Name: Gochujang Quick Pickled Vegetables
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 pint-size wide mouth jars with lids; 1 cup filtered water; 1 cup apple cider vinegar; 3 tablespoons sugar (, or honey); 2 tablespoons gochujang paste; 1 tablespoon sea salt; 4 cups vegetables (, sliced 1/4-inch thick); 6 cloves garlic (, sliced); 2 tablespoons black peppercorns

See Recipe Print Recipe

Are you ready for a new favorite HOT summer snack?

Gochujang Quick-Pickled Vegetables are snappy, crunchy, spicy bites of fresh veggies steeped in an ultra-flavorful pickle brine featuring one of the tastiest Korean condiments of all time: gochujang.

10 minutes of prep and a little patience to cool and meld flavors, and you have the perfect condiment to steer you out of any dinnertime rut.

mixed vegetables pickled in pint jars on a blue towel

A Flavor-Filled Fusion

Gochujang quick pickled vegetables are where tradition meets a modern twist. Gochujang, a Korean red chili paste, is the star here.

These pickles are most similar to the banchan (small vegetable side dishes) you receive alongside a meal at a Korean BBQ, specifically, the oi muchim—a crunchy, acidic, and aromatic cucumber salad flavored with, you guessed it, gochujang.

Its bold, funky, and slightly sweet flavor matches an equally intense, eye-catching crimson-red hue. When used in this pickle recipe, the jars become a kaleidoscope of sliced veggies and gorgeous red brine.

In this quick pickle recipe, we add enough gochujang paste for medium spice, but you can boost the spicy heat simply by adding more of the paste. Like a sweet-spicy profile? Increase the sugar for a custom mix of your own.

Add Gochujang Korean Red Chile Paste to aioli (mayonnaise) for an easy condiment upgrade to use for appetizers, garnishes, or sandwich spread.

What is Gochujang?

Gochujang is a dynamic Korean condiment from gochugaru chilis, glutenous rice, salt, and fermented soybeans. Through the fermentation process, the starches in the rice convert to sugar, creating a slightly sweet note in a harmony of spice from the red chili and funky umami from the soybean.

We’re talking about layers of flavor that go the distance in many different dishes. Most famously, it’s in Bibimbap, but it also makes a splash in soups and stews, stir-fry and braises, and, of course, pickles.

This flavorful paste is a game changer for aioli and yogurt dipping sauces, too.

We take this unique flavor beyond cucumbers to create a mixed vegetable pickle recipe we’ve enjoyed with numerous dishes. The combination of cauliflower, broccoli, radishes, and carrots perfectly complements charcuterie boards, barbecue sandwiches, hamburgers, and salads.

Quick Pickling 101

Quick pickling is a speedy, no-fuss way to pickle veggies using a vinegar-based brine. Unlike traditional fermentation, it’s super fast and easy. The result? Crisp, tangy veggies that stay fresh and vibrant. Adding gochujang to the brine takes the flavor up a notch, giving your pickles a spicy, umami twist that’s hard to resist.

Making gochujang quick pickled vegetables is a breeze. With just a few ingredients, you can whip up a jar of these flavor-packed pickles in just 10 minutes. It’s a great back-pocket recipe for meal prepping, using up the odds and ends of vegetables so nothing goes to waste.

Check out all our other quick pickle recipes, like dilly beans, smoky red onions, radishes, and jalapenos, or apples and jicama with vanilla bean and cardamom.

NOTE: This quick pickling recipe is NOT for unrefrigerated shelf storage and does not include fermentation as some classic pickling recipes do.

pouring pickle brine into a pint jar of chopped vegetables

How To Pair Mixed Vegetables for Quick Pickling

Pairing vegetables of similar textures delivers a more consistent result if you have a particular use in mind. This is helpful when serving vegetables on charcuterie boards or garnishing a salad or sandwich.

For instance, higher water-content vegetables like cucumbers, zucchini, bell peppers, fennel, green beans, cabbage, bok choy, and asparagus will have a softer texture, making them ideal for layering on sandwiches.

Denser vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, radishes, jicama, turnips, carrots, and beets retain a firm, crunchy texture that complements a cheese tray or fresh salad.

In this recipe, we paired a mix of textures because we were using these pickled vegetables as a quick side salad for our barbecue sandwiches. We also broke the “slicing rules” for the cauliflower and broccoli and broke them into small florets instead. The chunkier florets created the feel of a more substantial, side dish-type serving that paired well with a brisket sandwich (photo below).

PREP TIP: Slice dense vegetables thin (1/8 to 1/4-inch thick), and cut softer vegetables thicker (1/4 to 3/8-inch thick) for the best flavor and texture.

step by step collage on how to make gochujang pickled vegetables

Recipe Step-by-Step

Mix the brine ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes to dissolve the sugar and salt.
Slice the vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, radishes, carrots, etc.) into thin slices.
Divide the peppercorns in the bottom of each jar and pack the vegetables and garlic on top.
Pour the hot brine over the contents of the jar just below the rim (the brine should cover all the vegetables).
Cool to room temperature, screw on the lid, and refrigerate for up to 2 months.

Ways to Serve Gochujang Quick Pickles

Straight up: Eat them straight from the jar for a quick, healthy snack.
Salad Toppers: Chop them up and toss them in coleslaw for extra crunch and flavor.
Sandwich Upgrade: Add them to sandwich wraps for a tangy twist.
Side Dish: Serve them with BBQ grilled meats (shown below) or as part of a charcuterie board.