Gochujang Buttered Noodles Recipe (2024)

By Eric Kim

Updated Dec. 12, 2023

Gochujang Buttered Noodles Recipe (1)

Total Time
25 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(5,876)
Notes
Read community notes

These garlicky, buttery noodles are perfect for when you need a stellar pantry meal lickety-split. A packet of fresh or even instant ramen speeds up the meal prep and is ideal when cooking for one (see Tip). Honey and sherry vinegar round out gochujang’s deep heat into a mellowness that’s at once sweet, savory and tangy. The brick-red butter sauce, emulsified with a splash of the pasta cooking water, coats spaghetti here, but you can use whatever noodles you like.

Featured in: Gochujang Is So Much More Than a Condiment

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 1pound spaghetti or other long pasta
  • 6tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 12garlic cloves, finely chopped (about ⅓ cup)
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • ¼cup gochujang paste (not sauce; see Tip)
  • ¼cup honey
  • ¼cup sherry vinegar or rice vinegar
  • Finely chopped cilantro or thinly sliced scallions (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

693 calories; 20 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 111 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 22 grams sugars; 18 grams protein; 654 milligrams sodium

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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Gochujang Buttered Noodles Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. Drain the spaghetti and return to its pot.

  2. While the pasta cooks, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet over medium-low. Add the garlic and season generously with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic starts to soften but not brown, 1 to 3 minutes.

  3. Step

    3

    Stir in the gochujang, honey and vinegar, and bring to a simmer over medium-high. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reduces significantly, 3 to 4 minutes; when you drag a spatula across the bottom of the pan, it should leave behind a trail that stays put for about 3 seconds. Remove from the heat.

  4. Step

    4

    Transfer the sauce to the pot with the spaghetti and add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Vigorously stir until the butter melts. Add splashes of the pasta cooking water, as needed, to thin out the sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Top with the cilantro or scallions (if using) and serve immediately.

Tips

  • Be sure to purchase plain gochujang paste, not gochujang sauce, which often includes additives like vinegar and sugar. To easily measure out gochujang, swipe the inside of a measuring cup with a little neutral oil, which will get it to slip right out.
  • To make a single serving, follow the recipe using 4 to 5 ounces fresh or instant ramen noodles; 1½ tablespoons unsalted butter (1 tablespoon to fry the garlic and ½ tablespoon for the sauce at the end); 3 garlic cloves; 1 heaping tablespoon gochujang; 1 tablespoon honey; 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or rice vinegar. Decrease the cook times throughout by 1 to 2 minutes.

Ratings

5

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5,876

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Annie B

Many thanks for including instructions for a single serving. The onesies of the world salute you, Eric!

jacqueline

It’s midnight and I’m a couple drinks in. Because I just got home from a trip I had everything except the Gochujang paste (had to substitute Gochujang sauce, which I know, it says get the paste!). Regardless, it was delicious. I used stale limpy cilantro but I would have preferred scallions, or fresh cilantro. I used somen noodles and they were perfect. Chopped some nuts for crunch/protein and it was a hit. Smashed it.

ann

Spicy, sweet, delicious, and easy. The one (unintentional) change is we planned to make a full batch of sauce and save half; we promptly forgot and mixed in the half pound of pasta directly. We actually liked the double sauce because the sauce was so good. Added the pasta to the pan with sauce instead of the opposite. Also not sure it’s a main dish unaccompanied unless it’s midnight and you’re a couple drinks in in which case get after it.

dimmerswitch

If you want to see Eric Kim make this recipe with ramen noodles instead of spaghetti go to this youtube video and scroll to 10:35. If you want to have even more fun, watch the entire video for four other great ramen noodle inspirations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pFTJN1tF8A

Max Alexander, Rome, MasterChef Italia

Make the sauce in a skillet. Transfer the cooked pasta directly from the water into the skillet with tongs; the clinging water will thin the sauce about right. If not, add a bit more. This is how we do it in Italy, where colanders gather dust in the back of the cupboard.

Jesse & Jen In MSP

Frankly, 1/4 c (i.e. 4 tbsp) honey was too much for us. The heat was great, and it was perfectly savory, but just had too much sweetness. We will go with 2 or even 1 tbsp next time.Green onions as a topper gave the perfect fresh / allium crunch.Ultimately it was a very tasty recipe, we would just turn down the sweet.

Marcel

Added a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds and a dash of sesame oil once the noodles were plated. Delish!

kat

I would follow Eric kim to the ends of the earth. Made this between terrifying tornado storms in the mid-south tonight. Just the right amount of concentration needed to be a welcome distraction. supremely comforting.

Cathy

This was easy and delicious. If anyone is wondering if it can be made vegan, I substituted maple syrup for honey and Earth Balance for butter and it was perfect.

