My Korean Barbecue Dipping Sauce Recipe is a very loose copycat of my favorite store-bought sauce. Mine has all the savory flavor, without all the high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, and cornstarch. It has the perfect balance between sweet and heat. This is the only Korean BBQ Sauce recipe you need. Your family and friends will think they're at a fine Korean restaurant.
My appreciation for Asian cuisines started many years ago while living in Taiwan. It was there that I had my first, but not last, bowl of Mongolian barbecue. Just walking around town and taking in the aromas from the street vendors was intoxicating. Years later, my Korean and Filipino co-workers would introduce me to their cuisines. My spouse grew up in Hawaii and from him I learned about Hawaiian food and Japanese food. This easy Korean BBQ sauce evokes memories of the people I've met and the places I've been.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This Korean Barbecue Dipping Sauce Recipe is so versatile. You will want to add it to everything. I dipped fresh mango slices into the sauce today.
- The recipe is super easy to make.
- The secret ingredient pear is what sets my sauce apart from others. Along with a slow simmer reduction, the pear helps thicken the sauce, eliminating the need for a cornstarch slurry.
- (Cornstarch is considered a refined carbohydrate. Refined carbs have undergone extensive processing stripping them of their nutrients. Studies show that regularly consuming foods rich in refined carbohydrates such as cornstarch, might have negative effects on the heart.)
Main Ingredients
For the full recipe with quantities, see the recipe card at the end of the post.
Ingredient Notes
- Pear - I use a small Bosc pear. People who cook Korean food know that Asian pear is often used in sauces and marinades for flavor and tenderizing. If Asian pear is unavailable use a Bosc pear.
- Hot Chili Oil - Substitute Sriracha if you don't have hot chili oil. I love the oil for the way it makes the sauce glisten and does not cloud.
- If you can't find ingredients for your Korean cuisine dishes look no further than Asian grocery stores. I am lucky enough to live a few minutes drive from a huge Asian market that always has what I need. If it is a long way for you to drive, try online sources as well.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Chop pear, garlic, and ginger.
Add to a food processor with ¼c water.
Add brown sugar and pulse until smooth.
Pour the puree into a small saucepan.
Add the remaining ingredients.
Simmer 10-12 min on low to thicken.
FAQ'S
For flavor or taste use a Bosc pear. The Bosc pear does not have the exact tenderizing chemicals as an Asian pear, but if you can't find one, a Bosc pear is a good alternative.
Use it for chicken wings, as a dipping sauce for dumplings, for dunking lettuce wraps, as a dressing for an Asian slaw, or as the sauce for an Asian fusion pizza. People love to dunk side dish scallion pancakes and braised pork belly into Korean dipping sauce. These are just a few of the delicious ways to use this versatile sauce.
Ssamjang recipe is a Korean barbecue sauce. It's a simple, no-cook, dipping sauce that combines the savory punch of doenjang (fermented Korean soybean paste) with the sweet heat of gochujang (Korean chili paste)
Looking for More Korean recipes?
Equipment
- Food Processor - mini if you have one and a blender will work
- Small saucepan
Food Storage Tips
This will store in the refrigerator for 10 days to 2 weeks and frozen in a freezer-safe container for several months.
Expert Tips
- Let the sauce simmer on low heat. Check frequently until it is the thickness you like. I like it thinner as a marinade for grilled meat and a bit thicker for other uses. If it gets too thick, just add a bit of water and take the saucepan off the heat.
- If you have mini food processor with a small bowl, this is the time to bring it out. It is a great way to puree a Korean sauce in seconds.
- If you want the sauce smooth, you can pour it through a sieve after cooking. You will catch the red pepper seeds and the green onions. I like the texture. In fact, the next time I make this sauce, I am going to add sesame seeds for even more flavor and texture.
Perfect Pairings
Use this Korean Barbecue Dipping Sauce Recipe when making my Korean BBQ Lettuce Wraps on my website!
Equipment
- Food processor mini food processor works fine
- Small saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 small Bosc Pear peeled, seeded, and chopped
- 2 garlic clove minced
- ½ tablespoon ginger minced
- ¾ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup Mirin
- 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon chili oil or Sriracha
- 1 green onion minced
Instructions
- Chop pear, garlic, and ginger.
- Add chopped garlic, ginger, and pear to a food processor along with ¼ cup water.
- Add the brown sugar and pulse until smooth.
- Pour the puree from the food processor into a small saucepan.
- Add the remaining ingredients (soy sauce, Mirin, rice vinegar, black pepper, crushed red pepper, toasted sesame oil, chili oil, and minced green onion).
- Simmer 10-12 min on low heat to thicken. When the sauce reaches the desired consistency, remove from heat and cool completely before putting into a clean glass jar. Makes approximately 1 pint.
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