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    Home » Pasta

    Gochujang Mac and Cheese

    Published: Jan 31, 2024 · Modified: Jan 10, 2026 by James · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Gochujang Mac and Cheese. The perfect combination of tender pasta, enveloped in a velvety gochujang-infused cheese sauce. Serve with bok choy and a drizzle of spicy chili oil to hit all the flavour notes! 

    A pot and bowl of creamy Gochujang Mac and Cheese with bok choy and a chili oil drizzle.
    Gochujang Mac and Cheese

    Perfect with BBQ, as an indulgent comfort food, or the most incredible game day snack! No matter how you enjoy it, this easy and affordable dish is sure to satisfy your craving.  

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Watch how this recipe was made here
    • FAQ
    • Related Recipes
    • Equipment
    • Leave a Comment
    • 📖 Recipe

    Ingredients

    Ingredients for gochujang mac and cheese recipe.
    • Short pasta, like fidanzati capresi or fusilli (or macaroni)
    • Unsalted butter
    • All purpose flour
    • Dijon mustard
    • Gochujang
    • Milk
    • Heavy cream
    • Cheddar cheese
    • Mozzarella cheese
    • Parmesan cheese

    Chili Oil

    • Avocado oil
    • Light soy sauce
    • Korean chili flakes
    • Sesame seeds
    • Green onions

    For Serving

    • Steamed bok choy or broccoli (optional)

    Instructions

    Boil Water for Pasta

    Fill an 8-Qt stockpot with 6 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cook the pasta according to the package instructions.

    While the Water Boils, Prepare the Chili Oil

    In a small skillet over medium heat, add the oil, soy sauce, chili flakes and sesame seeds, stir to combine. When the mixture begins to slightly bubble, add the green onions and cook for one minute. Set aside and warm before serving.

    Homemade chili oil in a skillet.

    Next prepare the gochujang cheese sauce

    In a 3.5-Qt to 4-Qt pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour, stir to form a paste. Next, add the Dijon mustard and stir until smooth. Add the gochujang and stir until completely combined. Add the cream and milk, ½ cup at a time, stirring until smooth each time.

    A paste made out of butter, flour, mustard and gochujang paste.
    Gradually add in the milk and cream, stirring until smooth.

    Then add the cheddar and mozzarella cheese and stir until the sauce is smooth. Add the Parmesan cheese and whisk until the sauce is smooth and begins to thicken. Whisk in ¼ cup of pasta water until smooth.

    Add the cheese into the gochujang sauce.
    Add the cheddar and mozzarella cheese and stir until the sauce is smooth.

    Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta and pour it into the cheese sauce. Stir to coat the pasta with the sauce. Add a small splash of pasta water at a time and stir until the pasta is silky and well coated.

    Garnish, Serve and Enjoy

    Serve the pasta in a bowl with bok choy and add a drizzle of chili oil over the top. Enjoy!

    Serve the gochujang mac and cheese in a bowl with bok choy and add a drizzle of chili oil over the top.

    Watch how this recipe was made here

    FAQ

    What is gochujang made of?

    Gochujang is a Korean fermented chili paste, commonly used in Korean cuisine. It adds a savoury, sweet, and spicy flavour to dishes.

    Related Recipes

    You may also like these ‘anything but classic’ Mac and Cheese recipes:

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      Buffalo Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
    • A small skillet with half a lobster sitting on a small skillet with mac and cheese.
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    Equipment

    Prepared using the Hestan Culinary NEW Provisions Pasta Insert in the ProBond Professional Clad Stainless Steel Stockpot, with the 3.5-Qt ProBond Essential Pan, 8.5" ProBond Skillet, as well as the Provisions Mixing Bowls. Proud Hestan Culinary Ambassador. Opinions in this post are my own.

