korean meatloaf with gochujang glaze

If you want to re-invent your meatloaf, Korean meatloaf with gochujang glaze is a great way to do it.

Think juicy pork, Korean spice and a ton of umami. There’s nothing not to like here.

This isn’t traditional Korean cooking. Not even close. It’s a Korean flavour freight train crashing into Americana. In a crazy, beautiful way.

Korean meatloaf takes a classic into delicious new territory

Maybe someday there will be an American style diner in Seoul. I can see it. It’ll be packed with trendy locals looking to try something new.

And this Korean meatloaf will be the signature dish. Netflix will make a movie. Foodies will love it.

Or maybe a Korean food truck in Los Angeles will make this famous. It will make the morning show on all networks.

OK – I don’t know. But I do know it’s hands down my favourite meatloaf recipe. Period.

Korean meatloaf with gochujang glaze is perfect when you want something new.

Truth be told, I am not a big meatloaf fan. It is really hard to make a good meatloaf. At least for me. Too dry. Too dense. Or too bland. No sauce. Or sauce that doesn’t work.

I have tried a bunch. Never found one that really works. Until now. It took Korean meatloaf to make me a believer.

ReKorean meatloaf with gochugang glaze sliced on a cutting board.

Gochujang glaze and mustard pickles

Gochujang is becoming one of my favourite ingredients. If you haven’t heard about it, think miso with chili.

Not a ton of chili.  Not super spicy at all. Just enough to wake things up. It’s worth seeking out.

The mustard pickled onions put it over the top. Don’t leave them out. It’s like horseradish with roast beef.

That little touch of zing just wakes everything up. I had my doubts the first time I tried it. I was wrong. Dead wrong.

Just make the leap of faith. I did. And I’m glad I did. I missed including them in the pictures.

Don’t read anything into that. This blog is about what I make for dinner. I was hungry. I forgot. Sorry…

Korean meatloaf with gochujang glaze. For when boring just doesn’t do it for you.

ReKorean meatloaf with gochugang glaze sliced on a cutting board.

Korean meatloaf with gochugang glaze in pan from above.
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4.69 from 63 votes

korean meatloaf with gochujang glaze

Korean meatloaf with gochujang glaze brings big Korean flavours to a blue plate family favourite.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Korean
Keyword gochujang glaze, korean meat loaf
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 561kcal
Author romain | glebekitchen

Ingredients

Korean meatloaf

  • 2 lbs ground pork
  • 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
  • 1 large onion - finely diced
  • 8 cloves garlic - crushed
  • 2 tbsp gochujang
  • 5 green onions - minced
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs - lightly beaten to combine
  • 2 tsp vegetable oil
  • sesame seeds to garnish if desired

Gochujang glaze

  • 3 tbsp apricot jam
  • 2 tbsp gochujang
  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1/2 tsp granulated garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

  • Pre-heat your oven to 350F.
  • Film a pan with the vegetable oil. Add the minced onions and cook slowly until translucent. This takes about 10 minutes. 
  • Add the garlic to onions and cook another 2 minutes. Remove the onion mixture from the heat, transfer to a bowl and place in the refrigerator to cool.
  • Combine the cooled onion mixture with the minced green onion, gochujang, eggs and kosher salt. Stir to combine thoroughly.
  • Put the ground pork and breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Add the onion gochujang mixture and mix gently. You want it evenly red. You don't want it packed into a brick. A light hand is what you are looking for here. 
  • Transfer the meatloaf mix to a 9.5 inch by 5 inch loaf pan (or free form it on a cookie sheet - your call).
  • Place the meatloaf in the oven. Cook until you get to an internal temperature of 140F, about 40 minutes. Pros use instant read thermometers. You should too.
  • While the meatloaf cooks make the glaze. Combine all the ingredients and stir thoroughly.
  • When the meatloaf reaches 140F remove it from the oven and spoon the glaze overtop evenly. 
  • Return the glazed meatloaf to the oven and cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 160F. This takes somewhere around 10-15 minutes. Try not to overshoot. Overcooked meatloaf is dry meatloaf. Nobody likes that. Serve with mustard pickled onions.

Notes

This recipe is adapted from KFood by Da-hae and Gareth West. If you are getting into Korean food, KFood is a super interesting take on it. 

