Incredible Gochujang Sauce (2024)

14 reviews / 5 average

This delightful, creamy, silky, incredible gochujang sauce is what I put on everything! Dipped with chicken, drizzled on a bowl, tossed in a salad – perfect in every way.

Jump to Recipe

this recipe

In This Post

Jump To The Recipe
Why I Love This Recipe
Visual Walk-Through of the Recipe

Frequently Asked Questions
Ratings

In My Gochujang Sauce Era.

Okay, wow. I am absolutely hooked on this delightful, creamy, silky, incredible gochujang sauce.

It is silky and slightly creamy, spicy, garlicky (!!), and a little tangy and salty from the soy sauce and rice vinegar. I literally just whispered “oof” outloud as I am reliving it in my mind. It’s so good.

So first, an explainer: gochujang is a red chile paste that has its roots in Korean cooking! Gochujang can be bought as a paste (spicier and more concentrated) or as more of a table sauce (usually a bit sweeter and less spicy).

This gochujang sauce is a dipping sauce / dressing that you make from store-bought gochujang sauce. You then a) fall in love with it, and b) put it on salads, rice bowls, and all manner of everything. Does it make sense? It makes a lot of sense to my tastebuds.

It has very quickly earned a top spot in my list of Favorite Sauces of 2024, and it takes all of five minutes to make. WHEEE! Things I have used this sauce on:

a dip for air fryer chicken (this was the OG, which naturally leads to…)
a dip for air fryer tofu!
and a dip for the air fryer salmon!
a smashburger!
a salad dressing!
a sauce on a rice bowl!
a drizzle for a wrap or sandwich!

It’s just the sauce of my life these days. Initially I just tucked it into the notes of the air fryer chicken post, because I thought – it won’t need its own blog post because I mostly will only use it for this? which was very delusional. Because then I started putting it on everything. And I realized it needs its own home here on POY.

Welcome home, you incredible little gochujang sauce! This is where you live now. ♡

Welcome To My House! Make This Gochujang Sauce With Me!

1 Mix up your sauce ingredients.

Love a one-step recipe.

2 You’re Done! Yum!

Use it to dip, dunk, drizzle, spread, swoop, and/or all of the above. Here is a picture of this gochujang sauce on a kale and cabbage salad (similar to this guy!) with air fryer chicken on top.

Incredible Gochujang Sauce

5 from 14 reviews

Author: Lindsay
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x

Print Recipe

Description

This delightful, creamy, silky, incredible gochujang sauce is what I put on everything! Dipped with chicken, drizzled on a bowl, tossed in a salad – perfect in every way.

Ingredients

Scale

1/2 cup mayo (vegan or regular)
1–2 tablespoons gochujang sauce (I use a sauce like this)
1 clove grated garlic
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Taste and adjust! I usually add a small pinch of salt because I love salt. You can also thin it out with a tablespoon of water so more of a drizzle if that’s what you’re going for!
Serve as a dip with grilled or air-fried chicken, a dressing for a creamy slaw, a spread on a burger – whatever floats your boat. It’s all so delicious.

Notes

Gochujang: I use the Bibigo brand gochujang hot and sweet sauce, and I buy it at Target. This is both milder and sweeter than gochujang paste. If you use the paste, I would use less (start at 1-2 teaspoons) and maybe add a drizzle of honey to sweeten it just a bit!

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Category: Sauce
Method: No-Cook
Cuisine: Korean-Inspired

Keywords: gochujang sauce, creamy gochujang sauce, dip for chicken, dip recipe, sauce recipe

Frequently Asked Questions For Gochujang Sauce

How long does this gochujang sauce keep in the fridge?

This gochujang sauce will keep for about a week in the fridge! She does well as a make-ahead option!

What gochujang sauce should I buy?

This Bibigo brand gochujang sauce is my favorite. It’s not as spicy as a paste and works well as a table sauce, or mixed into another sauce (like this one right here)! It’s a bit on the sweet side, but it’s not overly spicy. I find 2 tablespoons is the right amount for us but you may want more or less. Currently, the brand is owned by CJ CheilJedang Corporation which is a South Korean international food company based in Seoul, and – lucky for us – their products are widely available at many US grocers. I buy it at Target but also see it at Cub Foods, Costco, and other local grocers.

What can I put gochujang sauce on?

Okay don’t even get me started. Burgers. Grilled chicken or veggies. Rice bowls. Sandwiches. Salads. Dipping straight with air-fried chicken, tofu, or salmon. SO MANY GOOD OPTIONS.

How can you make gochujang less spicy?

First of all, use the table sauce (here’s a link one more time) and not a paste. The paste will be more concentrated and spicy. Secondly, if you’re sensitive to spice, use less as what’s directed here in the recipe and compliment with some other dried spices that will give color and flavor but no heat – like paprika or chili powder.

Is gochujang sauce dairy-free?

Yes, both the paste and the table sauce should be dairy-free, making it excellent for vegans!

Is gochujang gluten-free?

Surprisingly, gochujang may contain gluten. Some varieties have glutinous rice flour, which is safe for people who have celiac disease. Some gochujang has barley malt, or soy sauce, which is not safe for people who have celiac disease. Here’s more on that if you’re looking to ensure your gochujang sauce is gluten-free.

Three More Spicy Sauces I’m Obsessed With

Aji Verde

Chipotle Tahini

Jalapeño Ranch

Ridiculously Good Air Fryer Salmon

Crispy Rice Salad with Cucumbers and Herbs

Nice to meet you!

I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.

Did you make a recipe? Tag @pinchofyum on Instagram so we can find you!

