Chewy rice cakes and savory fish cakes simmer in a rich, sweet, and spicy sauce. This easy tteokbokki recipe is ready in just 20 minutes. It has the classic savory flavor with a milder level of heat.
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Tteokbokki (dukbokki, 떡볶이), also known as spicy stir-fried rice cakes, is a popular Korean street food made with chewy rice cakes simmered in a spicy-sweet gochujang sauce, often with fish cakes and sometimes hard-boiled eggs. It's often served as a snack or light meal with crispy mandu or gimmari for dipping into the sauce. The name roughly translates to "stir-fried rice cakes," with "tteok" meaning rice cake and "bokki" referring to stir-frying.
I fell in love with this cozy red comfort food after seeing it featured in so many Korean dramas, and I still remember my first bite being packed with savory flavor but almost unbearably spicy. After making it at home many times, I adjusted the sauce to keep that rich, savory flavor while making the heat much milder so I can enjoy it without burning my tongue!
Why It Works
- Properly softened rice cakes: Soaking refrigerated rice cakes before simmering helps them cook up soft and chewy without splitting.
- Natural rice starch: As the rice cakes simmer, they release starch that thickens the liquid into a glossy sauce that clings.
- Kelp-based stock: Simmering dried kelp in the water gives the spicy-sweet sauce a deeper umami flavor.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Exact ingredient amounts are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Korean Rice Cakes (Tteok): Use fresh or refrigerated cylinder-shaped rice cakes rather than thin soup-style discs so they stay chewy during simmering. Find them in the refrigerated section at Korean grocery stores. Frozen rice cakes also work; soak them in warm water for 20-30 minutes before cooking.
- Water
- Korean Fish Cake Sheets (Eomuk): Find them in the refrigerated or frozen section at most Korean grocery stores. Thinly sliced fish balls also work as a substitute.
- Dried Kelp: Simmer this in the water to make a quick savory stock for the sauce.
- Green Onions
- Toasted Sesame Seeds: If unavailable, toast raw sesame seeds in a dry pan until golden.
Tteokbokki Sauce
- Gochujang: A sweet, spicy, fermented Korean red chili paste available in different heat levels. Use a mild gochujang for a less spicy sauce.
- Regular Soy Sauce: Light soy sauce or low-sodium soy sauce also works.
- White Granulated Sugar: Cane sugar also works.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is best, but jarred minced garlic also works.
- Gochugaru: These are Korean red chili flakes. Use fine gochugaru instead of the coarse kind so it disperses evenly throughout the sauce.
Note: Asian ingredients are typically available at most Asian grocery stores or online.
Expert Tips
- Don't skip soaking firm rice cakes: Warm water helps refrigerated or frozen rice cakes soften gradually so they don't split during cooking.
- Cut fish cakes evenly: Uniform pieces heat evenly and are easier to eat with the rice cakes.
- Stir the bottom often: Scrape the pan as the sauce thickens to prevent the starch from burning.
- Don't overcook the rice cakes: Stop once they're soft and chewy so they don't turn mushy.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make tteokbokki:
- Soak the Rice Cakes: Soak refrigerated rice cakes in warm water for 10-15 minutes to prevent splitting. Skip this step for fresh rice cakes. If using frozen rice cakes, soak them for 20-30 minutes until thawed and softened. Drain well and set aside.
- Mix the Sauce: Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk until the sugar dissolves and the gochujang is evenly mixed. Set aside.
- Boil the Kelp Water: Add the water and dried kelp to a 10-inch-wide non-stick pan. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Add the Sauce: Stir the prepared sauce mixture into the boiling kelp water until evenly combined. Bring the mixture back to a boil.
- Simmer the Ingredients: Add the rice cakes, fish cakes, and green onions. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 8-10 minutes, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the rice cakes are soft and chewy and the sauce is thick and glossy.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove from the heat and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Storage & Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store leftover tteokbokki in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The sauce will thicken and the rice cakes will become firmer as they sit.
- Freezer: Freezing is not recommended because the rice cakes can become hard and lose their chewy texture after thawing and reheating.
- Reheating: Microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot, stirring halfway through. Or reheat in a pan over medium heat with a splash of water until the sauce loosens and the rice cakes are heated through.
Variations
- Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari instead of soy sauce, make sure the gochujang is certified gluten-free, and omit the fish cakes as they often contain gluten.
- Cheese Tteokbokki: Sprinkle shredded mozzarella over the tteokbokki during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Cover the pan until the cheese melts.
FAQ
They may need more time to soften. Continue simmering for a few more minutes until soft and chewy. If using frozen rice cakes, soak them in warm water for 20-30 minutes before cooking.
The rice cakes release starch as they simmer, which naturally thickens the sauce. Continue simmering uncovered over medium heat until the sauce is thick and glossy.
This version is milder than many traditional spicy tteokbokki recipes, but it still has noticeable heat. I'd rate it about 7 out of 10 for spiciness. Use a mild gochujang and reduce the gochugaru for less heat.
More Like This
Check out my other Korean recipes:
📖 Recipe
Easy Tteokbokki (20 Minutes)
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups Korean rice cakes
- 2 cups water room temperature
- 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 10-15 minutes to prevent splitting. Skip this step for fresh rice cakes. If using frozen rice cakes, soak them for 20-30 minutes until thawed and softened. Drain well and set aside.
- Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk until the sugar dissolves and the gochujang is evenly mixed. Set aside.
- Add the water and dried kelp to a 10-inch-wide non-stick pan. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Stir the prepared sauce mixture into the boiling kelp water until evenly combined. Bring the mixture back to a boil.
- Add the rice cakes, fish cakes, and green onions. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 8-10 minutes, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the rice cakes are soft and chewy and the sauce is thick and glossy.
- Remove from the heat and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
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!