Joel P

Super tasty and easy to make. It's got a good amount of heat but adjust gochujang up or down to your preference. As-is was perfect for me, a bit too spicy for my wife. We had it with sliced scallions, as suggested, and after a few bites I chopped up some roasted salted peanuts and threw those on and it really added something so I'd strongly recommend it.

Sao

I added some mukimame (shelled edamame) to the pasta water at the end of the noodles cooking to add some protein. Also, some matchstick carrots along with the scallions to add crunch. Yum.

DG

If I'm going to use some pasta water to enrich the sauce, why not cook the pasta in a smaller amount of water in a skillet, so the pasta starch is more concentrated in the water?

Frankieee

This is such a fabulous twist! I personally recommend using bucatini and leaving the sauce thicker (no pasta water). I added sesame seeds and a small drizzle of sesame oil with scallions. WOWIE! So. Good.

Kathleen

I'm amazed at the lack of notes describing modifications to this recipe. Unusual for our crowd (and I'm one that enjoys/appreciates/learns from reading all of the comments and ideas) and a true tribute to Eric Kim. Looks like this recipe just works and I can't wait to try it!

Laura G.

The pasta is more likely to be sticky/gluey if it doesn't have a lot of water to roam around in.

Addie’s Mom

Family can’t eat too spicy so I halved the amount of gojuchang and added tomato paste to make up other half. Turned out just fine. Everyone loved it and the strong taste of the gojuchang covers to the taste of the tomato paste. I would make it again but next time, I’ll put in less honey to tone down on the sweetness as I prefer it just a bit more savory.

Clair

Couple of drinks in. Used fresh udon. Yum.

Name

Made this second time for a lunch, one serving w dry wide asian wheat noodles. The sauce flavor is very familiar to me (grew up in Korea) except the butter. I can see some Koreans like my mom being repelled by the butter flavor but the beauty of this dish is Americanization of the Korean flavors - which is Eric’s forte. The Korean in me is a bit puzzled by the rave reviews but I do appreciate the creativity/fusion of the different worlds/favors. Added baby spinach for veg which worked well.

Zac

Amazing after getting home at 2:30am from a gig or night out or whatever. Use one pack of the squiggly cut TJs noodles. Chop the garlic and garnishes while getting the water boiling. It’s worth it. Make it exactly like the recipe says at least once. It’s that good. Then add whatever else you like in the future. But it’s also perfect as is for its simplicity. Spicy, tangy, garlicky, sweet. Just perfect.

Christa Avampato

Goodness this sauce is delicious. I put it in roasted sweet potatoes, chicken, tofu. It's a great barbecue sauce, too. I used apple cider vinegar instead of sherry vinegar and plant-based butter.

Carol

Used harrissa paste (because that’s what ihad) instead of gochujang paste. Very spicy. Really liked the dish but will go light on the harissa paste next time. Added peanuts as suggested inone of the subscriber’s notes.

djr

I use this app religiously. This is my favorite thing I’ve ever made on here. So unbelievably good and so simple.

Colsox

I made these noodles for a girls-night-out dinner last weekend, which received rave reviews. I made the recipe as written, with the exception of garnishing with both white and black sesame seeds and scallions. Simple and delicious.

Jodie

A bit too hot for us, next time will cut back to 1/2 of gochujang, maybe a bit less honey. Very good though. Next time add parsley, more scallions. Served with Japanese/Korean-ish cucumber salad-perfect!

Hannah

Tastes like ketchup noodles. I reduced the honey but it was still too sweet. Not my favorite. I couldn’t even taste that quantity of butter and garlic - all I tasted was gochujang, honey and vinegar.

JM in SF

I couldn’t find paste so used sauce, and didn’t add vinegar and only about half the honey. Delicious anyway. Has a kick to it! I think the sliced scallions and cilantro are a key addition, but still good without it.

Helen

I could not find gochujang paste at all in any of my grocery stores (I'm in Montana!). I don't know if gochujang sauce is stronger or weaker, but I would just say go easy because you can always add more later. The first time I made this it was inedible (my fault), but the last two times, these noodles were positively addictive. I attribute to going a little easy on the spice until you get exactly what you want. Thank you Eric Kim for a wonderful recipe.

Elyse K

Easy and satisfying dish. Just the right balance of sweet and tangy with just enough heat but not too much. I followed some suggestions of others— I pulled the noodles out with tongs rather than draining in a colander, and added chopped peanuts and toasted sesame seeds on top. And since I had some in the frig, I added some shredded chicken breast. Will definitely make this again!

AJ

Also very delicious cold straight out of the fridge for leftovers.

Lesley

Absolutely delicious. Followed the recipe exactly EXCEPT cooked 1 pound of large shrimp with the garlic, then removed until adding back in at the end. Used both cilantro and scallions for serving. This is a keeper.

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Gochujang Buttered Noodles Recipe (2024)
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