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Introduction

Ganjang butter (간장버터) is not a bottled product but a beloved Korean flavor combination: soy sauce and butter melted together. Koreans grew up on ganjang butter bap, hot rice mixed with a pat of butter and a drizzle of soy sauce, often with a fried egg. The same salty-rich pairing shows up in butter-grilled squid at movie theaters and beaches, in café pasta and in stir-fried mushrooms. It is one of the easiest Korean sauces you can make, with just two main ingredients.

Ganjang Butter at a Glance

Quick facts

What it is: a quick sauce of melted butter and Korean soy sauce
Main ingredients: butter, soy sauce, often garlic, a little sugar or syrup, black pepper
Taste: salty, rich, nutty and savory with a slight sweetness
Main uses: butter rice, grilled squid, mushrooms, corn, potatoes, noodles

What is Ganjang Butter Made Of?

The base is equal parts butter and soy sauce by volume, adjusted to taste. Regular brewed soy sauce (jin-ganjang, see our ganjang guide) works best; soup soy sauce is too salty. Garlic is the most common addition, and a teaspoon of sugar, honey or rice syrup softens the salt and helps the sauce caramelize. For heat, Koreans add a pinch of gochugaru or chopped cheongyang chili.

Types of ganjang butter

Plain ganjang butter: just butter and soy sauce, for rice.
Garlic ganjang butter: with minced garlic, for mushrooms, shrimp and squid.
Sweet ganjang butter glaze: with honey or syrup, for corn, potatoes or chicken.
Spicy ganjang butter: with chili flakes or fresh chili.

What Does Ganjang Butter Taste Like?

It tastes deeply savory and rich, like a quick brown-butter sauce seasoned with soy. When it hits a hot pan, the soy sugars and butter solids toast together and smell nutty and slightly caramelized. It is comforting rather than complex, which is why it is so popular with kids and as late-night food.

Popular Korean Dishes That Use Ganjang Butter

Ganjang butter bap

Hot rice with butter, soy sauce and often a fried egg and roasted seaweed.

Ojingeo beoteo-gui

Squid grilled with butter and soy sauce, a classic snack with beer.

Beoseot beoteo-gui

Butter-soy mushrooms, often king oyster mushrooms. Recipe below.

Butter-soy corn and potatoes

Street and campsite snacks glazed with butter, soy sauce and a little sugar.

Easy Butter-Soy Mushroom Recipe (Serves 2)

Ingredients

10 oz (300 g) mushrooms: king oyster, shiitake, button or a mix
1 tsp neutral oil
1 green onion, chopped
Toasted sesame seeds and black pepper

Ganjang butter sauce

1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp honey, sugar or rice syrup
2 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

Wipe the mushrooms clean. Slice king oyster mushrooms into thick coins and score a crosshatch on one side; slice other mushrooms thickly.
Mix the soy sauce and honey in a small bowl.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms in a single layer and cook without stirring for 2 minutes, then flip and cook 2 more minutes until browned.
Lower the heat to medium, add the butter and garlic and stir until the butter foams and the garlic smells fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Pour in the soy mixture and toss for 30–60 seconds until glossy. Finish with green onion, sesame seeds and black pepper. Serve with rice or as a side dish.

Tip: Add the soy sauce last and on lower heat. Butter and soy sugars burn quickly, and burnt garlic turns bitter.

Where to Buy Ganjang Butter Ingredients

How to Store Ganjang Butter

Ganjang butter is best made fresh. You can mix softened butter with soy sauce and garlic into a compound butter, roll it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for 1 month, then slice off a coin whenever you need it. Leftover butter-soy mushrooms keep 2–3 days in the refrigerator.

Ganjang Butter FAQ

What is ganjang butter bap?

It is hot rice mixed with butter and soy sauce, a classic Korean comfort meal. Many people add a fried egg, sesame oil and crumbled roasted seaweed.

Should I use salted or unsalted butter?

Unsalted butter gives you more control, because soy sauce is already salty. If you use salted butter, reduce the soy sauce slightly.

Is soy butter sauce Korean or Japanese?

Both cuisines use it. In Korea it is known as ganjang butter and is especially linked to butter rice and grilled squid.

Can I make it dairy-free?

Yes. Use a plant-based butter or a mix of neutral oil and a few drops of sesame oil, though the flavor will be less rich.

Conclusion

Ganjang butter proves that a great Korean sauce can be as simple as two pantry staples. Use it on mushrooms tonight, then try it on rice with a mayak egg. If you love buttery soy flavors, you will also like our Korean soy garlic chicken sauce.

Korean Ingredients Guide

What is Ganjang Butter? Korean Soy Butter Sauce Explained (+ Easy Butter-Soy Mushroom Recipe)

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