10 Amazing Gochujang Pasta Recipes You Must Try

My tongue was on fire the first time I had Korean food made with gochujang. I was a college freshman at a university where had I developed friendships with students from many different countries, but my closest friends were from Korea or Vietnam. Although it wasn’t gochujang pasta, one day one of my Korean friends had some really delicious-smelling ribs on the grill. Once they were done, I bit into a piece and… oh my gosh! I had NO CLUE Korean food could be so spicy! But the funny thing is there was a sort of sweetness to it, which I liked.

Even though I can’t handle spicy food too well, I can tell you that I love Korean gochujang and it’s SOOO worth the pain in my mouth, haha! (I love drinking boba milk tea or a glass of milk when I eat spicy food).

What I like about gochujang pasta is that it’s super versatile and very easy and quick to make. In this article, you will learn about, and have access to, different kinds of gochujang pasta recipes. I just know you’ll enjoy these recipes, even if you can’t handle spicy food 😉

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What is Gochujang?

Gochujang is one of the main ingredients in Korean cuisine that makes everything spicy hot.

More specifically, it’s a fermented red chili pepper paste that’s incorporated into many Korean dishes. It’s very spicy, but it’s also got sweet and savory components to it.

These are the main ingredients in Korean gochujang:

Gochu-garu: chili powder
Meju powder: fermented soybean powder
Yeotgireum: barley malt powder
Glutinous rice
Salt

So, remember how I mentioned gochujang has an element of sweetness to it? Well, the sweetness in gochujang paste can come from a variety of factors.

First, the chilis that are used in the paste have some component of sweetness to them. Second, the starch in the glutinous rice as well as the enzymes that react during the fermentation process adds some form of sweetness. Third, sometimes the manufacturers add honey, sugar, or syrup to the ingredients.

Luckily, if you can’t handle spicy foods too well, the containers in which the gochujang paste come in usually indicate the level of spiciness. They usually range from mild to extremely hot 😉

Some common Korean dishes that use gochujang include the following (and more):

Tteokbokki (rice cakes dish)
Bibimbap (rice dish)
Soondubu Jjigae (Korean tofu stew)
Dak-Twigim (fried Korean chicken wings)
Kimchi fried rice
Gochujang jjigae (gochujang stew)
Dakgalbi (chicken stir-fry dish)

FAQs

So, here are some frequently asked questions related to gochujang pasta.

What Can I Use if I Don’t Have Gochujang?

Although gochujang has a unique taste, sometimes we don’t have it readily available. Stuff happens!

However, if this does happen while you’re in the middle of making a delicious Korean dish, here are some gochujang substitutes that may work in the meantime:

Red pepper flakes, soy sauce, and sugar mixture
Cayenne powder & sweet paprika
Tomato paste & chili powder
Sriracha sauce

However, keep in mind that gochujang has a unique flavor that is very difficult to replicate on the spot.

If you’re not in the middle of cooking your favorite Korean dish, it might be best to drive on over to your favorite Korean market (some American grocery stores) OR just order gochujang on Amazon.

[Take note of the spiciness level. Remember, there are different options ranging from mild to extremely hot].

Is Korean Red Pepper Paste Vegan?

Fortunately, many Korean red pepper pastes (gochujang paste) are vegan! It’s easy to verify, too, because many times it’ll say it right on the front label.

Take a look at this best-seller brand on Amazon. It has the word “vegan” in the front where you can easily find it.

Can I Use Tomato Paste Instead of Gochujang?

Tomato paste can be substituted for texture, but not for taste. People generally do not recommend using tomato paste as it will compromise the flavor of your Korean dish. However, you can use this if you have nothing else readily available and you are in a tight bind.

Is Chili Paste the Same as Gochujang?

Korean chili paste is a common word substitution for gochujang. However, you’ll need to make sure that you see the word “Korean” in front of whatever condiment you are using.

The reason for this is that there are many different types of chili pastes from many different countries that use different ingredients and have different flavors.

Can I Use Gochujang Sauce Instead of Paste?

Gochujang sauce is very different from gochujang paste. One major difference is that gochujang sauce is mainly used as a condiment, whereas gochujang paste is often used as a cooking component.

Also, gochujang sauce is made by combining gochujang paste with other ingredients such as soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and a sweetener.

What is the Best Brand of Gochujang?

This, of course, depends on personal preference. However, these are some of the top brands for Korean gochujang paste:

Chung Jung One O’Food
CJ Haechandle
Sempio

Gochujang Spaghetti Recipes

OK, and now for the gochujang pasta recipes!!

In case you are not already aware of this, many gochujang pasta recipes are a fairly new concept. In fact, many recipes are considered Asian-fusion dishes that so many people enjoy!

What’s so interesting about this Korean-American fusion dish, gochujang spaghetti, is that gochujang takes greater importance over your traditional tomato sauce or tomato paste.

Watch this short video to see what I mean:

Anyway, so here are some gochujang spaghetti recipes that I hope you’ll enjoy.

1. Gochujang Spaghetti by Alex Lee (recipe developer in YouTube video above).

In this recipe developed by Alex Lee, you will see that some of the main ingredients he uses include the following:

Spaghetti pasta
Gochujang
Olive oil
Tomato paste
Flour
Sharp cheddar cheese
Grated parmigiano cheese
Mushrooms
Whole milk

Also, please note that this recipe is for 2 servings.

Oh, and you can use spicy pork bulgogi as your meat source. YUMMY!!

2. Gochujang Spaghetti by Cooking with Cocktail Rings

What I like about this recipe by Cooking with Cocktail Rings is that this is a creamy gochujang pasta recipe that uses spaghetti noodles.

Heavy cream is used to produce this creamy consistency and it only takes about 30 minutes to make!

