These Gochujang Buttered Noodles come together in just 10 minutes, with only a few ingredients! The simple gochujang butter sauce is so easy and so flavorful. I like to make this recipe using frozen udon noodles. The thick, chewy noodles are the perfect pairing with this sauce, but you can also use whatever noodles you have on hand!
I like to whip up these quick gochujang noodles for an easy lunch or dinner when I'm short on time. If you're someone who keeps gochujang stocked in the fridge, then you likely already have nearly all the ingredients that are required! You can easily control the spice level of the sauce to make it fit your preference, and you can spice up each serving even more with red pepper flakes.
FAQ
What is gochujang?
Gochujang is a Korean chili paste that contains dried spicy red peppers, fermented soybean paste (similar to miso), salt, a sweetener, and sometimes additional flavoring such as garlic. These come together to make a versatile cooking ingredient that adds spice, sweetness, tanginess, and savoriness to a dish. Since it already has so many key flavors, you don't need to add much else to create a well-balanced, delicious sauce.
How spicy is gochujang?
Gochujang comes in multiple spice levels, so it can vary quite a bit. I typically buy "hot" gochujang, but you can also find mild, medium, and extra hot varieties.
Where can I buy gochujang?
Some brands of gochujang are popping up in traditional grocery stores in the US, but the best selection can be found in Korean grocery stores. If you have a Korean grocery store in your area, they will likely have a whole section dedicated to gochujang with many different brands and varieties. If you have trouble finding it locally, you can also buy gochujang online.
Are gochugaru and gochujang the same thing?
No, gochugaru is a dry spice, and gochujang is a paste. However, gochugaru is one of the key ingredients in making gochujang. Despite gochujang being made from gochugaru, they don't have the same flavor profile because of the other ingredients present in gochujang. The two should not be used interchangeably.
Key Tips - Gochujang Buttered Noodles
Use frozen udon noodles, if available.
- Frozen udon noodles can be found at Japanese grocery stores (and many other Asian grocery stores) in the US. They're much higher quality than others packaged udon noodle option, such as dried. The frozen udon noodles I buy (pictured below) are just as good as many restaurants!
- You can substitute other noodles or pasta in this recipe if you don't want to use frozen udon!
Use high quality butter and gochujang if possible.
- Since this is such a simple sauce, the quality of the ingredients can really shine through. Using high quality butter and high quality gochujang paste really pays off, if you have those available to you.
- I've found that gochujang that comes in small tubs is typically higher quality than what you may find in squeeze bottles. The best selection of gochujang paste will be at a Korean grocery store (in the US), but you can also find it at many other Asian grocery stores, and even some standard grocery stores in the US.
- The gochujang used in the batch pictured is pictured below for reference!
Control the spice level to your preference.
- You can use more or less gochujang to control how spicy the sauce is! 1 tablespoon per batch is how I usually make this, which is a medium-hot heat level. Use half a tablespoon (1.5 tsp) for mild or 1 ½ tablespoons (or more!) for hot.
- You can also add some extra spice to this dish with red pepper flakes. My favorite way to use them is to toss them in when the garlic is cooking! They’re also a great topping, which makes it easy for everyone to adjust the spice level of just their serving.
The cornstarch is our “pasta water”.
- Most pasta pan-sauce recipes call for using some of the pasta water in the sauce. Pasta water has starch in it from the pasta, and this helps the sauce thicken and stick to the pasta. A little bit of cornstarch dissolved in water will also do the trick, and actually give us better and more consistent results than using pasta water.
Check out my guide on freezing fresh garlic to save some time in the kitchen.
- If you're looking for the convenience of pre-minced garlic, but the flavor of fresh garlic, freezing your own minced garlic is a great option! You'll be surprised to find that the flavor of frozen garlic is nearly as good as fresh, without the sticky prep and clean-up. Read more about it here: How to Freeze Garlic.
Dietary Restrictions - Gochujang Buttered Noodles
This dish is naturally Vegetarian.
Make it Vegan:
- Use vegan butter instead of normal butter.
Make it Gluten-Free:
- Use gluten-free pasta instead of udon noodles
- Make sure you're using gluten-free gochujang paste
A Note On Serving Sizes
Serving sizes are a very personal thing, making it difficult for me to select a serving size that suits everyone. These gochujang buttered noodles are listed as 1 serving because they use one standard size block of frozen udon noodles. Since the sauce is somewhat rich, some may consider this a large serving. Pictured in the bowl is one batch.
Gochujang Buttered Noodles
Ingredients
- 1 block frozen udon noodles ~9 oz each, see notes for substitutions
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon gochujang paste
- 1 teaspoon freshly minced garlic about 1 clove per batch
- 1 green onion
- 1 teaspoon corn starch to thicken sauce
- ⅓ cup warm water
- red pepper flakes optional, for topping
- toasted sesame seeds optional, for topping
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Begin boiling a pot of water for the noodles. Cook the noodles per package instructions as you prepare the sauce. (Frozen udon only needs a few minutes to cook, so I add them to the water when the sauce is almost ready.)
- Thinly slice the green onion, and separate the white and green portions. Dissolve the corn starch in the warm water.
- Set a skillet over medium to medium-low heat. Once hot, add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the garlic and the white portions of the green onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until very fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the gochujang paste to the skillet and mix vigorously until the gochujang is fully incorporated into the sauce. This step can be a little difficult, I like to use a flat whisk to make it easier.
- Once the gochujang is fully incorporated, turn off the heat and whisk in the corn starch and water mixture. If the sauce is too thick, you can add a little more water, one tablespoon at a time. If the sauce is too thin, put the skillet back over medium low heat and reduce until the desired consistency is reached. Taste the sauce and season with a little salt if desired.
- Add the drained noodles to the skillet and toss until they're fully coated in sauce. Transfer to your serving dish, top with sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, and green onion, then serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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If you like this recipe, you might like my Crispy Gochujang Tofu, Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup, or Miso Buttered Noodles.
Send me pictures of your creations -- it'll make my day! Message @CraftyCookbook on Instagram, email me ([email protected]), or tag me in a post! Please note, tagged posts are only visible to me if your account is public. Did you make any interesting changes or substitutions for this recipe? Tell me about them in the comment section below!
Praxis says
OH MY GOODNESS! If you've got the noodle cravings, but don't want to put in a ton of work this recipe is a winner! Lots of umami flavor with a little kick! VERY easy to do! We served ours with a side of sautéed tofu as protein, but this could be such a versatile dish depending how you pair it!
D. P. says
Quick easy lunch, thanks!
Anonymous says
Gochujang is a Korean traditional ingredient. Categorizing it solely American and Japanese is culturally misleading.
Jacqueline Schell says
Thanks for catching that typo, it has been corrected!
Joanne says
Haven't tried it yet. Trying to understand the recipe. It talks about batches at one point, but never again. So what are the batches.
Jacqueline Schell says
Hi Joanne, thank you for your question. One batch just refers to the quantity prepared if you follow the standard recipe.
You can click the “2X” or “3X” buttons next to the ingredients heading to see the quantities for a double or triple batch if you want to make a larger helping. Unfortunately the tool isn’t smart enough to update the notes, so those say “per batch” to be more specific.
For example, the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of garlic, which is about 1 clove. If you hit the button to double the recipe, the note saying “about 1 clove” unfortunately doesn’t change even though the recipe now calls for 2 teaspoons of garlic. So it says “about one clove per batch” to try to clarify.
Sorry for the confusion, I hope this helps!