Incredible Gochujang Sauce

In This Post

• Jump To The Recipe
• Why I Love This Recipe
• Visual Walk-Through of the Recipe

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Ratings

In My Gochujang Sauce Era.

Okay, wow. I am absolutely hooked on this delightful, creamy, silky, incredible gochujang sauce.

It is silky and slightly creamy, spicy, garlicky (!!), and a little tangy and salty from the soy sauce and rice vinegar. I literally just whispered “oof” outloud as I am reliving it in my mind. It’s so good.

So first, an explainer: gochujang is a red chile paste that has its roots in Korean cooking! Gochujang can be bought as a paste (spicier and more concentrated) or as more of a table sauce (usually a bit sweeter and less spicy).

This gochujang sauce is a dipping sauce / dressing that you make from store-bought gochujang sauce. You then a) fall in love with it, and b) put it on salads, rice bowls, and all manner of everything. Does it make sense? It makes a lot of sense to my tastebuds.

It has very quickly earned a top spot in my list of Favorite Sauces of 2024, and it takes all of five minutes to make. WHEEE! Things I have used this sauce on:

• a dip for air fryer chicken (this was the OG, which naturally leads to…)
• a dip for air fryer tofu!
• and a dip for the air fryer salmon!
• a smashburger!
• a salad dressing!
• a sauce on a rice bowl!
• a drizzle for a wrap or sandwich!

It’s just the sauce of my life these days. Initially I just tucked it into the notes of the air fryer chicken post, because I thought – it won’t need its own blog post because I mostly will only use it for this? which was very delusional. Because then I started putting it on everything. And I realized it needs its own home here on POY.

Welcome home, you incredible little gochujang sauce! This is where you live now. ♡

Welcome To My House! Make This Gochujang Sauce With Me!

1

Mix up your sauce ingredients.

Love a one-step recipe.

2

You’re Done! Yum!

Use it to dip, dunk, drizzle, spread, swoop, and/or all of the above. Here is a picture of this gochujang sauce on a kale and cabbage salad (similar to this guy!) with air fryer chicken on top.

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Incredible Gochujang Sauce

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★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆

No reviews

• Author: Lindsay
• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings

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Description

This delightful, creamy, silky, incredible gochujang sauce is what I put on everything! Dipped with chicken, drizzled on a bowl, tossed in a salad – perfect in every way.

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayo (vegan or regular)
• 2 tablespoons gochujang sauce (table sauce, not paste, like this)
• 1 clove grated garlic
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. 
2. Serve as a dip with grilled or air-fried chicken, a dressing for a creamy slaw, a spread on a burger – whatever floats your boat. It’s all so delicious.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 0 minutes
• Category: Sauce
• Method: No-Cook
• Cuisine: Korean-Inspired

Keywords: gochujang sauce, creamy gochujang sauce, dip for chicken, dip recipe, sauce recipe

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Frequently Asked Questions For Gochujang Sauce

How long does this gochujang sauce keep in the fridge?

This gochujang sauce will keep for about a week in the fridge! She does well as a make-ahead option!

What gochujang sauce should I buy?

This Bibigo brand gochujang sauce is my favorite. It’s not as spicy as a paste and works well as a table sauce, or mixed into another sauce (like this one right here)! Currently, the brand is owned by CJ CheilJedang Corporation which is a South Korean international food company based in Seoul, and – lucky for us – their products are widely available at many US grocers. I buy it at Target but also see it at Cub Foods, Costco, and other local grocers.

What can I put gochujang sauce on?

Okay don’t even get me started. Burgers. Grilled chicken or veggies. Rice bowls. Sandwiches. Salads. Dipping straight with air-fried chicken, tofu, or salmon. SO MANY GOOD OPTIONS.

How can you make gochujang less spicy?

First of all, use the table sauce (here’s a link one more time) and not a paste. The paste will be more concentrated and spicy. Secondly, if you’re sensitive to spice, use less as what’s directed here in the recipe and compliment with some other dried spices that will give color and flavor but no heat – like paprika or chili powder.

