Korean BBQ Sauce (Gochujang Barbecue Marinade)

Name: Korean BBQ Sauce (Gochujang Barbecue Marinade)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 17 min
Cuisine: korean
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil; 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 scallion, minced; ⅔ cup tamari, or other soy sauce of your preference; ½ cup light brown sugar, or coconut sugar; 2 tablespoons rice vinegar; 2 tablespoons gochujang, or sriracha; 2 teaspoons gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), or crushed red pepper flakes; ¼ cup water; 2 teaspoons cornstarch

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Picture this: tender Chinese eggplant, or tofu grilled to perfection, and bathed in a luscious, finger-licking sauce that's got a kick and depth like no other. There is a reason Korean BBQ Sauce is a staple in my home, and we use it on everything from crispy fried seitan, to gloriously char-grilled bok choy.

A glass jar dripping with korean bbq sauce with a spoon in it on a white wooden surface.

Everything about this sauce is perfectly balanced and ideal for your favorite grilled, smoked, or roasted recipes. I love adding some dabs of it to my seitan bulgogi, or drizzling some on top of my kimchi fried rice. It’s even the bomb on noodle dishes like pad woon sen, bami goreng, or mie goreng.

A scallion, minced into tiny green confetti, garlic, and ginger enlivened with hot sesame oil kick the flavor party off. Tamari, gochujang paste, and brown sugar form the dark and rich foundation of this sauce. This umami powerhouse is about to bring the magic, infusing this sauce with a depth that'll have you grabbing your grill brush to go mayyyyybe a little overboard.

Grab your grill brush, let’s whip this up, and get to slathering!

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Jump to:

🥰Why you are going to adore the ever-loving heck outta this recipe
🤷‍♀️ What is Korean BBQ Sauce made of?
Learn how to make my Korean BBQ Seitan
🌶️Notable BBQ sauce ingredients in this recipe and substitutions
🤯Different Korean BBQ Sauce Recipes based on this one
📖How to make Korean Barbecue Sauce
💡Serving Ideas
🔪Equipment
🫙Storage
🤷‍♀️FAQ
💣WISH YOU ATE MORE BOMB VEGAN FOOD?
Korean BBQ Sauce (Gochujang Barbecue Marinade)

🥰Why you are going to adore the ever-loving heck outta this recipe

Face it. You’re about to fall head over heels for this Korean BBQ sauce. This is a recipe that checks all the boxes, and here’s why:

🕰️Time Is on Your Side: Imagine this - a flavor-packed, homemade BBQ sauce that takes less than 10 minutes to whip up. No lengthy preparations, no blender or expensive gear are needed. Just pure deliciousness in record time.

🌿Vegan AF: You can love this sauce even if you aren’t a level 10 vegan who doesn’t eat anything that has a shadow. But if you are, this Korean barbecue sauce has got your back. It’s crafted with ingredients that are entirely free from animal products, ensuring that you can enjoy its tantalizing flavors guilt-free. So go ahead, slather it on your tofu, veggies, or plant-based proteins, and let your taste buds revel in the vegan goodness.

🙅‍♀️🌾Gluten-Free Delight: If hate gluten so much you could scream, this sauce is about to become your new culinary companion. Just make sure to use tamari instead of any other soy sauce, double-check the gochujang you use to ensure it aligns with your dietary needs (some brands contain wheat), and you're good to go!

🌋Explosive Flavor: From the aromatic toasted sesame oil to the vibrant ginger, garlic, and scallion, every ingredient brings its unique charm to the table. The tamari soy sauce adds a rich umami depth, while the sweetness of the brown sugar is carefully balanced by the rice vinegar. And let's not forget the just-right, spicey-but-not-too-fiery kick of gochujang or sriracha, perfectly complemented by the heat of gochugaru or crushed red pepper flakes. The result? A flavor symphony that'll leave you stammering on your kitchen floor asking yourself why you didn’t make a quadruple batch.

🪄Versatile Magic: This Korean BBQ sauce isn't just a one-trick pony. Oh no! Its versatility knows no bounds. Slather it on your grilled favorites and watch as it transforms them into succulent masterpieces. Use it as an overnight marinade by leaving out the cornstarch, or use it as a dipping sauce, and witness how it elevates your culinary creations to new heights.

🤷‍♀️ What is Korean BBQ Sauce made of?

In terms of flavor and use, Korean BBQ sauces are worlds apart from American-style BBQ sauces. While American BBQ sauces tend to be tangy, sweet, often tomato-based, and smoky, Korean BBQ sauces have a complex flavor profile with elements of umami, sweetness, and spiciness.

Learn how to make my Korean BBQ Seitan

I used to serve this wildly popular dish on my food truck The Cinnamon Snail. I have a whole Korean BBQ Seitan Cooking Class to teach you step-by-step how to make it!

🌶️Notable BBQ sauce ingredients in this recipe and substitutions

Korean bbq sauce ingredients laid out and labeled on a green metal tray on top of a white wooden surface.

