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    Home » Under 30 minutes

    Published: Feb 21, 2023 · Modified: Mar 3, 2023 by Zen · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Gochujang Butter Sauce (5 min)

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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Upgrade your butter game with this creamy, irresistible gochujang butter recipe! This easy, made in 5-minutes savory spread packs a punch of Korean flavor- perfect for slathering on everything from bagels and crusty bread to roasted veg and meat.

    Gochujang butter and spring onions slathered on a bagel.
    Jump to:
    • Why Make This
    • Ingredients
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • How to Use
    • How to Store
    • Expert Tips
    • Other Korean Recipes
    • Gochujang Butter Sauce (5 min)

    Why Make This

    1. It's delicious: the tangy, spicy and umamilicious flavor of gochujang goes really well with the creaminess of the butter!
    2. Quick and easy: made in 5 minutes with no special equipment needed, you just need to stir everything together!
    3. Can be used in many things: from breakfast sandwiches to slathering on roast chicken or as a finishing sauce for Kimchi Scrambled Eggs!

    Note: if you have kimchi on hand, you can also make a kimchi spread!

    What is Gochujang?

    A tablespoon of Gochujang next to some red chili flakes.

    It is a spicy fermented Korean paste with tons of umami and a depth of flavor. Some people find it nutty, but I find it to be thick, a little spicy and little sweet. You find it many Korean main dishes and banchan, but it's almost always mixed with other ingredients such as soy sauce, and not eaten alone.

    It's so popular these days, you don't have to head to the Asian markets for it- you can find it in the international aisle of most major supermarkets! (Make sure you get the one in the tub and not the squeeze tube- the latter is usually mixed with other ingredients.)

    Note: If you think it's weird to mix gochujang with butter, this spicy red Korean sauce actually goes really well with dairy- you have to try Gochujang Carbonara and Gochujang Mayo Aioli!

    Ingredients

    Butter, vinegar, gochujang, spring onions and sugar next to each other.

    You will need:

    • gochujang paste: although gochujang has substitutes, since it's the star of the recipe, I would recommend trying to use the real thing!
    • salted butter: let it soften at room temperature as we're mixing by hand! You want it softer but not melted till it's greasy and oily. If you only have unsalted, add a pinch of salt to the recipe.
    • white rice vinegar: many recipes call for fresh lemon juice but personally I find it doesn't lift the gochujang flavor as well. If you need an alternative, use apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.
    • white sugar: can be replaced by honey or maple syrup but do not omit the vinegar and sugar as they make the butter more complex.
    • spring onions or its substitutes, optional

    Note: personally I find the salt level perfect, but do taste and add a pinch of salt, fish sauce or light soy sauce if you find it needs it.

    Variations

    1. If you like garlic, add some roasted garlic, minced garlic or garlic powder. (If you plan to make extra of this compound butter, I'd go with garlic powder instead of using minced garlic.)
    2. Some people like to make gochujang butter sauce with browned butter (takes 5-10 minutes) or even peanut butter.
    3. If you want it extra spicy, you can add some dried chilli flakes or gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes). However, do taste the gochujang butter before adding any, as gochujang can be quite hot for those not used to spice (even when mellowed out by the dairy.)
    4. Mix in sesame oil and lightly toasted sesame seeds (white or black work) for more flavor and crunch. (You will need to refrigerate this for 1 hour before use as the sesame oil will make it less solid.)

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    Mixing softened butter with fermented korean red pepper paste.
    1. In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter and gochujang paste.
    Pouring white rice vinegar into gochujang butter sauce.

    2. Stir in the vinegar. The sauce will be a bit watery now.

    Adding white sugar to vinegar, gochujang and butter.

    3. Mix in the sugar, to taste.

    Adding spring onions to gochujang butter sauce.

    Optional: add some spring onions- the fresh flavor will elevate the sauce!

    Roll into a log then refrigerate till firm (about 1 hour.) Slice off a pat to use as and when you like!

    Note: The ratio is 3 gochujang/ 12 butter/ 1- 1.5 vinegar/ 1 sugar. This is a very forgiving recipe, so you can play with the ratio of ingredients.

    If you are not confident with spices, I would suggest starting with less gochujang and slowly increasing the quantity added!

    How to Use

    This creamy and spicy sauce is particularly delicious:

    • served with bread
    • adds a touch of spice to grilled steak
    • Spooned over fish or shrimp (you can poach them, pan fry them or - my favourite- coat them in a cornflour paste then fry till the prawns are crispy)
    • Melted and use it as a dipping sauce for roasted Brussel sprouts or chicken tenders

    How to Store

    Gochujang butter keeps for 1 week in the fridge, tightly rolled in parchment paper or cling film (or in an airtight butter container.)

