I will be the first to admit it — I am a wimp when it comes to spice. I have enviously watched my siblings and husband add crushed red pepper and hot sauce to pretty much everything, while I struggle to match their fireproof tastebuds. It wasn’t until I started eating and cooking Korean food that I had my spice epiphany in the form of gochujang.
Gochujang is a thick, spicy, somewhat sweet, and craveable chili paste essential in many Korean recipes. Made from red chili pepper, sticky rice, and fermented soybeans, it’s rich and deeply flavorful in a way that’s beyond most hot sauces.
Gochujang is best mixed into sauces and marinades rather than used on its own. Once opened, be sure to keep the container in the fridge. If you want to try gochujang in your own kitchen, we’ve rounded up three of our favorite recipes to help you fall in love with this spicy paste, too. Just remember — a little goes a long way.
Korean Beef Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps
These easy lettuce wraps are inspired by Korean barbecue. Thinly sliced sirloin is marinated in a flavorful sauce of soy sauce, fresh pear, and, of course, gochujang. Try serving all the components in small bowls and letting everyone build their own wraps right at the table.
Get the recipe: Korean Beef Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps
Grilled Korean-Style Chicken
Gochujang works with chicken as well as with beef or pork. Here, the marinated chicken is served as a lettuce wrap, but you could easily deconstruct the recipe and serve the chicken over the rice with a salad on the side. Whichever way you serve this, make sure to top the chicken with plenty of green onions.
Get the recipe: Grilled Korean-Style Chicken
Quick Bibimbap Rice Bowl
Bibimbap translates to “mixed” and “rice,” making this the perfect way to use up any odds and ends of produce in your fridge. From well-seasoned veggies to savory meat and kimchi, these bowls have a little bit of everything. In this recipe, gochujang is mixed with rice vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic to make a spicy sauce for ground beef. Try this easy, 20-minute recipe for a speedy lunch or dinner any night of the week.
Get the recipe: Quick Bibimbap Rice Bowl
By Megan Recce
