Gochujang BBQ Sauce

Recipe from Tory Miller

Adapted by Elyse Inamine

Updated June 22, 2023

  • David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
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Total Time
55 minutes
Rating
4(225)
Comments
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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)

  • 1 cup ketchup

  • ⅓ cup brown sugar

  • 2 tablespoons molasses

  • 2 tablespoons gochujang

  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

  • 1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 ½ teaspoons yellow mustard

  • ¾ teaspoon onion powder

  • ¾ teaspoon granulated garlic

  • ¾ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

  • ¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper sauce

  • Pinch smoked paprika

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

80 grams carbs; 10 milligrams cholesterol; 383 calories; 3 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 7 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 2000 milligrams sodium; 6 grams protein; 66 grams sugar

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.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
225 user ratings
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Comments

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.

Leslie Daniels

red wine vinegar instead of cider

Mimi VT

Super easy and I followed the recipe exactly except for using a grainy mustard instead of yellow since that is all that I had on hand. (I did not use the optional bacon.) I did not simmer for 45 minutes as I pre-broiled some salted/peppered chicken legs until the skin was crispy and browned then put them in my crock-pot with the sauce poured on top to cook on low for 8 hours. They were FANTASTIC!

Pam

Added liquid smoke (2.5 tsp), soy sauce (4 tbsp), salt (3/4 tsp), and subbed the molasses for brown sugar - it turned out so good!

s-monk

Made it, used it, loved it. I didn’t used the bacon.

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Credits

Adapted from Tory Miller

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