Korean Tteokbokki Spicy Rice Cakes (Print Version)

Chewy rice cakes simmered in spicy, sweet gochujang sauce with green onions and sesame seeds. An authentic Korean street food favorite.

# What You'll Need:

→ Rice Cakes

01 - 1 pound Korean rice cakes (tteok, cylindrical)
02 - 4 cups water

→ Sauce

03 - 3 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chili paste)
04 - 1 tablespoon gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
05 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
06 - 1 tablespoon sugar
07 - 1 tablespoon honey (or corn syrup)
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Broth

09 - 3 cups water
10 - 1 dried kelp (kombu), 3 × 3 inches
11 - 4 dried anchovies, heads and guts removed (optional for vegetarian)

→ Vegetables & Garnish

12 - 2 green onions, sliced diagonally
13 - 1 small onion, sliced
14 - 1/2 cup cabbage, chopped (optional)
15 - 2 boiled eggs, peeled (optional)
16 - 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

# How To Make:

01 - Soak the rice cakes in warm water for 10 minutes if they are hard or refrigerated.
02 - In a medium pot, combine 3 cups water, kelp, and anchovies (if using). Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Remove kelp and anchovies, reserving the broth.
03 - Add gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, honey, and minced garlic to the broth. Stir to dissolve the paste completely.
04 - Add rice cakes, onion, and cabbage (if using) to the pot. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
05 - Simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and the rice cakes are soft and chewy.
06 - Add green onions and boiled eggs (if using) in the last 2 minutes of cooking.
07 - Transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce clings to every chewy rice cake in a way that feels almost addictive, balancing heat with subtle sweetness.
  • It comes together in 30 minutes flat, making it perfect for when you want restaurant-quality comfort food without the wait.
  • One pot means less cleanup, but somehow it tastes like you spent hours simmering it.
02 -
  • Do not skip soaking the rice cakes if they're hard, or you'll end up with chewy-on-the-outside but chalky-in-the-middle disaster.
  • The sauce continues to thicken as it cools, so if it looks slightly loose when you finish cooking, that's actually perfect.
  • Fresh gochujang and gochugaru make an enormous difference; old ones lose their vibrancy and your dish tastes flat.
03 -
  • The moment you add green onions is crucial; any longer than 2 minutes and they lose their fresh bite and turn mushy.
  • A wooden spoon is genuinely better than metal here because it won't scrape up bits of rice cake residue and scatter them through your sauce.
  • If you find the sauce too thick after cooling, warm it gently and add a splash of water; if too thin, let it reduce for another few minutes over higher heat.
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