Tteokbokki (떡볶이), or Korean spicy rice cakes, are tender and chewy rice cakes simmered in a deliciously savoury, spicy, and slightly sweet sauce. It is probably Korea's most popular street food. Once you taste the wonderful flavour of this homemade tteokbokki sauce, you will understand why it's the best!
The sauce has a wonderful umami and depth to it; not to mention a spicy / garlicky flavour combination that you will love. It has such an addictive flavour that soaks into the soft and pillowy rice cakes. This dish is a great example of traditional Korean comfort food. Best of all, it's quick and easy to make, and so easy to customize.
What is tteokbokki?
These spicy rice cakes, called tteokbokki in Korean, are a combination of chewy, pillowy rice cakes simmered in a tteokbokki sauce that is thick, savoury, and spicy with a touch of sweetness. This sauce has a base made of a Korean chili paste and soup stock, and the dish often features soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and thin, fried fish cakes.
Tteok (떡) translates to rice cakes and bokki (볶이) translates to something fried, making the translation of this word 'stir fried rice cakes'. You may also see it written as ddeokbokki, ddukbokki, dukbokki, or topokki.
This dish is an incredibly popular street food dish in Korea, found sold at many snack bars (bunsikjeom / 분식점) and street stalls (pojangmacha / 포장마차). You can also find restaurants dedicated to this dish; and it is commonly made at home. It can be enjoyed as either a side or a main dish.
Why is tteokbokki so famous? Well, it's absolutely delicious, affordable, readily available, quick and easy to make, and it has been portrayed so much in Korean dramas that the dish has become romanticized in a way.
If you love Korean food make sure to visit my Korean recipes category for more tasty recipes. For another Korean rice cake recipe, try my delicious Korean rice cake soup that is topped with amazing sesame beef brisket.
Ingredients
- Korean rice cakes - Tteokbokki is made with long, cylinder-shaped rice cakes called garae-tteok (가래떡), which get their chewy texture from the glutinous rice flour, rice flour, or combination of the two that they are made of. The type used in tteokbokki are the thin cylinder shaped ones cut into short pieces called tteokbokki-tteok (떡볶이떡). The thicker cylinder-type is meant to be sliced and used in dishes like tteokguk (rice cake soup). You can purchase rice cakes at Korean markets freshly made and soft (the best option) or refrigerated or frozen (these are good too; thaw before using).
- Korean pre-fried fish cake sheets - Called eomuk (어묵), these savoury, chewy fish cakes add extra flavour and protein to the dish. You can find them at Korean grocery stores fresh in the deli or frozen in the frozen food section. Many other Asian markets will carry them, as well.
- Korean anchovy soup stock - Called gukmul (국물), this is a common base ingredient used in Korean cooking, similar to Japanese dashi. It is a soup stock made from boiling anchovies and dried kelp that is used to add umami and depth of flavour to this dish. You can buy easy to use dry sachets to make this stock easily at home.
- Gochugaru - (고춧가루) This is Korean red pepper powder. The flavour is sweet, smoky, and spicy but not aggressively so. You can often choose to buy it in mild, medium, or hot depending on your preference. And it comes coarse or finely ground. I use fine but either is good to use.
- Gochujang - (고추장) This is a paste made from spicy chili powder (gochugaru), sticky rice, fermented soy bean powder, barley malt powder, and salt. It is savoury, spicy, and a little bit sweet.
- Sugar - You can use granulated sugar, raw sugar, or syrup.
- Soy sauce - This adds saltiness to the Korean spicy rice cakes.
- Garlic - An essential flavour in this dish.
- Sesame oil - An optional but delicious addition to add some sesame flavour. Toasted sesame oil is preferred by some.
- Sesame seeds - This garnish adds nutty flavour and a crunchy contrast in texture.
- Green onion - This garnish adds freshness and colour.
See the recipe card below for quantities.
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Optional, additional garnishes:
- Cheese - Add sliced or shredded mozzarella cheese on top after cooking and let it melt before digging in.
- Cabbage - Raw, shredded, and tossed in after cooking.
- Dumplings (mandu / 만두)
- Boiled eggs - Halved and served on top.
- Hot dogs
- Ramen noodles
- Seafood
Note: Korean isn't the only cuisine that uses these delicious, chewy rice cakes. You will love them in this Shanghai stir fried rice cakes dish with cabbage and tender chicken.
Substitutions
- Korean anchovy soup stock - You can substitute with Japanese dashi. Water, chicken stock, or vegetable broth could be used, however, it won't add quite the same depth of flavour (still tasty though).
Variations
- Vegetarian / Vegan - Swap the fish stock for vegetable broth. Make it without the fish cakes or substitute them with fried tofu pockets (yubu / 유부). If you want to make it vegan, make sure to use a vegan soy sauce as some manufacturers add non-vegan ingredients.
- Gluten-free - To make this dish gluten-free, ensure that you are using gluten-free soy sauce and a gochujang that contains sticky/glutinous rice and not barley malt; and omit the fish cakes.
- Less spicy - Use a mild gochujang (pepper paste) and omit the gochugaru to make a milder version of this dish.
- Rosé tteokbokki - Stir a ½ cup (120 ml) of heavy cream into the pan after finishing cooking. This will make a delicious and creamy version called rosé tteokbokki.
