This easy spicy tteokbokki recipe pairs chewy rice cakes with savory fish cakes in 20 minutes. Serve this fast snack as a comforting weeknight meal. It delivers a rich, sweet sauce with a milder sting.
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I fell in love with this cozy red comfort food after seeing it featured in so many Korean dramas. I still remember my first time trying Korean spicy rice cakes; they were packed with umami flavor but featured a fiery, tongue-on-fire spice. To make it tolerable for myself, I tested the sauce multiple times in my kitchen to perfect a less spicy version that keeps that exact savory flavor.
Why My Recipe Works
- Stops Rice Cakes From Cracking: Soaking fresh or refrigerated rice cakes in warm water warms them up slowly so they do not splinter or split in the hot sauce.
- Helps the Sauce Stick: Fresh rice cakes release natural starches that help the sweet, spicy sauce coat every single piece perfectly.
- Thickens the Sauce Perfectly: Simmering for the exact right time lets the starches thicken the liquid into a glossy sauce without making the cakes mushy.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Exact ingredient measurements are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Fresh or Refrigerated Korean Rice Cakes: These provide the main chewy, bouncy texture and soak up the sauce. Sub: Use frozen rice cakes and soak them for 20-30 minutes in lukewarm water so they hydrate and thaw completely to prevent splitting.
- Cold Water: Acts as the liquid base for your stock.
- Korean Fish Cakes: Add a tender, chewy texture and inject a rich seafood taste into the sauce. Sub: Thinly sliced fish balls.
- Dried Kelp: This boils in the water to create an instant stock. It adds a deep, savory umami base that makes the entire dish taste rich.
- Green Onions: Add a pop of color and a fresh, sharp flavor that breaks up the heavy, sweet sauce.
- Sesame Seeds: Add a tiny, nutty crunch to the final dish. Sub: Use ½ teaspoon sesame oil instead for a richer aroma.
Tteokbokki Sauce
- Gochujang: This thick red paste creates the sweet, smoky, and spicy base of the sauce. Buying a mild version keeps the heat level comfortable for your tongue.
- Regular Soy Sauce: Adds a salty, savory element that balances out the sweet sugar. Sub: Light or low-sodium soy sauce.
- White Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the sauce and cuts through the heavy chili heat to make the flavor profile balanced. Sub: cane sugar.
- Garlic: Adds a sharp, pungent aroma that deepens the overall savory flavor. Sub: Jarred minced garlic.
- Gochugaru: These Korean chili flakes provide the signature bright red color and add a clean, sharp layer of heat. Opt for fine flakes over coarse flakes, so they fully dissolve into the sauce.
Note: Asian ingredients are typically available at most Asian grocery stores, or you can check online retailers such as Amazon.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make tteokbokki:
- Soak the Rice Cakes: Soak refrigerated rice cakes in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes to prevent splitting. Skip this step if you use fresh rice cakes. Drain the water well and set the cakes aside.
- Mix the Sauce: Combine the listed sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk until the sugar dissolves completely. Set aside.
- Boil the Kelp Water: In a medium-sized non-stick pan, add water and dried kelp. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Combine the Sauce Base: Stir the prepared sauce mixture into the boiling kelp water. Mix until fully combined. Bring to a boil.
- Simmer the Ingredients: Add the rice cakes, sliced fish cakes, and green onions. Reduce the heat to medium for a steady simmer. Cook uncovered until the cakes turn soft and chewy and the sauce thickens.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove the pan from the heat source. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top. Serve immediately.
Expert Tips
- Check the spice labels: Buy a gochujang tub marked mild if you prefer less heat. Brands vary in spice levels, so checking the label prevents an intensely burning sauce.
- Slice fish cakes into triangles: Cut your fish cakes into triangles and slice your green onions into 2-inch pieces. Uniform sizes make the dish much easier to scoop up and eat.
- Stir the pan bottom constantly: Scrape the bottom of your non-stick pan with a spatula while the sauce simmers. Continuous movement prevents heavy starches from settling and burning on the stove.
- Buy cylinder-shaped rice cakes: Choose cylinder-shaped rice cakes rather than flat, thin discs. The thick cylinders hold their chew, whereas thin soup discs overcook too quickly in this recipe.