    Leave a Comment

    Did you try this Gochujang Mac n Cheese recipe or have any questions? If you could spare a few moments to leave us a comment and rating it would really help us out (and make our day!) Thanks so much, Elaine & James (aka Zimmy)

    📖 Recipe

    A pot and bowl of creamy Gochujang Mac and Cheese with bok choy and a chili oil drizzle.

    Gochujang Mac n Cheese

    The perfect combination of tender pasta, enveloped in a velvety gochujang-infused cheese sauce. Serve with bok choy and a drizzle of spicy chili oil to hit all the flavour notes! 
    Perfect with BBQ, as an indulgent comfort food, or the most incredible game day snack! No matter how you enjoy it, this easy and affordable dish is sure to satisfy your craving.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 25 minutes mins
    Total Time 35 minutes mins
    Course Appetizer, Game Day Snack, Main Course, Pasta
    Cuisine Korean
    Servings 4 -6 People
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
      

    • 500 g short pasta like fidanzati capresi or fusilli (or macaroni)
    • ¼ cup unsalted butter
    • ¼ cup all purpose flour
    • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
    • 3 tablespoons gochujang
    • 1 cup milk
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • 3 cups cheddar cheese grated (9 oz/250 g)
    • 2 ½ cups mozzarella cheese grated or torn (9 oz/250 g)
    • ¾ cup Parmesan cheese finely grated (1 oz/28 g)

    Chili Oil

    • ¼ cup avocado oil
    • 1 tablespoons light soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoons Korean chili flakes
    • 1 tablespoons sesame seeds
    • 1 green onion light green part only, thinly sliced

    For Serving

    • Steamed bok choy or broccoli optional

    Instructions
     

    • Fill an 8-Qt stockpot with 6 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cook the pasta according to the package instructions.

    While the Water Boils, Prepare the Chili Oil

    • In a small skillet over medium heat, add the oil, soy sauce, chili flakes and sesame seeds, stir to combine. When the mixture begins to slightly bubble, add the green onions and cook for one minute. Set aside and warm before serving.

    Prepare the Gochujang Cheese Sauce

    • In a 3.5-Qt to 4-Qt pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour, stir to form a paste. Add the Dijon mustard and stir until smooth. Add the gochujang and stir until completely combined. Add the cream and milk, ½ cup at a time, stirring until smooth each time. Then add the cheddar and mozzarella cheese and stir until the sauce is smooth. Add the Parmesan cheese and whisk until the sauce is smooth and begins to thicken. Whisk in ¼ cup of pasta water until smooth.
    • Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta and pour it into the cheese sauce. Stir to coat the pasta with the sauce. Add a small splash of pasta water at a time and stir until the pasta is silky and well coated.

    Garnish, Serve and Enjoy

    • Serve the pasta in a bowl with bok choy and add a drizzle of chili oil over the top. Enjoy!

    Video

    Keyword easy recipe with gochujang, gochujang cheese sauce, gochujang mac n cheese, gochujang pasta creamy, gochujang pasta recipes, gochujang sauce pasta
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Shanley

      March 09, 2024 at 8:39 pm

      5 stars
      such a delicious combination!!

      Reply
      • Zimmy

        March 10, 2024 at 1:04 pm

        Thanks Shanley,
        We think so too!
        Have a great day 🙂
        Elaine & James

        Reply
    2. Susan Tarasick

      January 30, 2025 at 7:13 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for dinner tonight. The preparation was easy and the result was so tasty! Thanks for a great new take on Mac n cheese.

      Reply
      • Zimmy

        January 30, 2025 at 9:45 pm

        Hi Susan,
        Thank you so much! We’re thrilled you enjoyed it and thought the prep was easy!
        We appreciate you taking the time to leave this review!
        Have a great night!
        Elaine & James

        Reply

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    Hi, I’m James (aka Zimmy), a home chef who loves to grill year-round. In partnership with my wife Elaine, we work with and passionately promote the stories of local farmers, food producers/purveyors, as well as the products of companies who share our passion for quality, innovation and design.

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