I love the kick and depth of flavor that gochujang adds to everything I stir it into. This Korean staple is made from chilies, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, salt, and sweeteners that becomes a thick, sticky condiment that’s spicy and pungent in flavor. Totally delicious.

Due to its thick texture, it can be difficult to use, so I tend to make a sauce around it, thinning it out by adding other ingredients to round out its flavor.

One of my favorite quick weekday dishes is a gochujang marinaded grilled chicken served with blistered green onions and quick pickled cucumber slices on a bowl of rice. Yum yum yummy.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon neutral oil | grapeseed oil or vegetable oil

1 small onion | minced finely

6 garlic cloves | grated

1 tablespoon fresh ginger | grated

¼ cup gochujang

¼ cup soy sauce or tamari

¼ cup mirin

3 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon ground black pepper | freshly ground

Instructions

Step 1

Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high, add onion, garlic, and ginger, reduce heat to medium and cook until softened, about 4 minutes, stirring frequently.

Step 2

Stir in gochujang and cook 1 minute. Stir in soy sauce, mirin, honey, and pepper. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook until thickened and a spatula leaves a trail just briefly on the bottom of the pan; about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let sauce cool slightly.

Store sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy.

A few last thoughts

Remember that gochujang typically contains sugar, searing or grilling meats marinated with it will have a tendency to burn easily, so remember to flip often and baste regularly.

When buying gochujang, keep in mind that heat levels can vary between brands, so check the packaging to see if it’s labeled with any kind of spice-level indicator.