What Korean chili paste is used in yangnyeom chicken sauce?

The Korean chili paste used in yangnyeom chicken sauce is gochujang. This fermented red pepper paste supplies much of the sauce’s savory depth, red color, and characteristic Korean heat.

Yangnyeom means “seasoned” in Korean, so yangnyeom chicken is essentially seasoned fried chicken. Its sauce commonly combines gochujang with ingredients such as garlic, sugar or rice syrup, soy sauce, and other spices, producing a sweet, spicy, and savory coating.

Gochujang should not be confused with doenjang, another fermented Korean paste made primarily from soybeans, or ssamjang, a thicker dipping paste that commonly blends doenjang and gochujang. Ganjang means soy sauce, not chili paste.

Recipes vary by restaurant and family. Some modern versions adjust the heat with chili powder or use less gochujang, but gochujang remains the canonical paste associated with classic yangnyeom sauce.