If you’ve never had the pleasure of tasting Korean barbecue sauce, you don’t know what you’re missing! Our homemade Korean BBQ sauce is easy to make and is a delightful change from traditional American BBQ sauces.
Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) gives this savory Korean BBQ sauce its flavorful heat. The best part is that you can control just how much heat you want in your sauce.
Korean barbecue sauce isn’t just for Korean cuisine; it will take your barbecued meats to another level of deliciousness! I love making Korean chicken wings with the sauce, but it also makes a zesty dipping sauce for chicken tenders, french fries, and veggies.
If you enjoy making your own homemade BBQ sauce, make sure to try our Memphis BBQ sauce and Mumbo sauce recipes.
Ingredients to Make Korean Barbecue Sauce
Start by gathering the ingredients needed to make our delicious Korean BBQ Sauce recipe. In culinary terms, this is called the Mise en Place, which translates into “Everything in its Place.”
Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also helps ensure you have all of the ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
Can I Make Adjustments to the Korean Barbecue Sauce Recipe?
Absolutely. We used Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru) to make the recipe. You can also use Gochujang paste instead of creating a version of the recipe called Gochujang BBQ sauce. Regular red pepper flakes can also be used if you can’t find gochugaru.
We used rice vinegar to make the recipe, but you can also use apple cider vinegar. You can also use maple syrup or honey instead of brown sugar to make the spicy sauce.
How to make Korean Barbecue Sauce
- Add the cornstarch to the water to a small bowl.
- Stir together to combine to make a cornstarch slurry. Set aside until needed.
- Add the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sriracha, and sesame oil to a saucepan over medium heat.
- Whisk to combine and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the brown sugar, fresh ginger, fresh garlic, and gochugaru (or gochujang paste) to the mixture.
- Whisk to combine and bring the ingredients to a light boil.
- Add the cornstarch to the water to a small bowl and stir together to combine.
- Reduce to a simmer and continue cooking for 10-15 minutes until the spicy sauce reduces and thickens. Whisk during the process to keep it smooth.
Use our savory Korean BBQ sauce on grilled meat, lettuce wraps, pork belly, short ribs, and baby back ribs.
Tangy and zesty with sweet undertones, you’re going to love this versatile sauce. In fact, our Korean BBQ sauce might become your new favorite condiment. It’s not just for Korean food!
Leftovers can be stored refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two months or frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to two months.
Recipe FAQ’S
The main ingredient in American BBQ sauce is usually tomato puree or ketchup. Vinegar, brown sugar, and other seasonings make the sauce sweet and spicy.
The main ingredient in Korean BBQ sauce is soy sauce, which gives it a more umami flavor. Other ingredients like sesame oil and rice vinegar help give it a unique flavor profile.
It’s the perfect complement for grilled meats and as a spicy dipping sauce. It can also be thinned out with rice wine vinegar and used as a dressing for Asian noodle salads or as a sauce for Stir-fried vegetables.
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Korean Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup brown sugar or maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
- 2 tablespoon fresh garlic finely minced
- 2 teaspoon gochugaru or red pepper flakes – More or less to your taste depending on the level of heat desired.
Instructions
- Add the cornstarch to the water to a small bowl and stir together to combine. Set aside until needed.
- Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha and sesame oil to a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk to combine and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and gochugaru to the mixture and whisk to combine.
- Bring the ingredients to a light boil.
- Add the cornstarch mixture to the saucepan and whisk it into the sauce. *The cornstarch will settle as it sits so make sure to stir it before adding to the sauce.
- Reduce to a simmer and continue cooking for 10-15 minutes until the sauce reduces and thickens. Whisk during the process to keep the sauce smooth.
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