In all of the travels we’ve done, South Korea remains one of our favorite countries and Seoul one of our favorite cities.
The people, the culture, the landscape, and the FOOD. Oh my word, the food. It’s all amazing.
We’ve shared an inspired version of easy kimchi on the blog before, but recently, we were craving that quintessential red pepper paste known as gochujang.
What is Gochuang?
It’s spicy, savory, and slightly sweet with so much complexity. Traditionally, the sauce is made and fermented to develop the flavors, but there are also ways to make it more simply (and quickly) – which you know we’re all about.
This is my inspired version (not authentic, mind you!) of this curiously complex sauce we’ve grown to love and crave. Let’s get started!
First of all, this recipe is EASY. I mean easy. Anyone can make it. It requires 5 ingredients, 5 minutes, and 1 blender or food processor.
What’s in Gochujang?
It starts with miso as a base, which provides a quicker route to that fermented flavor. Plus, we like using chickpea miso to avoid the possibility of GMO soy. But if you can only find soy miso, that works, too! The flavors are quite similar.
Next comes Korean chili powder or flakes, which we’ve discovered are quite different than other chili flakes. They’re not as spicy as cayenne and more complex than red pepper flake. If at all possible, order some online (link in recipe) or visit an Asian store in your area to see if you can hunt them down.
For more flavor, we added some fresh garlic, maple syrup for natural sweetness, and coconut aminos in place of soy sauce for saltiness and depth of flavor. Swoon.
How to use Gochujang?
So many options! First of all, it acts as a chili paste in marinades and sauces. Anywhere a recipe calls for chili garlic sauce, you could experiment substituting gochujang for more complex flavor.
One of the most famous uses of gochujang is in the delicious Korean rice and veggie bowl known as Bibimbap.
We hope you LOVE this sauce! It’s:
Spicy
Savory
Bold
Easy to make
Versatile
& Insanely delicious
The cool thing about gochujang is it’s not spice-your-face-off spicy. It’s more of a subtle spice because it’s balanced with other flavors. Plus, you can control the spice level when you make your own! So even if you’re typically averse to spicy food, give this one a try! You might be pleasantly surprised. Use this sauce in our Gochujang Spiced Cauliflower Wings to see what we’re raving about!
If you’re into Korean food, also be sure to check out our Easy Kimchi recipe. And for instant inspiration for where to use this sauce, give it a try in our Marinated Peanut Tempeh or add it to the dipping sauce in these Collard Green Spring Rolls!
If you like this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Easy Gochujang Sauce (Korean Chili Paste)
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup chickpea miso paste (we like the brand Miso Master Organic // or use soy miso - just make sure it's vegan friendly and gluten-free if needed)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (plus more to taste)
- 1/3 cup Korean chili flakes* (plus more to taste)
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos (plus more to taste (or sub tamari, but reduce amount as it’s saltier)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- ~1/4 cup water (to thin)
Instructions
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To a small blender or food processor, add chickpea miso, maple syrup, chili flakes, coconut aminos, and garlic. Blend together until smooth, adding water to thin into a paste (see photo for texture).
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Taste and adjust flavor as needed. Add more pepper flake for spice, coconut aminos for depth of flavor, maple syrup for sweetness, garlic for “zing,” or salt for saltiness.
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Store in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks or in the freezer up to 1 month. Perfect for use on dishes like tempeh, cauliflower wings, sauces, marinades, etc.
Notes
*If you can’t find Korean Red Chili Powder, feel free to replace it with something similar such as cayenne or red pepper flake. The flavor and spice level will vary, so adjust accordingly, especially with cayenne, which is much spicier (start small and add to taste).
*Recipe adapted from Leite's Culinaria.
Nutrition Per Serving (1 of 8 Servings)
- Calories: 68
- Fat: 0.6g
- Saturated fat: 0.1g
- Polyunsaturated fat: 0.4g
- Monounsaturated fat: 0.1g
- Sodium: 410mg
- Potassium: 144mg
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 2.6g
- Sugar: 9.9g
- Protein: 1.7g
- Vitamin A: 2200IU
- Vitamin C: 0.8mg
- Calcium: 20mg
- Iron: 0.9mg
Best gochujang recipe ever – thanks! I use Cayenne pepper and some red pepper flakes as Korean chilli in any form is not easy to come by near me. Also, I am using standary Hikari/Carwari shiro or red or whichever miso I have. And brown rice syrup when I don’t have maple, which is usually:). So glad to be able to make this paste with organic, simple ingredients, without all the garbage that a lot of the commercial ones have and tasting even better!
