7 Recipe Ideas for Trader Joe’s Korean Gochujang Sauce

There’s nothing better than a good sweet and spicy combo—a mug of Mexican hot chocolate, a dab of hot honey on a cheese board or a platter of sticky Korean fried chicken. Is your mouth watering yet? If you’re into this combination (and who wouldn’t be?) you should have a bottle of Trader Joe’s Korean Gochujang Sauce in your fridge for those nights when you feel like going out to eat but can’t quite stomach the cost (or get off the couch).

Here at Parade.com, we're all about sharing products we love with our audience. When you make a purchase on an item seen on this page, we may earn a commission, however, all picks are independently chosen unless otherwise mentioned.

What is gochujang sauce?

Trader Joe’s describes their new spicy sauce as a base of gochujang (a spicy paste used in Korean cooking and made from red chili peppers, fermented soybeans, rice and salt) with “a bit of canola oil and soy sauce for consistency, brown rice vinegar for a bit of contrasting sharpness and sesame oil to round out its profile with warm, toasty, nuttiness.” This little bottle is only $3.49 and has countless uses (it's great on desserts too!). Let’s explore.

Related: Want To Lose Weight? Registered Dietitians Swear by These 12 Trader Joe’s Items To Stay on Track

How To Use Trader Joe's Korean Gochujang Sauce

1. Toss with your favorite protein

This is the number one way to use this new TJ find. Use it to cook up a Korean-inspired skirt steak, or even toss it with tofu cubes for a quick dinner. Grab some wings (chicken or Trader Joe’s Buffalo Style Chickenless Wings would be excellent here), get them super crispy, and toss them with a bit of this sauce. Garnish with some scallions and sesame seeds and you’ll be dinner-ready in about 20 minutes.

View the original article to see embedded media.

2. Amp up your burger and fries

If you love options when it comes to dipping your fries, you’re going to want to add this gochujang sauce to your dollop rotation. Whether you’re team sweet potato or team russet, it’s going to be delicious either way on those crispy hot spuds. And if you can't get enough heat, adding some to your burger works well too since the umami flavor of the beef is always a winner with spicy Korean flavors.

3. Drizzle on fried rice or noodle dishes

Perhaps the most classic way to use this sauce is by drizzling a little on your bibimbap, hot or cold noodle dish, in your afternoon cup of ramen, or as a topping on your loaded fried rice. It's got just enough of a kick to stand up to a carb-heavy meal, and enough sweetness to balance out the tang of kimchi. Better yet, pick up a package of Trader Joe's Sliced Korean Rice Cakes. The plain, chewy discs are simple to prepare and perfect with steamed bok choy and the gochujang sauce.

4. Bake cookies

Stay with me here. The hype surrounding the gochujang cookies that were making the rounds on the internet last year is real. If you’re skeptical, take a chance and bake them up one afternoon and remember how magical a sweet and spicy combo can be. The original recipe calls for gochujang paste, but since this sauce has the addition of soy sauce and canola oil, it’s a bit runnier. You can adapt and use the sauce by making a basic cinnamon sugar cookie dough and swirling (not mixing) in about two tablespoons of the sauce per dozen cookies right before you bake them. The result is chewy snickerdoodle cookies that are punctuated with pretty swirls of gochujang, which bake up into a delicious spicy-sweet caramel in the oven. You will not be disappointed.

5. Kimchi eggs benedict

Why be boring for breakfast when you can be bold? If you’re into eggs benedict, try making your Hollandaise sauce with a touch of the gochujang sauce. Trader Joe's recommends this pairing as one of the most popular uses for this sauce. The peppery sauce cascading over a velvety egg yolk is one heck of a way to start your day.

Related: More Than Just Good for the Gut! Here Are the Top Health Benefits of Fermented Foods

View the original article to see embedded media.

6. Avocado toast

Imagine this: perfectly ripe avocado slices, a sprinkle of Trader Joe’s Everything But The Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend, and a heavy drizzle of this firey gochujang sauce. Though there are many reincarnations of this millennial fav, this sauce will seriously turn up the volume on your morning toast.

View the original article to see embedded media.

7. Bulgogi nachos

Want to impress your friends on game day (or Monday) with an easy-to-prepare app? With a base of either warm tortilla chips or fried wontons, pile on shredded cheese and bulgogi beef, melt and finish with a sprinkle of scallions, cilantro, sesame seeds, kimchi and gochujang sauce.

View the original article to see embedded media.

Related: 12 Best Gochujang Recipes

Shop Trader Joe’s Korean Gochujang Sauce:

Trader Joe’s Korean Gochujang Spicy & Savory Sauce 9.17 oz (Pack of 1)