Tteokbokki (Korean Spicy Rice Cakes)

About This Recipe

Tteokbokki is arguably Korea's most famous street food -- cylindrical rice cakes (tteok) simmered in a thick, glossy sauce built from gochujang, gochugaru, sugar, and soy sauce until the sauce clings to every piece and thickens from the rice cakes' released starch. Found at literally every pojangmacha (street food cart) and dedicated tteokbokki restaurant across Korea, it's simultaneously a childhood snack and a late-night craving food for adults. The technique lives in the sauce and the rice cakes' texture: fresh or thawed frozen tteok need to be soaked briefly if hardened, then simmered directly in the sauce so they absorb flavor as they soften, releasing starch that naturally thickens the sauce into a glossy coating rather than a thin liquid. Fish cake (eomuk) sheets, cut into triangles, are added for savory depth and chew, and the whole pot is simmered until the sauce reduces to just the right sticky consistency -- not soupy, not dry. Served piping hot straight from the pan, often with a soft-boiled egg or cheese melted on top in modern versions, tteokbokki delivers an addictive combination of chewy, spicy, sweet, and savory that's made it one of Korea's most exported dishes internationally.

Ingredients

Serves 3

• 400 gcylindrical rice cakes (tteok)(fresh or thawed)
• 2 cupsanchovy stock or water
• 3 tbspgochujang
• 1 tbspgochugaru
• 1 tbspsoy sauce
• 2 tbspsugar
• 2 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2 sheetsfish cake (eomuk)(cut into triangles)
• 2 stalksscallions(cut into 4cm pieces)
• 2soft-boiled eggs(for serving, optional)
• 1 tspsesame seeds

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the rice cakes

   If tteok are hard or refrigerated, soak in warm water 10 minutes until pliable, then drain.

2. 2

   Make the sauce base

   Combine stock, gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, and garlic in a wide pan and whisk until smooth.

3. 3

   Simmer

   Bring to a boil over medium heat, then add rice cakes and fish cake. Reduce to a simmer.

4. 4

   Cook until glossy

   Simmer 12-15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the rice cakes are soft and chewy and the sauce has thickened into a glossy coating.

   Stir often -- the starch from the rice cakes can cause the sauce to catch on the bottom if left alone too long.

5. 5

   Finish

   Add scallions in the last 2 minutes of cooking.

6. 6

   Serve

   Top with sesame seeds and a soft-boiled egg if using, and serve immediately while hot.

Variations

• •

  Rabokki: add cooked ramyeon noodles in the last few minutes for a noodle-rice cake hybrid.

• •

  Cheese tteokbokki: top with shredded mozzarella and broil briefly until melted and bubbling.

• •

  Add sliced cabbage and boiled egg for a more filling, meal-style version common at Korean street stalls.

Storage

Best eaten fresh, as rice cakes harden significantly once cooled. Refrigerate leftovers up to 2 days and reheat with a splash of water over medium heat to loosen the sauce and soften the tteok again.

Frequently Asked Questions