Description
Tteokbokki is the most beloved Korean street food — chewy rice cakes simmered in a sweet-spicy gochujang sauce that coats them in a glossy, addictive red glaze. The rice cakes have a bouncy, chewy texture unlike anything in Western cooking, and the sauce is equal parts spicy, sweet, and savory. Fish cakes and boiled eggs are traditional additions.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 lb Korean rice cakes (tteok), soaked if dried
- 2 cups anchovy or kelp stock (or water)
- 3 tablespoons gochujang
- 1 tablespoon gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup or honey
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 ounces Korean fish cakes, sliced
- 2 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- If using dried rice cakes, soak in warm water for 20 minutes. Drain.
- In a wide skillet, combine the stock, gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, corn syrup, and garlic. Stir until the gochujang dissolves. Bring to a boil.
- Add the rice cakes. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for 8 to 10 minutes until the rice cakes are soft and chewy and the sauce has thickened into a glossy glaze.
- Add the fish cakes and green onions. Cook 2 more minutes.
- Serve in bowls with the hard-boiled eggs and sesame seeds.
Notes
- Fresh rice cakes from a Korean market have the best chewy texture. Frozen work well too — thaw before using.
- The sauce reduces and thickens as the rice cakes cook. If it gets too thick, add a splash of water.
- Tteokbokki should be eaten immediately — the rice cakes harden as they cool.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Korean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 16
- Sodium: 920
- Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 72
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 14
- Cholesterol: 125