15 Minute Gochujang Noodles (Bibim Guksu)

Savory, tangy, and sweet, these saucy Gochujang Noodles are full of flavor, but only take 15 minutes to make. The perfect easy weeknight dinner meal.

Side view of a bowl of gochujang noodles topped with sesame seeds, chives and served with edamame and pickled cabbage.

These noodles came about after I had gotten home from a long week away visiting family. The only ingredients in the kitchen we had when we got back were some noodles in the pantry, condiments, and frozen edamame.

Then I remembered seeing a video a long time ago from the creators Aaron and Claire making Gochujang Noodles (Korean Bibim Guksu). I knew I had gochujang in the fridge and got to work making a modified vegan version of these saucy spicy noodles.

Why You’ll Love These Gochujang Noodles

  • Ready in 15 minutes, which makes these noodles the perfect easy weeknight recipe.
  • Packed with flavor thanks to the gochujang infused sauce that gives us savory, sweet and spicy notes.
  • Customizable and easy to pair with different veggies and proteins of your choice.
  • Simple to make using just a handful of different condiments in your fridge and pantry.

What is Gochujang?

Gochujang is a key ingredient used in many Korean dishes. This Korean paste is made from ground red chili powder (gochugaru), fermented soybeans, glutinous rice, barley malt and salt. When combined you are left with a savory, sweet and spicy paste that is used in iconic Korean recipes like bibimbap and tteokbokki and often is a base for stews and protein marinades as well.

Rice vinegar, gochugaru, gochujang, maple syrup, soy sauce, brown sugar and edamame sitting on a kitchen surface.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

  • Noodles: A wide variety of different noodles will work with this sauce, so choose your favorite and just cook according to the package.
  • Gochujang: This Korean fermented paste is very unique to this dish, so I don’t recommend swapping, but if you must, I would say try this with sriracha sauce. And if you are gluten-free, just make sure that you get a paste that is marked gluten-free as many contain barley malt.
  • Soy Sauce: If you are gluten-free opt for a gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos.
  • Rice Wine Vinegar: If you don’t happen to have this vinegar, you can try it with white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
  • Maple Syrup: This helps to sweeten the sauce and balance both the tang and savory flavors. You can also use a different liquid sweetener of preference.
  • Orange Juice: You can use a variety of juices for this. I used the juice from a fresh orange, but you can try with apple juice as well.
  • Garlic: Fresh is best, but if you are in a pinch, feel free to use garlic powder.
  • Gochugaru: Optional, but does provide extra flavor and heat.

How to Make Gochujang Noodles

Prepare the sauce by mixing all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl, then set it aside.

Prepare noodles according to package. I used a Chinese style noodle that took 3 minutes to cook and required rinsing under cold water.

Tossing cooked noodles with gochujang sauce in a bowl.

Place noodles in a bowl and coat with your sauce. Once coated they can be served with edamame, veggies of choice and some ground sesame seeds and herbs.

Expert Tips

  • Prepare the sauce first. Whisk everything together and set it to the side before prepping noodles or any additional proteins and veggies. This will help make everything come together faster.
  • Keep this recipe no cook, by using rice noodles. Just cover the noodles in a bowl with boiling water from a tea kettle, then cover the bowl and allow the noodles to sit until softened. Then rinse and drain to remove excess starch.
  • Reduce the spice by using less gochujang. Start with 1 tablespoon and work your way up based on your tolerance to spicy food.
  • Pair the noodles with any protein or veggies you like. If you’re feeling low energy, opt for easy proteins like beans or if you feel like doing some extra cooking, enjoy with some cooked tofu or seitan.
Gochujang noodles topped with crushed sesame seeds and chives served with edamame and pickled cabbage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find gochujang?

Gochujang has become increasingly popular in recent years. As a result, this fermented chili paste can be found in a variety of different places now. You may have luck finding it in local grocery store chains in the International aisle or in specialty stores like Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and World Market. My favorite place to get gochujang is from local Asian markets like H-Mart that carry a variety of different high quality brands to try.

Is gochujang gluten-free?

Always read the label. Many brands do contain wheat, but there are versions that are gluten-free in the United States. If you have difficulty finding it, you can always try making it yourself using this gochujang recipe from Veggiekins.

Is the sauce spicy?

Yes. The spice for the noodles comes from the gochujang and gochugaru in this recipe. You can adjust the spice by reducing the amount of gochujang paste or omitting the gochugaru.

How long do these noodles keep?

It’s best to enjoy these noodles immediately after being prepped. But, if you have leftovers, place the sauced noodles in an air tight container and place in the fridge to store for up to 2-3 days.

Top down view of a bowl of gochujang noodles paired with edamame and pickled cabbage then topped with crushed sesame noodles.

How to Serve

Create balance with these noodles by serving them with your favorite protein and vegetable options:

More Easy & Quick Dinners

Plate of noodles tossed with a spicy gochujang sauce and served with edamame, red cabbage and sprinkled with crushed sesame seeds on the side.
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Side view of a bowl of gochujang noodles topped with sesame seeds, chives and served with edamame and pickled cabbage.

15 Minute Gochujang Noodles (Bibim Guksu)

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  • Author: Catherine Perez
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 2 servings 1x
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: One Pot
  • Cuisine: Korean Inspired
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Savory, tangy, and sweet, these saucy Gochujang Noodles are full of flavor, but only take 15 minutes to make. The perfect easy weeknight dinner meal.


Ingredients

Scale

Gochujang Sauce

  • 2 tbsp gochujang
  • 2 tsp light brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 12 tbsp maple syrup
  • 3 tbsp orange juice or apple juice
  • 2 cloves crushed garlic
  • 2 tsp gochugaru, optional

Noodles

  • 175 g of wheat or rice noodles (about 2 servings worth of your favorite noodles)
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen edamame, thawed
  • Vegetables of choice to serve with (cucumber, carrots, cabbage, etc)
  • 2 tsp freshly ground toasted sesame seeds, optional
  • Herbs to garnish

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl add the gochujang, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, maple syrup, juice, garlic and gochugaru. Whisk everything together until well combined, then set aside to prepare the noodles.
  2. Prepare the wheat or rice noodles according to package. Rinse the noodles under cold water to halt the cooking process and prevent noodles from sticking.
  3. Place the noodles in a large bowl and coat with your sauce. Once coated serve in a bowl with your edamame, a side of vegetables of your choice and some ground sesame seeds along with any additional garnish you like.

Notes

Prepare the sauce first. Whisk everything together and set it to the side before prepping noodles or any additional proteins and veggies. This will help make everything come together faster.

Keep this recipe no cook, by using rice noodles. Just cover the noodles in a bowl with boiling water from a tea kettle, then cover the bowl and allow the noodles to sit until softened. Then rinse and drain to remove excess starch.

Reduce the spice by using less gochujang. Start with 1 tablespoon and work your way up based on your tolerance to spicy food.

Pair the noodles with any protein or veggies you like. If you’re feeling low energy, opt for easy proteins like beans or if you feel like doing some extra cooking, enjoy with some cooked tofu or seitan.

If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.

 Catherine

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