Korean Tteokbokki (Spicy Rice Cakes)

6K Shares

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure.

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!

korean rice cakes (pasta) in an orange sauce.

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.

Jump to:

What is Tteokbokki?
Why this tteokbokki recipe works
Ingredients for Korean spicy rice cakes
Variations and serving options
Step by step instructions
Expert tips to make tteokbokki
How to make vegan tteokbokki
Frequently Asked Questions
More favorite Korean recipes
Recipe
💬 Comments

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.

Want to Save This Recipe?

Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Went Here 8 This.

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

korean rice cakes soaking in a bowl. — **Step 1**: Soak the rice cakes in warm water for 10-15 minutes. This help get some of the starch out. Drain them.

clear liquid in a wok. — **Step 2:** Bring the water and dashi powder to a boil in a wok or a dutch oven.

a bowl of ingredients for a sauce. — **Step 3:** While your broth comes to a simmer, combine the gochujang, gochugaru, coconut sugar, soy sauce, onion and garlic in a small bowl and mix.

an orange sauce in a wok. — **Step 4:** When the broth starts to simmer, add the sauce mixture to the wok (or pot) and **bring back to a simmer**.

making tteokbokki in a wok. — **Step 5**: Add the rice cakes and fish cakes and bring back to a simmer.

rice cakes cooking in an orange sauce in a wok. — **Step 6:** Simmer, stirring often, until sauce is thickened, about 5-10 minutes. If you don't stir often, the rice cakes tend to stick.

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

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.
Make sure to stir the rice cakes regularly to prevent them from sticking while cooking.
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.

a bowl of korean rice cakes garnished with green onions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Korean rice cakes made of?

Korean rice cakes are typically made from a combination of rice flour and tapioca starch. The tapioca starch is what gives the rice cakes that nice chewy texture.

What do Korean rice cakes taste like?

On their own, Korean rice cakes just taste like plain white rice and have a bit of a chewy bite to them (thanks to the tapioca starch mentioned above). We dress them up with tteokbokki sauce to make this delicious recipe!

How do I store Korean rice cakes?

Leftover Korean rice cakes can be stored in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. However, note they are not very good left over. The rice cakes become mushy. They are edible, but the nice chewy bite of the rice cake starts to disintegrate.

Reheat leftovers in a microwave until warmed through. Add a touch of broth to loosen them. They will be softer and less saucier than the first day.

Can I freeze Korean rice cakes?

I do not recommend freezing Korean rice cakes.

More favorite Korean recipes

Create a Korean feast with these other favorite Korean recipes:

If you love this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below and let us know your favorite thing about it. We'd also love to connect on Instagram! Follow us at @went_here_8_this for awesome recipes and all sorts of fun food stuff 🙂