Name: Tteokbokki Recipe: Spicy, Chewy
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 lb Korean cylinder rice cakes (tteok); 4 cups anchovy stock or water; 3 tbsp gochujang; 1 –2 tbsp gochugaru; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tbsp sugar; 1 tbsp corn syrup; 3 cloves garlic (minced); 2 sheets of fish cake; 2 green onions; Sesame oil & seeds

Introduction

Table of Contents

Tteokbokki is Korea’s ultimate comfort street food: bouncy cylindrical rice cakes swimming in a glossy, sweet-spicy gochujang sauce that’s equal parts fiery, savory, and impossible to stop eating. Ten minutes on the stove and you’ve got the same neon-red, chewy delight you’d find at a Seoul pojangmacha. Presented in a wide white bowl with sesame seeds and scallions, optionally topped with melted cheese or a ramen egg, this Tteokbokki offers pure Korean soul food that disappears in minutes.

Ingredients

For the Tteokbokki (serves 3–4): • 1 lb (450–500 g) fresh or frozen cylinder tteok (Korean rice cakes)
• 4 cups anchovy stock or water
• 3 tbsp gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
• 1–2 tbsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes – adjust heat)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sugar (or honey)
• 1 tbsp corn syrup or oligodang (for shine)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 sheets Korean fish cake (eomuk), cut into triangles
• 2 hard-boiled eggs (optional)
• Sesame seeds & extra green onion for garnish

Optional Add-Ins: • Instant ramen noodles, mozzarella cheese, perilla leaves

Step-by-Step Process

Soak the tteok
If using refrigerated/frozen rice cakes, soak in warm water for 10–20 minutes until slightly softened. Drain.
Make the sauce base
In a small bowl, mix gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, corn syrup, and minced garlic until smooth.
Start simmering
In a wide shallow pan or pot, bring anchovy stock (or water) to a gentle boil. Stir in the sauce base until fully dissolved.
Add rice cakes
Drop in softened tteok and fish cake sheets. Stir gently so they don’t stick.
Simmer & thicken
Cook over medium heat 8–12 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens and coats the rice cakes (it should look glossy and clingy).
Finish
Add sesame oil, green onions, and hard-boiled eggs (if using). Simmer 1–2 more minutes.
Serve immediately
Transfer to bowls while piping hot. Garnish with sesame seeds and extra scallions.

Tips for Perfect Tteokbokki

• Fresh tteok from the fridge section is best—frozen works but takes longer
• Stir constantly once the sauce thickens—prevents burning
• Taste and adjust—some like it sweeter, some like it nuclear
• Anchovy stock > water for deeper umami (just kelp + dried anchovies + dashima)
• Sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon but still saucy
• Eat straight from the pan for authentic street-food vibes

Variations and Customization

• Cheese Tteokbokki: top with mozzarella last 2 minutes
• Rabokki: add instant ramen noodles last 3 minutes
• Rose Tteokbokki: stir in ¼ cup heavy cream + cheese
• Seafood: add shrimp, squid, mussels
• Gungjung Tteokbokki: soy-sauce-based, no gochujang-free royal version
• Carbonara Style: cream + bacon + Parmesan

Storage and Serving Tips

• Best eaten immediately—rice cakes harden when cold
• Fridge up to 2 days—reheat with a splash of water on the stove
• Freezes okay up to 1 month (texture slightly softer)
• Reheat gently on stovetop with extra water—never microwave
• Quick refresh: add fresh green onions and sesame oil
• Serve with pickled radish and kimchi on the side

Nutritional Information

Based on 4 servings:
• Calories: 420 kcal
• Protein: 10g
• Total Fat: 8g
• Carbohydrates: 82g (Sugars 18g)

FAQ

1. Where do I buy tteok?
Korean grocery stores (refrigerated section) or online—Amazon sells good frozen brands.

2. My sauce is too thin—what do I do?
Simmer 3–5 more minutes uncovered; it thickens fast.

3. How do I make it less spicy?
Reduce gochugaru to 1 tsp and use mild gochujang.

4. Can I make the sauce ahead?
Yes—mix sauce ingredients and keep in fridge up to 1 week.

5. Vegetarian version?
Use water + dashima/kelp + mushroom for stock, skip fish cakes.

Conclusion

This Tteokbokki is pure Korean comfort—chewy, spicy, sweet, and so addictive you’ll be scraping the pan for the last bits of glossy sauce. One bowl and you’ll understand why it’s the undisputed king of Korean street food and late-night study fuel. Keep a pack of rice cakes and gochujang in your pantry, and you’re always 15 minutes away from the most satisfying, fiery-red dinner that makes everyone fight over the last piece.