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Home » Recipes

Delicious Korean Spicy Rice Cakes AKA Tteokbokki!

Nov 14, 2021Last Modified: January 19, 2022

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This page may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link. Here you will learn how to make Delicious Korean Spicy Rice Cakes AKA Tteokbokki!

2 bowls of korean spicy rice cakes garnished with green onions and a pair of silver chopsticks laying across one of the bowls

Koreans LOVE tteokbokki! And you will love it too! Here you will see how easy it is to make this most delicious and irresistible dish!

Jump to:
  • What is Tteokbokki?
  • What Ingredients Will I Need To Make Tteokbokki?
  • Let's Make Some Korean Spicy Rice Cakes!
  • Mashikeh - Mogoseyo!
  • Some Other Recipes You May Enjoy
  • Delicious Korean Spicy Rice Cakes aka Tteokbokki

What is Tteokbokki?

Tteokbokki is a Korean dish of simmered rice cakes. The rice cakes used are typically long and cylindrical. Also spelled topokki, this is a very popular dish in Korea. There are many variations on this dish (check out this Wikipedia article!), and here I will share with you the hot and spicy version which features gochujang and gochugaru.

What Ingredients Will I Need To Make Tteokbokki?

Here's what you will need to make this Korean Spicy Rice Cake dish!

  • Dried kelp (for the Korean dashi broth)
  • Large dried anchovies (for the Korean dashi broth)
anchovies in an anchovy strainer and kelp in water in a pot in the background

  • Rice cake (long cylindrical type)
  • Gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
  • Gochugaru (Korean hot pepper powder)
  • Garlic
  • Sugar
  • Soy sauce
  • Green onions
  • Fish cakes (Korean style)
  • Sesame oil
  • Hard boiled eggs (optional but so good!)
rice cakes in a bowl, fish cakes, 3 hard boiled eggs, sliced green onions and ingredients for a simmering sauce in a white bowl

You should be able to find all of these ingredients at your local Korean store or Asian market. I have linked to Amazon for convenience sake for some of these ingredients.

The fish cakes I use in this dish are flat sheets of fish cake as pictured below. I cut these into small bite sized pieces to use in this tteokbokki.

fish cake sheets

Let's Make Some Korean Spicy Rice Cakes!

Korean dashi style broth is critical to taking the flavors of this dish above and beyond! It's SUPER SIMPLE to make, and once you get the hang of this you will want to keep some on hand for all your Korean soups and stews!

So, we start by making the broth. Soak a piece of dried kelp/seaweed in water for around an hour. While this is soaking, prepare your anchovies by taking off the heads and removing the guts.

  • anchovies in an anchovy strainer and kelp in water in a pot in the background
    Anchovies which have been prepared by removing heads and guts
  • kelp soaking in water and an anchovy strainer next to it
    Anchovies in an anchovy strainer

Now it's time to add the anchovies to the kelp and water. Bring this to the boiI and then simmer for around 15 minutes. I use an anchovy strainer pictured above to make it easy to remove the anchovies once the broth is ready. You should be able to get this at your local Korean store. Cheesecloths are also suitable. You can also add the anchovies into the water, but will have to strain them out.

Once the broth is ready, add rice cakes (which have been soaked in water then drained) and the simmering sauce. The simmering sauce consists of gochujang, gochugaru, garlic, sugar, and soy sauce. Cook this on a medium heat for around 10 minutes or so or until the rice cakes are tender. If the mixture looks too dry you can add a little water.

Please note: I like things on the spicier side. Feel free to adjust the amount of gochujang and gochugaru to your taste buds!

  • rice cakes in a spicy simmering sauce
  • rice cakes in a spicy simmering sauce topped with fish cakes and green onions

Then add fish cakes, green onions, and hard boiled eggs (if using). Stir and heat until warmed through. The finishing touch will be some sesame oil!

Korean spicy rice cakes

Your tteokbokki is now ready to enjoy with your favorite pair of chopsticks!

Mashikeh - Mogoseyo!

Mashikeh - mogoseyo means "enjoy your meal" in Korean! You will absolutely LOVE this spicy rice cake dish! Sweet, salty, spicy and bursting with umami flavors and super simple to make!

2 bowls of korean spicy rice cakes garnished with green onions and a pair of silver chopsticks laying across one of the bowls

Garnish with some additional green onions and feast on this dish that will be sure to become a favorite!

