15 Recipes that Use Gochujang

15 delicious dishes that get a salty, savory, sweet, and spicy taste from gochujang!

Are you wondering what to do with that big red tub of gochujang in your fridge? Or, do you simply love gochujang and want to cook more with it? You’ve come to the right place. I’ve put together a collection of delicious Korean dishes that use gochujang as a significant ingredient. 

What is gochujang?

Gochujang (고추장), Korean fermented chili pepper paste, is one of the primary Korean seasoning and flavoring ingredients. The red thick paste is deeply savory, peppery, pungent, slightly sweet and spicy! No wonder everything tastes better with gochujang!

Traditionally homemade, gochujang is made of gochugaru (Korean red chili peppers), sweet syrupy liquid made with yeotgireum (엿기름, malt barley), meju garu (fermented soybean powder), sweet rice or other grain powder, and salt. These ingredients are mixed well to a thick paste and placed in earthenware pots to ferment for months. Check out my How to Make Gochujang post. 

Gochujang usually is not eaten as is. Rather, it’s used as an ingredient to season and flavor a wide range of dishes or made into various sauces. Read more about gochujang in my Korean Pantry Seasoning Ingredients post.

1. Jeyuk Bokkeum

Spicy Korean pork bulgogi marinated in a gochujang based sauce with lots of fresh garlic and ginger! A perfect dish for spicy food lovers!

2. Tteokboki

Tteokbokki is no. 1 street food in Korea. Gochujang gives lots of umami flavors to these soft, chewy rice cakes. 

3. Gochujang jjigae

Gochujang jjigae is a stew primarily seasoned and flavored with gochujang. It adds lots of spicy, robust flavors to this simple stew made with zucchini and potatoes. 

4. Dakgalbi

A spicy stir-fried chicken dish made with boneless chicken pieces, rice cakes (tteokbokki tteok), green cabbage, sweet potato, and other vegetables. 

5. Spicy Galbijjim

For this spicy version, I adjusted the braising liquid used for my slow cooker galbijjim to incorporate gochugaru and gochujang. Also try slow cooker spicy braised pork ribs.

6. Baked Chicken Wings

These chicken wings are finger-licking delicious! The key ingredient of the sticky, sweet, and spicy marinade is gochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste). Also try yangnyeom chicken and dakgangjeong. 

7. Gochujang Shrimp

Easy spicy grilled shrimp flavored with a deeply savory gochujang sauce! The marinade is so easy to prepare, and the shrimp cook up very quickly.

8. Ssamjang

Ssamjang is typically made with a combination of doenjang and/or gochujang along with some other ingredients for additional flavoring and texture. It’s a must for Korean BBQ!

9. Bibimbap

10. Bibim guksu

11. Instant Pot Dakbokkeumtang 

This Instant Pot adaptation of a classic Korean chicken dish is so quick and easy! It’s packed with so much flavors! Also try the stove top dakdoritang. 

12. Asparagus with gochujang sauce

Simply blanch (or steam) the asparagus and dress with a sweet and vinegary gochujang sauce, called cho-gochujang (초고추장). Also try it with blanched broccoli.

13. Ojingeo Bokkeum

The squid is cut into bite-sized pieces and stir-fried in a slightly sweet gochujang based sauce along with some vegetables. The red spicy sauce adds a burst of spicy flavor to the crisp vegetables and tender squid!

14. Spicy Gaji Bokkeum

The eggplants are stir fried with simple seasonings, including gochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste). It adds a nice kick to the tender eggplants. If you like it spicier, add some gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes). 

15. Buchu Jeon

These savory pancakes made with garlic chives are seasoned with gochujang. You can simply add gochujang, doenjang or a combination. In this recipe, I just used gochujang. It adds a nice spicy kick to the pancakes.