Gochujang: Gochujang, a staple in Korean cuisine, is a fermented chili paste that brings a unique depth of flavor to any dish it graces. Its robust and slightly sweet profile, with a hint of umami, adds a captivating kick to the Korean BBQ sauce. However, if you don't have gochujang on hand, don’t dismay! Sriracha, the iconic chili garlic sauce is a bit thinner but can step in as a worthy substitute.

Brown sugar or coconut sugar: Brown sugar, with its caramel-like richness and molasses undertones, adds a delightful touch of sweetness to this Korean BBQ sauce. But for those seeking an alternative to cane sugar, coconut sugar steps in as a fantastic substitute. Derived from coconut palm trees, it offers a natural and earthy sweetness that harmonizes beautifully with the sauce's flavors. Coconut sugar not only brings its unique character to the mix but also contains trace minerals like iron, zinc, and potassium. It's a wholesome choice that caters to different taste preferences and dietary needs, elevating the sauce to new levels of flavor.

Tamari: Tamari, a key ingredient in this recipe, is a type of soy sauce that originates from Japan. It is known for its rich, savory flavor and is typically made with little to no wheat, making it a suitable option for those following a gluten-free diet. Its deep umami notes enhance the overall taste profile of the Korean BBQ sauce.

In place of tamari, you can use Korean Soy Sauce, Dark Soy Sauce, Low Sodium Soy Sauce, or Nama Shoyu which is a raw fermented soy sauce. These substitutes for tamari typically contain wheat and are not gluten-free.

Gochugaru: Gochugaru, Korean chili flakes are a crucial ingredient in Korean cuisine, lending its vibrant heat and slightly smoky flavor to this recipe. I use unsalted coarse-grade gochugaru, which has the most pronounced and freshest flavor without pushing the recipe to become too salty. I also use it in making kimchi, and it has become one of my favorite chili pepper flakes to use in a variety of non-Korean recipes.

If gochugaru is unavailable, you can consider substitutes such as crushed red pepper flakes, although they tend to be a bit hotter, and they also typically have seeds. Smoked paprika can also be used, offering a milder, sweeter flavor.

Rice vinegar: Rice vinegar, a staple in Asian cuisine, is crucial for balancing the sweetness and adding important acidity that allows this Korean BBQ sauce to be absorbed by the food you put it on. If you don't have rice vinegar, you can easily substitute it with rice wine vinegar, which shares a similar flavor profile. Alternatively, apple cider vinegar can be used as a replacement, offering a hint of fruity acidity to the sauce.

🤯Different Korean BBQ Sauce Recipes based on this one

👉 Bulgogi sauce

Bulgogi sauce is a bit fruitier tasting than regular Korean BBQ Sauce. Generally, bulgogi sauce has grated fresh Asian pear added to it, although some recipes achieve a similar flavor by using apple sauce instead.

👉 Hoisin-Ginger Korean BBQ Sauce

Add two tablespoons of hoisin sauce to the base recipe for a rich and slightly sweet flavor. Enhance it with a teaspoon of freshly grated ginger as the ginger already in this sauce is cooked, and this adds a dimension of raw ginger flavor.

👉 Korean smoked chili bbq sauce

Substitute chipotle powder in place of the gochugaru for a smoky twist. The smoldering heat of chipotle elevates the BBQ sauce's profile, creating a smoky and robust flavor that pairs wonderfully with grilled vegan meats and vegetables. I used this variation ALL THE TIME on my food truck, the Cinnamon Snail.

📖How to make Korean Barbecue Sauce

Here we go! This is crazy-easy to make, and I am going to show you how it should look each step of the way. Or you can follow along with the easy-to-print recipe card towards the bottom of this page.

Ginger is grated through a microplane onto a wooden cutting board. There is minced garlic on the other side of the board.

Mince the garlic and ginger. I like to use a microplane to get the ginger extra-tiny, but you can also just mince it by hand or with a grater.

Ginger, garlic and scallions sauté in hot sesame oil in a saucepan.

Grab a saucepan and heat the toasted sesame oil over medium heat. Add freshly grated ginger, minced garlic, and minced scallion. Sauté these aromatic ingredients for two minutes, making sure to keep an eye on the garlic. We don't want any burnt flavors here.

Sauce is starting to bubble and come up to a boil in the saucepan.

Add in the tamari, sugar, rice vinegar, gochujang (or sriracha), and gochugaru (or crushed red pepper flakes). Feel free to adjust the amount of gochujang or sriracha to your personal heat preference. Let your taste buds guide you.

Cornstarch and water are mixed together using a fork in a small glass.

In a small bowl, whisk together the water and cornstarch until you achieve a smooth, thin slurry.

Cornstarch mixture is added to the boiling sauce.

Once the sauce on the stove reaches a good boil, pour in that water-cornstarch mixture, and whisk to combine. The sauce will thicken for a couple of minutes as it cooks to your desired consistency.

Korean bbq sauce in a small glass with a grill brush wet with sauce on top, sitting on a piece of jagged wood. A small white ramekin of sauce in the background.

