A spicy, peanutty, noodley bit of super easy comfort food! These gochujang noodles require just a handful of ingredients – like ramen noodles, peanut butter, sesame oil, and soy sauce – and come together in just 20 minutes.
Saucy Gochujang Noodles with Chicken
Spicy, peanutty, noodley bit of super easy comfort food coming your way with these saucy gochujang noodles!
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This was so easy and DELICIOUS. We had it on a weeknight. I was able to find all of the ingredients at our regular big chain grocery store. We’ll definitely be enjoying this again soon.
Sarah
Summer has summer-ed and the outside shouldn’t hog all the heat for itself, let the sauce have some! Thank you ever so to the subtle heat of the gochujang sauce and rich creaminess of the peanut butter, thank you to the twisty twirls of the little ramen noodle bricks, and bless those piles of fresh herbs on top.
This new pal is so easy to throw together you might just find yourself making it again and again and ok yes sure, why not one more time this week.
In This Post: Everything You Need For Gochujang Noodles
- Watch How to Make These Gochujang Noodles
- Ingredients for Gochujang Ramen Noodles
- What is Gochujang?
- How to Make Gochujang Noodles
- Substitution Ideas
- Gochujang Noodles: Frequently Asked Questions
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Ingredients For Gochujang Ramen Noodles
A handful of pantry/fridge staples probably already on hand for this baby, but then round up the rest and get ready. We’re using the standard crinkly ramen from the little packages (minus the spice packet) but any stir fry noodles would also work great here!
For the sauce:
- soy sauce
- gochujang sauce (like this one (affiliate link)) or gochujang paste (will be spicier)
- tomato paste
- peanut butter
- brown sugar
- sesame oil
- garlic
- broth or water for thinning
For the noodle paradise:
- ground chicken (ground pork could work too!)
- ramen noodle bricks (just the noodles)
- fresh spinach
- fresh herbs, chili oil, and sesame seeds for topping
The type/brand of gochujang sauce will also determine your spice level. When testing with the P.F. Chang brand, it was definitely on the mild side and was totally kid-able. But other brands like Bibigo packed more heat.
What Is Gochujang?
If you’re not familiar, gochujang — a staple ingredient in Korean cooking with an absolutely delicious lingering heat and strong umami flavor — mixed with some other ingredients like soy sauce, vinegar, and a sweetener. Gochujang itself is a spicy-sweet-savory paste that is made from fermented soybeans, red chile pepper flakes, sticky rice, and salt and it is commonly used to flavor meat dishes, soups and stews, and sauces. You can read a little more about how it’s made and used from Christina Chaey over at Bon Appetit.
For this recipe, we actually used a gochujang sauce which is premixed with other ingredients, mostly because it is almost always available at our local grocery store. But also because it is a little less potent than the paste, closer to a mild sriracha, whereas the paste is thicker and spicier.
If you happen to have the paste, it is definitely a deep and interesting flavor and can of course be used here! But you might consider adding a splash of soy sauce and honey to balance out the flavors.
Let’s Make These Delicious Weeknight Noodles
Easy peasy is the name of the noodle game here so you could definitely whip these up on a weeknight. Or multiple weeknights in a row, should your heart to desire. Let’s get to it.
- Sauce. Whisk the sauce ingredients (minus the extra broth) in a small bowl or just give them all a jar-shake until thick and creamyish.
- Chicken. Get your ground chicken browned up in a skillet and season generously.
- Noodles. Again, we just used the wavy noodle ramen bricks and cooked until softened.
- Magic. Once the chicken is done add your fresh spinach and the cooked/drained ramen, cover in sauce and toss everything over heat to combine. Add extra broth as needed to get to your optimal sauciness.
Serve those noodles piled in a bowl, absolutely showered with fresh herbs, green onions, sesame seeds, maybe a little chili oil. YES.
Just a quick textural note, these noodles will get stickier (still very delicious!) the longer they rest, so you may have to add a little water to loosen things up and get back their silkiness when you’re returning for seconds, thirds, fourths or leftovers.
Subs and Jazzers For This Noodle Pile
What is truly great about a weeknight wonder like this is that you can really make it your own! You can swap ground pork or ground turkey for the meat, or if you want to make it vegetarian you could try:
- vegetarian crumbles
- crispy tofu (try this technique)
- or just pile in the veggies (peppers? roasty brocc? mushrooms? could all be great!)
If you don’t have or can’t find the gochujang sauce or paste, you could certainly sub in some sambal oelek, sriracha or any other chili paste you might have (or make a recipe like this stir-fried udon). Just check the spice levels as you go!
And this would not be a noodle wonderland if you did not jazz it up with piles of fresh herbs on top — basil, cilantro, chives, green onions, or all of the above. Are you going to drizzle with sesame oil and squeeze on some lime juice and sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds on top? Man, we hope so.
Please report back on how often you are making these so we can feel totally normal and non-obsessive about how often we’re making these, ok? Carry on, noodle lovers.
