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    Home » All Recipes » Asian Recipes

    Easy Tteokbokki - Spicy Korean Rice Cakes

    Published: Feb 14, 2021 · Modified: Feb 15, 2021 by Jamie · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links · 35 Comments

    5.6K shares
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    Tteokbokki with spicy Korean rice cakes cooked in a red gochujang sauce and garnished with scallions with a text overlay.
    photo of tteokbokki with chopsticks with text overlay
    bowl of spicy tteokbokki with fish cakes, scallions, and sesame seeds with text overlay
    spicy stir fried rice cakes text overlay on a photo of tteokbokki
    tteokbokki made with Korean rice cakes in a spicy sauce in a bowl next to chopsticks with text overlay
    Tteokbokki made with Korean rice cakes and fish cakes in a spicy gochujang sauce in a white bowl.
    Korean tteokbokki made with rice cakes and fish cakes garnished with scallions and sesame seeds

    This easy tteokbokki is made of Korean rice cakes stir fried in a sweet and spicy gochujang sauce! Add ramen noodles, cheese, fish cakes, or eggs to level up your tteokbokki!

    Spicy tteokbokki with fish cakes with scallions and sesame seeds.

    Tteokbokki (떡볶이) is a popular Korean street food made of soft, chewy rice cakes cooked in a sweet and spicy sauce made of Korean red pepper paste, also called gochujang.

    Tteokbokki, also spelled ddukbokki or ddeokbokki, literally translates to 'stir fried rice cakes' in Korean. It's made with a specific kind of rice cake called garae-tteok, which is a long cylinder shaped rice cake that's cut into long pieces.

    Tteokbokki made with gochujang and fish cakes garnished with scallions in a white bowl with red chopsticks.

    There's many variations to tteokbokki including the sauce and various additions. The sauce can range from soupy to dry and additions can include fish cakes (eomuk), hard boiled eggs, ramen noodles, dumplings (mandu), vegetables, and even cheese.

    Ingredients

    Ingredients for tteokbokki with text overlay including rice cakes, gochujang, fish cakes, ramen, and eggs.
    • Korean rice cakes - Use long cylinder shaped rice cakes called garae-tteok. They're usually sealed in a vacuum packed bag and sold in the refrigerated or frozen section of any Korean or Asian grocery store.
    • Anchovy stock packet - Boil with water to make anchovy stock, which is the base of this tteokbokki sauce. Substitute with just water or any other stock if you can't find this.
    • Gochujang - Also called Korean red pepper paste. It's a fermented red chili paste full of umami, spice, and a bit of sweetness.
    • Korean red pepper powder - Also called gochugaru. This has an earthy, slightly sweet, and fruit flavor. I don't recommend substituting this with any other chili flakes as gochugaru has a specific flavor that's unique to Korean food.

    You can make this a vegetarian or vegan tteokbokki by omiting the fish cakes, anchovy stock, and eggs. Substituting the stock with water or vegetable stock and add vegetables like cabbage and carrots.

    Instructions

    1. Start by making the tteokbokki sauce. Mix the gochujang (Korean red pepper paste), gochugaru (Korean red pepper powder), soy sauce, garlic, and sugar in a small bowl and let the flavors combine.
    Tteokbokki sauce in a white bowl being mixed with a spoon.
    1. Meanwhile add the anchovy stock packet and water to a large, deep pan and bring it to a boil. Once it boils, remove the stock packet and add the red pepper paste. If you don't have the anchovy stock packet, just bring water or any stock to a boil.
    Tteokbokki sauce boiling in a pan made with gochujang sauce and anchovy stock.
    1. Once the tteokbokki sauce comes to a boil, add in the rice cakes, fish cakes, and any vegetables. Boil for about 5 to 7 minutes or until soft and tender.
    Korean rice cakes being added to tteokbokki sauce boiling in a pan.
    1. The sauce should thicken and reduce as the rice cakes soften and become chewy.
    Tteokbokki boiling in a large pan with rice cakes and red gochujang sauce.
    1. Next, add optional ingredients such as hard boiled eggs, ramen noodles, pre-cooked dumplings (mandu), or shredded cheese.
    Close up of tteokbokki with soft, chewy rice cakes.
    1. Finally, add toasted sesame oil, scallions, sesame seeds.
    Tteokbokki made with gochujang and fish cakes garnished with scallions and sesame seeds.

    Variations

    Add the following optional ingredients last:

    • Hard boiled eggs
    • Pre-cooked Mandu (Korean dumplings)
    • Shredded cheese
    • Pre-cooked ramen noodles - Add more stock/water if needed.

    FAQ

    Where can I buy tteokbokki rice cakes?

    You can buy rice cakes to make tteokbokki in the refrigerated section or frozen section of Korean grocery stores or most Asian stores. They will come sealed in a vacuum packed container.

    Look for garae-tteok, which are long cylinder shaped rice cakes usually 2 to 3 inches long.

    How do I store leftovers?

    Leftovers should be placed in an airtight container and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

    How can I reheat tteokbokki?

    Rice cakes will get hard when refrigerated and cold. Microwave leftovers for 1 minute or until the rice cakes get soft and tender. Add 1 tablespoon of water if needed and stir to combine.

    What is tteokbokki sauce made of?

    Tteokbokki sauce is made of Korean red pepper paste (gochujang), Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru), sugar, soy sauce, and garlic. It's traditionally combined with anchovy stock to create a flavorful base for rice cakes, but water or other stock can be used.