25 Comments

Cait
We don’t eat our AFC without this sauce! So good. I like to use the leftovers (if there are any) on nuggets and fries.

04/16/24 @ 7:47 am
Reply
1. Jenna Arend
  Love that, Cait!
  
  04/18/24 @ 10:34 am
  Reply
Holly C
Love this sauce! Tossed POY “Ridiculously good AF tofu” in it and it was yummy and so easy. I’m not a fan of a strong mayo taste, so I added probably an extra tablespoon or two of gochujang to give it a little more spice and it was perfect for us.
04/16/24 @ 9:20 am
Reply
1. Jenna Arend
  Glad you enjoyed it, Holly!
  
  04/18/24 @ 10:33 am
  Reply
Jo
Hi can’t wait to make this unfortunately the gojuchang brand of sauce isn’t available at Target any longer, not even for shipping. I’m going to check Kroger’s and Safeway, finally Amazon. I’m looking for a sauce with less heat. Also I purchased paprika that was supposed to be sweet from on line company Spice House and it was definitely not sweet instead spicy, just a suggestion to make sure you’re getting the type you want. Love your posts and emails long time fan
04/16/24 @ 9:42 am
Reply
Isabell
Hi Lindsay,
Have you tried making this with Japanese mayo, which is a little sweeter than the American version? I am going to make some of this sauce tonight but was curious if you have tested it out with different versions of mayo.
For those that are close to Trader Joe’s, they have a nice Gochujang paste that is not overly spicy.

04/16/24 @ 5:30 pm
Reply
Lauren
Made this tonight to drizzle on cod tacos – took 2 minutes and was a hit all around. Delicious: thank you!
04/18/24 @ 6:27 pm
Reply
Valerie
YUM! Perfect drizzled over your AFS with rice and broccoli.
04/23/24 @ 10:08 am
Reply
Megan
Made this last night with the air-fryer salmon, white rice, and shelled edamame. OMG! The hubs requested that next time I make double the amount of sauce, lol. Thanks for another great winner!
Also, I used the gochujang sauce (not paste) from Trader Joe’s and it was perfect; added a bit of warmth but not too much spice.
04/24/24 @ 12:38 pm
Reply
Rebecca Seaman
Excellent – made it three times and love it. Thank you
04/26/24 @ 4:18 pm
Reply
1. Allie
  I wasn’t sure what to expect with these flavors together but oh my goodness this sauce is soo incredible!!! With the air fryer chicken it is truly delicious!
  04/27/24 @ 10:38 pm
  Reply
Allie
I wasn’t sure what to expect with these flavors together but oh my goodness this sauce is soo incredible!!! With the air fryer chicken it is truly delicious!
04/27/24 @ 10:37 pm
Reply
Drewry
Just the name along for this sauce sounds creative and intriguing! 🙂

04/28/24 @ 11:42 am
Reply
Lance
The “table sauce” you’re referring to is called chogochujang. Mainly used for bibimbap, but I use our family recipe chogochujang on raw oysters, dipping raw cucumber sticks and others. Don’t know why Korean companies decided to called to sweet and spicy sauce (figure it’s to keep it simple), but this would be calling tartar sauce a tangy mayo for fried fish. Chogochujang has its own name.

04/29/24 @ 4:53 pm
Reply
Anna
Wow this was so good! I made it last night and drizzled it over your air fryer chicken (of course!!) and served it with rice and roasted broccoli. What a delicious meal and super easy. I’m planning to try the leftover sauce on fish tacos or maybe a burger–it is so full of flavor and versatile! Thank you so much for yet ANOTHER fabulous recipe!!

05/01/24 @ 7:32 am
Reply
1. Jenna Arend
  Glad to hear it, Anna!
  
  05/01/24 @ 3:10 pm
  Reply
Jeri Bitney
This was absolutely delicious. I served it to friends this week, pouring it over your recipe for thin sliced chicken, broccoli, and rice. They both asked for the recipe, and both of them took home all of the leftovers. Thank you so much for this!
05/02/24 @ 9:13 am
Reply
Trey
WOW! I love this slice! We used it with the air fryer salmon recipe and we loved it! Ate it twice!
05/26/24 @ 8:09 pm
Reply
Trey S
WOW! I love this slice! We used it with the air fryer salmon recipe and we loved it! Ate it twice! We’re sold on this version of the sauce
05/26/24 @ 8:10 pm
Reply
C Livingston
Do you use plain or seasoned rice vinegar?

05/28/24 @ 7:07 pm
Reply
Erin J
Husband’s new favorite sauce for everything! Heavy on the gochujang.
06/03/24 @ 5:20 pm
Reply
Autumn
I’m currently eating this on pasta and I’m blown away at how good it is. I put gochujang on almost all of my food, and I use the paste, but putting mayo with it was a game changer. I did make some adjustments since I didn’t have rice vinegar. I used kewpie mayo since that’s all I had and sesame oil instead of vinegar and 🤌. This will be a constant in my household now. Especially because it’s so simple
06/25/24 @ 6:00 pm
Reply
1. Jenna Arend
  Glad you liked it so much, Autumn!
  
  06/26/24 @ 10:35 am
  Reply
Lee
Screw that gochujang sauce that you can buy at target or Walmart. Go to a Korean market and buy a tub of gochujang, and make your own sauce. It’s not that hard, and you’ll save money in the long run.

07/04/24 @ 12:44 am
Reply
Victoria
eeeep made a half batch to drizzle over leftover shrimp, with coconut rice and mukimame; sooo tasty with an addictive funk.
08/01/24 @ 3:12 pm
Reply