This recipe for Tteokbokki showcases tender and chewy rice cakes coated in a flavorful sauce that combines sweetness, spiciness, and irresistible deliciousness in every mouthful. With its simplicity and addictive nature, these Korean rice cakes will quickly become your go-to comfort food for weekday meals.
What is Tteokbokki?
As the temperature drops, there’s nothing I desire more than indulging in a hot bowl of spicy Korean rice cakes to satisfy my taste buds
Tteokbokki, also known as topokki or ddukbokki, is a highly popular street food dish in Korea renowned for its vibrant red sauce and irresistibly addictive flavor.
Tteokbokki, which literally means “stir-fried rice cake,” features soft and chewy rice cakes along with fish cakes, all coated in a sweet and spicy chili sauce. This sauce is bursting with umami, delivering a delightful explosion of flavors with each mouthful.
As one of Korea’s beloved comfort foods, Tteokbokki is enjoyed both on the bustling streets of Seoul and in the cozy confines of home. Its preparation is quick and easy, requiring just a handful of ingredients.
Having cherished Korean rice cakes since my childhood, I’ve devoted extensive time in the kitchen to perfect this recipe. I’ve experimented with various variations to recreate the nostalgic taste of the food carts I frequented as a child.
This recipe is wonderfully straightforward and beginner-friendly, making it perfect for those venturing into Korean cuisine for the first time. As long as you have the necessary ingredients on hand, you’ll be able to create a fantastic dish at home.
This Korean rice cake recipe stays faithful to the traditional rendition, highlighting the rice cakes and fish cakes as the key components of the dish.
If you’re inclined towards a version that incorporates ramen noodles and additional toppings, you can explore the Rabokki recipe I previously shared on the blog.
What ingredients do I need to make Tteokbokki?
As mentioned previously, what makes this Tteokbokki recipe great is its simplicity and the use of basic ingredients, making it one of my favorite go-to meals for busy weekdays.
Here is a list of the ingredients you will need for Tteokbokki:
- Korean rice cakes (Tteok): This is the main component of the recipe. Fresh rice cakes are ideal, but packaged ones will also work well. The cylindrical stick-type rice cakes are commonly found in the refrigerated or frozen sections of Korean grocery stores. Refrigerated rice cakes need to be rinsed before cooking, while frozen rice cakes should be softened in warm water for about 10 minutes.
- Korean fish cakes (Eomuk): These are sold in sheet form and should be defrosted in hot water before being cut into bite-sized pieces. They can be found in the freezer section of Korean grocery stores, usually near the frozen dumplings. While fish cakes are traditional for this recipe, you can use only rice cakes if desired.
- Soy sauce, sugar, Gochugaru (Korean chili powder), garlic, honey, and Gochujang (Korean chili paste): These ingredients are used to make the sauce. It’s important to use Gochugaru in its fine powder form for this recipe.
- Anchovy stock or dashi: This is used to enhance the flavor of the dish. While water can be used as a substitute, using stock or dashi will result in a more flavorful outcome. If you don’t have traditional stock, unsalted chicken stock or a combination of regular chicken stock and water can be used as alternatives.
- Green onion (optional): This can be used as a garnish.
With these ingredients on hand, making Korean rice cakes (Tteokbokki) is a simple process that comes together quickly in just a few minutes in the pan.
I hope you find this Tteokbokki recipe easy and delicious.If you have any inquiries, feel free to leave a comment below or contact me on Instagram. Happy cooking, everyone!
How to Make Irresistible Spicy Korean Rice Cakes
INGREDIENTS
- 3 cups anchovy stock, dashi, unsalted chicken stock, or water (refer to notes below)
- 1 lb (450g) Korean rice cakes
- 2-3 sheets of Korean fish cakes, defrosted and cut into bite-sized pieces
- Green onion (optional), for garnish
Tteokbokki Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar (or 1 tablespoon for reduced sweetness)
- 1 tablespoon Gochugaru (Korean chili powder, adjust to desired heat level)
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons honey, rice syrup, oligo syrup, or your choice of liquid sweetener
- 3 tablespoons Gochujang (Korean red chili paste)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- In a small bowl, mix together the sauce ingredients.If your rice cakes are frozen, defrost them in warm water for 10 minutes before cooking.In a large pan over medium heat, add the stock and bring it to a boil.
- Add the rice cakes and sauce to the pan, and stir to combine.Cook for approximately 10 minutes until the sauce reduces.Add the fish cakes to the pan and cook for an additional 2 minutes.Garnish the dish as desired and enjoy!
