Korean Gochujang Prawn Skewers

gochujang marinated shrimp appetizer

These Korean Gochujang Prawn Skewers are one of my favorite recipes for entertaining, and go back to the roots of the blog. I always like to throw a few surprising appetizers in there when hosting a dinner party. Partly to give people the chance to try something new, but also as a way to test my creativity. This recipe only takes about 10 minutes, but uses an ingredient that’s not so common: gochujang.

These prawn skewers (like most appetizers) are easily scalable. So while this recipe only uses 250 grams of prawns, feel free to increase things proportionally. I also use Tiger Prawns, but you can use any shrimp or prawn you want for this recipe. If you want a non-spicy version of this, try my miso glazed shrimp skewers for a Japanese variation.

What Is Gochujang?

Gochujang is a Korean hot pepper paste that is used in a variety of dishes like BBQ Pork Belly , Tteokbokki,and Ssamjang. It can be made into sauces, marinades, soups, and more. The paste is is made with fermented glutinous rice which imparts both sweetness and spiciness. Gochujang is one of the most popular exports from Korea.

How To Make Korean Gochujang Prawn Skewers

Korean gochujang prawn marinade

To start with, we’ll need to make the marinade. In a bowl mix together two tablespoons of Korean Soy sauce, two teaspoons of fish sauce, 4 cloves of minced garlic, one teaspoon of sugar, and a heaping tablespoon of Gochujang.

Next add in the peeled prawns and give everything a good mix. If your bowl is small you can do this in batches. Just let the prawns or shrimp sit there for a few minutes to meld with the marinade.

Make sure the prawns are well coated in the sauce. When the whites of the shellfish look dyed red then you can start threading the skewers.

For this dish I’m using some wooden cocktail skewers, but you can use metal if you want. Just thread three prawns per skewer, which is always a winning number for an appetizer. In a way these are kind of like Korean inspired tapas. If you have lots of prawns you can make some shrimp guacamole spoons for a duo.

Frying the Korean Gochujang Prawn Skewers

Next, into a hot pan add the skewers and pour over a little bit of the Korean gochujang marinade, which should caramelize nicely. Remember shrimps cook extremely quickly, so just do 20-30 seconds a side. The worst thing is overcooked shellfish.

Korean Gochujang Prawn Skewers with white sesame seeds and chopped green onions

Finally it’s time to plate these delectable morsels. I garnish them with a bit of sesame seeds and chopped green onion, but of course you can change it up. You may notice that I left the tails on. You don’t need to do this, I just like it for appearance’s sake.

You might like these other tasty shrimp recipes:

gochujang marinated shrimp appetizer

Korean Gochujang Prawn Skewers

This easy recipe for delicious spicy prawns takes less than 10 minutes and will be a surefire hit at your next party!
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 4 minutes
Total Time 9 minutes
Course Appetizer, Tapas
Cuisine American, Asian, California Fusion, Korean
Servings 4 skewers
Calories 82 kcal

Equipment

  • Bowl
  • Pan
  • Wooden Skewers

Ingredients
  

  • 250 grams Prawns peeled, or your shrimp of choice
  • 2 tbsp Soy Sauce Korean preferred
  • 4 cloves Garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp Gochujang more or less to taste
  • 2 tsp Fish Sauce
  • 1 tsp Sugar
  • Sesame Seeds optional
  • Green onion chopped, optional

Instructions
 

  • In a bowl mix together all the ingredients except for the prawns/shrimps.
  • Add the peeled prawns and give everything a good mix. Let sit for 2-3 minutes.
  • Thread three prawns per skewer
  • In a hot pan lay down the skewers and pour over a little of the marinade which should caramelize around the prawns nicely. Cook for 20-30 seconds per side, and then remove.
  • Plate and garnish with some sesame seeds and chopped green onion.
Keyword Korean, Seafood, Shellfish, Shrimp
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