Variations
- Gluten-Free: Swap soy sauce for tamari. Ensure your gochujang (Korean chili paste) is certified gluten-free, as many commercial brands use wheat flour as a thickener.
- Cheese Tteokbokki: Melt a thick layer of shredded mozzarella cheese over the top of the dish during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Cover the pan with a lid so the cheese gets gooey.
- Rabokki (Ramen Style): Add 1 brick of instant ramen noodles and ½ cup (125 ml) extra water to the pan. Cook the noodles directly in the boiling sauce along with the rice cakes.
Storage & Reheating
- Fridge Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: Microwave leftovers for 2 to 3 minutes until hot. Or, reheat in a pan on medium heat with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
- Can you freeze it? Do not freeze this dish. The extreme cold turns the chewy rice cakes completely hard. This recipe is always best consumed immediately.
Pairing Suggestions
- Fried Mandu: Dip crispy Korean dumplings into the thick sauce to absorb the spicy glaze.
- Hard-Boiled Eggs: Slice boiled eggs in half and drop them directly into the warm sauce.
- Gimmari: Serve with crispy fried seaweed rolls to add a crunch that contrasts with the chewy rice cakes.
FAQ
How do you fix hard rice cakes?
Simmer the rice cakes directly in the sauce for an extra 5 minutes. If using frozen cakes, soak them in warm water for 30 minutes before cooking to soften the core.
Why is my tteokbokki sauce too watery?
The starch from the rice cakes needs time to thicken the liquid. Let the sauce bubble on medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes until it reduces into a glossy glaze.
Can you make this dish ahead of time?
Rice cakes absorb liquid quickly and turn mushy when stored in sauce. For the best texture, cook the sauce ahead of time but add the rice cakes just before serving.
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📖 Recipe
20-min. Easy Spicy Tteokbokki
This easy spicy tteokbokki recipe pairs chewy rice cakes with savory fish cakes in 20 minutes. Serve this fast snack as a comforting weeknight meal. It delivers a rich, sweet sauce with a milder sting.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups Korean rice cakes
- 2 cups water cold
- 1 cup Korean fish cake cut into 2" wide triangles
- 4 pieces dried kelp
- 2 green onion chopped into 1" long pieces
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds toasted kind
Sauce:
- ½ tablespoon gochujang mild kind
- 2 tablespoon regular soy sauce or light soy sauce
- 3 tablespoon white granulated sugar
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon gochugaru
Instructions
- Soak refrigerated rice cakes in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes to prevent splitting. Skip this step if you use fresh rice cakes. Drain the water well and set the cakes aside.
- Combine the listed sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk until the sugar dissolves completely. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized non-stick pan, add water and dried kelp. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Stir the prepared sauce mixture into the boiling kelp water. Mix until fully combined. Bring to a boil.
- Add the rice cakes, sliced fish cakes, and green onions. Reduce the heat to medium for a steady simmer. Cook uncovered until the cakes turn soft and chewy and the sauce thickens.
- Remove the pan from the heat source. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top. Serve immediately.
Enjoyed my recipe?Please leave a 5 star review (be kind)! Tag me on social media @christieathome as I'd love to see your creations!
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Nutrition
Calories: 689kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 1037mg | Potassium: 129mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 425IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg
Abbie
This looks amazing! I have some frozen rice cakes and have been looking for a recipe that isn't spicy so am definatly going to try this (with a few substitutes for the other Korean sauce ingredients as I don't have an Asian market anywhere near me). I just have a few questions before I make it:
What could I substitute the fish cakes with that I can get easily?
Can I freeze the spare portions?
If I was to add meat to this (such as chicken or pork), when would I add this and should it be fully cooked before adding?
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for your kind words, Abbie! To be clear, this recipe is still spicy but just less spicy than the original kind. If you want it less spicy, reduce the gochujang by half the amount and don't add gochugaru. You can always add more of these ingredients later after the sauce has simmered (do a taste test).
If you plan to use frozen rice cakes, soak them in warm water to acclimatize them for at least 15 mins or they will splinter in the hot bubbling sauce.
Fish cakes can be substituted with halved fish balls, sliced bacon, sausage, spam, chicken or pork for some depth. Just be sure to cook the meat through (no longer pink inside) and you can add it the same time you add the fish cakes.