    Alternatively, you can freeze it for several months.

    Expert Tips

    A tub of old Gochujang that has turned black.
    Due to bad pantry organisation, I found this tub of old Gochujang that was 1 year past it Best Before Date- the entire tub had turned black! Though it smelt OK, I didn't want to risk it and so I tossed it.
    A tub of fresh thick gochujang red pepper paste.
    This is what "good" gochujang looks like- a nice, deep red with a thick, pasty consistency.

    Tip #1: The date on gochujang is a Best Before and not a hard Expiry date, but it can still go bad and make you sick! The top layer sometimes darkens due to oxidation- however, when the entire box has turned black and emits liquid, I'd say toss it to be on the safe side.

    Tip #2: You can use this gochujang butter as a base sauce for stir-fried noodles, fried rice, stews and pasta- simply add some soju, sesame oil, fish sauce and maybe kimchi to give it more oomph!

    Tip #3: If making a big batch, you may want to use a food processor or hand mixer to combine (instead of doing it by hand.) Next, roll into log and chill in fridge till solid (takes about 1 hour.)

    A egg and cheese bagel next to a bowl of gochujang butter sauce.

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      Easy Korean plum wine recipe (maesil-ju)
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      How to Use Hotteok Mix (Beksul)
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    • A glass of cold roasted barley tea.
      Korean Barley Tea (Boricha/ Mugicha)

    Enjoyed this easy Gochujang Spread Recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below! If you REALLY liked this Korean butter recipe, please consider supporting it by buying me a coffee! 🙂 (No obligation though!) Thank you and have a great day!

    Half of a bagel covered with creamy gochujang butter sauce.

    Gochujang Butter Sauce (5 min)

    Zen
    Upgrade your butter game with this creamy, irresistible gochujang butter recipe! This easy, made in 5-minutes savory spread packs a punch of Korean flavor- perfect for slathering on everything from bagels to roasted veg and meat. 
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 1 min
    Cook Time 3 mins
    Course Breakfast, Side Dish
    Cuisine Fusion, korean
    Servings 2 people
    Calories 124 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 Tablespoon gochujang sauce Use less if you're afraid of spice. Add more or add gochugaru red pepper flakes if you want it hotter! (The recipe is very forgiving.)
    • 4 Tablespoons salted butter If using unsalted, add a pinch of salt or light soy sauce to the recipe
    • 1-1½ teaspoons rice vinegar I prefer 1.5 teaspoons as I like it tangy. Don't use lemon juice as a substitute- go for apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar instead.
    • 1 teaspoon white sugar Substitute: honey or maple syrup
    • Spring onions optional

    Instructions
     

    • Combine all the ingredients till well-mixed.
      Tip: if you find it needs more salt (I don't), add a pinch of salt or light soy sauce.
    • Optional: add some spring onions- the fresh flavor will elevate the sauce! 
    • Use now or roll into a log then refrigerate till firm (about 1 hour.) Slice off a pat to use as and when you like!

    Notes

    Variations
    • If you like garlic, add some roasted garlic, minced garlic or garlic powder. (If you plan to make extra of this compound butter, I'd go with garlic powder instead of using minced garlic.)
    • Some people like to make gochujang butter sauce with browned butter (takes 5-10 minutes) or even peanut butter.
    • If you want it extra spicy, you can add some dried chilli flakes or gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes). However, do taste the gochujang butter before adding any, as gochujang can be quite hot for those not used to spice (even when mellowed out by the dairy.)
    • Mix in sesame oil and lightly toasted sesame seeds for more flavor and crunch. (You will need to refrigerate this for 1 hour before use as the sesame oil will make it less solid.)
    Storage
    Gochujang butter keeps for 1 week in the fridge, tightly rolled in parchment paper or cling film (or in an airtight butter container.)
    Alternatively, you can freeze it for several months.
    Note: the nutritional information is an estimate automatically calculated using the WPRM recipe maker. I am not responsible for its veracity.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 124kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 0.3gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 194mgPotassium: 31mgFiber: 0.04gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 390IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 0.1mg
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    Greedygirlgourmet eating 2 sandwiches in Scotland

    Hi I'm Zhen also known as GGG! I couldn't boil water till I was 18 but after living abroad (in St. Andrews then London) for 11 years and having to cook for myself, I now love cooking for friends and family. Learning to cook late, I make sure my recipes go into enough detail for those new to Asian cuisine or who love a test kitchen approach to cooking!

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