Ssamjang

Name: Ssamjang
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 3 tbsp miso; 1 tbsp gochujang; 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 spring onion, finely chopped; 1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted; 1 tsp sugar

Vegetarian

쌈장 · ssamjang

Thick Korean dipping paste of savoury soybean paste and gochujang, seasoned with garlic, spring onion and toasted sesame — dabbed onto lettuce wraps with grilled meat.

Ssamjang is a Korean condiment from South Korea, ready in about 5 minutes and made with miso and gochujang. It serves 6 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep: 5 min
Cook: 0 min
Total: 5 min
Serves: 6
Level: Beginner
Calories: 51

Ingredients

6 servings of 15 g

3 tbsp (51 g) Miso (opens in a new tab)Korean doenjang is traditional; Japanese red miso is the closest swap.Contains soy
1 tbsp (18 g) Gochujang (opens in a new tab)Contains soy, wheat, gluten
1 tbsp (14 g) Toasted sesame oil (opens in a new tab)Contains sesame
2 cloves (8 g) Garlic (opens in a new tab), minced
1 (15 g) Spring onion (opens in a new tab), finely chopped
1 tsp (3 g) Sesame seeds (opens in a new tab), toastedContains sesame
1 tsp (4 g) Sugar (opens in a new tab)Swap: Honey

Equipment

Mixing bowl (opens in a new tab)

Method

1
Step 1
Mix the soybean paste (opens in a new tab), gochujang (opens in a new tab) and sugar (opens in a new tab) together until smooth.
- 2 min
- Mixing bowl (opens in a new tab)
2
Step 2
Stir in the garlic (opens in a new tab), spring onion (opens in a new tab), sesame oil (opens in a new tab) and sesame seeds (opens in a new tab).
- 2 min
3
Step 3
Serve in a small bowl alongside lettuce or perilla leaves and grilled meat.
- 1 min
How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin: South Korea · Well documentedMore food from South Korea
Dish: Lunch · Dinner · Condiments, chutneys & relishes · Dips & spreads
Cooking method: No-cook
Taste: umami, salty, spicy (chilli heat), garlicky
Diet: Vegan · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · DASH-style
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Make-ahead · Everyday
Cook more with: Miso · Gochujang · Toasted sesame oil · Garlic · Spring onion · Sesame seeds

Allergens

Contains: Wheatfrom gochujang
Contains: Glutenfrom miso, gochujang
Contains: Soyfrom miso, gochujang
Contains: Sesamefrom toasted sesame oil, sesame seeds

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

51 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 17 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

Protein 13%
Carbohydrate 33%
Fat 55%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g
Energy	51 kcal	307 kcal
Protein	1.7 g	10.1 g
Carbohydrate	4.3 g	26.1 g
Net carbohydrate	3.6 g	21.5 g
Sugars	1.5 g	8.9 g
Added sugars	—	—
Fibre	0.8 g	4.6 g
Fat	3.2 g	19.3 g
Saturated fat	0.5 g	2.9 g
Trans fat	—	—
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Sodium	428 mg	2567 mg
Salt equivalent	1.1 g	6.4 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 39 mg
Calcium: 16 mg
Iron: 0.4 mg
Magnesium: 8 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 2 µg
Vitamin C: 1 mg
Vitamin D: 0 µg
Vitamin B12: 0 µg
Folate (DFE): 4 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
Gochujang: Miso (FDC 172442) as a stand-in fermented soy paste; gochujang is sweeter (rice syrup) and hotter, so carbohydrate is understated.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

A spoonful of finely chopped walnuts or grated onion makes it chunkier and sweeter.

Common mistakes

Using sweet white miso instead of doenjang or red miso — the paste loses its deep, funky savouriness.

Serve with

With samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly) or bulgogi wrapped in lettuce.
As a dip for raw cucumber, carrot and green chillies.

Storage

Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks (add the spring onion fresh if keeping longer).

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 29 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Goes with

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

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Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

Onion, garlic, ginger and friends

Aromatics

Garlic, minced2 clove · 8 g
Spring onion, finely chopped1 piece · 15 g

Used in step 2

Make it milder, swap ingredients for your diet, change the batch size or thickness — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

Reviews & corrections

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