Spicy Korean Gochujang Beef Noodles
These spicy Korean Gochujang noodles are so easy to make, saucy, spicy yet sweet and perfect for a simple 30 minute dinner! Served with ground meat of choice such as beef, turkey or chicken for a simple and protein packed recipe.
Is this a noodle blog yet?! It’s starting to feel like it. My sesame noodles and spicy chili noodles have been so popular, and I’m so excited to share these Korean Gochujang noodles. They’re so easy to make and delicious on their own or with your favorite veggies and protein added.
Gochujang is a fermented red chili paste that is savory, sweet and spicy. It can be added to ramen, a marinade for meat, a dip for veggies or used in a sauce for noodles!
I like to keep the spice level fairly mild because I have such a low tolerance for spice, but you can definitely add more red pepper flakes or sriracha for extra spice.
If you like more of a buttered gochujang noodle flavor, you can toss the noodles with a few tablespoons of butter after cooking, before adding the sauce. If you love this recipe, try my gochujang popcorn cauliflower bites next or my other popular asian noodle recipes or ramen stir fry!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Ready in 20 minutes
- Gluten free
- Easy to make
- Family friendly!
How to make korean gochujang beef noodles
Cook noodles. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook noodles according to package instructions, then toss with butter.
Cook meat. Cook your ground beef in a pan until completely cooked through. I used beef, but turkey or chicken are also delicious.
Make sauce. Meanwhile, whisk together all ingredients in a bowl and set aside. There may be some chunks of coconut cream, but it will melt once combined with the noodles.
Combine. When the noodles are done, drain and rinse and add back to the pot. Add in about half of the sauce and toss to combine. Add in the cooked meat and the rest of the sauce and toss until well coated.
Taste and serve. Taste and add more sauce as needed. Serve with chopped scallions, sesame seeds and red pepper flakes. Enjoy and try my gluten free beef bolognese or gochujang chicken next!
Add your favorite veggies
This recipe as written is very simple, essentially just the sauce, meat and noodles. You can add any additional protein or veggies you like!
If you really want to hone in on the gochujang noodle theme, you can use my korean tofu and toss that in or serve it on the side for a vegan option.
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
Enter your email below & we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
I love adding in some sauteed bell peppers, bok choy, kale, snap peas, broccoli or whatever veggies I have on hand. Same with my miso noodles!
How to store
These korean gochujang noodles will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can serve them hot or cold, so there’s no need to reheat!
If you do choose to reheat, the microwave or stovetop works best. Just be sure to let them cool completely before transferring to a container for best results.
I have not tried freezing these noodles after cooking. I do think it would be ok, but the noodles themselves will likely fall apart a bit when they defrost. Just the nature of rice noodles!
Frequently asked questions
What noodles should I use?
I used brown rice soba noodles, but you can use ramen noodles, white or brown rice noodles, udon noodles, or even just spaghetti. Whatever you have on hand is fine!
I would love to use udon noodles, but I have yet to find any that are gluten free! I also love to throw in some zucchini noodles to sneak in some veggies into the dish. They blend right in if you peel the skin!
What is gochujang?
Gochujang is a fermented chili paste that’s sweet, spicy and savory. It has a bright red color, is sticky and thick, and is used as a condiment or in sauces in Korean cooking.
It’s comparable to miso in its fermented nature and can be found in most grocery stores in the Asian section.
Can I make it vegan?
Yes! The sauce is vegan if you use brown sugar in place of honey. Instead of the ground beef, you can serve with my air fryer tofu or my sesame tofu.
Try these noodles next!
- Peanut Butter Noodles
- Vegetable Lo Mein
- Ramen Noodles
- Red Curry Noodles
- Spicy Ramen Noodles
- Kung Pao Chicken Noodles
Follow along on on instagram and subscribe to my email list for more recipes and updates. Leave a comment and rating below if you try this recipe and let us know how it turns out!
