Introduction

In times of hunger, you should have a quick and easy noodle recipe in your back pocket, and this Gochujang Butter Noodles Recipe is just the thing for you. In this balanced dish, you have the butter smoothing out the heat from the gochujang and gives the dish that glossy finish you get in many high-end noodle and pasta dishes. I like to think of the sauce as buffalo sauce’s long-lost cousin, except it’s even better and is perfect for noodles!

Why You’ll Love This Gochujang Butter Noodles Recipe

This Gochujang Butter Noodles Recipe is so good because it builds flavor from only a few simple ingredients. For example, cooking the garlic in the butter not only allows it to cook but also infuses the butter with its aromatic flavor, which helps perfume the whole dish. After adding the other ingredients like the soy sauce and gochujang, everything concentrates into a sauce that’s the perfect texture to coat your noodles. Because there are so few ingredients, every ingredient has an important role, which is why these noodles are so flavorful despite being so easy.

Forkful of creamy Gochujang Butter Noodles lifted above a bowl, coated in a rich spicy sauce made with gochujang, butter, garlic, and soy sauce. These quick Korean-inspired noodles are packed with flavor and perfect for an easy weeknight meal.

Why The Sauce Is So Important For This Gochujang Butter Noodles Recipe

The sauce is what completely defines this Gochujang Butter Noodles Recipe. The gochujang itself is filled with spice, a little sweetness, and tons of umami all in one ingredient, while the soy sauce adds that salty note it needs to flavor the dish further. The butter is what makes this so special because it gives the sauce a silky texture and rich finish that makes the noodles feel and taste so incredible. It’s truly the dish that you’ll want to and can make all the time!

Gochujang Butter Noodles Recipe Ingredients

Noodles of choice – The base of the dish. I personally use instant ramen, but udon, spaghetti, or wheat noodles all work well.

Butter + garlic – These create the foundation of the sauce. The butter adds richness, while the garlic adds its classic aromatic flavor.

Sauce (gochujang, soy sauce, sugar, noodle water) – The main sauce that’s spicy, sweet, and umami that clings to the noodles.

Optional garnishes (sesame seeds, scallions) – Adds color and texture.

How to Make Gochujang Butter Noodles

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles one minute before al dente, then reserve some noodle water and drain.

Wide noodles being stirred in a pot of boiling water while cooking for Gochujang Butter Noodles. Cooking the noodles just before al dente helps them finish perfectly in the spicy butter sauce.

Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.

Minced garlic being added to melted butter in a skillet while making Gochujang Butter Noodles. Cooking the garlic in butter creates a rich aromatic base that builds flavor throughout the dish.

Add the gochujang, soy sauce, and sugar and stir until the sauce begins to thicken slightly.

Sugar being added to a bubbling mixture of gochujang, soy sauce, garlic, and butter while preparing the sauce for Gochujang Butter Noodles. This combination creates a sweet, savory, and spicy glaze that coats every noodle.

Add the noodles along with a bit of reserved noodle water. Toss continuously until the sauce evenly coats the noodles.

Reserved noodle water being poured into a skillet filled with cooked noodles and gochujang sauce. The starchy water helps emulsify the sauce and creates a silky texture that clings to the noodles.

Serve immediately and garnish with sesame seeds and scallions if desired.

Fresh scallions being sprinkled over a bowl of Gochujang Butter Noodles before serving. The garnish adds freshness, color, and contrast to the creamy, spicy noodles.

What to Serve with Gochujang Butter Noodles

This Gochujang Butter Noodles Recipe is great on its own, but you can also add other things to make it more of a complete meal. Here are a few of my favorites:

Shredded chicken. Works really well with the sauce and adds protein to the dish!
Fried egg. The classic accompaniment to any noodle dish, and this is no different!
Cucumber salad. I love to make a quick pickled cucumber salad with this noodle dish with a little bit of garlic, rice vinegar, and sugar.

How to Store Gochujang Butter Noodles

This Gochujang Butter Noodles Recipe is best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The sauce and noodles will thicken after it sits so I recommend adding a splash of water while reheating in the following methods:

Reheating in pan. The best way to reheat this dish. Add the noodles and a splash of water and reheat until simmering before serving.
Reheating in the microwave. Add the noodles and mix with some water before microwaving for two minutes.

Gochujang Butter Noodles Substitutions

This Gochujang Butter Noodles Recipe is very flexible, and you can substitute some ingredients depending on what you have available. A few of my favorite substitutions are:

Chili crisp. A great alternative if you don’t have gochujang. It’s spicy, umami, and already has a ton of spices in it.
Different noodles. Udon, spaghetti, or wheat noodles all work super well with this recipe.
Brown sugar. Can be used instead of sugar.
Coconut oil. If you don’t have butter, coconut oil can add richness and a little bit of sweetness.