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Home » Recipes » 30 Minute Meals

Jul 13, 2022(updated Mar 11, 2023)

20-Minute Gochujang Noodles

5 from 2 votes

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by Becca Du

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These saucy gochujang noodles are the perfect balance of spicy, sweet, and savory flavors. This is also the perfect dish for quick weeknight dinners because it all comes together in less than 30 minutes!

Gochujang noodles in a dark grey bowl topped with julienned cucumbers, green onions, and black sesame seeds.

I personally love simple noodle dishes. They’re not only filling and easy to throw together on a weeknight, but they’re also very flavorful if paired with the right sauce. That’s what make these gochujang noodles so amazing. The sauce is a combination of gochujang, soy sauce, sugar, black vinegar, and sesame oil. Together, they create the perfect balance of salty, sweet, and savory flavors.

Ingredients on a wooden table. Featured ingredients include minced garlic, minced shallots, spaghetti, julienned cucumbers, and gochujang.

What is gochujang?

Gochujang is a spicy fermented chili paste that is used in a lot of Korean dishes. It is a little spicy mixed with umami and sweet flavors, and it pairs really well with other strong flavors. I’ve used it in the past like in my Korean inspired braised short ribs or gochujang salmon, and I’m always surprised at how well it pairs with heavy flavors. There’s something about it that makes it perfect for seasoning heavy, carb-y food. I thought it would be perfect for the sauce in this recipe because I thought it would pair really well with the soy sauce and black vinegar.

Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments

Gochujang Noodles

  • Spaghetti – I used spaghetti for this recipe because it was the noodles I had in my kitchen. You can use any kind of noodles for this recipe. Good options are angel hair, Chinese egg noodles, and ramen noodles.
  • Garlic and shallots – Adds some flavor to the ingredients. You can substitute shallots with sweet yellow onions.
  • Green onions – Adds some freshness and flavor to the dish. If you don’t like green onions or cannot find them, you can leave them out.
  • Persian cucumbers – I personally love using Persian cucumbers because I prefer their flavor to other cucumbers. You can use any kind of cucumbers for this recipe.
  • Sesame seeds (optional) – Adds some earthy flavors to the dish and makes it look pretty!
  • Lemon juice (optional) – Adding a squeeze of lemon juice really brightens up the dish. You can also use lime juice.

Gochujang Sauce

  • Soy sauce – Use any kind of soy sauce you can find. A good substitute for soy sauce is tamari.
  • Black vinegar – I tested this recipe with both black vinegar and rice wine vinegar, and the black vinegar yielded better flavor. However, if you don’t have black vinegar, both distilled white vinegar and rice wine vinegar are good substitutes.
  • Sesame oil – Adds a smoky flavor to the sauce.
  • Granulated sugar – Sugar helps balance out the strong umami flavors in the sauce.
  • Gochujang – Adds spicy, sweet and umami flavors to the dish.
Gochujang noodles in a dark grey bowl topped with julienned cucumbers, black sesame seeds, and minced green onions.

Making my saucy gochujang noodles

First, cook your pasta and set aside 1/4 cup of pasta water. Mix all the ingredients for the sauce and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pan. Add the minced garlic and shallot and cook for 20-30 seconds until they start to brown. Add the sauce, cooked spaghetti, and 1 tablespoon of the pasta water. Mix until the spaghetti is coated in the sauce. Add more water if the sauce is not watery enough for you. Remove from the heat. Serve with green onions, Persian cucumbers, sesame seeds, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Gochujang noodles in a grey bowl with cucumbers, green onions, and black sesame seeds.

Did you make this dish?

If you made this dish, I would love to see!

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Gochujang noodles in a dark grey bowl topped with julienned cucumbers, black sesame seeds, and minced green onions.

20-Minute Gochujang Noodles

Becca Du
These gochujang noodles are the perfect balance of spicy, sweet, and umami flavors. Spaghetti noodles are dressed with a yummy gochujang sauce made with gochujang, soy sauce, sugar, black vinegar, and sesame oil.
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 5 mins
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Korean
Servings 2 people
Calories 492 kcal

Equipment

  • Large Saute Pan

Ingredients
 
 

Gochujang Noodles

  • 200 g spaghetti
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 shallot minced
  • ¼ cup Persian cucumbers julienned
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds optional
  • 1 tsp lemon juice optional

Gochujang Sauce

  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp black vinegar
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 4 tsp granulated sugar
  • 4 tsp gochujang

Instructions
 

  • Cook the spaghetti and set aside 1/4 cup of pasta water.
  • Mix all the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pan. Add the minced garlic and shallot and cook for 20-30 seconds until they start to brown.
  • Add the sauce from step 2, cooked spaghetti, and 1 tablespoon of the pasta water. Mix until the spaghetti is coated in the sauce. Add more water if the sauce is not watery enough for you. Remove from the heat.
  • Serve with green onions, Persian cucumbers, sesame seeds, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Nutrition

Calories: 492kcalCarbohydrates: 92gProtein: 16gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 1017mgPotassium: 403mgFiber: 4gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 35IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 61mgIron: 2mg
Keyword gochujang noodle recipe, gochujang noodles, saucy gochujang noodles
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About Me


Hello I'm Becca! I believe any day can be made better with a bowl of noodle soup. Here you will find recipes from my Chinese/Vietnamese heritage and stories from my experience living here in beautiful LA. Grab a drink and stay awhile! Read More

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