Is gochujang sauce dairy-free?

Yes, both the paste and the table sauce should be dairy-free, making it excellent for vegans!

Is gochujang gluten-free?

Surprisingly, gochujang may contain gluten. Some varieties have glutinous rice flour, which is safe for people who have celiac disease. Some gochujang has barley malt, or soy sauce, which is not safe for people who have celiac disease. Here’s more on that if you’re looking to ensure your gochujang sauce is gluten-free.

Three More Spicy Sauces I’m Obsessed With

Aji Verde

Chipotle Tahini

Jalapeño Ranch

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Ridiculously Good Air Fryer Salmon

In This Post

• Jump To The Recipe
• Why I Love This Recipe
• Visual Walk-Through of the Recipe

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Ratings

Wow. I’ll Never Look At Salmon The Same Way Again.

Guys, this air fryer salmon has changed my salmon game. It’s loaded with flavor, and the air fryer gives it a crusty, crisped exterior while keeping a consistently juicy, buttery interior texture. Each piece just gently slips apart when you press a fork on it, and it is utterly delightful. This one goes in my forever files!

I’ve made this SO MANY TIMES in the last few weeks. Ways we’ve loved it:

• Dunked in basil sauce
• In tacos, with a mango corn salsa, like this
• With coconut rice, and more mango cucumber salsa, like this
• In a puddle of the tzatziki from this recipe, with naan or pita bread, and the simple green salad
• On a kale salad with gochujang mayo from this post
• With brown rice, and a tomatillo avocado sauce (shortcut status – just whisk mashed avocado and the roasted tomatillo salsa from Trader Joe’s which is one of my 33 fave Trader Joe’s products)

I could have never imagined a world in which me and my two kids – under 5 years old – would stand around eating chunks of salmon, plain, no sauce, directly out of the air fryer, but this is my reality now. We are often finishing half or more before it makes it to the dinner table. It’s stupidly, ridiculously good.

Three reasons I love this so much:

1. It gives you consistently great crisped and golden texture on the outside with SUCH MINIMAL EFFORT.
2. It gives you consistently juicy and buttery texture on the inside – never dried out, it’s good every time.
3. The flavor doesn’t taste like any one single spice – it just tastes good. For me, it hits so much harder than the standard butter + lemon + Dijon salmon flavor profile. It has a salty-sweet-savoriness that works with everything from tzatziki, to romesco, to buffalo sauce, to mango salsa and aji verde.

Air fryer salmon! A new pillar in my life! COME ONNN! What a time!

Welcome To My House! Come Make This Air Fryer Salmon With Me!

1

Cut your salmon into cubes.

Buying boneless skinless salmon will save you the work of removing the skin (which is how I like it)! Cubes are good because a) the spice coating gets everywhere, and b) the salmon cooks very evenly. No dry pieces! 100% juicy.

2

Toss it with the spices.

Every piece gets coated with flavor and texture, and a few teaspoons of olive oil will help it all hold nicely! Just how we like it!

3

Air Fry at 400 for 8 minutes.

Just pop it right in there! If your chunks are small or you like a more medium-doneness on your salmon, go for 7 minutes!

4

You’re Done! Yum!

This salmon is BOMB DOT COM. I’m not a mega salmon lover but when I make this, I can stand over the counter and just eat half a pound of salmon, no problem. And with your favorite sauce on there? Game over.

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Ridiculously Good Air Fryer Salmon

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★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆

No reviews

• Author: Lindsay
• Total Time: 13 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings

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Description

This air fryer salmon is TOO GOOD. Crisped and golden on the outside, buttery and juicy on the inside, and made in 15 minutes start to finish.