Nutrition

Serving: 6servings | Calories: 561kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Sodium: 1111mg | Potassium: 603mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 230IU | Vitamin C: 8.3mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 2.8mg
Korean meatloaf with gochugang glaze in pan from above.
Print Pin
4.79 from 28 votes

mustard pickled onions

This doesn't sound Korean. It doesn't taste Korean. But it goes unbelievably well with this Korean meatloaf. Makes no sense but it totally works.
Course condiment
Cuisine Korean
Keyword pickled onions
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 10 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 82kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 large white onion - thinly sliced. About 3 cups worth.
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup dry English mustard - Keens or Colemans

Instructions

  • Soak the onion in cold water for 5 minutes. Drain well.
  • Heat the rice wine vinegar and sugar over low heat, stirring regularly until the sugar has dissolved completely. No need to let it come to a boil. As soon as the sugar melts, you're done.
  • Let the rice wine vinegar mixture cool. Then stir in the mustard. 
  • Toss the mixture with the onions. Let it stand 6-8 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator. Do not taste it immediately. Just don't do it. The mustard is hot. It mellows as it stands but at first it will blow a hole in the back of your head. Think about the last time you had too much wasabi. Same effect exactly.

Nutrition

Serving: 6servings | Calories: 82kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Sodium: 119mg | Potassium: 41mg | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin C: 1.5mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.2mg

46 thoughts on “korean meatloaf with gochujang glaze”

  1. 5 stars
    Making it a second time because I just couldn’t get it out of my head. I used a peach jam instead of apricot and it was still lovely. Spot on with the onions, I have not had them before and now would not have it without.

    Reply
  2. 5 stars
    I made this tonight, I had ground beef so used that….
    My husband liked it…. It smelt fantastic whilst in the oven…. I thought it was ok…. My husband liked it…. It wasn’t horrible!!!

    Reply
    • This recipe is all about the pork. I would think it would be dry and have an odd texture if you used beef. Glad your husband liked it anyway. Maybe try it again with pork?

  3. 5 stars
    Seriously, wow! I made this for dinner and it was absolutely amazing! I made it gluten free so here is how I adjusted the recipe. I only used one egg and about 1/4 cup of gluten free bread crumbs. I also used a pound of pork and a pound of ground turkey breast. The meatloaf did take longer to cook in my oven than the suggested time but of course oven temps vary. When done I put a slice of meatloaf on a gluten free hamburger bun with some mayonaise and topped with shredded cabbage/carrots. I’m definitely making this again. Thanks for the yummy recipe!

    Reply
    • You are very welcome. Delighted you enjoyed it. I try to check my oven temp with an IR gun but yes, my oven does tend to run a little hot.

  4. 5 stars
    We love this recipe! We make it really often. It’s great in a sandwich for the leftovers. We always double the sauce. We have had this with mashed potatoes and we have had it with jasmine rice. I saw the comment about doing burgers with this and that is next on my list, what a fantastic idea! For tonight, it’s the meatloaf 😊

    Reply
  5. 5 stars
    Oh WOW was this delicious. The only thing I did differently was to use a combination of 1 lb. pork and 1 lb. 93% lean ground turkey (only because the pork seemed awfully fatty and I wanted to mix in something a bit leaner). This recipe has the perfect level of spiciness and wonderful flavor. I doubled the sauce to have extra to drizzle on once it was sliced and I’m thinking the sauce would also be great on Korean fried chicken. I love finding great new recipes and this is definitely a keeper! Thank you!

    Reply
    • I never thought about using the glaze on KFC. Thank you for the inspiration. And delighted you enjoyed it!

  6. 5 stars
    I dont usually leave comments for recipes, but my whole family LOVE this one. Its been my husband favorite for a while now.

    I recently made this into burger patties to grill, and it turned out just as delish as meatloaf.

    Reply
    • Thank you for leaving a comment. It is really appreciated. But even more appreciated is your burger patty idea. That is going to be dinner here this week!

  7. I have this on my meal plan for tonight. Looks amazing. What are you serving with it (besides the onions) for sides? Thanks!

    Reply
    • I’d do a nice green salad before and the main as a standalone dish for a dinner party. If you want moe on the plate maybe think of your banchan of choice?

  8. 5 stars
    My family loved this. I prepped it in the morning then my spouse baked it in the afternoon while I was at work, Served with Turmeric Garlic Quinoa and Dilled carrots

    Reply
    • Google says marmalade can stand in for apricot jam but I’m not entirely convinced. Sorry – I really cannot think of anything…

  9. I have this on my meal plan for next week, I just bought the stuff for it, mustard pickled onions included. It sounds delicious, I’ll let you know how it turns out! Thank you so much!

    Reply
  10. 5 stars
    I have to admit I was skeptical about the time but it worked! Such a great recipe. Cooked it according to the recipe and it came out great. New favorite for the rotation!

    Reply
  11. About to try this for the first time. I bought gochujang sauce but wonder if I was suppose to buy the paste? I will update how we liked it when we taste it.

