K-pop star G-Dragon teamed up with McDonald’s on a gochujang butter menu in 13 Asian markets, starting in South Korea on Sept. 17. McDonald’s hasn’t announced a U.S. release.
K-pop fans in the U.S. have a new reason to be jealous of Asia, and this time it’s a burger.
McDonald’s and K-pop star G-Dragon launched a gochujang butter menu in 13 Asian markets, starting in South Korea on Sept. 17, 2026, per allkpop and Sporked.
Gochujang is a spicy, slightly sweet Korean red pepper paste. Mix it with butter and you get a sauce that’s rich, a little hot and a lot of people’s new obsession.
What is gochujang?
It’s a thick, fermented Korean chili paste made from red pepper powder, sticky rice, fermented soybeans and salt. It’s a key part of dishes like bibimbap, the rice bowl, and tteokbokki, the spicy rice cakes.
On its own, it’s salty, sweet and spicy all at once. Butter smooths out the heat, which is why the combo works so well on fried chicken.
Can you get the McDonald’s gochujang butter menu in the U.S.?
No. McDonald’s hasn’t announced a U.S. release, per Sporked.
The campaign covers 13 markets in Asia. South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan are among them, per Sporked. If you’re in the U.S., you’ll have to settle for photos, or a plane ticket.
What’s on the McDonald’s gochujang butter menu?
It depends on the country.
In South Korea, per allkpop:
McCrispy Gochujang Butter chicken sandwich
McSpicy Gochujang Butter sandwich
Gochujang butter sauce on its own, for dipping
In Hong Kong, per Time Out Hong Kong:
A Gochujang Butter K-Crispy Thigh Burger with a whole fried chicken thigh, a pineapple slice and romaine lettuce
Chicken McNuggets with gochujang butter dipping sauce
Shake Shake Fries in Korean barbecue and honey butter flavors
A Sweetheart Crunchy Oreo McFlurry
Salted Caramel Mini Churros
A Jeju Satsuma Nata de Coco soda
That pineapple on a spicy chicken thigh is doing a lot of work.
What did G-Dragon do for McDonald’s?
He’s the face of the campaign, and his brand is all over the packaging.
The boxes and bags carry designs from PEACEMINUSONE, G-Dragon’s fashion brand, with its signature daisy and heart graphics, per Sporked. Time Out Hong Kong says he helped develop the signature sauce.
There’s merch too. Limited-edition collectible cards, retro caps, metal pins and canvas tote bags rolled out in phases in late September, per Time Out Hong Kong.
McDonald’s Korea led the campaign before it expanded across Asia, per allkpop. A McDonald’s statement said it hoped “customers across Asia can enjoy the K-wave.”
Who is G-Dragon?
One of the biggest names in K-pop history.
G-Dragon is the leader of BIGBANG, the boy group that helped take K-pop global in the late 2000s. He’s also a solo star, a producer and a fashion icon. PEACEMINUSONE, his label, is a regular sight at fashion weeks.
Will McDonald’s bring gochujang butter to the U.S.?
Nobody’s said so. McDonald’s U.S. menu often borrows ideas from other countries, though, and its “Global Menu” promotions have brought over items like Spain’s Grand McExtreme and the Netherlands’ Stroopwafel McFlurry in the past.
So a U.S. version could happen someday. As of early October, though, nothing is planned that anyone has announced.
Where else can you get gochujang butter?
In your own kitchen, mostly.
Gochujang is easy to find in U.S. grocery stores now, usually in the Asian foods aisle. Mix a spoonful into softened butter and you’ve got something close.
It won’t come in a PEACEMINUSONE box, but your chicken nuggets won’t complain.
Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
allkpop (Sept. 2026), the 13-market campaign, the South Korea menu and McDonald’s statement
Time Out Hong Kong (Sept. 17, 2026), the Hong Kong menu, G-Dragon’s role in the sauce and the merch rollout
Sporked (Oct. 3, 2026), U.S. availability, packaging and the lead
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