Description
Easy Tteokbokki is a classic spicy Korean street food made with chewy rice cakes, savory fish cakes, and a flavorful, spicy-sweet sauce. This recipe uses anchovy stock or chicken stock as a base for a rich umami flavor, combined with gochujang and gochugaru to give it authentic Korean heat. Perfect for a quick and satisfying meal, it comes together in just 20 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 3 cups anchovy stock dashi, unsalted chicken stock, or water
- 1 lb (450g) Korean rice cakes
- 2–3 sheets Korean fish cakes, defrosted and cut into bite-sized pieces
- Green onion, optional for garnish
Tteokbokki Sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sugar (or 1 tbsp for reduced sweetness)
- 1 tbsp Gochugaru (Korean chili powder), adjust to desired heat level
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp honey rice syrup, oligo syrup, or your choice of liquid sweetener
- 3 tbsp Gochujang (Korean red chili paste)
Instructions
- Prepare the Sauce: In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, sugar, gochugaru, minced garlic, honey rice syrup, and gochujang. Mix well to create a smooth, balanced spicy-sweet sauce.
- Defrost Rice Cakes: If your Korean rice cakes are frozen, soak them in warm water for about 10 minutes to soften them before cooking. This ensures an even cook and chewy texture.
- Boil the Stock: Pour 3 cups of anchovy stock, dashi, unsalted chicken stock, or water into a large pan. Bring it to a boil over medium heat, creating the flavorful base for your tteokbokki.
- Cook Rice Cakes with Sauce: Add the softened rice cakes along with the prepared sauce into the boiling stock. Stir frequently and let it cook for about 10 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce and thicken while the rice cakes become tender and chewy.
- Add Fish Cakes: Once the sauce has thickened and rice cakes are soft, add the defrosted, cut fish cakes to the pan. Cook together for an additional 2 minutes to heat through and absorb flavors.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove from heat. Optionally, garnish with sliced green onions for a fresh and colorful finish. Serve immediately to enjoy the perfect chewy texture of the rice cakes.
Notes
- Using anchovy stock or dashi base adds a deep umami flavor that enhances the overall dish compared to plain water or chicken stock.
- Tteokbokki is best enjoyed fresh and hot. The rice cakes will harden as they cool, so serve immediately after cooking.
- You can adjust the heat level by varying the amount of gochugaru and gochujang based on your spice preference.
- If you prefer less sweetness, reduce the sugar or honey syrup amounts accordingly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 1/2 of the recipe)
- Calories: 400 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 1200 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 80 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