Some other key ingredients include butter, shallots, chicken stock, parmesan cheese, and even sesame seeds (if you want).

Talk about a Korean-American fusion dish!

You definitely need to check it out!

Gochujang Cream Pasta Recipes

Ok, so similar to the Korean rose tteokbokki dish, these gochujang pasta noodles are not going to be as spicy because of what you use to make this sauce creamy (heavy cream or cream cheese in most cases).

3. Gochujang Cream Pasta by Sempio

This is a super, super, super creamy gochujang pasta recipe by Sempio. Interestingly, Sempio is Korea’s oldest soy sauce brand.

However, Sempio produces so many more products aside from soy sauce such as teas, vinegar, noodles, and other sauces and condiments.

Anyway, this recipe is super easy because it only asks for 5 main ingredients and 3 easy steps.

Plus, toward the end of the recipe, they even offer a tip for how to use this dish 😉

Take a look for yourself!

4. Creamy Gochujang Pasta by Doobydoobap

Ok, so this is a super, duper popular recipe on Tiktok. It’s super creamy and not very difficult to make.

This recipe uses the following ingredients:

Pasta
Gochujang
Garlic cloves
Shrimp
Heavy cream
Oil
Salt
Pasta water
Parmigiano Reggiano
Butter
Chives or parsley

Take a look at the video below to see how YUMMY this recipe is:

Gochujang Ramen Recipes

Although ramen is known to be a Japanese noodle soup, gochujang ramen is actually a trendy thing right now.

Check out these recipes below to see just how easy gochujang ramen is to make!

5. Gochujang Ramen by Christie at Home

This recipe by Christine at Home is a vegan dish that only takes about 10 minutes to make! Plus, it only asks for nine ingredients. That’s not asking for too much, right?

The ingredients for this gochujang ramen pasta recipe include the following:

Ramen noodles
Gochujang
Gochugaru (Korean hot chili pepper flakes)
Minced garlic
Cooking oil
Sesame oil
Soy sauce
Rice mirin
Maple syrup

Check it out!

6. Gochujang Ramen with Chicken by Marion’s Kitchen

Do you like really, really spicy ramen? If so, then you have to check out this recipe. It’s super, super spicy!

Some of the spicy ingredients you’ll use are gochujang, kimchi, and kimchi juice.

A few of the other ingredients you’ll use include chicken drumsticks and chicken thigh pieces, ramen noodles, chicken stock, ginger, onion, garlic, vegetable oil, sesame oil, and hard-boiled eggs.

Click here to find out more about this recipe!

Gochujang Noodle Soup Recipes

So, there are other good gochujang noodle soup recipes out there where you don’t necessarily need to use ramen (or you can).

Here’s what I mean.

7. Gochujang Chicken Noodle Soup by Carmy

So, this is a PERFECT recipe for cold weather! I mean, who doesn’t like chicken noodles soup when it’s cold outside? (Of course, I know there are some who don’t).

What’s SUPER convenient about this recipe is that it requires an Instant Pot.

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you are missing out on a very important component of homemade cooking! Lol seriously, though, it makes cooking from home SO MUCH easier.

I love it because I have fewer dishes to clean and I don’t have to keep a constant eye on my food. Meaning, I can do other things while it’s cooking. Multitasking to the max!

So, in this recipe, instead of using ramen noodles like the recipes above, you will be using egg noodles.

Curious? Click here to find out more!

8. Gochujang Pasta Noodles by Maangchi

In case you are not familiar with Maangchi, she has a SUPER, DUPER popular YouTube channel where she makes a whole bunch of traditional Korean food. To top it off, she also has a website where you can browse and print her recipes.

Take this gochujang noodles recipe, for example. Instead of ramen, the recipe asks for somyeon, which is thin wheat flour noodles.

What’s so convenient about the page is that she includes her Youtube video to help you follow along more easily.

Check it out!

Plate of creamy gochujang pasta noodles. — Creamy gochujang pasta noodles

Other Gochujang Noodles Recipes

OK, so here are some other gochujang pasta recipes I hope you’ll enjoy!

9. Spicy Short Rib Noodle Soup by Pinch of Yum

So, this is another Instant Pot recipe in which you’ll be using ramen noodles.

Keep in mind that you’ll be using gochujang SAUCE instead of gochujang paste.

According to the recipe page, to make a gochujang sauce you’ll simply need to add some soy sauce and some honey or sugar to your gochujang paste.

For your information, this recipe makes 2-4 servings and takes about 50 minutes to make.

However, a lot of that time will be the Instant Pot doing its magic work. Take a nap or watch your favorite Netflix show while it does the work for you, haha.

In case you were wondering, these are some of the main ingredients for the recipe:

Short ribs
Ramen noodles
Gochujang sauce
Beef broth

Also, check out the gochujang pasta photos on the page for some mouth-watering goodness 😉

10. Sweet and Spicy Gochujang Pasta Noodles by Whisk Affair

This gochujang pasta recipe takes only about 20 minutes to make.

Similar to the recipe above, you’ll be making your own gochujang sauce. The ingredients you’ll be using for this sauce are the following:

Gochujang paste
Hoisin sauce
Dark soy sauce
Liime juice
Sesame oil
Minced garlic
Brown sugar

Now, doesn’t that sound sooooooo good!?

Keep in mind, although this is a super easy recipe, there are plenty of useful tips toward the bottom of the recipe card.

I recommend you check it out!

Final Thoughts on Gochujang Pasta

Did you know there are so many different options for how to use gochujang? It’s seriously such a versatile ingredient that you can incorporate into so many different recipes and so many different types of recipes.

Do any of these recipes sound intriguing to you? Which ones?

I’d love to hear your thoughts below!

10 Amazing Gochujang Pasta Recipes You Must Try

What is Gochujang?

FAQs