Gochujang Noodles: Frequently Asked Questions
How does this hold up for leftovers?
This makes for a very delicious lunch the next day! The texture does get stickier the longer it rests, so you may just need add some more water to loosen everything up and make it saucy again.
What’s the difference between gochujang sauce and gochujang paste?
Gochujang sauce is premixed with other ingredients, thinner in consistency, and more mild. Gochujang paste is thicker, spicier, and more potent than the sauce. We’re using sauce in this recipe!
How could I make this gluten-free?
Rice noodles would work great here!
How spicy is this recipe?
If you’re using gochujang sauce, they have a kick (because, well, gochujang!) but still somewhat mild. If you’re using the paste, definitely higher on the spice level.
How can I make this vegetarian?
Skip the ground chicken or sub in your favorite vegetarian sub (like tofu!).
Source Notes: This recipe was inspired by these Gochujang-Sesame Noodles by Zaynab Issa at Bon Appétit. You can also read a little more about gochujang and how it’s made from Christina Chaey over at Bon Appetit.
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Saucy Gochujang Noodles with Chicken
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Description
Spicy, peanutty, noodley bit of super easy comfort food coming your way! These gochujang noodles require just a handful of pantry ingredients – like ramen noodles, peanut butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, and more – and come together in just 20 mins. Weeknight win!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Gochujang Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2–3 tablespoons gochujang sauce (like this one (affiliate link))
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1–2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1–2 cups broth or water for thinning the sauce
Ramen:
- 1 pound ground chicken (could also use pork)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 packets ramen or stir fry noodles (just the noodles)
- 1–2 cups fresh spinach
- 1/4 cup chives, scallions, cilantro, basil, or whatever herbs you like for topping
- salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon chili oil for finishing
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds for finishing
Instructions
- Whisk the sauce ingredients (except the extra broth) in a small bowl or shake together in a jar. It should form a thick sauce.
- Cook the chicken in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Boil the noodles for just a few minutes to soften. Drain and set aside.
- When the chicken is done, add spinach, cooked noodles, and sauce to the pan, keeping it over medium high heat. Toss to combine; heat until the spinach is wilted. Add extra water or broth to thin the sauce, a little at a time, to get the sauciness that you like (I usually add about 1 1/2 cups total).
- Serve topped with fresh herbs, scallions, chili oil, sesame seeds, and whatever else you like.
Equipment
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Notes
The type of gochujang used will determine how spicy the noodles are. I’ve used both the Bibigo brand and P.F. Chang’s brand. With the P.F. Chang’s gochujang sauce, I felt like it was mild enough to serve to my kids. If you want to be sure, you can reduce the overall amount of gochujang and then just add a bit of extra heat with chili oil or the gochujang sauce for the spicy lovers right before serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Korean-Inspired
Keywords: gochujang, noodles, stir fry, ground chicken, spicy noodles, weeknight dinner
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Filed Under: All Recipes Dinner Meat and Chicken Most Popular Pasta Peanut Butter Quick and Easy Stovetop Summer
June 6, 2022
Created By The POY Team
Lindsay Ostrom
Recipe Creator
Rita Boersma
Writer
When clicking on the Amazon link, did you use the hot and spicy one or the classic? There are four options to that link. Thanks
We use the classic!
is the classic very spicy? i really want to make this but we don’t do spicy…warm yes, spicy not so much.
thank you
Hi, Miriam! There’s a little bit of heat with the classic, but you can always adjust to your spice-level preference.
Piggybacking off of this. I have littles (4 and 1) that can’t do spice, I know it’s hard but how would you adjust the spice level? Substitute or just decrease the gochujang? Thanks so much!
Hi, Steph! The gochujang is pretty essential here, so we’d recommend starting with decreasing the amount to what your littles can handle. You could pull some of the noodles and chicken to the side and do a mix with 1 tablespoon of the gochujang and then something with 2-3 tablespoons for the adults. Or you could try just 1-1.5 tablespoons for the whole dish.
This is delicious and easy to make. My ground chicken was frozen but only took a few extra minutes to cook. I am going to be making this regularly.
Made it for the first time tonight. Really enjoyed it. Perfect amount of spicy. Easy and delicious! My kind of recipe!
Will the gochujang sauce make this even slightly sweet? What can I substitute it with if I want no sweet?
Yes, gochujang is slightly sweet. We haven’t tried this sauce without gochujang so it’s hard to give another substitute! You could maybe try chili garlic sauce, but may need to use less due to the spiciness.
Any substitutes for peanut butter for those with allergies?
You could try almond butter! Or if allergic to tree nuts, sunflower butter.
Try either Asian sesame paste, or your favorite tahini.
Just made this….just ate this out of the skillet. Added mushrooms and topped with scallions and sesame seeds.
Yum! Thanks for making it and reporting back!
HONESTLY. Where has this been my whole life??! The salt and sweet and spicy are so well balanced. Other recipes are too much of one, not the other. Knocked this out in like maybe 15 mins. I added some quick cooked green beans and basil and…chef’s kiss. This WILL BE ON ROTATION. Thank you!!
