Tteokbokki (Spicy Rice Cakes)

Korean tteokbokki recipe.

Tteokbokki is one of the most popular Korean street foods in Korea. Among other things, today’s recipe is made with Korean rice cakes, Korean fish cakes, Korean soup stock / dashi stock and gochujang (Korean chili paste)!

It’s super delicious, umami rich and highly addictive! So much so that even if your tummy is full, you will still have some room for these spicy rice cakes! 😉

Tteokbokki / Ddeokbokki / Dukbokki (떡볶이) is definitely one of my favorite foods. It has all the elements to be liked. The texture, the sauce and the easiness! ❤️

Also, it comes in almost endless variations. As an example, I already shared four other tteokbokki recipes on my website. So here they are in case you need more choices!

• No fuss super easy tteokbokki - This version does not use Korean soup stock/dashi stock. It means two things. Less steps involved, so it’s easier & faster. But it may lack depth of flavor because it’s cooked with water instead of the soup stock. (It’s still delicious though!) So it’s a great recipe when you need a quick tteokbokki fix. Also, some people commented that they like this recipe, because the sauce is not too soupy. It’s cooked like rice cake stir fry. [Check out the recipe - Easy Spicy Rice Cakes]
• Non-spicy tteokbokki / Soy sauce tteokbokki / Ganjang tteokbokki - If you don’t handle spicy food very well or at all, this might be a better option for you. It’s also a korean royal court cuisine. Intrigued? [Check out the recipe - Gungjung Tteokbokki]
• Rabokki - Yes, this is a thing! Rabokki is the combined words of ramen/ramyun + tteokbokki. Instant noodles are an additional bonus for volume, flavor and texture! [Check out the recipe - Rabokki]
• Rose Tteokbokki - This fancy-sounding tteokbokki doesn’t include any rose as an ingredient. Instead, this dish is made of rice cakes in a spicy, sweet, and creamy sauce. It is not as fiery, offering a mild, creamy flavor that even those who are not used to spicy dishes can enjoy. People rave about its deliciousness! [Check out the recipe - Rose Tteokbokki]

Now that general basis is covered, let’s talk more about today’s tteokbokki.

In my mind, today’s recipe is prepared in a more traditional way. When I say traditional, many Koreans make tteokbokki this way. Using Korean soup stock / dashi stock.

And, don’t worry. It’s very easy to make it as well. Here’s my guide to how to make Korean soup stock. This super versatile stock can be made ahead of time. It can also be frozen too. So after all, traditional tteokbokki is just as easy and quick to make! Also, note - you can make a soup stock with these pre-packaged ingredients too. Just boil with water.

One thing I really like about today’s recipe is that it’s saucy. I know some people don’t like this style but I do! So if you cooked other dishes (e.g. pan fried Korean dumplings or Korean style tempura) along with this tteokbokki, you can dip them into the sauce and eat them.

Wondering what’s the whole point of this? Well, nothing really. It’s just how Koreans like to eat Tteokbokki. With lots of pan fried / deep fried dishes! When these are mingled with tteokbokki sauce, they just taste even better!

Anyway, I hope you give this recipe a try and let me know how you go! Enjoy!

P.S. These are great companion dishes to serve with tteokbokki:- Korean fish cake soup and Deep fried seaweed rolls

P.P.S. If you need additional help, don’t forget to check out my video instruction below.

Ingredients for Tteokbokki (Serves 2)

Main

• 350g / 12 ounces Korean rice cakes, separated
• 150g / 5.3 ounces Korean fish cakes, rinsed over hot water & cut into bite size pieces
• 2 cups Korean soup stock (dried kelp and dried anchovy stock), use this recipe
• 60g / 2 ounces onion, thinly sliced

Tteokbokki sauce (Mix these in a bowl)

• 3 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp raw sugar
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)

Garnish

• 1 tsp roasted sesame seeds
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 stalk green onion, finely chopped

*1 Tbsp = 15 ml, 1 Cup = 250 ml

**If you want to learn more about Korean ingredients, check my 30 essential Korean ingredients list.

How to Make Tteokbokki

1. Soak the rice cakes in warm water for 10 minutes. (If you are using fresh rice cakes that are already tender, feel free to skip this step. However, if you are using packaged rice cakes from the fridge, it is recommended to soak them to enhance their moisture level before proceeding with the recipe.)

2. Boil the soup stock in a shallow pot over medium high heat and dissolve the tteokbokki sauce by stirring it with a spatula. Once the seasoned stock is boiling, add the rice cakes, fish cakes and onion. Boil them a further 3 to 5 mins until the rice cakes are fully cooked. Then, to thicken the sauce and to deepen the flavor, simmer it over low heat for a further 2 to 4 mins.

3. Add the sesame oil, sesame seeds, and green onion then quickly stir. Serve warm.

How to Store Tteokbokki

Leftover tteokbokki can be refrigerated for a day or two. When reheating, add some spare soup stock or water. Though it won’t be as saucy as the first time.

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