Tteokbokki Recipe (AKA Spicy Korean Rice Cakes)

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Tteokbokki are an incredibly popular street food in Korea. Made with a sweet and spicy sauce, the Korean rice cakes are chewy and addictively delicious...…plus 100% super quick & easy to make in under 30 minutes!

This Tetokbokki recipe (or Korean rice cakes) is one of those must-make recipes. I don't care if you've never heard of them before, it's time to get learning.

The sauce is deliciously sweet and spicy, made with spicy Korean chili paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar and other seasoning. The rice cakes are soft but chewy, and sooooo addictive once you try them.

I dare you to not fall in love with this Tteokbokki. This is seriously the ultimate late night snack food too. If you're into that kind of thing.

What is Tteokbokki?

Tteokbokki, or spicy Korean rice cakes, is a popular Korean street food of rice cakes stir fried with a gochujang sauce (spicy fermented chili sauce). They are chewy, spicy and just addictively delicious.

Tteokbokki roughly translates to "stir fried rice cake."

And while we're on the subject of Korean street food, you for sure need to try these Korean sweet potatoes (they're caramely and spicy and SO GOOD) and also these Hotteok (sweet Korean pancakes filled with brown sugar, spices and walnuts).

The Ingredients

The rice cakes are made with pounded rice that is shaped into cylinders (or other shapes as you will find at the market). You can find them at your local Asian grocery store, or buy rice cakes online.

**Note I have used both the cylindrical and flat rice cakes for this recipe. Both work great and the instructions are the same. 

Fish cake is typically ground up fish pressed together with sugar, potato starch and vegetables. You should be able to find it at your local Asian market, usually in the refrigerated or frozen food section. If not, you can leave the fish cake out.

Dashi powder is a stock base made from dried kelp and is used often in Korean and Japanese cooking. Buy Dashi powder.

Gochujang is a fermented Korean chili paste. Ranges from mild to very hot spice level. It adds heat a smokiness to a dish. Learn a little more about gochujang and how to cook with it in this article from The Kitchn. Buy Gochujang.

Gochugaru is Korean chili flakes. These have some spice, but are mostly just sweet and smoky. Buy Gochugaru. (affiliate link)

The remaining ingredients are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

If you want to learn a little bit more about read about the basic Korean ingredients you need to start cooking Korean cuisine.

 Why This Recipe Works

1. The rice cakes have the perfect amount of chewiness to make them totally addictive;
2. The sauce is sweet, spicy and tangy -  like the sauce on these Pork Bulgogi Tacos or these Korean Cauliflower Wings.
3. The spice level can be adjusted depending on the spiciness of the gochujang you purchase.

Step By Step Instructions

Step 1: Soak the rice cakes in warm water for 10-15 minutes. This help get some of the starch out. Drain them.

Step 2: Bring the water and dashi powder to a boil in a wok or a dutch oven.

Step 3: While your broth comes to a simmer, combine the gochujang, gochugaru, coconut sugar, soy sauce, onion and garlic in a bowl and mix.

Step 4: When the broth starts to simmer, add the sauce mixture to the wok (or pot) and bring back to a simmer.

Step 5: Add the rice cakes and fish cakes and bring back to a simmer.

Step 6: Simmer, stirring often, until sauce is thickened, about 5-10 minutes. If you don't stir often, the rice cakes tend to stick.

Remove from heat, drizzle with sesame oil and garnish with green onion.

Variations

• Add in chopped cabbage and/or shredded carrots to the stir fry;
• You can also substitute anchovy stock for the dashi broth if you can find it. Traditional preparation use anchovy stock.
• Top your tteokbokki with a fried or poached egg for extra richness (I LOVE doing this!);

Expert Tips

1. Soaking the rice cakes first helps to take out some of the starch and soften the rice cake before cooking;
2. Make sure to stir the rice cakes regularly to prevent them from sticking while cooking;
3. If you can't find the fish cake, you can leave it out. However, it does add a wonderful flavor to the recipe, so if you can find it I highly recommend using it;
4. Gochujang can be purchased in mild all the way to very hot versions. Buy according to your spice preference.

Learn how to season a wok!

How to Make Vegan Tteokbokki

To make this recipe vegan, omit the the fish cake and substitute the dashi powder and water with either just the water or a vegetable broth.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Favorite Korean Recipes

Create a Korean feast with these other favorite Korean recipes:

• Kimchi Fried Rice;
• Marinated Korean Beef;
• Korean Beef Nachos with Wonton Chips;
• Korean Baby Back Ribs;
• Sweet Korean Pancakes;
• Browse ALL the Korean Recipes!

Did you make this Korean Rice Cake recipe? Leave a comment below and let me know how they turned out!

This recipe was originally published in May 2018. It has been updated for content and photos.