Sweet, savory, spicy, and deliciously thick, this dipping sauce features just six simple ingredients and mixes up in mere minutes. This is one sauce you should definitely add to your repertoire.

A combination of Korean red chilies, sesame oil, and duck sauce, this delightful little mix is perfect for adding a bit of kick to steaks, chops, or even grilled tofu. It can also double as a rub or marinade, and is great for simply dipping chips or pretzels in.

Below, we'll cover everything you need to mix this sauce, along with a few suggestions for how to use it.

Ingredient Checklist and Notes

Gochugaru. The core of the recipe. This brings color, chili flavor, and spice. Honestly, the recipe really doesn't work without Korean red chili flakes.
Teriyaki Sauce. What is this stuff, anyway? At its simplest, teriyaki is soy sauce with brown sugar, sake or mirin, and ginger. Teriyakis used as a dip or as a glaze tend to be thicker, while those teriyakis used as an ingredient, such as in marinades, tend to be thinner.
Soy Sauce. Personally, I'm using plain Light/Standard Soy Sauce, though Dark Soy Sauce should do fine if that's all you have on hand - although that will result in a slightly stronger 'soy sauce' flavor. Yes, low sodium soy sauce works in today's recipe as well.
Sesame Oil. A key ingredient for getting those 'earthy' and 'nutty' flavors that really brings out the umami notes in the other ingredients.
Duck Sauce. This is a key ingredient, as it thickens and sweetens the sauce, along with bringing in fruity 'apricot flavor.'
Garlic Powder. Garlicy goodness, without the 'pungency' and 'bite' of fresh - which would easily overpower this recipe.

How To Use Gochugaru Dipping Sauce

On Steaks. This is great rubbed on grilled steak, either before grilling to really seal in the flavors, or afterwards as a sauce. As an example, this dip would pair perfectly with my Ultimate Steak Board, where it would pair deliciously not only with the steaks themselves, but also the flatbreads and fries.
On Chops. The flavors in this sauce perfectly complement pork, making this ideal for chops.
As a Rub for Roasts. Using this dip as a rub for roasts will give the meat a sweet and spicy flare, while the umami notes will play beautifully with the meat and fatty goodness of the roast itself, while forming a crisp glaze along the exterior. Simply delicious.
On Ribs. This dip would also double deliciously as a wet rub for ribs. The sweet, spicy, and savory combo would seep into the ribs, melding perfectly with cooked-to-perfection pork.