Tteokbokki – Spicy Rice Cakes

Craving something spicy, quick and easy to make? Tteokbokki (떡볶이) is a popular Korean street food that anyone can make at home. A rough recipe of how we make it at our house is below, but you’ll have to watch and adjust while you’re cooking in your own kitchen.

Tteokbokki are small Korean rice cakes that are cooked in a spicy, soy-based sauce. You’ll find these rice cakes in the freezer section of any Korean grocery store. Some of you may have access to fresh tteokbokki – but I think most of my readers will likely be heading to the frozen section of Hmart (or equivalent market).

Tteokbokki is sometimes prepared with other foods (vegetables, fish cake, etc.) in it; however, you can enjoy it just as it is in a delicious, fiery sauce.

Here’s all you need:

• ~1 lbs tteokbokki
• 2 tbsp gochujang
• 1 tsp gochugaru (add more or less to your liking)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp sugar or substitute of your choice
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 2-3 green onions
• 1 tbsp your preferred cooking oil
• ~4 cups water

If your tteokbokki is frozen, start by soaking in water for 20-30 minutes. It will still be hard but much softer than when it was frozen.

Crush and finely chop your garlic and place into a mixing bowl. Add gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and mix well. Set aside.

Cut your green onions and split into 2 piles.

In a large pan, heat your oil and add in half of the green onion. Cook for about one minute before adding in the sauce and cooking for another minute. Next, add in the water and bring to a boil, mixing the sauce and the water well. Add in tteokbokki and when it comes to a boil again, turn the heat down to medium and cover.

With fresh tteokbokki you won’t have to cook as long but if you’re using frozen, you will likely need to cook 15-20 minutes. Cooking times do vary so if you taste one and it still seems kind of hard, continue cooking and add more water if the sauce has cooked down too much. Continue occasionally stirring and adding more water as necessary until they are soft and chewy.

When finished, garnish with the remaining green onion and enjoy!

Print Recipe

Tteokbokki - Spicy Rice Cakes

Appetizer, Snack, Small Plate – Asian, Korean

By Janice Yucel – Serves: 4-5

Prep Time: 10-30 Minutes – Cooking Time: 10-20 Minutes – Total Time: 20-50 Minutes

Ingredients

• ~1 lbs tteokbokki
• 2 tbsp gochujang
• 1 tsp gochugaru (add more or less to your liking)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp sugar or substitute of your choice
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 2-3 green onions
• 1 tbsp your preferred cooking oil
• ~4 cups water

Instructions

1

If your tteokbokki is frozen, start by soaking in water for 20-30 minutes. It will still be hard but much softer than when it was frozen.

2

Crush and finely chop your garlic and place into a mixing bowl.

3

Add gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and mix well. Set aside.

4

Cut your green onions and split into 2 piles.

5

In a large pan, heat your oil and add in half of the green onion.

6

Cook for about one minute before adding in the sauce and cooking for another minute.

7

Next, add in the water and bring to a boil, mixing the sauce and the water well.

8

Add in tteokbokki and when it comes to a boil again, turn the heat down to medium and cover.

9

With fresh tteokbokki you won’t have to cook as long but if you’re using frozen, you will likely need to cook 15-20 minutes. Cooking times do vary so if you taste one and it still seems kind of hard, continue cooking and add more water if the sauce has cooked down too much.

10

Continue occasionally stirring and adding more water as necessary until they are soft and chewy.

11

When finished, garnish with the remaining green onion and enjoy!