Creamy Gochujang Noodles

These creamy gochujang noodles were inspired by the most insanely delicious stir-fried chicken ramen noodles I had at a Korean restaurant one summer day.

I was sitting on a patio with a cold beer in a tall glass, and I ordered these noodles from a photo on the menu. When they arrived, I was thrilled. They were spicy, and creamy, and perfect, and they cured my hangover like nobody's business. 

Maybe the cold beer had something to do with that too...

My homemade version of these Korean-inspired spicy noodles makes for a perfect easy dinner for one or two. Especially on busy weeknights, or those lazy evenings when you just want to curl up with some bad TV shows and stuff your face with spicy noodles. I'm not the only one who's into that, right?

Note: If you want to learn about authentic Korean cooking, I recommend checking out Maangchi and Kimchimari. Both of these women have an incredible wealth of information and inspiration to share and I've learned a ton from them.

Ingredients

• Sweet potato noodles: The base of the dish - chewy, springy, and great at holding onto sauce (You can use other types of noodles too. See below).
• Garlic: To add a punchy depth of flavor
• Gochujang: The star of the show, bringing that signature sweet, savory, fermented heat
• Toasted sesame oil: For a nutty, toasty aroma that ties everything together
• Fish sauce: To add a hit of umami and salt, and round out the sauce. Soy sauce works here too!
• Rice vinegar: To brighten everything up and balance the richness
• Cream cheese: The secret ingredient that makes the sauce silky and creamy. (You can sub heavy cream if you prefer).
• Toasted sesame seeds & sliced green onion: For a little crunch and a fresh finish
• Steamed broccoli (optional): To make it a full meal and add some green goodness

Instructions

Start by boiling your noodles going according to the package instructions. While they boil, mix together the garlic, gochujang, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and fish sauce in a small bowl. This is your flavor bomb sauce base.

Drain the noodles and toss them straight back into the hot pot with the cream cheese. This is where the creamy gochujang sauce comes together. Pour in your gochujang mixture and stir everything together until the cream cheese melts into the sauce and coats every noodle in creamy, spicy goodness. If the sauce feels a little thick, just add a splash of pasta water or hot water to loosen it up.

Pile into a bowl, top with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onion, and serve with steamed broccoli or whatever greens you have on hand. (Spinach or bok choy would be great too!)

Variations

You can customize these noodles in myriad ways. Aside from the simple swaps listed above (cream cheese for heavy cream, fish sauce for soy sauce, broccoli for spinach or bok choy) you can also bulk up these noodles with protein. Sauté up some shrimp, shred some rotisserie chicken, or crisp up some tofu and top the noodles to make them extra filling. You can also adjust the spice level by reducing the amount of gochujang to make it less spicy, or add Korean chili powder (gochugaru) to add even more heat. 

A few words on noodle options

The original inspiration for these creamy gochujang noodles was actually a ramen dish. However, I find it can be tricky to find ramen noodles in regular grocery stores. You can definitely buy instant noodle packets and leave the seasoning out (instant ramen seasoning makes a great easy chip dip FYI), or you can use any number of noodles you may have available to you. You can use spaghetti, sure. What's even better, is to make your spaghetti more ramen-like by adding baking soda to the cooking water. I learned that trick from this article from Serious Eats. 

The noodles I tend to go for are translucent, glassy sweet potato noodles. They're gluten-free, they cook in about 6 minutes, and they're available in many grocery stores nowadays. I love their bouncy texture. Whichever you go with, you're going to cook the noodles according to package directions. 

What is gochujang?

I had never heard of gochujang until about 2014 but in recent years it has become the "it" ingredient across North America. Korean food is rightfully surging in popularity these days, and Gochujang is a key player. It's a fermented red chili and bean paste and it's used most commonly in the popular Bibimbap, which is an amazing rice dish served in a stone bowl. Nowadays you'll likely see gochujang popping up on restaurant menus - Korean and otherwise. I wouldn't be surprised to see a Gochujang mayo being served with yam fries at my local pub. (I'd breathe a sigh of relief that the chipotle mayo trend is finally over).

Gochujang typically comes in a bright red plastic rectangular tub, but you can also find it in smaller glass jars. If you see it, get it. It lasts forever and it's a great thing to add to the spicy condiment section of your fridge.

This simple noodle dish is so quick and easy. It's spicy with gochujang, creamy with cream cheese, vinegary with rice vinegar, and fresh with thinly sliced green onions. It's a great recipe for a single serving, and if you have sauce ingredients like sesame oil and fish sauce on hand, it's nearly instant.

What goes well with these Creamy Gochujang Noodles?

You really don't need a side dish with these creamy gochujang noodles. But, if you wanted something refreshing to make you feel better about yourself, these sweet sambal green beans or this smashed cucumber salad is just the thing. You can also just slice up some fresh cucumber and enjoy them alongside these creamy noods.

Prefer video? Jump down to just below the recipe card to watch.

I hope you like my noodles! Let me know how it goes for you by tagging me on Instagram or commenting here. Happy dinner making!

P.S. I recently took myself on an eating trip to Seoul, because I love Korean food so darn much. Check out the highlights here: My Solo Adventure in Seoul: A Week of Food and Exploration

Creamy Gochujang Noodles

These creamy gochujang noodles are a perfect dinner for one! Curl up with your favourite tv show and dive in!

4.20 from 93 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 4 minutes mins

Cook Time 6 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine Korean, Vegetarian

Servings 1 servings

Calories 488 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 80 grams dried sweet potato noodles or your noodle of choice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chili paste)
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce or soy sauce
• 1 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons cream cheese or heavy cream
• toasted sesame seeds, to garnish
• sliced green onions, to garnish
• steamed broccoli (optional)

Instructions

 

• Cook the noodles according to the package instructions
• While the noodles are cooking, mix the garlic, gochujang, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and fish sauce together in a small bowl
• Drain the noodles and put them back into the hot pot with the cream cheese
• Add the gochujang mixture and stir until the creamcheese melts and you have a creamy sauce nicely coating the noodles
• Add a splash of hot water to loosen the sauce if needed
• Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onion
• Serve with steamed broccoli or other green veg if desired

Video

Notes

• This sauce is thick! You may need to thin out the sauce after it's all tossed together! Keep some noodle cooking water handy and add enough to get the right consistency.

Nutrition

Calories: 488kcalCarbohydrates: 81.3gProtein: 4.1gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 7.2gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 1444mgPotassium: 4.1mgFiber: 4.7gSugar: 7gCalcium: 49mgIron: 1mg

Keyword gochujang, noodles

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