Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
American BBQ Base
- 240 g ketchup
- 100 g dark brown sugar, packed
- 60 ml apple cider vinegar
- 60 ml water
- 5 ml liquid smoke
Korean Aromatics & Flavor
- 60 g gochujang
- 30 ml soy sauce
- 15 ml toasted sesame oil
- 15 g garlic, minced
- 10 g fresh ginger, grated
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 61 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbohydrates
- 13 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 10 g
- Sodium
- 320 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Potassium
- 33 mg
- Calcium
- 8 mg
- Iron
- 0.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 3 mg
- Phosphorus
- 5 mg
- Zinc
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin A
- 11 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 0 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Niacin
- 0.1 mg
- Folate
- 0 mcg
- Water
- 10 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Mince the garlic and grate the fresh ginger finely.
In a medium saucepan, combine the ketchup, dark brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, water, liquid smoke, gochujang, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Whisk vigorously until the gochujang and brown sugar are fully dissolved into the liquids.
Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer, reaching approximately 90°C/195°F. Reduce the heat to low to maintain a bare bubble, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Allow the sauce to cool at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before transferring to a storage container or using immediately as a glaze.
Chef's Notes
- Because of the high sugar content from both the brown sugar and ketchup, apply this sauce only during the last 5 to 10 minutes of grilling. If applied too early, the sugars will burn before the meat finishes cooking.
- Gochujang spice levels vary wildly by brand. If serving sensitive palates, start with 30g of gochujang, taste after the sauce simmers for 5 minutes, and add more if desired.
- Food safety protocol: If using this sauce to baste raw or partially cooked proteins (like chicken or pork reaching 74C/165F internal), pour a small amount into a separate bowl for brushing to avoid cross-contaminating your main batch of sauce.
- For an extra glossy, sticky finish on smoked ribs or chicken thighs, thin a small portion of the finished sauce with a splash of apple juice right before brushing it onto the meat.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 weeks — Store in a sanitized, airtight glass jar or plastic squeeze bottle.
Freezer: 6 months — Freeze in an ice cube tray, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag for easy portioning.
Reheating: Microwave in 15-second intervals or warm gently in a saucepan over low heat until fluid.
Troubleshooting
Sauce tastes overly spicy or bitter
Cause: The specific brand of gochujang used was exceptionally hot, or the sugar slightly scorched
Fix: Whisk in an additional 20g of dark brown sugar and 15ml of apple cider vinegar to balance the heat
Prevention: Taste your gochujang before adding the full amount, and always simmer on low heat
Sauce is too thick and gloppy
Cause: Too much moisture evaporated during the simmering process
Fix: Whisk in warm water 15ml at a time until the desired consistency is reached
Prevention: Simmer at a lower temperature and cover partially if your stove runs hot
Burnt specs in the sauce
Cause: Sugars from the ketchup and brown sugar burned on the bottom of the pan
Fix: Do not scrape the bottom. Carefully pour the unburnt top layer into a new pan. If the burnt flavor has permeated the whole batch, it Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Stir continuously, scraping the bottom corners of the saucepan
Cultural Context
This sauce embodies the Korean-American fusion food movement popularized in cities like Los Angeles and New York. It marries the tangy, sweet tomato base of classic Kansas City-style BBQ with gochujang, a traditional Korean fermented chili paste. This creates a brilliant culinary bridge between two distinct, fire-centric cooking cultures.
