Gochugaru Seasoning Salt
A savory, gently sweet and mildly spicy Korean-inspired finishing salt made with gochugaru, toasted sesame seeds, flaky salt and a touch of sugar. Sprinkle it on eggs, fries, popcorn, grilled meats, avocado toast and roasted vegetables.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 4 min
- Wait
- 10 min
- Total
- 24 min
- Makes
- About ½ cup (110 g), enough for 24 servings of 1 teaspoon
Steps
Before you start
- Use coarse or medium-grind gochugaru (flakes) labeled for seasoning, not the fine powder used for kimchi paste, for the best texture and color.
- If your sesame seeds are raw, toast them first as in step 1. If they are already toasted, skip to step 3.
- Flaky salt such as Maldon is much lighter than table salt. If you use fine salt, use only half the volume (see substitutions).
- Have a clean, completely dry jar ready; any moisture will make the blend clump.
Toast sesame seeds
- Set an 8-inch (20 cm) dry skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add the sesame seeds and stir constantly with a spoon for 3 to 4 minutes, until they smell nutty and turn light golden.
- Skip this step if your seeds are already toasted.
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Ready when: Seeds are light golden, smell nutty, and a few begin to pop.
Tip: Pull them off the heat just before they look done; they keep darkening in the hot pan and turn bitter if overtoasted.
Cool the seeds
- Tip the seeds onto a plate or into a small bowl and spread them out.
- Let them cool completely, about 10 minutes.
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Ready when: Seeds feel room temperature, not warm, to the touch.
Tip: Mixing warm seeds with salt traps moisture and the blend will clump in the jar.
Crush the seeds
- Lightly crush the cooled seeds in a mortar and pestle, or pulse 2 to 3 times in a spice grinder, to release their oils.
- Aim for about half the seeds cracked and half whole.
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Ready when: Mixture looks coarse and slightly oily, with some whole seeds remaining.
Tip: Don't grind to a powder or you'll end up with sesame paste.
Crumble the salt
- Place the flaky salt in a small bowl and crumble it between your fingertips into smaller flakes, about the size of the gochugaru flakes.
- This helps the blend mix evenly and not separate.
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Ready when: No large salt pyramids remain.
Combine everything
- Add the gochugaru, crushed sesame seeds, sugar and the garlic powder (if using) to the salt.
- Stir with a spoon for about 30 seconds, pressing out any clumps of gochugaru against the side of the bowl.
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Ready when: The blend is evenly red-flecked, with no clumps or streaks of salt or sugar.
Tip: Taste a pinch: it should be salty first, then lightly sweet and warmly spicy. Add a pinch more sugar or gochugaru if you like.
Jar and store
- Spoon the blend into a clean, dry 8-oz (240 ml) jar, seal tightly and shake gently.
- Label with the date.
- Use right away or let the flavors meld for a day.
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Ready when: Jar is sealed and the blend looks loose and dry.
Tip: Store away from the stove; heat and light fade the red color.
Good to know
Tips
- Sprinkle it on just before serving so the salt stays crunchy and doesn't dissolve into moist foods.
- Try it on fried or soft-scrambled eggs, buttered corn, popcorn, french fries, cucumber, tofu and grilled meat.
- For a hotter blend, add ½ teaspoon cayenne; for a milder blend, reduce the gochugaru to 2 tablespoons.
- Weighing the salt is more accurate than using spoons, since flaky salt brands vary in volume.
Make ahead
Make up to 1 month ahead. The flavor deepens slightly after a day in the jar.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: airtight jar in a cool, dark cupboard for up to 1 month for best flavor and color. Fridge: up to 3 months, though condensation can cause clumping, so let the jar come to room temperature before opening. Freezer: up to 6 months in a freezer-safe jar. No reheating needed; if it clumps, shake or break it up with a fork.
Substitutions
- flaky sea salt → fine sea salt, 1½ tablespoons (25 g). Fine salt is denser, so use less. The blend will be less crunchy.
- white sesame seeds → black sesame seeds or a mix of both. Black seeds look striking but taste slightly more bitter; toast the same way.
- gochugaru (Korean chile flakes) → 1 tablespoon (6 g) Aleppo pepper plus 1 tablespoon (6 g) sweet paprika. Gives similar color and mild heat, but lacks gochugaru's smoky fruitiness.
- granulated sugar → light brown sugar. Adds a subtle molasses flavor; press out clumps.