Remove the sauce from the heat and let it cool down a bit. We want those flavors to mingle and harmonize as it cools.

💡Serving Ideas

The obvious thing to do with this delightfully dark sauce is use it for grilling, and for brushing on grilled foods, which I highly recommend serving over my kimchi fried rice. I absolutely love to grill Chinese eggplant and slather Korean BBQ sauce all over it. It’s wonderful to drizzle for seitan bulgogi, or even as an alternative to tonkatsu sauce to pour onto tofu katsu. I am also a huge fan of making vegan fried chicken wings, and having this sauce all over it, dripping off in sticky deep tasting drops. You can use this recipe as a general stir fry sauce for making noodles or fried rice.

To brighten up the flavors of a meal, I love serving dishes made with this sauce with sides of fresh homemade kimchi, oi muchim (Korean spicy marinated cucumbers), or yamagobo (pickled burdock root).

Grilled eggplant, with sides of oi muchim, kimchi, and white rice on a green metal tray. — Grilled Chinese eggplant brushed with Korean BBQ Sauce, served with kimchi, oi muchim, ad rice.

🔪Equipment

To whip up this delectable Korean BBQ sauce, you'll need a few essential pieces of equipment to ensure your culinary success. Here's what you'll need:

Saucepan: A medium-sized saucepan will be your trusty cooking vessel for bringing all the ingredients together. Opt for a quality saucepan that distributes heat evenly to prevent any hot spots.
Microplane or Fine Grater: Freshly grated ginger is a key ingredient in this recipe and a microplane or fine grater is your secret weapon for achieving that perfect ginger texture. This tool will help you extract the ginger's vibrant flavors without any fibrous bits.
Whisk: A whisk is a must-have tool for ensuring all the ingredients are thoroughly combined,, and the cornstarch doesn’t thicken in clumps.
Measuring Spoons: Accurate measurements are essential for balancing the flavors in the sauce. Have a set of measuring spoons on hand to precisely portion out ingredients like toasted sesame oil, gochujang, gochugaru, and cornstarch.
Rubber or Silicone Spatula: These utensils are ideal for stirring and sautéing aromatic ingredients, such as ginger, garlic, and scallion, in the saucepan. They're gentle on the pan's surface and that’s especially important if you use nonstick cookware to prevent scratching or damaging the non-stick coating.
Small Bowl: A small bowl will come in handy for whisking the water and cornstarch together, ensuring a smooth and lump-free thickening agent for the sauce.

🫙Storage

Once prepared, transfer the sauce to an airtight container and refrigerate. The sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, allowing you to enjoy its flavors with many meals. However, please note that freezing is not recommended, as it can negatively impact the texture and consistency of the sauce.

🤷‍♀️FAQ

What is the history of Korean BBQ?

The origins of Korean BBQ, known as "Gogi-gui" in Korean, can be traced back centuries, when open-fire grilling methods were commonly used in Korean cuisine.

In ancient times, Koreans utilized various grilling techniques to cook meats, often using small, portable grills or open pits. These methods allowed them to enjoy the flavors and textures of grilled meats at social gatherings and celebrations.

However, it wasn't until the 20th century, during the post-Korean War period, that Korean BBQ as we know it today gained popularity. As South Korea experienced an economic boom and urbanization, people sought out more dining-out experiences. This led to the rise of specialized restaurants dedicated to the Korean BBQ.

The introduction of tabletop grills, where diners could cook their own meat at the table, revolutionized the Korean BBQ experience. This interactive dining style allowed for a lively communal atmosphere, where friends, family, and colleagues could gather and enjoy the process of grilling together.

Traditionally, Korean Barbecue primarily focused on beef, with cuts like bulgogi (marinated thinly sliced beef) and galbi (marinated beef short ribs) being the star attractions. Over time, pork, chicken, and plant-based proteins also found their way onto Korean BBQ menus, offering a wider variety of options for diners to savor.

Korean BBQ is known for its emphasis on marinades and sauces that enhance the flavors of the grilled meats. Each region and restaurant has its own unique marinade recipes, often featuring a combination of soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and other aromatic ingredients.

Today, Korean BBQ has gained international popularity, with Korean BBQ restaurants found around the world. It has become a beloved culinary experience, showcasing the art of grilling and the communal enjoyment of shared meals. Korean BBQ continues to evolve and adapt, incorporating new flavors and techniques while honoring its historical roots.

Is Korean BBQ Sauce Gluten-Free

Korean BBQ sauce can be gluten-free depending on the ingredients used. Traditional Korean BBQ sauce typically contains soy sauce, which is commonly made from fermented soybeans and wheat. Many Korean BBQ Sauce recipes also contain gochujang which is sometimes thickened with wheat flour or wheat starch.

There are gluten-free gochujangs and soy sauce options available, such as tamari or specifically labeled gluten-free soy sauce, that can be used to make a gluten-free version of the sauce.

This recipe if followed using tamari and gluten-free gochujang is safe for anyone with a gluten sensitivity.

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