    Reply
  12. Can’t wait to try this do you by chance have an adoptions for an instapot?? I also like to make my loads in a slow cooler but this recipe is on the menu this week

    Reply
    • I don’t cook using a slow cooker. Don’t have any idea how you might make a meatloaf in a slow cooker I’m afraid.

  13. 5 stars
    I made this into meat balls. To blend the gochujang well prior to adding to the meat I put the 2 eggs and gochujang in a mini prep food processor and blended it well. That made it easy to blend with the meat. I used a med cookie scoop for the meat balls.

    For the sauce I quadrupled it but only used a splash of rice vinegar as I love rice vinegar but not in sauces. This was an ambitious recipe for me to try as my husband does not like spicey so for the sauce, I only used 2T of the gochujang paste for a quadrupled recipe. I also added ginger to the sauce.

    I made basmati rice, topped it with steamed broccoli and the meatballs and drizzled sauce on top.

    Slightly labor intensive for me because I did a few extra steps including grinding my own pork.

    Reply
  14. 5 stars
    Hi, I can’t wait to try this recipe. I found it on pinterest and couldn’t stop rolling over to other of your recipes . I registered for your emails and am looking forward to getting them. I sent the meatloaf recipe to my son-in-law who went to culinary school and he can’t wait to try it. We all like spicy Korean and other asian recipes. Gochujang was a great discovery and have used it in many recipes. I am going to make the mustard pickled onions to go with the meatloaf. I’m 75 yrs young and love to cook. I live alone and have to cut most of the recipes at least if not more in half. I’ve been cooking since I was a kid. My mother taught me all she knew about cooking so I wouldn’t starve if I didn’t get married she said. I married and still did most of the cooking. I’m looking forward to more from you, DAN

    Reply
    • 75 years young and completely unstoppable I think. You are exactly why I do what I do here and I can’t help but think we are kindred spirits. Hope you find lots to enjoy here!

  15. 4 stars
    This is a super yummy recipe and definitely a keeper!i have made it a couple of times and it seems really dense. Not sure if I did something wrong? i like meatloaf to have a softer texture. Can you suggest what might work for this recipe? I am thinking a liquid like catsup or something.

    Reply
    • Are you overworking your meat mixture when you mix it? A light hand at this stage to keep things a little loose is what I find contributes the most to keeping it from getting dense.

    • Glad you liked it! I mean dry English mustard. I’ve clarified in the recipe. Thank you for pointing that out.

  16. 5 stars
    A solid recipe, but a few things…
    When I first looked at the recipe, I thought there’s no way the meat loaf would reach 140 degrees in 40 minutes. I was right. 20 more minutes and still under 120. I bumped the oven temp to 375. 15 minutes more it finally hit 140. Ten more minutes with the glaze on and I got to 160. So next time, I’ll start the loaf at 375. And yes, I know my oven temperature settings are accurate.
    While the recipe doesn’t call for it, I also prepped the loaf pan with cooking spray. I also took the ground pork out of the fridge about an hour before blending it in with the other ingredients. That way the meat loaf didn’t go into the oven super-cold.
    As a side dish, I made simple basmati rice steamed with broccoli. Unfortunately, because the recipe took waaaayyy longer than described, the broccoli was no longer crisp by the time the meat loaf was ready.
    Lastly, is it just me, or does the picture suggest the loaf was sprinkled with sesame seeds afterwards??? There’s no reference to that in the recipe itself.

    Reply
    • Glad you enjoyed it and sorry the timing didn’t work out for you. The timing does work for me. Perhaps it’s time for me to get my oven calibrated…

      Yes, those are sesame seeds. I used those to make sure the camera caught focus correctly when I took the picture. I’ve added a reference to the recipe as an optional garnish.

  17. 5 stars
    Excellent but changed up a little. Made with 3lbs ground beef, added 1 3/4cups planko, 2 tbls Worcestershire, 3 tbls sweet chilli sauce, 3 tbls ChowChow relish, garlic, onion. This is my meatloaf recipe for ever.

    Reply
    • Awesome! I love it when people tweak things to make the recipe their own. Chow chow is one I have never thought of but I like it!

  18. 5 stars

    This was wonderful!we will make again,followed recipe as is ,I don’t thick any change would make it better thanks.I did double glaze to serve with rice and made stir fried bock choy and salad.

    Reply
    • I hope you like it. Ultimately it’s meatloaf so you can treat it that way. I like it with a small green salad and a bit of crusty bread personally. It is also incredible sliced and served cold in a sandwich. Maybe with a little gochu mayo and some cilantro…

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