Gochujang BBQ Sauce

Recipe from Tory Miller

Adapted by Elyse Inamine

Gochujang BBQ Sauce
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
55 minutes
Rating
4(188)
Notes
Read community notes

The chef Tory Miller dreamed up this spicy, sweet barbecue sauce during the pandemic when he was running his Miller Family Meat & Three pop-up in Madison, Wis. It’s an ode to his family’s love of grilling and his Korean heritage, which, as an adoptee, he has been exploring more in recent years. Mr. Miller uses this as he would any other barbecue sauce: for basting meats as they finish grilling and for dipping nuggets. He loves the smokiness the bacon adds to the sauce, but here it’s optional. (Though if using, you can add the drained bacon to a sandwich with white bread, coleslaw and pickles, or simply keep in the sauce). —Elyse Inamine

Featured in: Food Is Identity. For Korean Chefs Who Were Adopted, It’s Complicated.

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Ingredients

Yield:About 1 cup
  • 1(¼-inch-thick) slice smoky bacon (optional)
  • 1cup ketchup
  • ⅓cup brown sugar
  • 2tablespoons molasses
  • 2tablespoons gochujang
  • 2tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1½teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1½teaspoons yellow mustard
  • ¾teaspoon onion powder
  • ¾teaspoon granulated garlic
  • ¾teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
  • ¾teaspoon cayenne pepper sauce
  • Pinch smoked paprika
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)

383 calories; 7 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 80 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 66 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 2000 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    If using the bacon, cook in a small skillet over medium heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan with ¼ cup water and bring to a boil.

  3. Step 3

    Add the crisped bacon to the saucepan, if using. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until the sauce has thickened and is deep brown, 45 to 50 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Remove the bacon, if using, and let the sauce cool until ready to use. The sauce can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to one month. Before using, allow the sauce to come to room temperature and, if it’s is too thick, thin with a teaspoon or two of water.

Ratings

4 out of 5
188 user ratings
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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Vanessa Nix Anthony

I literally thought I just invented this sauce last night for dinner (HA!) I was out of my favorite barbeque sauce and decided to try my hand at a recipe that would marry my love of sweet and heat in a Kansas City-style BBQ gochujang mix. (I had no liquid smoke in the house and I thought paprika and gochujang would both add a bit of smokey flavor to the sauce.) My recipe is slightly different (no molasses and sub red wine vinegar for apple cider) but hey—great minds.

Nancy W

ToryMiller is a Madison treasure. So happy to see him get this richly-deserved exposure in the NYT.

Pete S

I was a little shocked how tasty this came out.

Joanne

This is a fantastic sauce recipe - easy to toss together and tons of flavor. I added about 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne as I had no cayenne pepper sauce at hand. An excellent choice for Folami's barbecue tofu: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021720-folamis-bbq-tofu

Steve S

Excellent for bbq chicken. I used black vinegar instead of Worcestershire sauce, which made it richer but didn’t crowd out the cider vinegar

Allison

This sauce is perfect as is, hot and sweet. I had to tented ribs in oven for two hours at 350, then opened tent up slathered sauce and put under broiler until the sauce caramelized. Served with rice and sautéed greens w/ shallots. We thought we had gone to a great Korean BBQ. Kudos to the NYT Cooking for embracing such diversity and such deliciousness!

Ferguson

Sam Sifton's suggestion to serve with baked chicken tenders made for a wonderful weeknight supper

Leslie Daniels

red wine vinegar instead of cider

Nancy W

ToryMiller is a Madison treasure. So happy to see him get this richly-deserved exposure in the NYT.

dmark

Tory is a great chef and a great guy. Glad to see the NYT branching out to fine chef here in the boonies.

Vanessa Nix Anthony

I literally thought I just invented this sauce last night for dinner (HA!) I was out of my favorite barbeque sauce and decided to try my hand at a recipe that would marry my love of sweet and heat in a Kansas City-style BBQ gochujang mix. (I had no liquid smoke in the house and I thought paprika and gochujang would both add a bit of smokey flavor to the sauce.) My recipe is slightly different (no molasses and sub red wine vinegar for apple cider) but hey—great minds.

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Credits

Adapted from Tory Miller

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