Tteokbokki (떡볶이), Korean spicy rice cake, is a hearty and comforting dish like kimchi fried rice, japchae, kimchi tofu soup, kimbap, homemade kimchi, jajangmyeon, Korean ginseng chicken soup and Melona honeydew popsicle recipes. It is perfect for a snack or as a meal. Besides, it is easy to make and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Give it a try and discover why it is one of the most popular street foods in Korea! This easy tteokbokki recipe takes around 20 minutes. Let's learn how to make Korean spicy rice cake stir fry with step by step photos and a video.
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What is Tteokbokki ?
Tteokbokki (떡볶이) means stir-fried rice cakes also known as ddeokbokki. It is a popular Korean street food made with chewy cylindrical rice cakes called tteok and they are usually cooked in a spicy, sweet and savory sauce. It is a beloved and popular dish in Korea and can be found in many street food stalls, restaurants, and even convenience stores. Koreans like to eat it for snacks, lunch or dinner.
Variations of Tteokbokki:
Korean stir fried rice cake has a spicy and non-spicy version. However, spicy tteokbokki is a very common and popular one. Therefore, when people refer to tteokbokki, they usually mean the spicy tteokbokki. Often, Korean spicy rice cakes are cooked with fish cakes, boiled eggs and green onion. Then, it's seasoned with a spicy chili paste called gochujang. Some like to add cheese which adds extra layers of flavor and texture. On the other hand, the non-spicy tteokbokki stir fry with soy sauce base sauce.
What does tteokbokki taste like?
The taste of tteokbokki is savory, spicy, and slightly sweet. The flavor mainly comes from the spicy sauce, which typically consists of gochujang (Korean red chili paste), soy sauce, sugar, and other seasonings.
The sauce has a rich, tangy flavor and with a prominent kick of spiciness. The level of spiciness can vary depending on personal preference. The rice cakes have a chewy texture and absorb the flavors of the sauce. The combination of spicy, sweet, and savory flavors, along with the chewy rice cakes. It creates a unique and delicious taste.
What is Korean rice cake?
Korean rice cakes are white, long, small and cylinder shaped. It calls tteokmyeon (떡면) means rice cake noodles or commonly named tteokbokki. It is chewy in texture and the taste is plain. Therefore, Koreans like to use rice cakes to stir fry with spicy sauce or non-spicy sauce.
Gochujang vs gochugaru:
Gochujang and gochugaru are both ingredients usually used in tteokbokki.
Gochujang is a fermented Korean chili paste made from red chili peppers, glutinous rice powder, fermented soybeans, and salt. It has a thick, sticky consistency and a deep, complex flavor. Gochujang is spicy, sweet and adds umami flavors to dishes. It is commonly used as a base for sauces, marinades, and soups.
On the other hand, gochugaru is Korean red chili powder. It is made from dried red chili peppers and has a coarse texture. Besides, gochugaru has a vibrant red color and medium level of spiciness. It adds heat and flavor to Korean dishes and it is often used in kimchi, stews, and stir-fries.
However, in this mild easy tteokbokki recipe, I mainly use gochujang and paprika instead of gochugaru because paprika is less spicy and has a bright red color.
What are the ingredients for easy tteokbokki?
I want to make this easy tteokbokki dish less spicy, so my kids can still enjoy it. Besides, my Korean friend likes this recipe and approves of it. In this Korean spicy rice cake recipe, I used rice cakes, fish cakes, green onion, brown sugar, paprika, Korean chili paste, water and hondashi.
Normally, people use dried kelp and anchovy fish to make the stock for the sauce because of the savory flavor. To keep it simple and easy, I like to use hondashi which is a fish soup base powder. Also, I added paprika instead of chili powder because it is less spicy but gives a nice red color. Besides, some like to use rice syrup to help with sweetness and consistency. But, I just use brown sugar and it tastes great too!
Cooking tips for how to make easy tteokbokki:
- If your rice cakes are frozen, soak the rice cakes in cold water for 20-30 minutes to soften them before cooking. This helps them cook more evenly and gives them a better texture.
- Use a non-stick pan to prevent the rice cakes from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Add hondashi into water and mix with chili paste, paprika and brown sugar.
- Put the rice cakes and fish cakes into the sauce and let it boil then turn on a small fire and simmer for 10 minutes covered with the lid.
- After Uncovering the lid and let it simmer until the sauce thickens.
