Korean Tteokbokki (Spicy Rice Cakes)

Korean Tteokbokki are an incredibly popular street food in Korea. Made with a sweet and spicy sauce, these spicy rice cakes are chewy and addictively delicious...…plus 100% super quick and easy to make in under 30 minutes!

This Tteokbokki recipe (or Korean rice cakes) is one of those must-make recipes.

The sauce is deliciously sweet and spicy, made with spicy Korean pepper paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar and other seasoning, like this rabokki, only without the cheese. The rice cakes are soft but chewy, and sooooo addictive once you try them.

I dare you to not fall in love with this Tteokbokki. This favorite Korean street food is seriously the ultimate late night snack food too. If you're into that kind of thing.

And if you're a gochujang fan like we are, you MUST try this amazing gochujang chicken or these Korean nachos.

What is Tteokbokki?

Tteokbokki, or spicy Korean rice cakes, is a popular Korean street food of rice cakes stir fried with a gochujang sauce (spicy fermented chili sauce). They are chewy, spicy and just addictively delicious with an umami punch.

Tteokbokki roughly translates to "stir fried rice cake."

And while we're on the subject of Korean food, you for sure need to try these Korean sweet potatoes (they're caramely and spicy and SO GOOD) and also these Hotteok (sweet Korean pancakes filled with brown sugar, spices and walnuts). Both extremely popular Korean snacks.

 Why this tteokbokki recipe works

• The rice cakes have the perfect amount of chewiness to make them totally addictive;
• The sauce is sweet, spicy and tangy -  like the sauce on these Pork Bulgogi Tacos or these Korean Cauliflower Wings.
• The spice level can be adjusted depending on the spiciness of the gochujang you purchase.
• The recipe is quick to make, and convenient, especially is using frozen rice cakes.

Ingredients for Korean spicy rice cakes

The rice cakes are made with pounded rice that is shaped into cylinders (or other shapes as you will find at the market). You can find frozen rice cakes at your local Asian grocery store. You can also use freshly made rice cakes if you can find them.

**Note I have used both the cylindrical and flat rice cakes for this recipe. Both work great and the instructions are the same. 

Korean fish cake is typically ground up fish pressed together with sugar, potato starch and vegetables. You should be able to find it at your local Asian market, usually in the refrigerated or frozen food section. If not, you can leave the fish cake out.

Dashi powder is a stock base made from dried kelp and is used often in Korean and Japanese cooking (we love it in this odeng soup).

Gochujang is a fermented Korean chili paste. Ranges from mild to very hot spice level. It adds heat a smokiness to a dish.

Gochugaru is Korean pepper powder. These have some spice, but are mostly just sweet and smoky.

The remaining ingredients are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

If you want to learn a little bit more, read about the basic Korean ingredients you need to start cooking Korean cuisine.

Variations and serving options

• Add in chopped cabbage and/or shredded carrots to the stir fry.
• You can also substitute anchovy stock (made from dried anchovies) for the dashi broth if you can find it. Traditional preparations do use anchovy stock.
• Top your tteokbokki with a fried or poached egg for extra richness (I LOVE doing this!). You can also serve with hard boiled eggs.
• Add a few slices of American cheese to the top when serving to make cheese tteokbokki.
• Add in Korean dumplings (mandu), fills balls, or ramen noodles to make a whole Korean casserole.
• Stir in some coconut milk or cream to make this a "rose tteokbokki." It also helps bring down the heat.
• Gochujang can be purchased in mild all the way to very hot versions. Buy according to your spice preference.
• For a milder version, leave out the Korean pepper flakes as well.

Step by step instructions

Remove from heat, drizzle with sesame oil and garnish with diced green onions and sesame seeds if desired. Add the hardboiled eggs or poached eggs at this point.

Expert tips to make tteokbokki

1. Soaking the rice cakes first helps to take out some of the starch and soften the rice cake before cooking. If using fresh rice cakes, you can skip this step.
2. Make sure to stir the rice cakes regularly to prevent them from sticking while cooking.
3. If you can't find the fish cake, you can leave it out. However, it does add a wonderful flavor to the recipe, so if you can find it I highly recommend using it.

Learn how to season a wok if this is your first time using a wok!

How to make vegan tteokbokki

To make this recipe vegan, omit the the fish cake and substitute the dashi powder and water with either just the water or a vegetable broth. You also want to check the ingredients for the gochujang to ensure there are no fish products used.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Create a Korean feast with these other favorite Korean recipes:

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