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Ingredients

Units

• 1 lb. salmon (see note 1)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon table salt)
• 2–3 teaspoons avocado or olive oil

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Instructions

1. Prep the salmon: Remove the skin from your salmon, if it has skin. Pat with paper towels so the surface is mostly dry. Cut your salmon into cubes, 1 to 2 inches each (see photo).
2. Prep the spices: Mix the spices together in a small bowl.
3. Toss salmon with spices: Toss your salmon cubes in the spices and oil – I usually use my hands to mix it all together.
4. Air fry the salmon: Place your salmon pieces in the air fryer (I just dump them right in) and spread them out a bit so they’re not laying all over each other. Air fry at 400 degrees for 8 minutes!
5. You’re Done! Yum! At this point it should be textured and golden on the outside, and juicy and delicious on the inside. When you press each piece with a fork, they should easily flake / slip apart with a buttery, juicy texture inside. (You can do 6-7 minutes if you prefer more of a medium doneness.)

Notes

Note 1 on Salmon: I prefer to buy boneless, skinless salmon in a nice thick piece so it can easily be cut into cubes. I usually find boneless, skinless salmon filets at Trader Joe’s, Target, and many other grocery stores. If you’re at a more boujee grocer with a seafood counter, you can also ask them to remove the skin and even cut it into cubes before packaging it for you. This amount of spice mix will work for anywhere from 1 to 1.5 pounds of salmon (if you’re closer to 1.5 pounds it will be less thoroughly coated and you may want to add a bit more salt when it’s done / after you taste it). 

Note 2 on Brown Sugar: If the brown sugar is dry or clumpy, break it apart with your hands or with a fork so that it mixes more easily with the other spices and coats the salmon more easily.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 8 minutes
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Air Fryer
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: air fryer salmon, salmon recipe, easy salmon recipe

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @pinchofyum on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! 🌟

Frequently Asked Questions For Air Fryer Salmon

What sauces work well with air fryer salmon?

Sauce lover here! I’m so glad you asked. My favorite sauces for this air fryer salmon are the basil sauce, romesco, tzatziki, honey mustard, aji verde, an avocado based sauce like the magic green sauce, and the gochujang sauce (listed in the notes section here). If you don’t want to make a sauce, this is also 5-star with a drizzle of hot honey over the top! The spices on this salmon make it a really amazing pair with so many recipes and sauce combinations. *happy dance*

Can you make this air fryer salmon without the brown sugar?

Yes. The main differences are that a) it won’t be as sweet (which I really like for the flavor) and b) it doesn’t get nearly as caramelized. But it’ll work! Here’s a photo of the recipe made without brown sugar:

Can you make this without the cornstarch?

Yes. The cornstarch is present in the recipe to help dry the exterior and make it a bit crispy, but it is not necessary. Here’s a photo of the recipe made without cornstarch:

Where do you buy thick boneless skinless salmon filets?

Here in the Twin Cities, I have found thick, boneless, skinless filets from Target, Trader Joe’s, Cub Foods, and Kowalski’s.

Can I use frozen salmon?

Yes, but for this recipe I would recommend completely thawing the salmon first, and then cutting it as directed. You’ll also want to pat it with paper towels to ensure it’s dry enough for the spices to stick well to the surface of the salmon.

Can I use salmon with skin?

Yes. But since I like to cube the salmon, I prefer to cut the skin off so these eat more like salmon bites and you can just pop them right in your mouth. 🙂 If you prefer a single filet of salmon with skin on the bottom, that’s fine – you can use these same spices to rub the top surfaces of your filet of salmon and cook it whole. I would just increase the cook time to about 9 minutes to ensure doneness through the middle.

How long does leftover salmon stay good in the fridge?

Technically, cooked salmon will be good in the fridge for about 3 days. But I find that, with this salmon in particular, it has the best taste and texture within 24 hours. (And for this recipe, we almost never have leftovers anyway! ha.) If you’re eating this salmon as leftovers, I’d actually encourage you to consider eating it cold. Yes, I’m serious! Reheating the salmon will dry it out further and it’s just always a bit sad. Team Cold Salmon! Toss it on a salad, dip it in some sauce, smash it on a bagel with cream cheese. Yum!

