Make a 5-minute Korean Sauce: Gochujang Sauce! Also known as Bibimbap Sauce, this spicy-sweet sauce is made with pantry ingredients. Serve as a spicy dipping sauce with raw veggies. Or drizzle all over rice bowls with a fried egg on top. The Korean sauce that goes with EVERYTHING. Easy to make and gives everything a spicy kick!
What is Gochujang Sauce?
Gochujang Sauce is a popular spicy-sweet sauce used in Korean cuisine. Also known as Bibimbap Sauce, it’s served with Bibimbap or Korean Rice Bowls. It’s also a common sauce used for dipping with shrimp cocktail and raw veggies. Similar to ketchup or sriracha, it can be used as a dip or sauce for just about anything.
The flavor base comes from Gochujang or fermented Korean chili paste. The big tubs of Gochujang at the Korean market are full of thick chili paste with great depth of flavor. It’s one of the three essential flavor bases in Korean cooking (along with Doenjang and Ganjang, which is soy sauce).
Vinegar is added to the raw Gochujang to make it into a sauce. The vinegar makes it tangy, smooth, and pourable. In Korean, Gochujang Sauce is actually called Cho Gochujang. “Cho” means vinegar. You can even buy squeeze bottles of Cho Gochujang at Korean markets.
As a Korean American, I grew up eating Gochujang Sauce the traditional way. There was always a jar in the fridge that was pulled out and served as a dip for cucumber, tomatoes, shishito peppers, boiled chicken, and boiled squid.
For the modern home cook, Gochujang Sauce can be enjoyed as a hot sauce with anything that needs a kick of spice. That sweet, spicy, savory flavor is good drizzled on top of fried rice, scrambled eggs, omurice, avocado toast, french fries, nachos, hashbrowns, pizza, tacos — everything!
Ingredients:
- Gochujang (affiliate). Korean fermented chili paste. Bright red with a thick, pasty texture, the flavor is spicy-sweet, savory, and little smoky. The fermentation process makes Gochujang truly special. Naturally vegan, the main ingredients are salt, soybeans, sweet rice, barley malt, corn syrup or rice syrup, and dried red chili powder.
Look for Gochujang at Korean Grocery Stores. Korean red pepper paste can also be found in the international food aisles at regular grocery stores. Make sure to read the label as Gochujang can have a spicy level, ranging fron 1-5.
- Vinegar. Essential for that bright and tangy flavor. Also to make it smooth and pourable. I alternate between Rice Vinegar and Apple Vinegar. The Rice Vinegar is more acidic and tangy. The Apple Vinegar is more fruity and floral. Also, white distilled vinegar works fine if you don’t have either.
- Sugar. Sweetness rounds out all the intense flavors. Regular white granulated sugar works great. Can be swapped with maple syrup or honey.
- Soy Sauce. Add more umami richness with a little bit of soy sauce. Note: do not use low-sodium soy sauce! I find it leaves behind a weird metallic taste.
- Sesame Oil. Makes Gochujang Sauce smooth and pourable. Also adds an aromatic fragrance and a unique, nutty flavor.
How to make Bibimbap Sauce:
- Mix. Add ingredients to a medium bowl and mix until smooth and runny.
- Serve. Pour, drizzle, and dip this versatile sauce onto everything!
Serve with:
- Bibimbap – Drizzle all over Bibimbap or your favorite rice bowl. A fried runny egg on top is a must!
- Korean BBQ – Use as a sauce for grilled meats. Swipe onto lettuce wraps, like Ssamjang.
- Raw veggies – Serve with raw veggies like cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, shishito peppers, lightly steamed broccoli or cauliflower, etc. I grew up eating vegetables this way in my Korean American home.
- Seafood. Cho Gochujang tastes great with shrimp cocktail, boiled squid, and lobster. Serve in place of cocktail sauce.
- Salad. Commonly used as salad dressings for Hwe Dup Bap or Bibimbap with a base of salad. Drizzle on top of any greens with a bowl of rice.
Variations:
- Add garlic. Add 2 minced garlic cloves for a deep, garlic flavor.
- Add sesame seeds. Add 1 Tbsp sesame seeds for a thicker texture and nutty flavor.
How to store:
Leftover sauce keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 weeks. Make sure it’s tightly covered so it doesn’t dry out.
Two ways to store:
- Glass Jar. Find a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Store in the coldest part of the fridge. When ready to use, remove from the fridge and stir. If it’s too thick, add more sesame oil to make it runny and pourable. If the flavor is flat, add a little more vinegar.
- Squeeze bottle. Double the recipe and add to a squeeze bottle. Make sure the tip is tightly covered. Shake before drizzling!
FAQ:
Gochujang Sauce is similar to Sriracha because they are both hot sauces. But they are not the same. Gochujang Sauce contains a deeper umami flavor because Gochujang is a fermented food product.
To find out if your brand of Gochujang is gluten-free, look at the ingredient list. Every brand differs. Some will contain small amounts of wheat flour or malt barley, which contain gluten.
Gochujang is an essential ingredient in Korean cooking. A scoop of raw Gochujang can be added to make soups, stews, fried rice, tteokbokki, Spicy Chicken Rice Bowls, and meat dishes like Gochujang Chicken. Look at the list below for more inspiration.
More recipes with Gochujang:
- Gochujang Jjigae (Tofu Soup)
- Spicy Gochujang Chicken Thighs
- Gochujang Ground Pork Rice Bowls
- Slow Cooker BBQ Gochujang Pulled Pork
- Roasted Gochujang Chicken Drumsticks
More sauces and condiments:
Easy Korean Gochujang Sauce (Bibimbap Sauce)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Gochujang Korean fermented chili paste
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar (white vinegar also works)
- 1 Tbsp sugar (honey or maple syrup also work)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sesame seeds *optional (don't add if storing in a squeeze bottle)
Instructions
Notes
- Gochujang Sauce keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 weeks. Make sure it’s tightly covered so it doesn’t dry out. Two ways to store:Â
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- Glass Jar. Store in the coldest part of the fridge. When ready to use, remove from the fridge and stir. If it’s too thick, add more sesame oil to make it runny and pourable. If the flavor is flat, add a little more vinegar.
- Squeeze bottle. Double the recipe and add to a squeeze bottle. Make sure the tip is tightly covered.
Would this be good as a stir fry sauce? Rice, chicken, veggies?
I’ve never tried it as a stir fry sauce, as it will probably easily burn (gochujang burns easily). But you could drizzle all over a rice bowl and mix it up while it’s hot. Or drizzle over chicken that’s been already cooked. Enjoy!
This is my new favourite sauce, so good!
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Tasted great. Added fresh green onion and a little hoison (wife it a little spicy).