Tteokbokki

Spicy chewy rice cakes

22 min4 servingsKorean459 kcal/serving12g protein
Tteokbokki — Korean recipe, finished and plated

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Ingredients

  • 400 g Korean rice cakes
  • 100 g Fish cake
  • 2 tbsp Gochujang
  • 1 tbsp Gochugaru
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 1 tbsp Light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp Sugar
  • 2 Scallions (optional)

Method

  1. Soak the rice cakes in warm water to loosen (skip if they are already soft and fresh).
  2. Slice the fish cake and scallions.
  3. Whisk the gochujang, gochugaru, garlic, soy, and sugar into water for a sauce, then bring to a simmer.
  4. Add the rice cakes and fish cake and simmer until the sauce thickens and clings, about 8 minutes.
  5. Scatter scallions and serve hot.

Nutrition per serving

459Calories
12gProtein
91gCarbs
5gFat
6gFiber

Estimated from ingredients; varies with exact portions and brands.

About Tteokbokki

Tteokbokki is one of Korea's most iconic street foods — cylindrical rice cakes simmered in a glossy, fiery-red sauce until they turn soft and chewy. Once a mild royal-court dish, it was reinvented in the mid-twentieth century around gochujang and gochugaru into the sweet-spicy version sold from pojangmacha carts and snack stalls across the country today. Fish cake, scallions, and garlic round it out, but the heart of it is the interplay of chewy tteok and a sauce that is at once hot, sweet, and deeply savory.

The texture is the whole appeal: the rice cakes are dense and springy, almost bouncy, and they soak up the gochujang sauce as it reduces and clings to each piece. That sauce balances the fermented chili paste's heat against sugar and soy, with the gochugaru pushing the spice further and the fish cake adding a mild seafood savor. It thickens in about eight minutes, so this is fast comfort food rather than a project. Eaten piping hot as a snack, appetizer, or casual meal, tteokbokki is best when the sauce is still glossy and a little loose — scatter the scallions over the top and dig in before it sets.

Tteokbokki: frequently asked questions

How many calories are in Tteokbokki?

One serving of Tteokbokki has about 459 calories, with 12g of protein, 91g of carbs, 5g of fat and 6g of fiber. These are estimates based on the ingredient amounts in this recipe and will vary with your exact portions and brands.

Is Tteokbokki gluten-free?

As written, no — it contains Gochujang, Light soy sauce. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for those ingredients to make it gluten-free.

Do I need every ingredient to make Tteokbokki?

The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out scallions — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.

How many servings does Tteokbokki make?

This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.