Gochujang Is the Hero of Condiments. Learn How to Use It to Elevate Your Dishes. (2024)

Christine Gallary

Christine GallaryFood Editor-at-Large

Christine graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France, and she has worked at Cook's Illustrated and CHOW.com. She lives in San Francisco and loves teaching cooking classes. Follow her latest culinary escapades on Instagram.

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updated Sep 8, 2023

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Gochujang Is the Hero of Condiments. Learn How to Use It to Elevate Your Dishes. (1)

In This Article

  1. What Is Gochujang?
  2. How to Use Gochujang
  3. How to Store Gochujang
  4. Gochujang Recipes

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Have you ever seen those plastic tubs of hot pepper paste in Korean or Asian markets and wondered what it was? It’s gochujang, which is one of the backbone ingredients of Korean cooking. It’s a thick, sticky condiment that’s spicy and very concentrated and pungent in flavor. (It’s often used in recipes alongside kimchi, another beloved Korean condiment.) It’s used in marinades in meat dishes or used to punch up soups and stews. We love the kick and depth of flavor that it adds to everything we stir it into.

Quick Overview

All About Gochujang

  • Gochujang, or red chili paste, is a staple condiment in Korean cooking
  • Made from glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, salt, and sometimes sweeteners
  • Spicy, very concentrated, and pungent in flavor
  • Ultra-versatile and can be used in marinades and dipping sauces, or to flavor soups and stews

What Is Gochujang?

Gochujang is a red chili paste that also contains glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, salt, and sometimes sweeteners. It’s a thick, sticky condiment that’s spicy and very concentrated and pungent in flavor. Heat levels can vary between brands, so check the packaging to see if it’s labeled with any kind of spice-level indicator.

How to Use Gochujang

Think of gochujang as similar to miso paste — a little goes a long way, but it’s also very versatile. Gochujang can be used in:

  • Marinades for meat dishes like Korean bulgogi
  • Stirred into dipping sauces
  • Used to punch up stews or soups.

The thick texture of gochujang means that it is a bit difficult to use straight up, so it is usually thinned out with a liquid of some sort. Also remember that if the gochujang contains sugar, searing or grilling meats marinated with it have a tendency to burn easily.

How to Store Gochujang

Once opened, gochujang should be stored in the refrigerator. Like miso, it has quite a long shelf life, as long as it hasn’t dried out or changed in color. Should you find yourself with a lot of gochujang leftover, remember that it can be used up in lots of different ways.

Gochujang Recipes

Looking for some ideas to use gochujang? Here are some of our favorite recipes that include this savory and spicy condiment:

Gochujang Is the Hero of Condiments. Learn How to Use It to Elevate Your Dishes. (2024)

FAQs

Can gochujang be used as a condiment? ›

As gochujang is very concentrated, it's typically used to add depth to dishes in collaboration with other ingredients, rather than as a standalone condiment. But hey, you do you, boo. No judgement here! Try it as a baste on chicken wings or pork ribs, or added to soup broths like in my Spicy Pork Miso Noodle Soup.

What is gochujang used for? ›

This spicy paste is salty, savory and slightly sweet, and can be used in many ways including in soups, stews, marinades and sauces. Traditional Korean dishes that include gochujang are bibimbap, a mixed rice dish, tteokbokki, a spicy rice cake street food, and Jeyuk Bokkeum, a spicy marinated pork stir-fry.

Is gochujang bad for you? ›

Is it good for your health? Fermented foods are naturally rich in probiotics that are beneficial for digestive health and helps in boosting metabolic rate, which helps in effective weight loss. Fermented soybeans in Gochujang makes it a great source of probiotics that can boost healthy gut microbiomes.

How does gochujang sauce taste? ›

What does gochujang taste like? So, what does gochujang taste like? To compare it with two popular sauces that almost always comes up in the same breath, gochujang is like the love child of sriracha and miso—spicy like the former, pungent like the latter—with a hint of sweetness.

Why do people like gochujang? ›

Gochujang is sweet, spicy, fruity, savoury, and unlike anything else. “It's also quite salty, but has a lot of depth to it,” Scott adds. Also, once it's cooked down in fat, the flavour softens.

Is gochujang just chili paste? ›

While they share some similarities, gochujang and Thai red chili paste have distinct flavors. Gochujang is thicker, fermented, and has a richer taste, while Thai red chili paste tends to be thinner and focuses on the heat. Substituting one for the other may alter the flavor profile of the dish.

Is gochujang good for fat loss? ›

In addition to revving up fat loss, gochujang and its components could also speed up your metabolism and help you lose weight fast. To maximize your weight loss and amp up your metabolism, make sure you're also following a balanced diet and getting in regular exercise.

Is gochujang good for the liver? ›

Gochujang has demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects in the liver by reducing lipid accumulation, liver damage, and inflammatory response along with reorganization of intestinal microflora dysbiosis, independent of salt content and differences in microbial composition.

Is gochujang good for blood pressure? ›

This study demonstrates that Gochujang has anti-hypertensive effects regardless of its high salt content and provide the evidence regarding the distinct impacts between salt in Gochujang and the table salt. Keywords: Gochujang; Hypertension; Korean paradox; Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system.

Do I need to refrigerate gochujang? ›

How to Store Gochujang. Once opened, gochujang should be stored in the refrigerator. Like miso, it has quite a long shelf life, as long as it hasn't dried out or changed in color. Should you find yourself with a lot of gochujang leftover, remember that it can be used up in lots of different ways.

How long does gochujang last once opened? ›

If you aren't using it very often then it may be a good idea to wrap the box tightly in some clingfilm (plastic wrap) to help prevent the paste from drying out. If there is no date on the box then we would suggest using the paste within 3 months of opening, provided it is refrigerated.

What is a good substitute for gochujang? ›

If you don't have access to gochujang, there are several good substitutes available.
  • Sriracha. ...
  • Chili Garlic Sauce. ...
  • Hoisin Sauce. ...
  • Harissa Paste. ...
  • Korean Red Pepper Flakes (Gochugaru) ...
  • Miso Paste. ...
  • Tahini Paste and Soy Sauce Mixture. ...
  • Chimichurri Sauce and Honey Mixture.
Apr 16, 2023

Does gochujang taste like sriracha? ›

Meet gochujang, the savory Korean sauce that, like sriracha, is made from fermented red peppers, but has a more savory, salty, deep flavor. “It's like hot sauce-meets-umami flavor,” chef Edward Lee, owner of 610 Magnolia & Milkwood in Louisville, Kentucky, told ABC News.

Does gochujang go with tomato? ›

Ingredients you will need for this tomato soup

End-of-summer tomatoes are the best tomatoes of the year, which is why it's the perfect time to whip up a warm and cozy tomato soup. The bright, acidic tomatoes with the rich and slightly spicy gochujang is a match made in heaven, and it's so simple to make.

Does gochujang go bad if not refrigerated? ›

Before opening, gochujang and gochujang sauce do not need to be refrigerated. Once opened, a lot of people recommend keeping the sauce and the paste in the fridge to help them retain freshness.

Can you replace gochujang with ketchup? ›

Tomato ketchup has the similar sweetness but it doesn't have any of the chilli heat in Gochujang. Combining hot chilli powder with ketchup adds both the heat and the sweetness that comes from Gochujang.

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