Gochujang BBQ Ribs

Have you ever tried Korean style gochujang bbq ribs? These Asian-style ribs are sticky, sweet, spicy, and packed with umami. 

Growing up with a Korean mother,  gochujang was often part of the dishes she prepared. I never imagined them on bbq spare ribs until a few years ago when a buddy of mine started using it in a bbq glaze. 

After doing a little research and digging deep into my Korean roots, I developed a Korean bbq sauce that I’ve come to love. It’s perfect on smokey ribs, and the intense flavor will have you coming back for more. That’s a guarantee.  

Gochujang BBQ Ribs

Ingredients you’ll need 

• Pork ribs – St. Louis Cut is preferred. 
• BBQ rub – Use something sweet and spicy or make our ultimate dry rub for ribs.
• Sweeteners – Sugar and honey will help during the wrap phase of the cook to add some sweetness and to tenderize the ribs. 
• Butter
• Korean BBQ Sauce – Make ahead or while the ribs are cooking, as it’s not needed until the end. Recipe here.
• Garnishes – Sesame seeds and green onions make the perfect garnish and add flavor and texture to each bite.

Equipment you’ll need

• Smoker
• Spritzing bottle
• Aluminum foil – I used heavy-duty foil.
• Basting Brush

What is gochujang? 

Gochujang is a fermented Korean chili paste. It is extremely popular in Korean dishes and used for marinades, sauces, soups, glazes, and dipping.

It’s kind of like the Korean version of ketchup with a kick. It has a thick consistency and dark red color and is very versatile. 

What does gochujang taste like? 

Gochujang has an intense, rich flavor. It has a bit of heat, along with savory and earthy notes. It is well-rounded and has a distinct umami flavor that is hard to describe. 

How to make Gochujang BBQ ribs 

1. Fire up the smoker

Preheat your smoker to 250°F.

I used my Camp Chef Woodwind Pro with a combination of hickory pellets and apple wood chunks from Bear Mountain BBQ.

2. Prep the ribs

Remove the membrane from the back of your ribs.

To do so, insert a butter knife underneath the membrane and lift it up. Then take a paper towel and grab the membrane and pull back to remove it. 

For a more detailed explanation of how to trim spare ribs, check out our article here.

Once the membrane is removed, season all sides with our BBQ rub.

3. Smoking

Place the ribs onto your smoker.

After the first hour, spritz your ribs with water to help keep them moist. Continue spritzing every 30 minutes or so, or when you notice the ribs are drying out.

After about 2.5 hours, the bark should be set, and your ribs should have an internal temperature of around 175°F. At this point, it’s time to wrap them in foil. 

I use heavy-duty foil and place four pats of butter down, along with brown sugar and honey.

Then I place the ribs meat side down and wrap them tightly.

The ingredients in the wrap will give the ribs some sweetness, which will balance well with the rub and gochujang BBQ sauce.

After 1.5 hours, unwrap the ribs and carefully place them meat side up onto your smoker.

You should see that the bones are sticking out a half inch, and they should be very tender.

Brush on the Korean BBQ sauce and let them continue to cook in the smoker for another 30 minutes to finish. 

Garnish the ribs with toasted sesame seeds and green onions and pull them off the smoker.

These not only look pretty but are super delicious and packed with umami flavor in every single bite! 

Here are some more of our rib recipes to try

• Competition Style Pork Ribs
• Smoked Beef Ribs
• St Louis Pork Ribs on a Gas Grill
• Hot and Fast Smoked Baby Back Ribs
• How to Smoke Ribs in an Electric Smoker
• Korean BBQ Ribs