Homemade Gochujang Recipe: Ways to Use Korean Chili Paste

Gochujang is a Korean chili paste made from red pepper flakes (gochugaru), fermented soybean powder, barley malt powder, glutinous rice powder, rice syrup, and salt. Chefs ferment the mixture in an earthenware pot called a hangari over many months to make the paste. Homemade gochujang recipes use a range of different prepared ingredients to achieve the preferred texture, flavor, and heat level in a fraction of the time.

In Korean cuisine, chefs use gochujang as both an ingredient and condiment. Its calling card is smoky, earthy umami with a soft, sweet heat. Asian grocery stores dedicate whole aisles to tubs of gochujang and its variants, like chogochujang—which contains added vinegar, sugar, and sesame seeds—and ssamjang, which contains doenjang, a fermented soybean paste similar to Japanese miso paste.

Korean cooking incorporates gochujang paste in a multitude of ways. Here are a few examples:

1. 1. In soups and stews (jjigae): Gochujang lends heat and a depth of flavor to hot soups and stews. Mix in a tablespoon after you’ve sautéed any aromatics to caramelize the sugars briefly before adding the cooking liquid.
2. 2. In braises, marinades (bulgogi), and stir-fries: Combine gochujang with soy sauce, mirin, and sesame oil for a basic braising liquid for pan-fried tofu, seafood, or meat, or use it to make bulgogi, a Korean BBQ beef.
3. 3. In sauce: Gochujang is a central ingredient in dressing for bibimbap rice bowls. You can also add a teaspoon of gochujang to the dipping sauce for Korean kimchi pancakes (kimchijeon) or dumplings.
   
4. 4. In banchan: Gochujang is a staple ingredient in many popular side dishes in Korean cooking, like spicy pickled cucumbers with gochujang and sesame oil (oi muchim), or variations on the form using other vegetables, like carrots, fennel, or green beans.
   

Store homemade gochujang in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one month. An open jar of commercially made gochujang can last up to two years.