Instructions
If the rice cakes are freshly made and soft they do not need to be soaked. Otherwise, soak them in warm water for 10-20 minutes to rehydrate them a bit. Some rice cakes that have been refrigerated or frozen are very dry. These can be soaked for a few hours to overnight.
Cut the Korean pre-fried fish cake sheets into triangles.
Mix together the gochujang, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, and gochugaru in a small bowl. This is your tteokbokki sauce. Set it aside for now.
Boil the Korean anchovy soup stock in a large, deep pan or a pot over medium-high heat.
Add the tteokbokki sauce into the boiling soup stock. Give it a stir to mix it in.
Drain the rice cakes and add them along with the sliced fish cakes to the pan.
Cook for about 4-5 minutes until the rice cakes are cooked. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer for another 2-4 minutes. This will reduce and thicken the sauce.
Add the sesame oil and half of the sesame seeds and quickly stir. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the remaining sesame seeds and thinly sliced green onion. Serve them hot and fresh for the most tender and delicious rice cakes.
Storage
Tteokbokki is best eaten fresh because the rice cakes quickly dry out and harden. If you do store leftovers, keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Tteokbokki does not freeze well.
To reheat, put the tteokbokki in a pan and try to separate the pieces. The rice cakes will be tough and dry; you need to rehydrate them. Add ¼ cup (60 ml) broth or water to the pan and simmer covered, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
FAQ
If the rice cakes are freshly made and soft they do not need to be soaked. Otherwise, soak them in warm water for 10-20 minutes to rehydrate them a bit. Some rice cakes that have been refrigerated or frozen are very dry. These can be soaked for a few hours to overnight.
This can happen when rice cakes are overly dry or freezer burnt. They may have been thawed more than once. You can try to rescue them by placing in a bowl of cold water and slowly thawing in the refrigerator overnight.
The first mention of Korean stir-fried rice cakes was found in a 19th century cookbook. However, this spicy, modern version was invented in Seoul's Sindang-dong neighborhood in 1953. While involved with the opening of a Korean-Chinese restaurant, a Korean chef, Ma Bok Lim, accidentally dropped some rice cakes into the wrong sauce. This inspired her to create the gochujang-based sauce that is famous today.
Yes, this recipe can be made gluten-free if you use a gluten-free soy sauce and a gochujang that contains sticky/glutinous rice and not barley malt; and omit the fish cakes.
It is pronounced 'tuk'- 'boak' (like boat but with a k) - 'kee.'
📖 Recipe
Korean Spicy Rice Cakes (Tteokbokki)
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Side dishes
- Cuisine: Korean
Description
Tteokbokki (Korean spicy rice cakes) are chewy rice cakes simmered in a delicious, spicy sauce. Likely Korea's most popular street food!
Ingredients
1 pound Korean rice cakes
2 sheets Korean pre-fried fish cake sheets
3 ½ cups Korean anchovy soup stock
3 tablespoons gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
2 teaspoons gochugaru (Korean red pepper powder)
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
1 teaspoons sesame oil
1-2 stalks green onion, green part only, thinly sliced
Instructions
If the rice cakes are freshly made and soft they do not need to be soaked. Otherwise, soak them in warm water for 10-20 minutes to rehydrate them a bit. Some rice cakes that have been refrigerated or frozen are very dry. These can be soaked for a few hours to overnight.
Cut the Korean pre-fried fish cake sheets into triangles.
Mix together the gochujang, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, and gochugaru in a small bowl. This is your tteokbokki sauce. Set it aside for now.
Boil the Korean anchovy soup stock in a large, deep pan or a pot over medium-high heat.
Add the tteokbokki sauce into the boiling soup stock. Give it a stir to mix it in.
Drain the rice cakes and add them along with the sliced fish cakes to the pan. Cook for about 4-5 minutes until the rice cakes are cooked. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer for another 2-4 minutes. This will reduce and thicken the sauce.
Add the sesame oil and half of the sesame seeds and quickly stir. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the remaining sesame seeds and thinly sliced green onion. Serve them hot and fresh for the most tender and delicious rice cakes.
Notes
This recipe makes 2 servings as a main or 4 servings as a side.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 97
- Sugar: 7.6 g
- Sodium: 738.4 mg
- Fat: 6.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 69.1 g
- Protein: 15.6 g
- Cholesterol: 7 mg
Keywords: Korean spicy rice cakes, tteokbokki, ddeokbokki
Nick B says
This is a keeper for me. I was amazed that something so quick and simple to make could be so delicious and satisfying. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Asha says
Thanks so much, Nick! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Marie-Pierre Breton says
This looks fabulous! Could I use my smoked Spanish paprika instead of your Korean version??? I hate to build up too many spices in my pantry, knowing it needs to be eaten within a year or two. This looks like my type of comfort dish! Yum!
Asha says
Thank you! Unfortunately, these two spices are too different to be a good substitute. But it might make a tasty alternative dish 🙂
Bernice says
Ahhh! Thank you for this great recipe. We always order this when we go out for Korean and I have always wanted to try making it at home. It looks super easy and I have all the ingredients too.
Asha says
Thanks, it's one of my favourite Korean dishes too 🙂
nancy says
Korean rice cakes are one of my favourite snacks. I miss having them street side in Korea. This recipe is so easy to make and reminds me of my trip.
Asha says
Thank you. Definitely one of the best street food options out there! They are so tasty