Korean green chili pickles are an easy and delicious Korean side dish that has a sweet and sour flavor and crunchy texture.
For extra Korean flavor, these pickled chilies can be seasoned with spicy Korean chili sauce. These are so addictive! They will become your new favorite pickled dish!
Korean green chili pickles (고추 장아찌, Gochu Jangajji) are a popular Korean side dish all year round. Though these are particularly popular during the summer months because when you don’t have much appetite due to the hot and humid weather, these pickles can help you bring your lost appetite back!
Pickled chilies are so easy to make but you do need a little bit of patience while they go through a pickling process. This can take between 3 days to a week depending on how you prepared your chilies.
When the pickled chilies are ready, they can be served with cooked rice, other Korean side dishes or with Korean BBQ. You can also pair them with your favorite hot dog or subs.
My favorite way of serving is mixing these chili pickles with spicy Korean chili sauce after they’ve gone through the pickling process. This spicy Korean chili sauce has a very similar taste to a dressing I used in my cucumber soba noodles and I tell you, this combination is simply THE BEST!
It’s spicy, tangy, nutty and addictive! You’ve got to try your green chili pickles in this “completely optional but necessary sauce”.
When I was growing up, I never understood why my mum would eat these kinds of chili pickles, but boy, they are seriously delicious! They will steal your boring bowl of rice away in no time. Yum!
Ingredients for Korean Chili Pickles
Main
- 350g to 450g (0.8 to 1 pound) Korean green chilies (or your choice of non-spicy green chilies)
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup sugar
(Optional) spicy Korean chili sauce – These are enough for 10 to 15 pickled chilies.
- 1 Tbsp Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
- 1 tsp Korean chili paste (gochujang)
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp green onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp roasted sesame seeds
* 1 Tbsp = 15 ml, 1 Cup = 250 ml
**If you want to learn about Korean ingredients, check my essential Korean cooking ingredients list.
How to Make Chili Pickles
1. Rinse the chilies in cold running water. Trim off the stems with a pair of scissors. With a toothpick (or other sharp pointed object), make some random holes around each chili. (I typically make 6 to 8 holes per chili. This is to help with sauce absorption). Alternatively, you can chop the chilies into small pieces (about 3 cm/1 inch) without making the holes.
2. Combine the soy sauce, water, vinegar and sugar in a saucepan and boil until the sugar dissolves (about 5 mins) on medium high heat. Whisk occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and cool it down (about 10 mins).
3. Tightly stack the chilies (without crushing them) in a glass jar suitable for pickling then pour the brine over them. Seal the lid and leave it at room temperature for 24 hrs. Transfer the jar to the fridge. For small sized chilies, you can start eating them 72 hrs after making them. For larger sized chilies, you can start eating them one week after making them.
If you want some extra Korean flavour, mix the pickled green chilies with the spicy Korean chili sauce (optional ingredients mentioned above) in a bowl just before serving.
Note
- Before you close the lid (in step 3), you can add a small bowl (that would fit in your jar) or a bag of pebble stones to press down the chilies. This may help the initial pickling process to happen faster and also it may help your chilies to stay more sterile. However, I don’t always do this and my pickles have been fine. So I’ll leave it up to you.
- Some Koreans boil the brine 24 hrs after the pickling process has begun. This is to make the pickled chilies last longer (e.g. a few months to a year). However, I don’t practice this because I know we will finish these chilies within a few weeks. By all means, if you want, you can boil the brine twice. Simply, drain the brine out, boil and cool down. Pack the chilies again into a clean jar then pour the brine back into the jar. Store in the fridge.
- When you bite the pickled chilies (with holes), watch out for the brine squirting out through the holes. It can ruin your clothes. 😉
- Any leftover pickling sauce in a jar can be used to accompany your favorite Korean pancakes or dumplings. Use it as a dipping sauce.
Other Quick Pickle Recipes
If you love pickles, you should try these recipes. They are so easy to make and make a great side dish to any Korean meal!
Korean Green Chili Pickles
Ingredients
MAIN
- 350 - 450 g Korean green chilies (0.8 to 1 pound), or your choice of non-spicy green chilies
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup sugar
(OPTIONAL) SPICY KOREAN CHILI SAUCE – THESE ARE ENOUGH FOR 10 TO 15 PICKLED CHILIES.
- 1 Tbsp Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
- 1 tsp Korean chili paste (gochujang)
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp green onion (finely chopped)
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Rinse the chilies in cold running water. Trim off the stems with a pair of scissors. With a toothpick (or other sharp pointed object), make some random holes around each chili. (I typically make 6 to 8 holes per chili. This is to help with sauce absorption). Alternatively, you can chop the chilies into small pieces (about 3 cm / 1 inch) without making the holes.
- Combine the soy sauce, water, vinegar and sugar in a saucepan and boil until the sugar dissolves (about 5 mins) on medium high heat. Whisk occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and cool it down (about 10 mins).
- Tightly stack the chilies (without crushing them) in a glass jar suitable for pickling then pour the brine over them. Seal the lid and leave it at room temperature for 24 hrs. Transfer the jar to the fridge. For small sized chilies, you can start eating them 72 hrs after making them. For larger sized chilies, you can start eating them one week after making them. If you want some extra Korean flavor, mix the pickled green chilies with the spicy Korean chili sauce (optional ingredients mentioned above) in a bowl just before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Info (per serving)
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