Spicy Korean Gochujang Noodles
by: claire cary
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef, turkey or chicken
- 12 ounces rice noodles or noodles of choice
- ¼ cup low sodium gluten free soy sauce (tamari)
- ¼ cup gochujang paste check ingredients for gluten!
- 2 tablespoons coconut cream
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes more or less as desired for spice
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse, then toss with 2 tablespoons of butter after cooking and let melt so they don’t all stick together.
- Add the ground meat to a large skillet and saute until cooked through.
- Meanwhile, whisk together all ingredients in a bowl and set aside. There may be some chunks of coconut cream, but it will melt once combined with the noodles.
- Add in about half of the sauce to the noodles and toss to combine.
- Add in the ground meat and the rest of the sauce. Toss until well coated and let the flavors combine over low heat for a few minutes.
- Serve with chopped scallions, sesame seeds, cilantro and/or red pepper flakes. Enjoy!
Notes
Comments
-
This looks amazing!! I’ll be making this for pot lucks on two back to back days this weekend 🙂 would you recommend doubling or tripling it for a small portion (potluck so will be a lot of food) for about 35-40 people?
-
Oh yes, I would definitely at least double!
-
-
This recipe is absolutely delicious! I use all sorts of meats in this dish, including ground turkey, ground beef, shaved beef, stir fry beef (the kind you get precut) – all of which turns out amazing! Also, I have found that using 1/4 cup of the Gochujang paste quite overwhelming, so I usually tamper it down with Gochujang sauce, which is a lot milder. (I put a teaspoon of the paste in and add the rest of the amount needed of Gochujang sauce.) I haven’t tried adding the coconut, though. aside from those changes, I follow the recipe as closely as I can and it’s absolutely delicious and my whole family loves it! I already wrote it down!
-
I crave this sauce. It’s my go to easy meal. And the flavor is so good. I don’t do grains so I sautéed cabbage, broccoli, yellow pepper and added to meat. Thank you thank you!
-
Sounds perfect! Thank you!
-
-
This recipe us so quick & easy. It’s the 3rd recipe I have tried as my son is gluten and dairy intolerant. I have been taken them to work as I have been using my work mates as test dummies. So far, they have given them all a thumbs up
-
Love it! Thank you, Liz!
-
-
We have been cooking this for over a year now and love it. We call it “korean Bolognese “😄
We have tried many differnt noodles, but the Myunsarang Frozen Sanuki Udon make the best Combo. We don’t make the dish if these noodles are not available.
-
Sooo good. Adding to our rotation!
-
Made it exactly as written and discovered coconut cream that softened the edge of the spiciness and perfectly balanced all the flavors.
I made with ground pork but next time I may try sprouted tofu. I swapped Soba for Momofuku noodles and every bite was amazing, my teen son loved it too.
-
I saw your note that the coconut cream is optional. However, I was wondering if there was a substitute that would give the sauce a similar texture? I was thinking cream cheese but that seems like a weird thing to add to an asian-inspired meal, so I was hoping there’s something else. Thanks!
-
If you aren’t dairy free, I would just use heavy cream!
-
Thanks for your quick reply! I used your suggestion and it tasted amazing!
-
-
-
Made with ground turkey and added pointed cabbage and sesame seeds. So good. Can’t wait to try again. Thank you!
-
Delicious! I used chicken and i added some bean sprouts and green beans because i felt like there should be some vegetable. But overall the buttery gochujang taste is the best!
-
So glad you loved it!
-
-
Delicious and so easy to make! We made it with ground chicken – it was so good. I added some shaved carrots and snap peas. Next time we’ll double the entire recipe for leftovers!
-
My husband and I were stationed at Pearl Harbor for 9 years. Hawaii is a wonderful mix of cultures from all over the pacific rim, and we loved the food all over the island of Oahu. This recipe is spot on for Korean food we loved there! Thank you for making it available to us!
-
So glad you found it! Thank you, Colleen!
-
-
Flavorful! Wow! My husband and I loved this! Thank you for sharing! xo!
leave a comment and rating