Savory, garlicky, and utterly addictive Ssamjang or Ssam Sauce — the essential Korean Dipping Sauce! A popular favorite with lettuce wraps, grilled meat, and vegetables. A combination of soybean paste and chili paste delivers an irresistible explosion of umami. An easy 5-minute sauce that’s thick, rich, and absolutely delicious!

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What is Ssamjang or Ssam Sauce?

Ssamjang 쌈장 is a popular Korean dipping sauce served with grilled meat, vegetables, and lettuce wraps. Also called Ssam Sauce, it’s thick, rich, and full of fantastic umami and garlicky flavor. If you’ve ever eaten Korean BBQ at a restaurant, it’s the special sauce added to everything. And makes everything so delicious!

“Ssam” means wrap and “Jang” means sauce. Essentially, SsamJang is “wrap sauce.”

In Korean cuisine, “Ssam” is a general term used to describe a particular style of eating — food that’s “wrapped” in a lettuce leaf. To enjoy, take a lettuce leaf and layer rice, meat, and green onion inside. A generous smear of ssamjang sauce is essential! The lettuce leaf is then folded and wrapped into a neat package before eating. YUM!

The absolutely addictive flavor of Ssamjang comes from a combination of two Korean fermented pastes — Doenjang (soybean paste) and Gochujang (chili paste). When mixed together with sesame oil, vinegar, and various aromatics (green onion, chili pepper, and garlic), the combination is incredibly delicious.

Don’t buy pre-made ssamjang paste at the Korean grocery — homemade ssamjang is SO much tastier. And easy! Make it once to see how delicious and simple it is to make Korean Ssamjang dipping sauce at home!

How do I eat Ssamjang Sauce?

Like Gochujang Sauce, Ssamjang is a Korean dipping sauce or spreadable condiment that adds lots of flavor to everything. Here are some suggestions for enjoying at home:

• Lettuce Wraps. Serve Ssamjang with some kind of edible wrap. The wraps can be lettuce leaves, perilla leaves (kkaennip), or even thinly sliced pickled radish. But it can also include Gim (roasted seaweed snack), napa cabbage leaves, or long pieces of cooked seaweed. Soft lettuce leaves, such as Butter, Bibb, Red Leaf or Green Leaf, are preferred to make wrapping easier.
• Samgyupsal (Pork belly slices). Serve Ssamjang (fried pork belly) and Samgyupsal together — they make a classic Korean flavor pairing. The savory, sharp, flavorful kick of Ssam Sauce complements and cuts through the fatty richness of crispy fried pork belly.
• Grilled meat. Ssam sauce also tastes good with any marinated, grilled meat. Chicken Bulgogi, LA Galbi (BBQ Short Beef Ribs), Spicy Pork Belly Bulgogi, and Korean Beef Bulgogi are nice accompaniments.
• Grilled vegetables. Instead of meat, serve with grilled oyster mushrooms, zucchini, and onion.
• Fresh vegetable crudites. Use as a dip for cut-up cucumber, carrot, whole Shishito peppers, and tomato wedges.
• Korean soups and stews. Add a generous spoonful to Doenjang Jjigae or Gochujang Jjigae. An easy and popular way to add more flavor if the jjigae tastes flat.

Ingredients:

• Doenjang. Korean soybean paste. Salty. Thick. Umami-rich.
• Gochujang. Korean chili paste. Adds subtle spicy flavor and depth.
• Garlic + Green Onion. The aromatics are essential to both flavor and texture.
• Chili Pepper. Adds a nice texture and subtly spicy flavor. I recommend green or red chilies, Fresno, or jalapeno.
• Maesil Cheong. Korean green plum syrup. A little bit of sweetness! Sub with maple syrup if you don’t have it.
• Toasted Sesame Oil. All that nutty fragrance. Plus, it makes it smooth and pourable.
• Rice vinegar. A little sharpness from vinegar makes the flavor extra delicious. White distilled vinegar or apple vinegar also works well.
• Toasted Sesame seeds. Adds a nice texture and nuttiness. Toasting the seeds at home brings out the nutty flavor and aroma but you can also buy sesame seeds that a pre-toasted.

Instructions:

1. Mix ingredients in one bowl.
2. Garnish with a drizzle of sesame oil, slices of raw garlic and jalapeno, and a few cranks of black pepper.
3. Serve with various grilled meat, vegetables, lettuce wraps, and rice. Enjoy!

Watch How to make it:

PRO Tips:

• Finely mince green onion, garlic, and chili pepper. For better texture, mince finely. Don’t make it overly chunky! I use a microplane to mince the garlic. For the green onion and chili pepper, I cut into half lengthwise, then mince finely.
• Garnish. Right before serving, add a drizzle of sesame oil, a few grinds of black pepper, and several slices of raw garlic and jalapeno. A classic Korean finishing touch!
• Make ahead. Ssam Sauce can be made and stored safely in the fridge, up to 2 days in advance. Keep in an air-tight container so it doesn’t dry out.

How to serve:

• Communal bowl. For a family-style meal, serve in one bowl in the middle of the table. People can serve themselves as much as they like.

• Individual portions. To make dipping and scooping easier, serve in small, individual portions for each person. That way, people can dip and scoop as much as they like and not worry about double-dipping.

*I use small, stainless steel sauce trays (2-portion tray, 3-portion tray) (affiliate) when serving ssamjang. Each person receives their own portion, alongside a mixture of sesame oil with salt and pepper (1/4 tsp salt, few cranks of black pepper, sesame oil to cover). Look at the video for more details.

More Korean recipes:

• Gochujang Sauce (Bibimbap Sauce)
• Yangnyeom Jang (Korean Dumpling Sauce)
• Instant Pot Bossam (Boiled Pork Belly)
• Oi Muchim (Korean Cucumber Salad)
• Gamja Salad (Korean Potato Salad)
• Dubu Jorim (Braised Tofu)