Korean Gochujang Vinaigrette
A glossy, spicy-sweet whisked dressing built on gochujang, with tangy rice vinegar, nutty toasted sesame oil, honey and fresh garlic. It comes together in 10 minutes and works on salads, grain bowls, noodles and roasted vegetables.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- —
- Wait
- 15 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Makes
- About 1 cup (240 ml), eight 2-tablespoon servings
Steps
Before you start
- Measure the honey with a lightly oiled spoon or measuring spoon so it slides off cleanly.
- Gochujang brands vary in heat and saltiness, so start with the amount listed and adjust at the end.
- Allow 15 minutes of resting time so the garlic and ginger flavor the dressing.
- Have a small jar with a tight lid ready if you prefer shaking to whisking.
Grate the aromatics
- Peel the garlic cloves and grate them on a Microplane into a medium bowl.
- Peel the ginger, if using, and grate 1 teaspoon into the same bowl.
- You want a near-paste with no chunks, so they dissolve into the dressing.
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Ready when: Garlic and ginger look like a wet, fine paste with no visible pieces.
Tip: Grating rather than mincing prevents harsh raw garlic bites.
Dissolve the gochujang
- Add the gochujang, honey, soy sauce and rice vinegar to the bowl.
- Whisk for about 1 minute, pressing the paste against the side of the bowl, until the gochujang has fully loosened into the liquid.
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Ready when: The mixture is smooth, brick red and has no gochujang lumps.
Tip: Adding the vinegar before the oils lets the thick paste dissolve much more easily.
Whisk in the oils
- Pour in the sesame oil, then slowly stream in the neutral oil while whisking constantly.
- Keep whisking for 30 seconds after the last drop, until the dressing looks thick and emulsified.
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Ready when: The dressing is opaque, slightly thickened and no oil pools on top.
Tip: Using only sesame oil would make the dressing overpowering, so keep the neutral oil in the mix.
Thin to pouring consistency
- Whisk in 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water.
- The dressing should fall from the whisk in a steady, ribbon-like stream.
- If it is still too thick, add more water 1 teaspoon at a time.
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Ready when: It coats the back of a spoon and drips off in a steady stream.
Tip: Thin it a little more if you plan to toss it with leafy greens, which need a lighter coating.
Rest the dressing
- Stir in the sesame seeds, if using.
- Cover the bowl and let the dressing rest at room temperature for 15 minutes so the garlic and ginger flavor the oil and the seeds soften slightly.
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Ready when: The aroma is toasty and garlicky rather than sharply raw.
Taste and adjust
- Whisk again, then dip a lettuce leaf or piece of cucumber in the dressing and taste.
- Add 1 teaspoon honey for more sweetness, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar for more tang, or a splash of soy sauce for more salt.
- Whisk and taste again before serving.
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Ready when: Spicy, sweet, tangy and salty are in balance, with none dominating.
Tip: Taste it on a vegetable, not off the spoon, since the dressing always seems stronger on its own.
Good to know
Tips
- Gochujang is already salty, so taste before adding extra soy sauce.
- For a creamier dressing, whisk in 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise or tahini.
- For a jar version, put everything in a lidded jar and shake hard for 30 seconds. Grate the garlic first so it blends in.
- Use it as a marinade for chicken, tofu or salmon, or as a dipping sauce for dumplings and spring rolls.
Make ahead
"Make up to 5 days ahead and refrigerate in a sealed jar. The oil will thicken when cold, so let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes and shake or whisk well before using."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature: up to 2 hours while serving. Fridge: up to 5 days in an airtight jar (fresh garlic is best used within this time). Freezer: not recommended because the emulsion separates. To use from the fridge, let it stand 15 minutes, then shake or whisk, adding a teaspoon of water if too thick."
Substitutions
- honey → maple syrup or light brown sugar. Use the same amount of maple syrup. For brown sugar, use 1 tablespoon and whisk until fully dissolved. This also makes the dressing vegan.
- unseasoned rice vinegar → apple cider vinegar or lime juice. Use the same amount. The flavor will be slightly sharper and less mellow.
- soy sauce → tamari or coconut aminos. Tamari keeps the dressing gluten-free (check the gochujang label too). Coconut aminos is sweeter and less salty, so you may want a pinch of salt.
- neutral oil (such as avocado or grapeseed) → extra-virgin olive oil. Use the same amount. It adds a slightly fruity flavor and may solidify more in the fridge.