    Related recipes:

    • The Ultimate Korean Fried Chicken
    • Crunchy Korean Pickled Radish - Fast and Easy!
    • Authentic Gochujang Sauce - Korean Red Pepper Paste Sauce
    • Easy Japchae (Korean glass noodle stir fry)
    tteokbokki with fish cakes and eggs garnished with sesame seeds and scallions in a white bowl

    Easy Tteokbokki - Spicy Korean Rice Cakes

    This easy tteokbokki is made of Korean rice cakes stir fried in a sweet and spicy gochujang sauce! Add ramen noodles, cheese, fish cakes, or eggs to level up your tteokbokki!
    5 from 251 votes
    Pin Share Print
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 15 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Asian, Korean
    Servings 4

    Video

    ☑ Ingredients
     

    • 1 lb rice cakes - about 2 ½ cups
    • 1 cup fish cakes - cut into bite sized pieces
    • 2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
    • 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
    • 2 stalks scallions - chopped

    Tteokbokki sauce

    • 3 cups water or anchovy stock - See Note 1
    • 3 Tablespoons gochujang - (Korean red pepper paste)
    • 1 ½ Tablespoons sugar
    • 1 ½ Tablespoons soy sauce
    • 1 Tablespoon Korean red pepper flakes - (gochugaru)
    • 2 cloves garlic - minced

    Optional Ingredients

    • 2 large hard boiled eggs
    • 1 cup vegetables (cabbage, carrots, onions) - cut into bite sized pieces
    • ½ cup shredded cheese
    • Pre-cooked ramen noodles
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Make tteokbokki sauce: Mix the gochujang, Korean red pepper flakes, sugar, soy sauce, and garlic in a small bowl. Set it aside.
      3 Tablespoons gochujang, 1 Tablespoon Korean red pepper flakes, 1 ½ Tablespoons sugar, 1 ½ Tablespoons soy sauce, 2 cloves garlic
      tteokbokki sauce in a white bowl being mixed with a spoon
    • Add rice cakes and fish cakes: Add the water or anchovy stock to a large pan and bring to a boil. Add the tteokbokki sauce, rice cakes, fish cakes, and optional vegetables. See Note 1 for how to make anchovy stock.
      1 lb rice cakes, 3 cups water or anchovy stock, 1 cup fish cakes
      tteokbokki sauce boiling in a pan made with gochujang sauce and anchovy stock
    • Cook: Cook over medium heat until the rice cakes are soft and the sauce thickens to your liking. About 5 to 7 minutes. Add more stock/water if desired.
      tteokbokki boiling in a large pan with rice cakes and red gochujang sauce
    • Season and serve: Taste and adjust to your liking. Add more sugar or soy sauce if desired. Top with sesame oil, scallions, and sesame seeds.
      If using, add the pre-cooked noodles, boiled eggs, or top with shredded cheese at this time. Enjoy!
      2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds, 2 stalks scallions

    ✎ Recipe Notes

    1. Anchovy stock - To make the anchovy stock, add 3 cups of water and one anchovy flavoring packet to a pot and bring it to a boil. Once it boils, remove the anchovy packet. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days until ready to use.
    2. Spice level - Korean red pepper paste (gochujang) and Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru) come in varying spice levels - mild, medium, hot. Look on the label or ask for help in your local Asian or Korean grocery store to identify the correct spice level. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 488kcal | Carbohydrates: 102g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 421mg | Potassium: 420mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 84IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was and give it a 5 star rating! Tag @drivemehungry to show off your creations! I love seeing your photos!

    *Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ann

      January 20, 2022 at 10:13 am

      Hi - I only have anchovy fillets in oil, how would I use this?

      Reply
      • Jamie

        January 20, 2022 at 12:53 pm

        Hi Ann! I haven't tried this myself so I can't say for sure but perhaps you can add a bit of the oil in the stock for the anchovy flavor. Otherwise, you can use water or chicken stock and it would still taste good.

        Reply
    2. Josie

      November 29, 2021 at 8:22 am

      5 stars
      This is seriously the best tteokbokki recipe I've tried! It's simple and easy to make. I added just rice cakes and sauce since that's all I had and it was really good. I'll be adding fish cakes when I make this again.

      Reply
    3. Laurie

      November 18, 2021 at 11:08 am

      5 stars
      So easy and delicious! I boiled it for about 8 minutes and the sauce thickened up and the rice cakes were chewy and soft. Easy comfort food!

      Reply
    4. Ellen

      November 16, 2021 at 10:21 am

      5 stars
      I added sausage since I didn't have enough fish cakes and used chicken stock. It was really good! I ended up mixing some rice with leftover sauce for another meal.

      Reply
    5. Karen

      November 15, 2021 at 1:39 pm

      5 stars
      Wow! This was absolutely delicious and definitely a great change in our regular meal routine. Will DEFINITELY try again.

      Reply
      • Jamie

        November 17, 2021 at 4:15 pm

        Yay glad to hear that Karen! It's so easy and flavorful!

        Reply
    6. Jenny

      November 09, 2021 at 4:35 pm

      I love this recipe! If you add fried dumplings to this it's even better. I've been making this whenever I want spicy food.

      Reply
      • Jamie

        November 17, 2021 at 4:24 pm

        Thanks Jenny! Great idea adding dumplings to this!

        Reply
    7. Cynthia

      November 03, 2021 at 6:51 pm

      5 stars
      Incredibly delicious. I'm having leftovers again tonight!

      Reply
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