FAQs:
It may be because your tteok, rice cakes, are dry, overcooking or low quality.
To prevent tteok from splitting when cooked, you can soak the rice cakes in water for about 30 minutes before cooking to hydrate them. This will help the tteok less likely to split. Also, control cooking time and cook the tteok just until it becomes soft and chewy, avoiding overcooking. Besides, gently stir it to minimize the chances of splitting them.
Hondashi is a product brand name. It is a dashi for soup bases which gives a similar umami taste. Also, it’s a fish based powder for soups and a lot of Japanese and Korean like to use hondashi or dashi to make soup because it gives more flavor and is easier. 
This easy tteokbokki recipe is more mild to medium. I used paprika instead of chili powder, so the taste is not too spicy. You can always adjust the amount of chili paste to your taste. I suggest adding 1 tablespoon at a time.
Any Korean brands will work. Gochujang is Korean spicy red chili paste. It’s savory, sweet and spicy. You can find them at Asian stores with a red box like in this picture. 
I used Korean fish cakes, it’s long and deep fried. 
The best way is to reheat it in a saucepan and add a little bit of water. However, I have tried to warm up in the microwave cover with a wet paper towel for 1-2 minutes.
The best to serve it right the way. However, you can keep them in the fridge for a couple days. Once it cools down or is refrigerated, the rice cake will be hardened.
Instructions for how to cook Korean spicy rice cake:
- Cut 8 fish cake sticks into half.
2. Then, cut 2 sticks of green onion.
3. Turn on medium small fire, pour 2 cups of water into the non-stick pan. Then, add 1 tablespoon of hondashi and mix it well.
4. Next, add ½ teaspoon of paprika, ½ tablespoon of brown sugar and 3 tablespoons of Korean red chili paste. (If you want less spicy, you can add 2 tablespoons of chili paste or adjust to your spiciness.)
5. Mix the sauce very well.
6. After that, add 2 cups of Korean rice cake sticks into the sauce.
7. The following, add the cut fish cake sticks into the sauce. Mix it and make sure they are covered with the sauce.
8. Cover the lid and simmer for 10 minutes.
9. After, uncover the lid and keep stirring it once a while and let it simmer for a few minutes until the sauce thickens a little bit.
10. Lastly, add the green onion, mix it well and ready to serve.
Enjoy this simple, delicious and easy tteokbokki Korean street food spicy rice cake recipe! Also, check out these soy sauce chicken wings, pork jerky, pan fried mochi, pan fried buns, tom yum kung and crispy teriyaki tofu recipes.
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Tteokbokki Korean Spicy Rice Cake
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups Korean rice cake (sticks)
- 8 pieces Fish cake (Long ones, 10 oz)
- 2 sticks Green onion
Sauce:
- 2 cups Water
- 1 tablespoon Hondashi (Dashi, fish soup based powder)
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- ½ tablespoon Brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons Korean red chili paste (You can adjust to suit your spiciness.)
Instructions
- Cut 8 fish cake sticks (10 oz) into half.
- Then, cut 2 sticks of green onion.
- Turn on medium small fire, pour 2 cups of water into the non-stick pan. Then, add 1 tablespoon of hondashi and mix it well.
- Next, add ½ teaspoon of paprika, ½ tablespoon of brown sugar and 3 tablespoons of Korean red chili paste. (If you want less spicy, you can add 2 tablespoons of chili paste or adjust to your spiciness.)
- Mix the sauce very well.
- After that, add 2 cups of Korean rice cake sticks into the sauce.
- The following, add the cut fish cake sticks into the sauce. Mix it and make sure they are covered with the sauce.
- Cover the lid and simmer for 10 minutes.
- After, uncover the lid and keep stirring it once a while and let it simmer for a few minutes until the sauce thickens a little bit.
- Lastly, add the green onion, mix it well and ready to serve.
Notes
Cooking tips for how to make easy tteokbokki:
- If your rice cakes are frozen, soak the rice cakes in cold water for 20-30 minutes to soften them before cooking. This helps them cook more evenly and gives them a better texture.
- Use a non-stick pan to prevent the rice cakes from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Add hondashi into water and mix with chili paste, paprika and brown sugar.
- Put the rice cakes and fish cakes into the sauce and let it boil then turn on a small fire and simmer for 10 minutes covered with the lid.
- After Uncovering the lid and let it simmer until the sauce thickens.
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