Momofuku Just Dropped New Barbecue Sauces, and I’m Using Them on Everything

Morgan Pryor
Morgan PryorCommerce Assistant Editor at AT Media
I've been a full-time journalist since 2023, but my experience in the field goes back further. I graduated magna cum laude from NYU's Gallatin School of Individualized Study, where I developed my own major called Culture Writing and Criticism. While working my way up to Editor-in-Chief at the school blog, I earned a number of bylines at TV Guide Magazine, CNN, Decider, and Texas Monthly. At those publications, I mostly focused on art and entertainment. However, I’ve always loved shopping, writing reviews, and service journalism — which is what led me to giving commerce writing a try as an intern at CNN Underscored. There, I had a ton of fun producing beauty and fashion shopping stories, which ended up preparing me first for my work as AT's commerce editorial assistant and now as assistant editor. I’ve long been passionate about interior design and taken pride in the appearance of my space, whether it was my dorm room or my first tiny studio. Exploring that interest professionally has been a dream, and I love thinking about a product from every angle and figuring out if it's really worth it. As someone who was recently on a student budget and works with a small living space, I especially like to find and share items that are compatible with that lifestyle. In my eyes, a great product equally delivers on style and function, ideally at an affordable price point.
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published Sep 3, 2024
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Noodle dish made with momofuku Korean BBQ sauce.
Credit: Momofuku

Up until this past year, I wouldn’t have considered myself a condiment person. There wasn’t really a reason behind it — I just never thought to wander that aisle at the grocery store. Times have changed, however, since I started working here at The Kitchn. Testing grocery products is one of my favorite parts of this gig. I’ve been introduced to seasonings and sauces that have taken my weekly dinners up a notch, and now I don’t know how I ever went without them. (Seriously, I really could’ve used them in college. It’s such a low-lift meal upgrade!)

Momofuku ranks highly on my list of favorite food brands these days. It’s no secret that we’re enormous fans of its instant ramen noodles, and its chili crisp is in a league of its own. Personally, I order both on repeat. The brand just launched yet another product that’s going on my shopping list: Korean barbecue sauces. Expectedly, I’ve been putting the Sweet & Spicy and Sweet & Savory flavors on everything since I got them — here’s why you will, too.

Korean BBQ Sauce Duos
$26
Momofuku
Buy Now

What Are Momofuku’s Korean BBQ Sauces?

Described as “umami-sweet and perfectly balanced,” the Sweet & Spicy sauce is an updated version of the brand’s Ssäm Sauce, which was a fan favorite before its retirement. This new take offers a medium spice level, and it consists of gochujang, a fermented Korean chili paste, black pepper, soy, and garlic. The Savory Sauce is deeper and richer, an offshoot of the galbi marinade that Momofuku serves at its restaurants. It’s made up of soy sauce, fresh ginger, and pear. (The fruit additions make them stand apart from most other sauces.) Both sauces are made of chef-approved ingredients, lacking high-fructose corn syrup, starches, or gums. 

Credit: Momofuku

Why I Love Momofuku’s Korean BBQ Sauces

My favorite thing about these sauces are how versatile each of them are. They’re designed to pair with all of my favorite foods, including chicken, pizza, stir-fry, steak, dumplings, noodles, and more. The consistency is perfect — it’s thicker than galbi marinades and closer to American BBQ sauce — and it drizzles smoothly out of the bottle for extra precision. I have yet to marinate with them, but I’ve used both sauces to elevate plain noodles, rice, and pizza, giving each a bold and tart flavor.

I’m not the only one that’s obsessed with Momofuku’s latest sauces: Commerce SEO writer Haley is, too. “I used the Sweet & Spicy on my ramen noodles (which weren’t Momofuku’s), and they went from bland to flavorful in no time,” she says. “This sauce definitely has a kick and is a bit salty, but my taste buds loved every bite. As for the Sweet & Savory, I drizzled it on top of chicken and rice, and it was delicious. It added the perfect flavor without the spicy kick and complemented the veggies I had mixed in. These sauces are the perfect addition to any meal — I swear by them!”

If you want to get restaurant-level Korean barbecue flavors at home — without any hassle on your part — these sauces are a no-brainer. I have no doubt that they’ll sell quickly, so add them to your cart pronto!

Buy: Korean BBQ Sauce Duos, $26

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