Tteokbokki: The Classic Spicy Rice Cake
This is a staple of Seoul street stalls. You want the rice cakes to have a distinct bite—soft on the outside but firm in the center—swimming in a red sauce that hits both sweet and heat.
Fresh versus dried rice cakes
If you are using refrigerated or frozen rice cakes, soak them in warm water for 10 minutes before cooking. If they are already soft, skip the soak to keep them from turning into mush.
- wide shallow skillet
- silicone spatula
- measuring cups
What goes in.
- 1 lbcylinder-shaped rice cakes (tteok)
- 3 tbspgochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 1 tbspgochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 1 tbspbrown sugar
- 2 tspsoy sauce
- 2 cupsanchovy or kelp stock
- 2scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 cupeomuk (fish cake), sliced into triangles
Watching the sheen
The sauce is ready when the bubbles become large and slow, and the liquid coats the back of a spoon with a translucent, deep-red sheen.
The method.
Prepare the sauce base
Whisk the gochujang, gochugaru, sugar, and soy sauce into the stock in your skillet over medium-high heat until the paste fully dissolves.
Add the solids
Drop the rice cakes and fish cakes into the bubbling liquid. Stir immediately to ensure the rice cakes don't weld themselves to the bottom of the pan.
Simmer
Reduce heat to medium. Let the mixture simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. The starch from the rice cakes will thicken the sauce naturally.
Finish
Toss in the scallions for the final 60 seconds. Remove from heat as soon as the sauce looks like a thick glaze.
Other turns to take.
Rabokki
Add a puck of dried ramen noodles during the last 3 minutes of cooking; you may need an extra half-cup of stock.
Cheese Topping
Layer shredded mozzarella over the top and cover the pan for 1 minute to melt before serving.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Don't substitute gochujang with other chili pastes; its fermented base is what gives the sauce its depth.
If the sauce thickens too fast, splash in a little extra water to keep the rice cakes from drying out.
Serve immediately while the rice cakes are at their chewiest.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use plain water instead of stock?
You can, but the stock provides a necessary savory backbone that balances the heat.
How do I know if the rice cakes are done?
They should be translucent on the edges and soft enough to bite through without resistance.
How real cooks make it.
No one’s shared their version yet. Be the first to put your kitchen on the map.
Cook this your way?
Share your version — your steps, your story. We’ll feature it right here.
Add your recipe