That’s wonderful! Thanks, Dave!
Really, really good! I was afraid of putting so much red pepper flakes in it, but the heat is spot on, tempered by the maple syrup and the garlic. It’s got depth and lots of flavour. The colour is not red, but I used a Shiro “white” miso that is actually brown, and it looks more liquid than yours. But who cares? Thanks Dana for this recipe. It’s a keeper.
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Isabelle!
Hi! Is there a substitute for the miso? I have a soy allergy so we can’t do the paste :( we also have other allergies – wheat, nuts, dairy, eggs, shellfish and sesame.
Hi Alina, not really. But you can use chickpea miso for a soy-free option!
Ohhh! I saw chickpea miso in the ingredients, but didn’t realize it is a soy-free option already! Thank you so much.
xoxo!
is there an instance where miso isn’t vegan?
Not that I’m aware of.
‘when in doubt, GOCHUJANG it!’
i was SO EXCITED when i scored 3Kg of GOCHUJANG, checked it as vegan, but, was disappointed to find that it is made w/ powders, not fermented …i felt demented ..im thrilled to have YOUR recipe so i can still GOCHUJANG it and be FERmented…not DEmented!!!!
Wow! I didn’t know you have a recipe for gochujang. I made gochujang in traditional way which is kinda tedious job to do and usually it requires sprouted barley malt powder or syrup, sticky rice, fermented soybean with wheat powder, which is gochujang is not gluten free. So I was looking for a quick, healthy and cheat version for people who allergic to soy and gluten. I actually found a similar recipe from a korean blogger who lives in Japan and she used miso to make gochujang. And I thought it was such a brilliant idea! Since miso has also rice and already fermented and similar but mild taste of korean fermented soybean powder! I will try your recipe and see how it turns out. But just a suggestion, if you can find gochugaru for gochujang, it might be easier to mix too since it’s ground finer. Most Korean markets in North America and other coin have them:-)
Thanks for the insights!!
I was looking for gochujang at The local
Asian store and could only find a paste loaded with corn syrup and msg. I decided to do some googling and came across your recipe.
It’s excellent and much healthier than the stuff I found at the store. I’m planning to make some udon stir fry with the paste. Yum!
Thanks!
So glad to hear it, Reena! Thanks for sharing!
I ordered Korean chili flakes “gochugaru” and then wondered ok what now….I’m so glad you’ve developed this guide for me!!! I love all things Korean flavored and as a vegan I wanted to create some of my own. I processed my flakes first and then followed your recipe. Great work!
Kamsahamnida !
Whoop! Enjoy! xo
The brand you mentioned: Miso Master Organic Chick-pea Miso has rice in it, but the recipe is labeled as grain-free?
Thanks for catching that. We will take a look and make modifications as needed.
Made this gochujang and it was outstanding! And with the addition of ginger and a touch of sesame oil, it was better than any that I’ve bought and cheaper and healthier! (I also cut back on the garlic.). This will definitely be a staple in my frig! I’ve been using your site for a few months now and I haven’t hit a bad recipe yet. Thanks for all your work!!!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Pat! xo
SO amazing! This sauce is a keeper. I can always count on you for delicious tastes that make my mouth and inner self shine! Happy Me! Thank you!
Lovely! Thanks, B!
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it
Thanks! This looks great, and I have bought gochugaru to make it. Would regular white miso work here?
Yes!
Would this ferment if I left it in the sun for a few hours a day the way it’s done with traditional gochujang?
Hi Saira, we haven’t tried that and can’t say for sure. If you give it a try, we would love to hear how it goes!
This sauce is unbelievable. So delicious!! I wanna put it on everything!! Thank you :)
I just discovered this amazing sauce when I purchased a salad kit from the store. What would be best to thin the sauce for a salad dressing. Excited to try this!
We haven’t tried that, but think lime juice, maple syrup, and water might be a nice combo!
Oh dear, I used the tamari & forgot to cut the amount. Any suggestions to reduce saltiness?
Thank you.
Sorry to hear that happened! You could try doubling all of the other ingredients and then taste testing and adding more tamari, if needed. Hope that helps!
@Tida: Gochujang is vegan. There are many gochujang-based recipes that contain additional ingredients, as @Xissy mentioned, but if you purchase gochujang from any store, it will only contain plant-based ingredients.
Was craving a Korean buddha bowl and this was the answer to my cravings! I had a hard time finding a clean gochujang, so thank you for sharing! Aloha
Yay!
