The 10 Best Gochujang Substitute List For Cooking

Do you want a sweet and tangy gochujang paste but don’t have any on hand? It’s probable that you won’t be able to locate it in any of your local stores. Whatever the reason, if you appreciate the taste of gochujang sauce, knowing how to replace it when the situation calls for it is a smart idea.

Here is a list of the 10 Best Gochujang Substitutes for Cooking.

1. Red pepper flakes
2. Sriracha
3. Thai chili paste
4. Miso and chili
5. Sambal oelek
6. Harissa
7. Tomato paste
8. Cayenne Pepper
9. Spiced Date Paste
10. Spices

Gochujang is the secret ingredient that gives Korean meals their particular taste, and it is something you will want on a regular basis. Gochujang is a Korean condiment that is widely used in cooking. It may be used in a variety of meals or served as a side dish to other foods on the table.

If you’re curious about what you may swap with this secret component, keep reading.

What Is Gochujang?

Gochujang is a fermented chili paste popular in South Korea. It’s the perfect blend of hot, sweet, and salty flavors all packed into one delectable meal.

It is used as a sauce for octopus, a popular dish in Korea. It may be found in a variety of meals in the United States, including salad dressings, soups, meat, and vegetables. Among other things, gochujang may be used to flavor eggs, rice dishes, and sauces.

When it comes to gochujang, the substances utilized in its preparation differ based on the brand. Salt, fermented soybeans, jalapeño peppers, and rice powder are the most often utilized components.

All of these components can be found in most stores. Korean chili peppers are used to make gochujang, which has a particular sweet and spicy taste that sets it apart from other sauces.

10 Gochujang Substitutes That Work

Gochujang is a tasty condiment that may be used in a variety of meals. As a consequence, you will almost certainly run out of resources shortly. What do you do when you run out of something and need it for a certain recipe? The remedy is simple: utilize a replacement.

The taste of gochujang is difficult to imitate in other dishes. There are replacements for gochujang that will not give the same taste as the original, but will improve the flavor of your cuisine.

In lieu of gochujang, a number of things may be utilized. Thai chili paste, red pepper flakes, Sriracha, miso & chili, Sambal oelek, tomato paste, Harissa, and spices may be used in lieu of gochujang. Alternatively, you may manufacture your own gochujang.

Here are some suitable substitutes for gochujang.

Red Pepper Flakes

Red pepper flakes are the greatest gochujang substitute. Red pepper flakes mimic the fiery and sweet flavor of Gochujang.

To substitute red pepper flakes for gochujang, first prepare a paste using them. In a small mixing dish, combine a teaspoon of red pepper flakes, a splash of soy sauce, and a touch of sugar.

The soy sauce serves as a binder, while the sugar sweetens the red pepper flakes. Make cautious not to over-sugar the paste, as this will result in an unpleasant taste that would spoil your meal.

With these three components, you may easily make red pepper flakes paste.

Sriracha

Sriracha is another excellent replacement. It may be found in a variety of foods, including eggs, fries, and burgers. The sweet and tangy taste of Sriracha may readily replace the spicy and sweet flavor of gochujang.

Sriracha is a good substitute that adds a sweet and spicy flavor to your cuisine.

Sriracha’s sole downside is that it lacks the thick consistency of gochujang. Sriracha is significantly sweeter, so use it only if you don’t mind your food being somewhat sweeter.

If you’re making a Korean cuisine, one of the other replacements should suffice since the sweet and garlic flavor of Srichacha may overshadow the dish.

Thai Chili paste

Chili paste is another good replacement for gochujang. The texture is comparable to gochujang, which is a bonus. As a consequence, it’s easy to add it to dishes that call for gochujang.

Thai chili paste also has a spicy and sweet taste. As a consequence, it’s an appropriate substitute. The sole disadvantage is that it lacks the distinct garlic taste of gochujang. If you detest the flavor of garlic, choose one of the other options.

Thai chili paste gives meat dishes a pleasant and zesty taste.

Miso and chili

Miso paste has many similarities with gochujang since fermented soy is a main component. As a consequence, an appropriate gochujang alternative may be prepared by blending Korean chili powder with miso paste to approximate the sweet and salty taste of gochujang.

If you don’t have Korean chili powder, a blend of cayenne pepper and sweet paprika would suffice.

