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    Home >> Recipes >> Vegan Sauces and Garnish Recipes

    Korean BBQ Sauce

    Updated Apr 26, 2023 by Lori · This post contains affiliate links.

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    jar of Korean BBQ sauce with title text overlay to save on Pinterest.
    jar of Korean BBQ sauce with title text overlay to save on Pinterest.

    This simple Korean BBQ sauce comes together in no time and is loaded with BIG bold flavors! It's salty, tangy, lightly sweet and sticky, and full of fresh ginger and garlic. Use it as a marinade, finishing sauce, or dipping sauce.

    This recipe is vegan, easily made gluten-free, and uses common ingredients you probably already have in the pantry!

    small wooden spoon over a jar of homemade Korean barbecue sauce.

    Why You'll Love It

    No matter how you use this Korean BBQ sauce, it's guaranteed to keep you coming back for more! It's full of umami and has the perfect balance of acidity, saltiness, and sweetness. If you're a fan of other Asian-inspired sauces, I think you'll love it.

    Korean BBQ sauce is versatile and can be used pretty much any way you would use American-style barbecue sauce.

    And there's no special equipment needed to whip up a batch of this sauce! A microplane is useful for grating the ginger and garlic, but otherwise all you need are a knife, whisk, and small sauce pan.

    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love It
    • What is Korean BBQ Sauce made of?
    • Ingredient Notes
    • How to Make Korean BBQ Sauce
    • Ways to Use It
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Top Tip
    • You might also like:
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    What is Korean BBQ Sauce made of?

    As opposed to American-style BBQ sauce which is tomato-based, the primary ingredients in this Korean-style BBQ sauce are soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and rice vinegar.

    Right off the bat, though, you'll notice similarities between the two sauces - there's tang and acidity, umami, saltiness, and a hint of sweetness.

    You'll find variation across Korean BBQ sauce recipes, with some using additions like gochujang paste or fruit, and different sweeteners like honey or brown sugar.

    I really appreciate sauces that are pantry-friendly and quick to prepare. So this one is a bit more streamlined.

    labeled photo of the ingredients in Korean barbecue sauce.

    Ingredient Notes

    • soy sauce - we wanted really bold flavor here and used regular soy sauce. Feel free to use a low-sodium variety. You can always add more or adjust the saltiness if needed.
    • rice vinegar - I prefer plain rice vinegar; if all you have is "seasoned" rice vinegar, that works fine here, too.
    • maple syrup - or light brown sugar. A bit of sweetness is crucial to the overall flavor of the sauce so don't skip it.
    • chili garlic sauce - I used sriracha because we usually have some in the fridge, and I bet a lot of you do, too. Feel free to use any similar style of chili-garlic sauce. It gives the Korean BBQ sauce an extra bit of tang and spiciness. You can also use gochujang (Korean red chili paste).
    • ginger - if all you have is an old, dried up nub of ginger that's been hanging around on the counter for a while, it's a good idea to head to the grocery store. You want fresh ginger root that's very fragrant and moist when grated or minced.
    • garlic - you'll need 2 or 3 cloves, depending on their size.
    • toasted sesame oil - adds a touch of richness plus that unique, toasty and nutty flavor.
    • corn starch - this thickens the sauce; if you need a substitute, arrowroot starch works perfectly.

    See recipe card below for quantities and the full recipe.

    How to Make Korean BBQ Sauce

    a 2-photo collage showing mixing sauce ingredients then heating on the stove to thicken.
    1. Either in a bowl or directly in a sauce pan, whisk the corn starch in the water until dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients.
    2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until thickened. It's a good idea to whisk frequently while the sauce simmers.

    Tip: if you're adding the sauce directly to a hot pan with other ingredients, like a stir fry, there's no need to simmer the sauce in advance to activate the corn starch. Simply whisk everything together in a bowl, then add it to the pan.

    Ways to Use It

    Korean barbecue is a cooking method that typically involves grilling various meats over charcoal. But since this is a vegan recipe blog, I'm here to talk about all the ways you can use Korean BBQ sauce in plant-based cooking.

    The bold flavors of Korean BBQ sauce are great with tempeh, tofu, and seitan. Pan-sear the proteins then add the sauce directly to the pan to thicken.

    You can also use this as a finishing sauce for rice and grain bowls, tacos, pizza, and vegetable stir fries. Check out this Korean BBQ Tofu Pizza.

