Gochujang Pork Chops
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Some nights, regular old pork chops just won’t do. If you want to amp up the flavor, mastering these gochujang pork chops is easier than you think—in fact, this recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes. With my tried-and-true method, you’ll get the juiciest chops with a perfectly smoky and caramelized glaze every time!
If you haven’t had gochujang pork chops before, you’re in for a real treat. This is one of my family’s favorite recipes and one I turn to whenever I’m craving bold, punchy flavors without spending a lot of time in the kitchen. The gochujang marinade brings the perfect balance of savory, smoky, sweet, and spicy, and it caramelizes beautifully as the pork cooks.
I love serving these pork chops with a fresh, herby watermelon salad on the side. The cool sweetness of the watermelon is the perfect contrast to the smoky heat of the pork, and it’s that combination that makes this meal feel a little special while still being easy enough for a weeknight dinner.
Why this gochujang pork recipe works
- Big flavor, simple ingredients: Gochujang, honey, soy sauce, and rice vinegar create the perfect balance of sweet, savory, smoky, and spicy flavors.
- The perfect contrast: The cool, juicy watermelon salad balances the smoky heat of the pork beautifully.
- Easy to make: Marinate the pork, grill, toss together the salad, and dinner is done.
- A welcome change: If you’re stuck in a dinner rut, this recipe is a delicious way to shake things up.
- Less work, more flavor: The marinade doubles as the glaze, so you get maximum flavor with minimal extra effort.
What to eat with gochujang pork chops
Serve up your gochujang pork chops with a side mint watermelon cucumber salad and some rice. You can use basmati rice, cauliflower rice, or ginger rice! A nice little garnish is to use some sesame seeds and green onions.
If you don’t have watermelon on hand, you can also mix it up and serve beside other sides, like sauteed bok choy, an Asian salad, or roasted sweet potatoes with miso tahini butter.
Answers to your questions
Where can I find gochujang? Many supermarkets have gochujang paste in the Asian food aisle. Otherwise, check your local Asian grocer—keep your eye out for a red tub, as the packaging is usually red. If you can’t find any, you can always grab some online.
Are gochujang pork chops spicy? Even though gochujang is a chili paste, it’s not overly spicy, so you can use quite a bit. In this recipe, I’ve used two tablespoons, which gives the pork chops a bit of heat and a lot of flavor.
What else can I make with gochujang? As you can tell by the number of gochujang recipes on my blog, it’s one of my favorite seasonings! I have recipes for Korean chicken thighs, a Korean burrito, a gochujang pulled pork sandwich, crockpot Korean gochujang pork, the gochujang pulled pork Korean pizza, and bang bang cauliflower.
Can I make this without a BBQ? You sure can! Simply use a grill pan instead.
Gochujang Pork Chops Recipe
Ingredients
Gochujang Pork Chops
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons gochujang
- 1 tablespoon EACH: honey, oil, and soy sauce
- 4 pork chops
Herb Watermelon Salad
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- ½ tablespoon EACH: honey and oil
- A generous pinch of sea salt
- 3 cups diced watermelon
- 2 tablespoons EACH: chopped mint, chopped cilantro, and feta cheese (see notes)
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the rice wine vinegar, gochujang, honey, oil, and soy sauce. Place the pork chops in a shallow baking dish and pour the marinade over the top. Mix the pork chops around a little so they are covered in the marinade. Place them in your fridge and let them marinate for 1-12 hours.¼ cup rice wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons gochujang, 1 tablespoon EACH: honey, oil, and soy sauce, 4 pork chops
- Oil and heat your grill on high. You want your BBQ as hot as it can get.
- While your BBQ is preheating, make the rest of the dinner. Note: if you are serving this with rice, make that now.
- In a small bowl, make the salad dressing by whisking the rice wine vinegar, honey, oil, and salt. Place the watermelon, mint, cilantro, and feta cheese in a medium-sized bowl.1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar, ½ tablespoon EACH: honey and oil, A generous pinch of sea salt, 3 cups diced watermelon, 2 tablespoons EACH: chopped mint, chopped cilantro, and feta cheese
- Take the pork chops out of the marinade and pour the marinade into a small frying pan over high heat. Rapidly boil the marinade for 2-3 minutes, or until it has thickened and looks like runny BBQ sauce.
- Grill the pork chops for 3-4 minutes per side. Toss the watermelon salad with the dressing. Dig in!
Notes
Nutrition
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Hi there! Do you coat the pork chops with the thicker sauce before or after grilling them?
We like to brush it on afterward!
Hi, I made the Gochujang chicken thighs and they were outstanding. The fam absolutely loved em and totally devoured them! Luckily I doubled the recipe! I was wondering, for the porkchop recipe, what is the type of oil you use? Is it sesame or olive… or does it matter?
Chris
So happy you like the recipe! I used to use grapeseed oil but now usually use avocado oil. Any neutral flavored oil will work. 🙂
What a genius combination! I could seriously go for some savory watermelon usage right now, and I hate to admit I’ve never posted a watermelon recipe, either! Leo loves watermelon, too… I used to give him giant slices when he was teeny and he’d just sit there and somehow balance it and gnaw and gnaw and gnaw. Ha! I’d love to try this, and I am definitely looking into that paleo gochujang recipe!
I love that your little one loves watermelon as much as mine does! It’s so so good!!