Simply mix cayenne pepper powder and sweet paprika together, then add to miso paste. Mix everything together until everything is properly blended. This sauce may be used in place of gochujang.

Sambal Oelek

If you like something different, you may use sambal oelek for the gochujang. There are several parallels between sambal oelek and gochujang. First and foremost, they share the same consistency and look, which is a positive thing.

The taste of sambal oelek is intense. It’s created with vinegar, raw chiles, and salt.

You should have little problem obtaining sambal oelek at most supermarket shops. If you are concerned about the amount of heat this will contribute to your food, start with half the quantity specified in the recipe and progressively increase until you get the desired flavor. If you add it all at once, your meal will be overpowering.

Harissa

You can create your own harissa if you don’t have any store-bought on hand. In a heat-resistant dish, combine 4 oz. dried chiles with boiling water.

Allow the chillies to soak in boiling water for 30 minutes. Simultaneously roast one teaspoon caraway seeds, cumin seeds, and coriander seeds in a pan over medium heat.

Once fragrant, remove them from the fire and ground them in a coffee grinder. Drain and seed the chilies, then mix them with the ground spices and a splash of olive oil in a food processor.

In a food processor, combine the ingredients and process until they form a significant, smooth mixture. Your freshly prepared harissa is now ready to use. Homemade harissa may be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Tomato Paste

If you’re in a pinch and don’t have any of the aforementioned replacements, tomato paste will do. The thick thickness of tomato paste will improve the texture of your food. It will also give your meal an acidic sweetness.

Add a sprinkle of chili pepper flakes to spice things up a notch. The chili flakes will balance out the heat from the gochujang.

If you use tomato paste instead, keep in mind that the flavor and scent will be different. Your dish’s taste will be drastically transformed by the tomato paste.

Add cayenne pepper, soy sauce, and a pinch of sugar to your meal to enhance the taste.

Cayenne Pepper

Your spice container may include red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or red pepper powder. In the United States, all of these are derived from fiery cayenne peppers.

To add heat, use the pepper alone or mix a paste with soy sauce and red pepper flakes. It’s an excellent gochujang substitute due to the paste consistency.

To form a paste, blend one part cayenne pepper with half as much soy sauce and a pinch of sugar, then use it in an equal quantity in the recipe.

Spiced Date Paste

If you have hot pepper flakes and dates on hand, you may produce a spicy paste that can be used in most recipes in lieu of gochujang.

If you have date paste in your cupboard, use it. If not, pit and soften 5Medjool dates or 10Deglet Noor dates for approximately ten minutes in a tiny quantity of water.

In a mixing dish, combine the dates, a few teaspoons of cayenne pepper, a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, and a few tablespoons of water. Add a pinch of garlic powder to taste, then use the combination in the same way you would gochujang.

Spices

If you run out of gochujang, you may replace seasonings to give your food a sweet and tangy taste. A few spices may be added to compensate for the taste profile provided by gochujang.

It is advisable to use cayenne pepper powder, sweet paprika, apple cider vinegar, and garlic powder. To compensate for the gochujang’s consistency, add a little quantity of tomato paste.

Homemade Gochujang Recipe

For many people, the finest gochujang substitute is homemade gochujang. It’s the closest you’ll ever come to duplicating gochujang’s particular taste. Because it is aged for many months, gochujang has a complex genuine flavor.

Here’s how to create the most delicious homemade gochujang you’ve ever had.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup of miso
• One cup of brown sugar
• One teaspoon of rice vinegar
• cup of chili powder
• One tablespoon of salt
• One teaspoon of sake

Process:

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the water and brown sugar.
2. Stir the fluid until all of the brown sugar has dissolved.
3. Continue to whisk in a cup of miso until the mixture is thick and smooth.
4. Stir in the chili powder until smooth and the liquid thickens.
5. Remove the mixture from the fire and put it aside to cool for a few minutes. Make sure it cools to 100 degrees.
6. Add a teaspoon of sake, a teaspoon of rice vinegar, and a tablespoon of salt to the mixture.
7. Stir the paste until all of the ingredients are completely incorporated. Your finest handmade gochujang is ready for use or storage.

preserve the gochujang in airtight containers if you wish to preserve it for a long period.