Tteokbokki Recipe (Spicy Stir-Fried Rice Cakes)

Tteokbokki (떡볶이) or stir-fried rice cakes is a popular Korean street food. Its spicy, sweet flavor and chewy texture makes it an instant favorite.

Tteokbokki Rice Cake

Tteokbokki is made with garaetteok (가래떡), a cylinder-shaped white rice cake. They come in various shapes and sizes used for different Korean dishes. The thinner, short type is ideal for this recipe otherwise it'll take much longer to cook.

Tteokbokki Sauce

The spicy tteokbokki sauce is made with a combination of gochujang (고추장, Korean red chili pepper paste) and gochugaru (고추가루, Korean red chili pepper flakes). I suggest adding 1 teaspoon of gochugaru and tasting the spice level before adding more. If you prefer a more mild version, consider not adding any gochugaru.

Other Tteokbokki Ingredients

There are many variations to this dish. You can stir in anything like fishcakes, eggs, ramen, seafood, and cheese. This recipe is a classic version, but I definitely add in boiled eggs and ramen from time to time.

Tteokbokki Recipe (Spicy Stir-Fried Rice Cakes)

Prep and Marinate Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 3 servings

Ingredients
-1 pound tteokbokki tteok, about 24 3-inch long rice cake pieces
-1 sheet eomuk fish cake
-8 ounces green cabbage
-2 scallions
-3 cups anchovy broth or water
-3 tbs Korean red chili pepper paste, gochujang
-1-3 tsp Korean red chili pepper flakes, gochugaru
-1 tbs reduced soy sauce
-1 tbs sugar
-1 tbs minced garlic
-1 tbs corn syrup

Optional: Boil and peel a few eggs before cutting them in halves to stir in during the final 1-2 minutes.

Instructions
1. Make the anchovy broth. Soak the rice cakes for about 20 minutes if they're hardened or refrigerated. Prep the fish cake, cabbage, and scallions by cutting them into 2 inch pieces.

2. Pour the 3 cups of anchovy broth or water into a large pan and bring it to a boil over medium high heat. Add the gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and corn syrup. Stir until everything is dissolved.

3. Add the rice cakes. Boil until the rice cakes become very soft and the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Make sure to stir frequently so the rice cakes don't stick to the bottom of the pan.

4. Mix in the vegetables and fish cakes. Continue to boil and stir constantly for another 5 minutes. If you would like the fish cakes or rice cakes softer continue cooking for longer and add more broth or water if necessary.

Notes:
1. For tteokbokki rice cakes, fresh or refrigerated are best.
2. Corn starch is easier to add if you dissolve it with a bit of hot water before adding it into the pan.
3. Reheat leftover Tteokbokki in a small pan over low heat with a bit of broth or water for best taste.