Spicy gochujang aioli is a creamy spread for burgers and sandwiches or a dipping sauce for crispy French fries, crispy roasted potatoes, and air fryer smashed Brussels sprouts. For more like this, try Calabrian aioli or chili aioli.
What is Aioli?
The word aioli comes from the Provençal words ail (garlic) and oli (oil), which are the two main ingredients. It is a garlic-infused sauce or mayonnaise popular in southern France and throughout the Mediterranean. What sets this creamy aioli apart from other sauces is the sweet and spicy addition of Korean gochujang.
What is Gochujang Aioli Made of?
- Egg Yolks: Combine raw egg yolks with garlic and oil to create a creamy aioli base.
- Aromatics: Include two garlic cloves and fresh ginger.
- Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar cuts through the creaminess of the sauce, or substitute with fresh lemon juice, white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.
- Mustard: Dijon mustard gives the sauce a creamy texture and acts as an emulsifier to prevent the aioli from breaking.
- Gochujang: Add sweet heat with gochujang paste. The Korean cooking staple consists of red pepper flakes called gochugaru, sticky rice, fermented soybean paste, and salt. You can sometimes find Korean chili paste in grocery stores, but local Asian grocery stores should carry it.
- Oil: You will need a neutral oil such as avocado or canola. You can use extra virgin olive oil, but it will slightly change the color and flavor of the aioli.
- Spices: Taste the gochujang aioli and season it with kosher salt and more gochugaru, depending on your spice tolerance. Gochugaru comes in various levels of spiciness, so be sure to choose a heat level that suits your taste buds.
Additions and Substitutions
- Can I make the aioli with mayonnaise? Skip making homemade aioli and use mayonnaise instead. Combine the simple ingredients for the aioli in a small bowl, then stir in one cup of high-quality mayonnaise; I recommend Duke’s or Hellman’s.
- Sweeten the sauce. Consider adding honey, brown sugar, white sugar, or a sugar-free alternative like monk fruit if you find the sauce too spicy or prefer something sweeter.
Equipment
Use an immersion blender, food processor, or high-speed blender to make creamy gochujang aioli. However, I highly recommend using an immersion blender when making salad dressing or sauces that require emulsification.
Use the large blender container provided with the immersion blender, a wide-mouth jar, or one of these meal prep containers to ensure the blender works properly and to avoid a big mess.
How to Make Gochujang Aioli
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Combine the egg yolks, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, Dijon mustard, and gochujang with an immersion blender, a food processor, or a blender.
Step 2: Pour the oil slowly into a cup or blender while processing until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Expert Tips
- Ensure the ingredients are at room temperature before starting – especially the eggs. Cold ingredients make it more challenging to achieve a proper emulsion. I recommend removing the ingredients from the fridge 30 minutes before you make it.
- Depending on the brand of gochujang, you may need to include more salt or gochugaru until you get the right flavor.
Tips for Emulsification
What is Emulsification?
Emulsification is a fancy cooking term for combining ingredients that do not naturally mix, such as oil and vinegar, and making them stay together with an emulsifier.
What is an Emulsifier?
An emulsifier acts like a bridge between two opposing ingredients, holding them together in a smooth, stable mixture. The best emulsifiers contain water and oil-friendly properties to help the ingredients combine. The most common emulsifiers include egg yolks, mustard, mayonnaise, soybeans, honey, and xanthan gum.
How to Create a Stable Emulsification
If you want to learn how to make homemade vinaigrette, dressing, hollandaise sauce, aioli, or mayonnaise, then learning how to create a stable emulsification is key. Plus, it’s easier than you think!
- Adjust the Consistency: If the mixture gets too thick, add more water-based liquid to thin it out while continuing to mix.
- Choose an Emulsifier: Select an emulsifying ingredient based on what you are making.
- Combine the Ingredients: Mix the water-based ingredients, such as vinegar or lemon juice with an emulsifier.
- Slowly Add Oil: Add a few drops, then pour the oil gradually in a slow, steady stream while whisking or blending the ingredients. The gradual addition helps to achieve a stable emulsion (so the two liquids combine instead of separate).
If you enjoy the versatile sauce, pair it with one of these dinner recipes!
Serving Suggestions
Spread homemade gochujang aioli onto burgers, sandwiches, or wraps. Drizzle it over hot dogs, chicken sausage, poke bowls, and your favorite salad recipes. Serve it as a dipping sauce with appetizers like roasted potatoes, blistered shishito peppers, sweet potato fries, vegetable crudite, and home fries.
Storage
Store the leftover gochujang sauce in an airtight container or glass jar for one week.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between aioli and mayonnaise?
Chefs and home cooks use aioli and mayonnaise to enhance recipes. The main difference is that aioli includes fresh garlic, whereas making homemade mayonnaise doesn’t require it. Adding the spicy Korean red chili paste to the spicy condiment sets it apart from other sauces.
More Sauce Recipes:
Gochujang Aioli
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- ½ -inch knob of ginger, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons gochujang
- ½ cup neutral oil
- kosher salt, to taste
- gochugaru, to taste
- Combine the egg yolks, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, Dijon mustard, and gochujang with an immersion blender, food processor, or blender.
- Pour the oil slowly into a cup or blender while processing until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Taste and season with salt and gochugaru to serve.
- Ensure the ingredients are at room temperature before starting – especially the eggs. Cold ingredients make it more challenging to achieve a proper emulsion. I recommend removing the ingredients from the fridge 30 minutes before you make it.
- Depending on the brand of gochujang, you may need to include more salt or gochugaru until you get the right flavor.