A dense, glossy Korean paste of gochugaru chilli, fermented soybean, glutinous rice and salt, aged until it turns sweet, savoury and slowly hot. Most brands are made with barley or wheat malt, so gochujang is generally not gluten-free.
What it does in a recipe: Fermented umami, slow-building heat and rice-derived sweetness in a thick, clinging paste. Pick the swap that covers that job — the ratios below are written so you can act on them without doing any arithmetic.
Also called: Korean chilli paste, Red pepper paste
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Condiments & saucescategory
Quick answer
Miso + gochugaru + honey
1 tbsp gochujang = 2 tsp red or brown miso + 1 tsp gochugaru + 1 tsp honey or rice syrup
All substitutes, best first
4 ways to replace gochujang
Miso + gochugaru + honey
Reliable
1 tbsp gochujang = 2 tsp red or brown miso + 1 tsp gochugaru + 1 tsp honey or rice syrup
Miso supplies the fermented soybean base, gochugaru the specific fruity Korean chilli heat, and the syrup the malted sweetness that fermented rice gives gochujang.
MethodMash together and leave 10 minutes so the gochugaru hydrates and its colour bleeds through the paste.
Trade-offMissing the long-aged depth of real gochujang, so it tastes younger and slightly flatter, but the balance is right.
CookingSaucesVegetarianDairy-freeEgg-freeNut-free
Allergen checkMiso is soy-based, and barley miso contains gluten — use a rice miso if you need this gluten-free, and check the label since 'white miso' is not automatically barley-free. Use maple syrup instead of honey to keep it vegan.
Allergen checkContains soy from the miso, and possible gluten depending on the miso variety. Rice miso plus a gluten-free sriracha keeps this safe for coeliac cooking.
Harissa + sugar
In a pinch
1 tbsp gochujang = 2 tsp harissa + 1 tsp brown sugar or honey
Harissa brings a comparable thick, oily chilli paste texture and heat, and the sugar bridges the sweetness gap that separates the two.
Trade-offCumin and caraway come along for the ride, which reads as North African rather than Korean. Fine in a marinade, wrong in a bibimbap sauce.
Allergen checkSoy sauce contributes soy and, unless you use tamari, wheat. This does not make the swap gluten-free by default.
Worth knowing
Gochujang keeps for months in the fridge and gets a little darker and deeper as it goes. It is worth buying rather than approximating if you cook Korean food more than occasionally.
Cooking around an allergy? Diet tags here describe the ingredient itself, not any particular brand. Processed products change formulation without notice and shared production lines are common, so read the label on everything you use. A severe allergy is a medical matter — confirm with the manufacturer or your clinician rather than relying on a substitution chart.