

Gochujang Pancake with Chives

This traditional pancake dates back to the year 1770's! Made with only 5 ingredients, you can have these pancakes ready to eat in 15 minutes. This pancake lets you enjoy the full flavor of Gochujang and there's no need for any dipping sauce on the side.

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This dish is great as Anju (bar foods that pair well with alcohol), so enjoy with some Makgeolli or Soju!

apple pork bulgogi

Apple Pork Bulgogi with Kale and Apple Salsa

Addition of apples make this pork bulgogi more delicate than the original marries wonderfully well with any cooked greens like kale or cabbage. Top it with my apple salsa and it’s a combination that will keep your mouth happy till the last bite.

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korean style tacos with kalbi

Korean Taco with Kalbi

Korean Taco with Kalbi, Napa Cabbage Slaw with soy lime dressing and creamy gochujang sauce, topped with cherry tomato salsa.

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poke nachos

Poke Nachos with Gochujang Mayo Sauce

Biting into a crispy piece of nacho and having flavors of umami packed salmon and tuna poke, salty sweetness, and spiciness from the gochujang sauce all come together in our family favorite appetizer!😉

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Saessak Bibimbap with Microgreens

Bibimbap with Microgreens

Traditional Bibimbap is pretty labor-intensive and time-consuming to make as wonderful as it is. This Saessak Bibimbap skips the part of cooking the different Namuls and uses fresh microgreens instead.

The microgreens and the drizzle of Cho Gochujang sauce🔥 on rice and sauteed burdock (optional) is an amazing combination of flavors and textures.

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BTW, here’s the Traditional Bibimbap recipe if you’re in the mood to make it!

Dongtae Jjigae — Alaska Pollock Stew with Gochujang

Spicy Alaska Pollock Stew

Frozen Alaskan Pollock is a popular cooking ingredient in Korean cuisine. Dongtae Jjgae features this same fish, and people love it! It was my dad's favorite, and I vividly remember my dad cooking this stew lots of times during my childhood.

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Sweet Gochujang Meatballs Appetizer

Gochujang Meatballs

This is not a quick dish but is quite easy to make. The meatballs are frozen, so all you need to do is make the sweet garlicky and tomatoey Gochujang sauce, and slow cook the meatballs until the flavors are all absorbed and it's glistening like here. ❤️

I served these during a neighborhood party, and needless to say— it was a big hit!

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Korean Oven-baked Spicy Chicken with Gochujang

Spicy Chicken with Gochujang (oven baked)

Korean Spicy Chicken that’s marinated in a super yummy sweet gochujang sauce then baked to perfection. Recipe can be used for both chicken breasts and thighs. Easy, simple and healthy.

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Traditionally, Korean Spicy Chicken is made in the pan, or on a grill, but the oven just makes everything so simple to make! This is one of the multiple oven recipes I made to simplify the process of making Korean meat dishes. Other recipes include Oven-roasted Pork Belly and Oven-baked Spicy Pork.

Osam Bulgogi — Korean Spicy Squid and Pork Stir-fry

Osam Bulgogi (Spicy Squid and Pork Stir Fry)

Osam Bulgogi is a Korean spicy squid and pork stir-fry that's a great simple one-pan dish packed with bold flavors. Spicy, garlicky, slightly sweet gochujang sauce just makes everything so perfectly delicious.

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If you love spicy and bold flavors, you will find this one addicting, and if that’s not your forte, you can always reduce the amount of chili powder. Or.. put some rice into the pan, and make yourself a pan of Osam Bulgogi Fried Rice. ❤️

Dakgalbi — Korean Spicy Chicken Stir-fry

Dakgalbi (Chuncheon Spicy Chicken Stir Fry)

Also known as Chuncheon Dak Glabi 춘천닭갈비, this Gochujang sauce chicken dish is iconic! With its origins in Chuncheon in the 60s, Dakgalbi was the delicious result of abundant chicken farms and the cheap price of white meats (as Koreans prefer dark meat over white meat).

It's made with chicken, sweet potatoes, and assorted vegetables cooked in a Gochujang sauce mixture until the flavors have all melded together. For vegetarians, you can just omit the chicken and add rice cakes (tteok) and it comes out still very tasty!

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Bibim Guksu — Korean Spicy Cold Noodles

Bibim Guksu (Spicy Cold Noodles)

Nothing is better than Cold noodle dishes when the temperature is warm or you kind of don't know what to cook and eat. Once you have the bibim sauce made from gochujang + apples + garlic, you can just add leftover greens and other vegetables from your fridge. Because I added apples, it's not as spicy as you may think but you are free to add more gochujang if you'd like!

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I hope these 14 Gochujang recipes gave you enough inspiration (and motivation) to incorporate more Gochujang usage into your daily cooking.

Enjoy!

JinJoo🌶️❤️✨