Love hearing this, Katy!
This is my go to recipe—everyone loves it! But I always have to look up how many ozs of ramen to use because I’m GF so don’t have ramen in the house. Please can you give the amount of noodles some other way?
Love the spice level in this dish.
This was so delicious! I had everything in my pantry so I jumped on this recipe. I had leeks and kale to use up, so I sautéed those in, and had a bit thicker noodle, but in every way, shape and form, I will be making this many times over!
Love it when I have all the ingredients in the pantry already! So glad you enjoyed it!
Delicious! This recipe was so easy to make and it is amazing. I used sambal since I didn’t have gochujang and skipped the sugar, definitely spicy but still great with the peanut butter and tomato! Next time I’ll add some extra veggies like carrots and mushrooms!
Thanks so much for the comment, Loncy! Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi! This looks delicious. Do you have suggestions for vegetarian substitutions for the chicken?
Shiitake mushrooms or tofu would be great!
I have chili garlic sauce not gochujang. Do you think it will change the outcome enough to warrant getting some gochujang? Love the recipes and appreciate your commitment to providing a broad range. I’m a vegetarian married to a meat & potatoes guy – your site works well for us.
Another reader used sambal (which is similar to chili garlic sauce) and had great results!
This is a lovely recipe. I’ve had something like this before but I would get this sauce from my local grocer, Target or Walmart store. It’s cheaper and also, I have found that when Amazon sends any anything edible it’s usually old and sometimes rancid. This is not a hard item to find in the store.
Glad you enjoyed it, Patricia!
Thanks for sharing this recipe!! Made it with ground pork but would have been great with tofu because the sauce is amazing. Added broccoli, mushrooms, bell peppers and onions to make it a more balanced meal. Quick, easy and immensely satisfying. I’ll definitely make this again 🙂
Awesome, Rita! This is such a great recipe to add veggies to!
Hi, I don’t have the ramen packets, and you don’t say how much those weigh. How much noodle do I use, please? This recipe sounds great and I want to make it NOW!
Hi! We used 3 ounce packages of ramen.
Thanks for the help: so 6 ounces altogether then
Made this tonight (with ground turkey) and it was delicious and so easy. Will definitely be making it again!! Thank you!
I would arguably agree that this kinf od healthy dish is a money saving meal. Not only that, but I also feel that it’s small and healthy meals like this that help anyone lose weight, avoid binge eating at Hibachi buffet restaurants, and keeps a person’s mind beyond creative in the kitchen in preparing more home cooked meals. 🙂
I made this tonight & LOVED IT. Subbed Pork for the chicken and chili garlic sauce and it was phenomenal. Quick. Insanely flavorful. POY does not disappoint!
Made this last night and it was so good!
I used chicken thighs instead of the ground chicken (just because we had them), but honestly think the options for a protein are endless.
I bought Gochujang paste, not sure if it’s different than the sauce, but with 2tbs it was great. Definitely spicy, but so good! I love a good nose sweat when eating spicy food.
I feel like the sauce will be a great recipe to have in my pocket as I think it’s really versatile. Was even thinking to use it for cold noodles.
You are my go-to for recipes as they are always delicious and well seasoned, so thank you!
I made this gluten free using Lotus ramen noodles (4 squares), Chung Jung One gochujang sauce and tamari. It was delicious and have to say I think I preferred the leftovers cold right out of the fridge.
This was great! We made it vegetarian by skipping the chicken and adding sugar snap peas, mushrooms and broccoli. We used the gochujang paste instead of sauce because that’s what the grocery store near us had and it was just the right amount of heat. Amazing flavor all around! Garnished with chives, green onions, sesame seeds and cilantro sprouts. Totally awesome – thank you!
This is a good one! Super easy too!
This was so easy and DELICIOUS. We had it on a weeknight. I was able to find all of the ingredients at our regular big chain grocery store. We’ll definitely be enjoying this again soon.
These noodles are delicious! I don’t eat meat so I added ltos of vegetables, it was a great, quick meal. We are obsessed with gochuchang these days. The peanut butter made it really creamy but didn’t taste overly peanutty!
Thanks for this delicious inspiration! Made with brown rice noodles and garnished with crushed peanuts and lime juice. Household seeks an encore.
Thanks for this delicious recipe! I used brown rice noodles and garnished with lime juice and crushed peanuts. Chef’s kiss. My husband asked me to make it again within the same week, which is a high compliment because we like variety!
We love Korean flavors at our house so I gave these a try and they were a huge hit. My husband (who doesn’t like spicy food) had seconds and my foody teenaged son said these were, “amazing.” Will definitely add this to our meal rotation. Thank you!
Such an easy and delicious meal! Next time I will add whole container of spinach since it shrinks so much.
This was fantastic!! The sauce is everything. I love how it’s so versatile. We added tofu for our substitute and it was delicious. We are obsessed too! Thank you for another knock out recipe.