    Marinate vegetables or any of the proteins mentioned above for kabobs and oven-roasting.

    Also dip your favorite appetizers and finger foods in Korean BBQ sauce! Pair it with seitan nuggets, tofu nuggets, french fries, spring rolls, and lettuce wraps.

    Spread a layer on sandwiches and burgers for a flavor boost!

    grilled tempeh steaks coated in sticky Korean BBQ Sauce.

    Pictured above: Korean BBQ Tempeh

    Recipe FAQs

    Is Korean bbq sauce gluten-free?

    Traditional soy sauce is not gluten-free, so you'll want to replace it with a certified gluten-free tamari. All of the other ingredients are naturally gluten-free.

    Is it spicy?

    Both sriracha and red pepper flakes give the sauce a mild-to-medium spiciness. For a milder sauce start with less red pepper flakes, then taste and adjust.

    How long does it keep?

    Store Korean BBQ sauce in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month.

    Top Tip

    Once the sauce has been heated and thickened it's still easy to tweak the flavors. Give it a taste and add a bit more sweetness or acidity if desired.

    jar of Korean BBQ sauce with title text overlay to save on Pinterest.

    I hope you enjoy this quick and easy take on Korean BBQ sauce. If you try the recipe be sure to comment below and let us know your favorite ways to use it!

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    📖 Recipe

    Homemade Korean barbecue sauce in a small glass jar.

    Korean BBQ Sauce

    Author: Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen
    This simple Korean BBQ sauce comes together in minutes and adds tons of flavor to so many dishes! Use it for stir fries, grilled or roasted vegetables, sandwiches, burgers, tacos, and as a dipping sauce!
    Yield: makes approx. 7 fluid ounces, or a little less than 1 cup
    Servings: 6 servings
    5 from 9 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 5 minutes mins
    Total Time: 15 minutes mins

    Equipment

    • microplane
    • small saucepan

    Ingredients 

    • 2 tablespoons water
    • 1 tablespoon corn starch
    • ⅓ cup plus 1 Tbsp soy sauce
    • ¼ cup maple syrup - or light brown sugar
    • 1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce - such as sriracha, or gochujang paste
    • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
    • 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger root - a large thumb-size piece
    • 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes - reduce for less spicy sauce
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • In a sauce pan, whisk together the corn starch and water until the corn starch is fully dissolved. Add all remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
    • Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Stirring frequently, cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Taste and adjust the flavors as desired.
    • The sauce may be used now or set aside to cool. Once cool, store the sauce in a jar or other lidded container in the refrigerator and use within 1 week.

    Notes

    Tip - if you're adding the sauce directly to a hot pan with other ingredients, like this Korean BBQ tempeh, there's no need to simmer the sauce in advance to activate the corn starch. Simply whisk everything together in a bowl, then add it to the pan.
    Gluten-free - traditional soy sauce is not gluten-free, so you'll want to replace it with a certified GF tamari. All of the other ingredients are naturally gluten-free.
    Oil-free - if you follow an oil-free diet, feel free to omit the sesame oil from the sauce. As an option, add 2 teaspoons of tahini.

    Estimated Nutrition (per serving)

    Calories: 65kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 2gFat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 890mg

    Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used. We calculate this information using the online calculator cronometer.com.

    Tried the recipe?I love hearing from you! Share your feedback below!

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Jaco

      April 20, 2023 at 12:15 pm

      Love this sauce, a family favorite! We make it all of the time.

      Reply
    2. lovelycali

      January 02, 2023 at 2:33 pm

      Made the sauce the other week. I doubled up the amount for all ingredients as I wanted to have extra just in case. I used half of it as a meat marinade a couple days beforehand and left it the fridge. Then when I went to cook it, right when I turned off the heat, I added the other half of the sauce. It came out super delicious! I also tasted the meat after it was cooked before I added the other half of the sauce and it tastes delicious as well! Thank you for a simple and delicious Korean BBQ sauce recipe!

      Reply
    3. Katie

      December 22, 2022 at 8:38 am

      Love how quick this was to make. Used it for sticky cauliflower wings last night. Delicious!

      Reply

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    author Lori Rasmussen in her kitchen

    Hi, I'm Lori. Welcome to My Quiet Kitchen where I share easy vegan recipes with a healthier twist. Many are special diet-friendly or easily adapted. I also have a passion for veganizing classic desserts, and sometimes even those get a healthy-ish makeover.

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