When I feel like devouring a Korean rice bowl but don’t have bibimbap sauce on hand, I don’t panic. That’s because I have an easy recipe for bibimbap sauce that smacks with authentic flavor. All I need is 6 pantry ingredients – and 5 minutes!
Here’s what life used to be like at my place some nights:
- Step 1: Make a sizzling skillet dolsot bibimbap – or a vegetarian bibimbap with tofu.
- Step 2: Dig around in my fridge, looking for the perfect store-bought condiment. Get super frustrated that it didn’t exist.
Well, I fixed that. My bibimbap sauce is highly adaptable for those who may be spice averse, but still want authentic Korean flavors. You can tweak it to your liking.
Table of Contents
Why This Sauce Works With Bibimbap
Bibimbap is one of those things that encompasses pretty much everything I love about Korean food – it’s assertive, colorful and filled with rice and veggies. I often use leftover banchan such as sookju namul (Korean bean sprout salad), spicy cucumber salad, and kimchi to make homemade bibimbap. It’s the perfect meal.
This pungent, spicy, sweet and salty homemade condiment works with those ingredients. It compliments and elevates the flavors of bibimbap as a whole.
And I get to control the spice level so that I can fully enjoy Korean food in all its delicious glory.
Ingredients
Scroll to the bottom of this page for the full recipe steps and measurements.
- Gochujang: Gochujang is a spicy, sweet, savory, and nutty, red chili paste that’s a staple ingredient in Korean cooking. I use 1/4 cup for this recipe. And sometimes I make my own homemade gochujang.
- Garlic: Chopped finely.
- Toasted sesame oil: I use one tablespoon of toasted sesame oil. It smooths out the texture of the sauce while imparting an extra kick of nuttiness.
- Honey and Sugar: For a floral element and a touch of sweetness.
- Rice vinegar: I like using a little rice vinegar to brighten things up – without being overtly tart.
- Salt: Adding salt is completely optional but I personally find that a pinch or two adds balance.
How to Make Bibimbap Sauce
- Just mix it. Place the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well combined.
- Then enjoy. Spoon on top of Korean rice bowls or use as a dipping sauce for crispy tofu – and even French fries.
Recipe Variations
- Make it spicier. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of gochugaru (Korean chili pepper flakes) or freshly grated ginger.
- Go a little milder. Use 1 tablespoon less of the gochujang – and add 1 tablespoon water. You can also add a little more rice vinegar to tone down the spiciness.
- Make it kid friendly (i.e. not spicy at all). Swap out the gochujang and use doengjang (soy bean paste) instead. Mix 2 tablespoons doengjang with 2 tablespoon water.
- Make it less sweet. Use half the honey. Honey is sweeter than sugar so it’s best to reduce the amount of honey first.
Storage
Store leftover sauce covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Use a glass jar rather than plastic. The gochujang may stain Tupperware red.
Frequently Asked Questisons
I hear you. Sometimes the restaurant versions of bibimbap sauce can be a little too spicy for me too. I love heat, but not to the point where I can no longer taste my food. And that’s a problem I unfortunately encounter at times when I’m out having Korean food. The only source of heat in this sauce is from gochujang – and thats a milder, smoldering burn rather than overtly volcanic.
Sure do! You can swap out the honey in this recipe – and use agave nectar instead.
Other Homemade Asian Sauces
I really love making my own Asian sauces because I get to control the amount that I make (I don’t have to buy a whole bottle at the store if I only need a couple of tablespoons). Plus I know exactly what goes into them. Bonus: I find that they taste better 99% of the time! Here are some of my favorites:
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Bibimbap Sauce
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1/2 cup 1x
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Mixed
- Cuisine: Korean
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
My easy bibimbap sauce is full-on fiery, sweet Korean goodness! Make it at home with just 6 ingredients. 5 minutes and you’re done.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup gochujang
- 2 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
Instructions
- Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir well. Serve.
Notes
Store the sauce in a glass container (it may stain a plastic one), and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 51
- Sugar: 8.4g
- Sodium: 156.6mg
- Fat: 1.7g
- Saturated Fat: 0.2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 9.9g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 0.1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
It was simple and delicious!
Truly fantastic recipe.