Spicy Gochujang BBQ Sauce

gochujang bbq sauce recipe

One of our great friends in Morgantown introduced us to Gochujang during one of our many dinners he and his wife made for us. It’s a Korean fermented red chili paste and I really like cooking with it because you can build the spice to your own taste. I’ve used this in dressings for red cabbage slaw, my husband likes to mix it into softened butter to slather on grilled steak, but I think my favorite way to cook with it is in this homemade Gochujang bbq sauce. I add a little brown sugar to give it a sweet (but mostly) spicy flavor and it’s amazing on chicken, pork or beef.

Spicy Gochujang BBQ Sauce Recipe

2 Tablespoons cooking oil (I used coconut)
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger – minced
2 garlic cloves – minced
15 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 up to 2 Tablespoons Gochujang paste
3 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup water
Salt to taste

In a medium saucepan, get your oil heated over medium-high heat. Add your minced ginger and garlic. Cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add your Gochujang and stir until everything becomes a paste.

Pour in your tomato sauce, water, rice wine vinegar, and brown sugar. Bring to a gentle boil and then turn heat down to medium-low and let simmer for 25-30 minutes until it’s thickened. Taste and add salt to your liking.

This is also the point were you can add more Gochujang if you’d like. I end up adding a total of 2 tablespoons for the spice level I prefer, but the spice intensifies as you cook it, so start with maybe a half tablespoon and build it up as you cook.