Ssamjang recipe — Korean dipping sauce for BBQ | The Rub Kitchen
Ssamjang is the dipping sauce that completes Korean BBQ. You wrap a piece of grilled meat — bulgogi, samgyeopsal, galbi — in a lettuce or perilla leaf, add some rice, a slice of garlic, a piece of pickled vegetable, and then: a dab of ssamjang. This combination is the heart of ssam culture, the Korean wrap-eating tradition.
What is ssamjang?
Ssamjang (literally: "wrap-paste") is a mixture of two fermented Korean staples:
- Doenjang — fermented soybean paste, similar to Japanese miso but more robust and earthy in flavor
- Gochujang — fermented red chili paste — sweet, spicy, and deeply umami
Both are fermented and complex in flavor. Ssamjang combines the earthy depth of doenjang with the heat and sweetness of gochujang, complemented by garlic, onion, sesame oil, and sugar.
Ssamjang recipe
For approximately 200 ml:
- 3 tbsp doenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste)
- 2 tbsp gochujang
- 2 cloves garlic — minced
- 2 spring onions — finely chopped
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp sugar or honey
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- Optional: 1 tsp mirin for extra depth
Method: mix all ingredients. Nothing is cooked or heated. Ready immediately but improves after a night in the refrigerator. Keeps for 2 weeks sealed in the refrigerator.
What do you use ssamjang with?
- Ssam (wraps) — the classic application: grilled meat in lettuce or perilla leaf with rice and ssamjang
- Samgyeopsal — Korean pork belly, the most common combination
- Bulgogi — marinated beef in wraps
- Dipping sauce for vegetables — raw carrots, cucumber, bell peppers
- Marinade — dilute with sesame oil and soy sauce for chicken or beef
Where can you buy doenjang and gochujang in the Netherlands?
- Toko / Asian supermarket — Amazing Oriental, Tokoya, online Asian webshops
- Note: Korean doenjang is different from Japanese miso — more robust and stronger. Do not substitute 1-to-1.
Rub combination
The Korean BBQ Rub is directly inspired by the flavor profile also found in ssamjang: soy, sesame, gochugaru. Use the rub on samgyeopsal or chicken thighs and serve with homemade ssamjang for a complete KBBQ experience at home.