I just made the sauce and was wondering if I should have made any modifications since some of my ingredients were just a little different. I used Braggs liquid aminos and regular miso paste.. wondering if that made it a little too pungent in flavor it was very salty. Or is this how it’s supposed to taste? Also added some fresh ginger and lime juice to help liven up the flavors a bit which deffinatly helped! Thanks!!
Hi Lindsey, Bragg’s has a similar potency to tamari and is stronger than coconut aminos, so next time we would say reduce it.
Wow – a great find and new to me; I’d never heard of Gochujang. Fast and easy to make, with great depth of flavor and a lot of heat. I followed the recipe exactly as written (added a little water as suggested). It’s a marvel. I do love recipes that taste like I put in a lot more time on them than I actually had to :-)
Hi Dana!
How spicy do you think this sauce is for a spicy-foods wimp? Do you think I could sub samba oelek for the Korean chili flakes?
Hi Kat! It’s more of a subtle spice because it’s balanced with other flavors, but if you give that a try, let us know how it goes!
hey, you’re saying in the notes something about the “Korean Red Chili Powder” but its not in the ingredients list nor in the recipe instructions? so how much should be used? thx in advance, Katharina
It’s the same as Korean Chili Flakes (ingredient 3)- hope that helps!
Hi there, I am super excited to try this.. Can I use Tahini in place of miso paste?
I am not sure that would produce the same results as the taste would be different, but if you experiment with it, report back on how it goes! Good luck!
Can you use soy sauce instead of coconut aminos? I don’t have tamari or coconut aminos.
Yes, that should work!
Would rice miso work in this?
Yes that should work!
Hi, can I just ask wha the reason is for you useing soy alternatives?
Would this work with normal miso paste and soy sauce? I’ve found it difficult to find chickpea miso and coconut aminos
Regular soy sauce and miso paste are fine, but we recommend using less of the soy sauce as it is more potent than coconut aminos. We prefer the flavor of these soy alternatives and find that it makes the recipe more accommodating to those with sensitivities.
I used to love the Korean Ribs at the Sushi Bar but now that I am a plant based eater those are no more and then…. You came to the rescue again! I just made the sauce and the cauliflower wings are in the oven!! The sauce is sooo yummy. The smell of the Korean Chilis alone had my taste buds dancing. Thank you again. Can’t wait incorporate this sauce into other dishes. Eggplant paninis perhaps.
We’re glad you enjoyed it, Tracie! :D
Just made it. It’s yummy. Going to make the cauliflower recipe you posted and maybe try it on the pizza I was going to make too!
Omg, thank you for this recipe! Please make a vegan bibimbap recipe to go with it xx
https://minimalistbaker.com/easy-bibimbap-with-gochujang-sauce/ :) omit egg for vegan option
I would give this recipe 6 stars if I could. I used this recipe to make the cauliflower wings and holy moly were they delicious. Modifications that I made: I used soy miso, just less than 1/4 cup of maple syrup, and just over 1/8 cup of soy sauce in place of the coconut aminos. I shared this recipe with all my girlfriends because what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t??
Glad you loved the sauce, Liza! Thank you for sharing your subs.
Thank you for turning me on to the sauce! I liked the taste a lot, but somehow I messed up this recipe. My cauliflowers were drowning in a pool of liquid when I pulled them out, so they werent crisp like shown in your post. Not sure what i did wrong – maybe I’ll try putting the sauce on last and not putting it back in the oven next time?
IF you overcrowd your roasting tray and the florets all touching each other, the cauliflower steams more than roasts. They need to have alot space around them to allow the moisture to evaporate. That might have been your problem. (A mistake I have made, so speaking from experience!)
You have no idea how excited I was when I saw this recipe pop-up in my inbox! My hubby’s a HUGE fan of Korean food but I have a soy allergy and our daughter’s gluten-free so trying to find an option for us has been impossible. Until now! Seriously cannot wait to try this recipe. Thank you!
Just a practical tip. I HATE cleaning out my blender…so for many blended sauces I use a wide mouth mason jar and an immersion blender. I tare the jar on a kitchen scale and weigh/pour measured ingredients directly into the jar then blend away. Then I can easily put a lid on it and store in fridge. I do this with so many things: crepe and pancake batters, salad dressings, marinades, etc.
Call me lazy. or innovative (I prefer that!)
My only qualm with this is That I had korean red chili powder that my DH brought back from korea while on business but it had no english on the packaging and hope it it does not include MSG.
what kind of small blender did you use?
We use this blender, and this food processor!
