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.
Annie
Came out very good! And the recipe was very easy. More on the sweet side, and a pleasant spice level.
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for the positive feedback and for making my recipe! Glad you enjoyed it!
Alica
This was sooo tasty and I personally did not think it was too spicy. I added a tablespoon of cornstarch with some water at the end to make the sauce a little more thick. Will absolutely make this more often. Thank you!!! Greetings from Germany 🙂
Christie Lai
Thanks so much for making my recipe, Alica! I am so glad it wasn't too spicy and thanks for sharing that note on the added cornstarch. Glad it worked out 🙂
Jd
Yes I did enjoy your Korean seafood pancake recpe