Name: Ssamjang (Korean Dipping Sauce)
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: ½ cup Korean fermented soybean paste (doenjang); 3 tablespoons Korean hot pepper paste (gochujang); 2 large garlic cloves, minced; 2 scallions, finely chopped; 1 ½ tablespoons toasted sesame oil; 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds; 2 tablespoons honey

This Korean Ssamjang Recipe is spicy, sweet, umami and funky. It works well with lettuce wrapped BBQ kalbi, Korean chive pancakes, or as a vegetable dip. Make this iconic ssam sauce in 5 minutes from start to finish!

What is Ssamjang
Ssamjang Ingredients
- Substitute for Doenjang
How to Make Ssamjang
- Recipe Variations
How to Use Ssamjang
Storage
Other All-Purpose Asian Sauces and Condiments

What is Ssamjang

Ssamjang (쌈장) is a thick paste that marries the savory earthiness of doenjang with the spicy sweetness of gochujang. Minced garlic, chopped scallions and sesame seeds add flavor and texture – while sesame oil and honey round out the flavor profile with a roasted, nutty sweetness.

It’s used primarily as a Korean BBQ dipping sauce for ssam (grilled meats and assorted banchan wrapped in leafy greens).

My favorite use of ssamjang is as a dip for vegetables.

Ssamjang Ingredients

Doenjang – 된장 – Fermented Korean Soybean Paste: This funky paste is made of soybeans and salt (or brine). Doenjang is more earthy and salt-forward than miso. Read all about doenjang here.
Gochujang – 고추장 – Korean Hot Pepper Paste: Made of powdered red Korean chilis, glutinous rice starch and soybeans, gochujang is spicy, savory and sweet.
Garlic: A couple cloves of minced garlic lay down a nice, sharp, pungent flavor.
Scallions: Bright and peppery, two chopped scallions will give this ssamjang some garden freshness.
Toasted Sesame Oil: Deep roasted nuttiness. A little goes a long way.
Toasted Sesame Seeds: Buy them toasted – or toss them in a pan and brown them yourself. A couple minutes in a small pan over low heat should do the trick. Careful – they burn quickly!
Honey: Raw honey is a great tool to impart sweetness to ssamjang without going overboard into cloying territory.

Substitute for Doenjang

If you can’t find doenjang, use awase miso paste instead.

Made with a combination of red and white miso paste, Japanese awase miso will work in a pinch – and still delivers on many of the the earthy and umami elements you’ll need for this ssamjang recipe. Read all about miso paste here.

Vegetable platter with Korean dipping sauce

How to Make Ssamjang

Simply place the doenjang, gochijang, minced garlic, chopped green onion, sesame oil, sesame seeds and honey into a bowl and mix well.

That’s it!

Recipe Variations

Make it less spicy by using less gochujang.
Go for more spice by adding a teaspoon of gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes).
Make it more or less sweet by altering the amount of honey you use.

How to Use Ssamjang

I use ssamjang as a vegetable dip – much in the way I’d set out a tray of fresh cut veggies with hummus at a party. But ssamjang kicks way harder than hummus.
As a condiment for Korean BBQ. After loading up a perilla or lettuce wrap with galbi or bulgogi, top or dip it for the perfectly spiced bite.
Mix into noodles or rice. That bowl of instant ramen at 3am just got even more exciting.

And if you’re planning to whip up an entire Korean feast in your kitchen, check out these other delicious and easy Korean recipes:

broccoli floret in with Korean pepper sauce

Storage

Place ssamjang in an airtight food storage container and refrigerate for up to 7 days.

Other All-Purpose Asian Sauces and Condiments

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Did you like this ssamjang recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!