Should I marinate the salmon?

I prefer to NOT marinate the salmon for this recipe. The longest amount of time I’ve marinated the salmon for with the spices on it was about 3 hours in the fridge, and I didn’t feel like it added to the overall flavor. The cornstarch also doesn’t do great with a longer marinating time. If you do want to prep ahead, I’d suggest cutting up your salmon, mixing your spices, and then waiting until right before to toss it together.

Do you need to flip the salmon in the air fryer?

Not for this! Just make sure they’re spread evenly and not on top of each other in the air fryer to get things nice and crispy.

Pop Your Air Fryer Salmon In One Of These Recipes

Salmon with Basil Sauce

Salmon Tacos with Mango Corn Salsa

BBQ Salmon bowls

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33 Things You Absolutely Need To Be Buying At Trader Joe’s (and 3 You Can Skip)

Trader Joe’s is one of the all-time great grocery fun-run stores!

Sure, you can buy great produce, milk and yogurt, pantry essentials, and normal practical things at Trader Joe’s.

But for this post I wanted to convince you to try some of these unique “fun run” items – the things that, if you’re making a special trip from out of town or stocking up on your quarterly trip, you should absolutely be buying here.

I split this post into three sections:

• 20 things you should absolutely be buying at Trader Joe’s
• 13 things that our Instagram community recommended
• 3 popular items that I think you can skip

For a total of 33 items that deserve a spot on your shopping list!

If you love something that I didn’t mention here, let me know in the comments! I’m always eager to try the things that you all love and recommend.

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1: Sodas – In Particular, Strawberry Or Watermelon Soda

Why I love it:

• Made sweet with real fruit juice and no added sugar.
• Taste is so nostalgic to me!
• Perfect little skinny can size with just the right amount in each serving.

2: Nuts – In Particular, Chili Lime Cashews

Why I love it:

• Tons (I mean tons) of seasoning!
• A little spicy.
• Great in a Thai-ish chopped salad (see here, and here).

3 – Unexpected Cheddar

Why I love it:

• Tastes hard and salty and aged, like a Parm.
• Eats really nicely with crackers.
• A little slice melted over the air fryer chicken is *chef’s kiss* amazing.

4 – Frozen Roasted Corn

Why I love it:

• It’s hard to find frozen corn that is *roasted*!
• Only need a little bit in each recipe so the bag lasts forever.
• Perfect in the red chile chicken taco corn dip topping (which, conveniently, is also great for eating with chips).

5 – Frozen Vegetable Fried Rice

Why I love it:

• Great basic meal starter that is, as advertised, ready in 5 minutes!
• Plays really well with a shot of soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, some scrambled eggs or tofu, and a few more fresh veggies.
• My kids love it!

6 – Frozen Chicken Wontons

Why I love them:

• These ones are mini-size which I absolutely love.
• They’re deliciously chewy / tender and the chicken isn’t weird.
• They are a must for saucy wontons.

7 – Frozen Brown Rice

Several of you also recommended this and guess what? I LOVE IT. It’s a new staple for me – thanks for the recommendation! Why I love it:

• It’s extremely convenient.
• This is truly some of the only brown rice that I actually like – it is very soft and tender and eats more like a white rice!
• Organic!

8 – Sea Salt and Turbinado Sugar Dark Chocolate Almonds

Why I love these (and have loved them for years):

• THE TEXTURE ON THESE IS AMAZING.
• I think they also recently may have increased the amount of chocolate around each almond? They are hefty and chunky.
• They are a perfect grab-a-handful-for-a-hit-of-chocolate moment.

9 – Sun Dried Tomato Focaccia

Why I love this:

• For this specific turkey sandwich.
• It’s heavy and dense but also has a good amount of squish and bounciness to it? Is that possible?
• The roasted tomato topping is elite.

10 – Everything Crackers

Why I love them:

• They go with everything (get it?)
• Such great texture.
• My favorite is loading these bad boys up with the olive tapenade. I buy them specifically for that purpose.

