These spicy Gochujang noodles feature big flavors in a small amount of time thanks to the sweet and spicy sauce covering chewy Asian noodles. Skip takeout and enjoy these easy, better-than-restaurant spicy Korean noodles. Best part? You can have these vegan noodles on the table in 20 minutes.
Need another Asian-inspired recipe? Try chicken pad thai, Asian chicken wings, or Korean shredded beef tacos.
Table of Contents
You’ll Love these Gochujang Noodles
The sauce: Sticky rice noodles are tossed in a sweet, spicy Gochujang sauce and topped with crispy caramelized mushrooms.
Vegan and easy to make gluten-free: This vegan dish is finished with sesame seeds and sliced green onion. It’s packed with flavor!
Simple to customize: change how spicy it is based on your taste, add more veggies, or throw in some protein.
Ingredient Notes
- Gochujang: Gochujang paste is a spicy fermented Korean chili paste. Learn more about what Gochujang is here. It isn’t typically gluten-free, but Sempio sells a gluten-free Gochujan paste. Where to buy: buy it in the International section of your grocery store. Or buy it online or in Asian markets.
- Noodles: Udon noodles are the classic chewy noodles for this recipe found in your local Asian market. You can use fresh, frozen, or dried udon noodles. I tested this recipe with rice noodles because they’re more readily available.
- Vegetables: Adding mushrooms gives this vegan dish a hearty feel. It’s a little meaty and adds a delicious flavor to these spicy noodles.
Gochujang Sauce Ingredients
- Reduced sodium tamari or soy sauce: I like to use tamari as a gluten-free option.
- Maple syrup or brown sugar: this balances out the heat.
- Sesame oil: It adds an Asian flare to the dish rather than traditional olive oil.
- Mirin: Mirin is a fermented rice wine vinegar with a funky, sweet, and acidic flavor. Use rice vinegar instead or try white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or lime juice instead.
- Fresh garlic and ginger: adds just the right amount of zing.
- Tapioca starch: mixed in the sauce to thicken it.
See recipe card for full ingredients and amounts.
Recipe Variations
- More Vegetables: try adding baby bok choy, shredded napa cabbage, snap peas, or bell peppers to the mushrooms for a veggie-packed rice dish.
- Different Noodles: I prefer linguine-style noodles, however, you can purchase angel hair or spaghetti-style noodles. You could even use dried ramen noodles, though they won’t hold up to the heavy sauce as well. Zucchini noodles are a low-carb option!
- Add protein: double the sauce in the first step and add half to baggie with 1 1/2 lbs of sliced flank steak. You could also do this raw shrimp. Allow it to marinade while the noodles cook. Cook the steak for 4-5 minutes after the mushrooms until crispy and cooked through.
- Add vegetarian protein: fry an egg in a separate pan and top the noodles with the runny egg before serving.
- Add hoisin sauce: this is a traditional ingredient in Gochujang, but one I decided to omit to keep this recipe refined sugar free. You can add 2 tablepoons to the sauce if you want.
How to Make Gochujang Noodles
Step 1. Make the Gochujang sauce: Add the sauce ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk well.
Step 2. Cook the noodles: Make the noodles according to the package instructions. They usually require soaking in very hot water for 15-20 minutes.
Step 3. Cook the veggies: Cook the mushrooms in oil for 3-4 minutes, until crispy. Add the ginger and garlic then toss in the sauce until the mushrooms begin to cook down and caramelize.
Step 4. Toss the noodles: Pour the remaining sauce into the skillet and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer to thicken. Add the cooked noodles and toss to combine.
Step 5. Serve: Remove from the heat and top with the mushrooms. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onion before serving.
FAQs
Gochujang is a spicy Korean chili paste made from red chili peppers, fermented soybeans, rice and salt. It is a result of the fermentation process and as a result, has a slight sweetness to it.
This ingredient can be found in the Asian or International food aisle of your local grocery store. You can also purchase it on Amazon. Be sure you’re buying the actual paste rather than the sauce. I made this mistake the first time we tested this!
There is a strong spice level to Gochujang because it’s made from red chilis. Use a tbsp or so less if you want the Gochujang noodles less spicy.
How To Serve Gochujang Noodles
- On its own: we love this on its own with sesame seeds and sliced green onion.
- Top with grilled or seared shrimp
- Serve it alongside beef satay
- Top it with a fried egg
- Add seared flank steak on top
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Allow the Gochujang noodles to cool completely then store them in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stove over medium-high heat until warmed all the way through. You can also reheat them in the microwave in 30 second increments.
If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!
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Gochujang Noodles
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Ingredients
Gochujang Sauce
- 1/2 cup soy sauce or tamari
- 1/4 cup honey or brown sugar
- 1-3 Tablespoons Gochujang paste more or less based on your desired spice level
- 2 Tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons Mirin or rice vinegar
Noodles and Vegetables
- 16 ounces udon noodles or rice noodles
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 16 ounces baby bella mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- Garnish: Thai basil, green onion, sesame seeds, or sriracha
Instructions
- Add the soy sauce, honey, gochujang, mirin, and sesame oil to a medium bowl and whisk well until the honey is combined and no longer thick and sticky.1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup honey, 1-3 Tablespoons Gochujang paste, 2 Tablespoons sesame oil, 2 tablespoons Mirin
- Cook the noodles according to the package directions. While they're cooking, finish the rest of the dish.16 ounces udon noodles
- Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms when the oil is hot and begins to shimmer. Cook the mushrooms for 3-4 minutes, without stirring, to get them golden and crispy.2 tablespoons sesame oil, 16 ounces baby bella mushrooms
- Turn the heat down to medium and add the ginger and garlic and cook for 2-3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 2 tablespoons of the prepared sauce and continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes until the mushrooms begin to cook down and caramelize.1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger, 4 cloves garlic
- Pour the remaining sauce into the skillet and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce to medium-low and simmer to thicken, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the cooked and drained noodles to the sauce. Use tongs to toss them together until the noodles are completely coated, 1-2 minutes. Garnish with sesame seeds, Thai basil, sliced green onion, or Thai red chiles before serving
Notes
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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My husband LOVES this! I found that just under a tablespoon of paste made it spicy enough for me to tolerate and I make a little extra sauce with more spice for him. Great recipe that’s PCOS friendly for me and Asian-inspired for him!
Thanks Grace! Glad you loved it!
So yummy! I added thin sliced beef but other than that made as is. Did 2.5 tablespoons of gochujang and that was plenty!
Ohhh yum sliced beef sounds delish!
Everyone ate this to my delight. We have a vegetarian, a pescatarian, & 2 meat-eaters, so this is rare. Unfortunately, I had to omit the mushrooms bc they had started to go bad, so I went with the matchstick carrots. Will try again with mushrooms next time.
Sounds yummy, Leah! Can’t wait to hear what you think about the mushrooms.
Made these two days in a row, with frozen vegetables from a bag! Cheap, quick and extremely delicious!