I don't recommend freezing the leftovers as the rice cakes will turn hard even after reheating. Hope this helps!
Maryam
I don't have green onion can i leave that out?
Christie Lai
Yes!
Maryam
Can i leave the fish cake out?
Christie Lai
Yes but just note that the sauce will lack a depth of flavor to it. I would suggest flavoring the sauce with some chicken bouillon powder or oyster sauce.
Emma Cribb
My husband does not like fish. Do you recommend subbing something else for the fish cakes, or is it okay to just leave them out?
christieathome
You can substitute with fried tofu pockets. Most Asian grocers will carry these. Hope this helps!
Anna
For the sauce, "2 tablespoon regular soy sauce or sub with 3 tablespoon light soy sauce", is the light soy sauce here the same as low-sodium soy sauce?
My family is not into spicy things so this recipe it exactly what I'm looking for! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
christieathome
You're welcome! This recipe still has a kick but less spicier than the original Tteokbokki so if you're family really isn't into spicy things, I would add the gochujang to taste as you mix the taste. Light soy sauce is actually saltier than low-sodium soy sauce here in Canada. You may use light but I would add to taste as you combine the sauce.
Ruby
Delicious! My hubby and I tried tteokbokki and it was so good but also a little too spicy for us. This recipe is perfect, still has amazing flavor but a more manageable amount of spice. Everyone should try making this, it’s so so good!
christieathome
Hi Ruby! Thanks so much for making my tteokbokki! I'm so happy that you and your husband enjoyed this milder version of Korea's iconic dish. I appreciate your kind review. Have a lovely day!
MAHFOODHA
Hi.. lovely recipe.. I just wanted to enquire about the nutrition value .. is it per serving or is it for the full quantity?
christieathome
Hi there! Thank you so much! Yes it would be per serving. Hope this helps!
Julie
That was delicious, okay so I didn’t have fish cakes and the asian grocery store is super far, but I had some sausage and it was a great add, tasted fabulous with your sauce, thanks for sharing ☺️
christieathome
So happy to read this kind comment! I’m glad it worked out with some sausage instead! Thanks for making my recipe!
Toinetté
I'm vegetarian (ish), so I just omit the fishcakes and added some extra spinach instead.It had enough spice to be tasty, but not so much that I was left panting and I'm search of milk.
I added a splash of extra soya sauce and a dash of sesame oil at the end.
Very yummy!! I saved this recipe to use again.
Thank you!!!
Christie Lai
Thanks so much for making my recipe, Toinetté! So happy you enjoyed it with the omissions and substitutions 🙂
Liz
Ah yes, I tone down the heat for my husband too! lol
I have to make my rice cake softer because of my jaw and we don’t put fish cake. But, I’ll add cheese to my husband’s when he has a beer 🙂
I’ll definitely have to try it with the vegetable broth instead of just water—I’m on a high sodium diet so that will by help! I love spicy rice cakes.
christieathome
I hope you enjoy them! Always good with some beer and some cheese over top! YUM!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
Your tasty blend of spicy, sweet, and chewy in this dish serves up some real tastebud happiness. YUM!!
Sachiko Hagiya
This tteokbokki recipe was delicious!! As, someone who cannot handle spicy, it was a perfect mix of sweet and spicy:) The recipe was very easy to follow and quick to make! Thank you Christie for sharing this recipe with us!
christieathome
Thank you so much for making my recipe Sachiko! I am so glad you liked this mild version of my tteokbokki! Happy Holidays!
Never Ending Journeys
These rice cakes look so incredibly delicious! I love all of the different flavors and textures combined to make these - such a treat. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Kim Lange
Wow! This looks incredible Christie and I love it's vegetarian! Win-Win! Pinning! xo
Iris
Perfect amount of heat, saltiness and sweetness. This recipe is foolproof!
christieathome
Thank you Iris! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for making my recipe!
Nyasha
Lovely recipe! I always love to read other people make ddukbokki because there is always something different to others especially yours. I hope you can have a look and comment mine too here: http://nyamwithny.com/nyam-recipes-ddukbokki/ I always find it good to add sesame oil and sesame seeds.
The combination with bulgogi is so nice but I always find it better to be seperate however but love the post!
Tasia ~ two sugar bugs
Thanks for sharing all the process shots! It looks so delicious, I'll have to give this one a try!