Some Other Recipes You May Enjoy

Korean Spicy Bean Sprouts

Korean Spicy Bean Sprouts in a white bowl with some silver chopsticks holding some of the bean sprouts

How To Make Korean Soft Tofu Stew!

Korean Soft Tofu Stew in a clay pot

If you'd like to come along on this food journey with me, please sign up to get the latest recipes and inspiration for you to expand your food comfort zone! It's an incredible journey, please join me by signing up here. 🙂

Cheers!

Grace

2 bowls of korean spicy rice cakes garnished with green onions and a pair of silver chopsticks laying across one of the bowls

Delicious Korean Spicy Rice Cakes aka Tteokbokki

Grace
Super cute rice cakes simmered in a spicy sauce is a favorite of Koreans! Enjoy this delicious Korean street food tonight!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 45 mins
Kelp soaking 1 hr
Total Time 1 hr 55 mins
Course Main Course, Snack
Cuisine Korean
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • Large covered pan

Ingredients
  

Korean Dashi Broth

  • .5 oz dried kelp
  • 10 large dried anchovies remove the heads and guts before using

For the tteokbokki

  • 1 lb rice cakes use the long cylindrical rice cakes specially used for tteokbokki! Soak the rice cakes in water for 10 minutes to help soften them before cooking. Drain before adding them to the broth.

Simmering Sauce

  • ⅓ cup gochujang Korean hot pepper paste - if you prefer a less spicy version you can reduce the amount of gochujang for your tastes
  • 3 tablespoon gochugaru Korean hot pepper powder - if you prefer a less spicy version you can reduce the amount of gochugaru for your tastes
  • 2 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

Ingredients To Add At The End Of Cooking Time

  • 4-6 green onions cut into 2 inch pieces
  • ½ lb fish cakes I used the fish cakes that come in sheets and cut them into bite sized pieces
  • ½ tablespoon sesame oil
  • 3-4 hard boiled eggs remove the shell and cut them in half

Instructions
 

Korean Dashi Broth

  • Soak a piece of dried kelp/seaweed in water for around an hour. While this is soaking, prepare your anchovies by taking off the heads and removing the guts.
    anchovies in an anchovy strainer and kelp in water in a pot in the background
  • Add the anchovies to the kelp and water. Bring this to the boiI and then simmer for around 15 minutes. I use an anchovy strainer to make it easy to remove the anchovies once the broth is ready. You could also use cheesecloths. If you add the anchovies directly to the water, be sure to strain them out best you can once the broth is ready.
    kelp soaking in water and an anchovy strainer next to it

Rice Cakes and Simmering Sauce

  • Once the broth is ready, add rice cakes (which have been soaked in water then drained) and the simmering sauce. The simmering sauce consists of gochujang, gochugaru, garlic, sugar, and soy sauce. Cook this on a medium heat for around 10 minutes or so or until the rice cakes are tender. If the mixture looks too dry you can add a little water.
    rice cakes in a spicy simmering sauce

Ingredients To Add At The End Of Cooking Time

  • Then add fish cakes, green onions, and hard boiled eggs (if using). Stir and heat until warmed through. Stir in the sesame oil as the finishing touch!
    rice cakes in a spicy simmering sauce topped with fish cakes and green onions
  • Your tteokbokki is now ready to enjoy!
    Korean spicy rice cakes

Notes

This recipe calls for quite a bit of gochujang and gochugaru to make this dish spicy.  Feel free to reduce these ingredients if you prefer a less spicy dish.  Also, if once cooked it ends up being too spicy for your liking, you can always add some water.
If the dish ends up being too dry and you prefer a saucier dish, add some water until you are happy with it.  
Enjoy with your favorite pair of chopsticks!
Mashikeh - Mogoseyo!
Keyword Korean spicy rice cakes, rice cakes, spicy food, tteokbokki
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About Me

Hi I’m Grace! I'm married and a mom to my fur baby, Toby, and food and travel are two of my greatest passions! Since our bank account does not allow us to travel or eat out as much as we'd like, I decided I would cook delicious meals that could give us a taste of all the places we'd like to go. My goal is to get you in the kitchen, and inspire you to cook and taste delightful meals that will transport you too. Let’s throw some actual travel in from time to time, all with an emphasis on keeping your wallet full and happy as well. Let’s get cooking and let’s start exploring!! I'm excited to be on this journey with you!!

By the way most of these recipes are Toby taste tested and Toby approved!!

Chief Taste Tester Toby

Toby Chief Taste Tester

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