Spicy Korean Rice Cake Street Food Classic

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This iconic Korean street food features chewy cylindrical rice cakes simmered in a glossy, sweet-spicy red sauce with tender fish cake slices. Sold from steaming carts across Seoul, it's the ultimate comforting snack that balances fiery gochujang with mellow sweetness. Ready in under 30 minutes, it's a beloved after-school and late-night treat.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 410 kcalCalories
• 6 gFat
• 1 gSaturated Fat
• 78 gCarbs
• 3 gFiber
• 12 gSugar
• 14 gProtein
• 980 mgSodium
• 320 mgPotassium
• 80 mgCalcium
• 3 mgIron
• 4 mgVitamin C
• 150 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the rice cakes and stock

• 500 g Korean cylindrical rice cakes (garae-tteok), soaked 30 minutes if frozen
• 2 L water
• 1 sheet (10 g) dried kelp (dashima)
• 1 large dried anchovy, gutted
• 200 g Korean fish cake (eomuk), sliced into 2 cm strips

For the spicy sauce

• 3 tbsp gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
• 1 tbsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp corn syrup or honey
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 cups anchovy-kelp stock (reserved from above)

For finishing

• 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved
• 2 green onions, sliced on the diagonal
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Directions

1. Prepare the stock: combine 2 L water, kelp, and anchovy in a pot and simmer 10 minutes; strain and reserve 2 cups of the clear broth.
2. In a wide shallow pan, whisk together gochujang, gochugaru, sugar, soy sauce, corn syrup, garlic, and the reserved stock until smooth, then bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.
3. Add the drained rice cakes and simmer 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until the rice cakes are tender but still pleasantly chewy and the sauce has thickened to coat them.
4. Add the fish cake slices and continue to simmer 2-3 minutes so they absorb the sauce and heat through.
5. Taste and adjust: add a little more sugar for sweetness, gochugaru for heat, or a splash of stock if the sauce reduces too much.
6. Remove from heat and stir in the sesame oil; the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
7. Divide among 4 bowls, top each with a halved boiled egg, a generous sprinkle of green onions, and toasted sesame seeds, and serve hot with toothpicks or short skewers.

Cook’s Notes

• If using frozen rice cakes, soak them in cool water for 20-30 minutes first so they rehydrate evenly and cook to the right chewy texture.
• Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer, not a hard boil, or the rice cakes will turn gummy and mushy on the outside while staying hard in the middle.
• For a richer, street-cart-style sauce, stir in 1 tbsp of butter at the end — it rounds out the heat and adds a glossy sheen.
• Want it cheesier? Top each bowl with a slice of mozzarella or a handful of shredded mozzarella and cover for 1 minute to melt before serving.
• Tteokbokki thickens fast as it sits, so eat it right away; leftovers can be refreshed with a splash of water and gentle reheating.

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