11 – Multigrain Crackers

Why I love them:

• These are an actually delicious basic cracker.
• They have sunflower, flax seeds, and other good stuff in them.
• My girls love them and they make a perfect kid-friendly snack starter.

12 – Trail Mix Crackers

Why I love them:

• They’re just fun.
• They’re loaded with seeds, nuts, and dried fruits and they eat almost more like a buttery cookie but still salty?
• They don’t need any toppings whatsoever (although these with a slice of Unexpected Cheddar is a next-level combo).

13 – Salt and Pepper Chips

Why I love them:

• Salty, peppery, and max amount of textured ridges.
• They make any sandwichy / grilled hot dog / burger meal feel just a little more special and fun.
• Amazing with a creamy dip – like, dare I say, the bacon cheddar ranch dip!

14 – Dill Pickle Chips

Why I love them:

• Best dill pickle chips of all time.
• Extra seasoned – like, TONS of dill pickle flavored powder on each chip.
• Very substantially cronchy.

15 and 16 – Zhoug and Chimichurri

Why I love them:

• 99% of the time I don’t like pre-made herb sauces, but these are my two exceptions to the rule.
• The chimichurri is more of a fresh and zingy herb sauce (yum)…
• Whereas the zhoug has warmish spices and tends to be spicy (also yum).

17 – Olive Tapenade

Why I love it:

• This is hands-down the best olive tapenade I’ve ever bought.
• It’s not cluttered with any raw onions or anything else we don’t want in there. Just lots of olives, herbs, olive oil and little flecks of pimento.
• It is SO DELICIOUS loaded onto those Everything crackers.

Serving size is 7, but it only takes me 2-3 passes at this to finish it all off myself. Woopsies.

17 – Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Why I love it:

• Great as a salsa.
• But also great as a semi-homemade sauce starter!
• I like to whisk it with their mashed avocados to make an avocado-tomatillo sauce. Add a bit of extra salt, maybe some fresh garlic if you’re feeling sassy, and it’s an amazingly fast, actually good sauce shortcut.

18 – High Protein Tofu

Why I love it:

• It doesn’t require much pressing.
• It’s super high protein.
• It’s my go-to tofu for Air Fryer Tofu!

19 – Non Alcoholic Beer

Why I love it:

• It’s non-alcoholic!
• It’s mild-tasting, wheaty and golden, and just really good.
• Perfect end-of-night bev when you want to chill out without the alcohol.

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And The Most Loved Products By Our Community On Instagram:

This is a list of a few products that didn’t make my best of list (and/or things I haven’t tried) but these were recommended over and over again by our community on Instagram!

• Brookie clusters
• Cinnamon Roll JoJos
• Everything seasoning
• Buffalo chicken dip
• Elote chips
• Frozen veggie birds nests
• Dark chocolate peanut butter cups
• Pizza crust
• Kimbap / Gimbap
• Scallion pancakes
• Snacky clusters
• Chili onion crisp
• Cannoli dip

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Don’t Hate Me – 3 Popular Items I Think You Can Skip

Orange Chicken

Why I DON’T love it:

• The orange sauce is underwhelming. Too sweet, not enough contrast.
• The fried chicken has dark meat. Not a fan.
• The house always gets a weird smell when I make it.

Bambas

Why I DON’T love them:

• Flavor is meh.
• Texture is meh – very dissolve-y on impact.
• Leaves a weird film in my mouth.

Cauliflower Gnocchi

Why I DON’T love it:

• I used to love it… so, the potential is there, but maybe I overdid it and now I’ve ruined it for myself. (Also it’s easy enough to make my own!)
• Smells and tastes a bit too watery and/or cauliflowery.
• Never really something I look forward to eating.

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Got anything to add? Give me all your best Trader Joe’s intel and I will note it for my next trip!

The post 33 Things You Absolutely Need To Be Buying At Trader Joe’s (and 3 You Can Skip) appeared first on Pinch of Yum.

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