Hello! i would love to make this, but I can’t have any sweeteners besides stevia and small amounts of 100% fruit juice. What would you recommend i sub the maple syrup for? More water and a little stevia? Thank you!
Hmm we haven’t tried and can’t say for sure, but if you give it a try, let us know how it goes!
I was thinking the same thing. Many “original” recipes call for rice syrup and barely malt syrup and I think that a little molasses and some stevia might work as a good substitute and just add water as needed for the consistency you prefer. There’s also brown rice syrup that you can find in many health food stores and it’s got a lower glycemic index if you’re into that kind of thing.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Gochujang! It is my favorite Korean sauce by far. Goes well with everything! I just love how ridiculously easy and vibrant this recipe is!
Thank you Dana. I love your recipes and find your website one of the easiest to use.
You have a gentle, open style that makes Your recipes so useable. And you respect the no salt or oil crowd.
Laura
Thanks Laura! xo
I also appreciate that you include recipes that are soy free and gluten free. Just recently started experimenting with vegan foods, but so many are centered around wheat (saitan) and soy. Thank you for researching and providing alternatives!
hi!
How long will it last this recipe in the fridge?
On the conservative side, at least 2 weeks. But honestly, probably closer to 1 month.
This is SO good! Just made this and it’s going on our tofu bowls tonight! Thank you!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Morgan!
I’m going to try this because I love this sauce but had no idea what was in it.
If using soy bean miso, I am assuming white miso is to be used?
Yeah! That should work.
I am so excited to find a healthy recipe. I searched the Net for a brand without tons of chemical additives, and the only one i found isn’t sold in Canada. Thanks, Dana! I have never tried chickpea miso, which is why I asked. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Lovely – thanks for sharing!
Hi!!
Not sure if you are vegan or just engage in vegan recipes. Would you ever share or blog the places you have been?
Planning on a korea trip, but both me and my partner are vegan and are wondering how hard it is to eat?
There are vegan restaurants in itaewon. You can also find vegan restaurants in Korea videos on youtube. Also follow Megan Bowen, she is an expat living in Korea and is a vegan.
Check out our Asia Dining Guide! https://minimalistbaker.com/dining-guide-shanghai-seoul-japan/
Korea is fairly easy to navigate as a vegan if you stay in the big cities and you can stock up at a vegan store like the one in Seoul and take stuff with you where ever you go! Good luck!
I cannot wait to make this gochujang! Up next, recipes for ssamjang and ssam…the most amazing sauce made from gochujang and my favorite meal!
Ooh, thanks for sharing! Never heard of those but am going to research immediately!
YAY!! I have a giant bag of the Korean Chili Flakes and didn’t know what to do with them. (Bought them to make Kim Chi which ended up literally exploding in my dining room and haven’t had the courage to try again!) All I need to do now is buy Miso.
Thanks!
Christi
What are the odds? Hope you love it!
I do love your genius!!!!
It looks and sounds so delicious!!! Must try! Thanks so much!!! xx
Oh my gosh, thank you! Most commercial gochujang is not gluten-free. This has opened up a world of possibilities.
Right? So stoked to have a soy-free and gluten-free version!
I recently bought a tub of gochujang, but was just thinking I could probably make it myself. So happy to see this pop up in my inbox!
The ingredients in most commercial gochujang pastes are pretty awful.
Agreed, that’s why I wanted to try making my own! Love this easy version – hope you do, too!
I will try it pretty soon, and will leave my comments. Thank you!
I haven’t fleshed this idea out (so maybe it’s not a good one!) but I’m thinking about using this as the base for Korean inspired pizza. Maybe load up with red peppers, green onions, mushrooms. Thank you for getting me thinking:-)
Thanks for sharing! Hope you love it.
They do this with marinated chicken from the sauce, red onion, mozzarella, provolone, carrots, red peppers, drizzle sesame oil and after baking add cilantro. Good, spicy Korean chicken pizza!
I think it’s an amazing idea!! I’m an Eastern European mutt living in San Francisco enjoying the foods of the world. Discovered Gochujang many years ago when it came with some bulgoki and now I put it in/on soooo many things. Try with Cauliflower crust. ?
What part about other gojuchang pastes is not vegan
@Glenn Pretty sure Gochujang is vegan (though most recipes it goes into are not), but I think the idea was to create a quicker, easier recipe with similar-tasting results to the traditional method. This one doesn’t even use a stove, blender does it all. :)
@Glenn I’ve done my research and seen many gochujang pastes with anchovy paste / fish sauce/ or shrimp paste in it !! plah