Buying rice cakes and sauce ingredients
Tteokbokki rice cakes are usually frozen or vacuum-packed at Asian grocery stores or online. Gochujang and gochugaru are very helpful for the classic flavor.
Tteokbokki (떡볶이)
Category: Korean Snacks & Street Food🕒 30 mins🍽️ 2 servings
Korean street food
Tteokbokki needs a little patience
Tteokbokki is simple, but the sauce makes the dish. I like to let it simmer until it turns glossy and clings to the rice cakes instead of staying watery.
My notes for this recipe
Tteokbokki is a Korean rice cake dish cooked in a sweet and spicy sauce. In Germany, I usually find tteokbokki rice cakes frozen or vacuum-packed at Asian grocery stores.
This is my simple everyday version of tteokbokki. In Korea, there are many different kinds of tteokbokki, with different sauces, toppings, and types of rice cakes. This version is intentionally simple and works well when you want something warm, spicy, and quick at home.
There are different types of rice cakes for tteokbokki. Rice tteok is usually a little chewier, while mil-tteok, made with wheat flour, is often softer and absorbs the sauce well. Many people in Korea have their own preference. In Germany, I usually use whichever type I can find at the Asian grocery store.
You can often find tteokbokki rice cakes in Germany frozen or vacuum-packed at Asian grocery stores. If they are frozen, I soak them briefly in water before cooking so they cook more evenly.
One small thing matters in Korean recipes: a Korean tablespoon is a little smaller than a standard German or Western tablespoon. Many everyday Korean recipes still use spoon measurements because they are practical at home. I try to write the amounts here in a way that makes the recipe easy to follow in Germany too.
Quick tips
- Soak frozen rice cakes briefly in water before cooking.
- Let the sauce simmer over medium heat and stir regularly.
- For a milder version, use less gochugaru and balance the sauce with a little sugar.
How I cook it
Bring 360 ml of water to a boil in a pot. Add the tteokbokki rice cakes. If the rice cakes are frozen, soak them briefly in water first.
When the water starts boiling again, add the sauce ingredients and mix well. Keep stirring often while the rice cakes cook, so they do not stick to the bottom.
Simmer until the sauce has reduced and becomes slightly glossy. Cut the green onion into small pieces with scissors and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
Serve right away. If you want to make it more filling, you can add eomuk, cabbage, boiled eggs, or extra sesame seeds.
Small notes
Bring 360 ml of water to a boil in a pot. Add the tteokbokki rice cakes. If the rice cakes are frozen, soak them briefly in water first.
When the water starts boiling again, add the sauce ingredients and mix well. Keep stirring often while the rice cakes cook, so they do not stick to the bottom.
Simmer until the sauce has reduced and becomes slightly glossy. Cut the green onion into small pieces with scissors and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
Serve right away. If you want to make it more filling, you can add eomuk, cabbage, boiled eggs, or extra sesame seeds.
Ingredients you can open and learn about
Video for reference
Small questions that often come up
Why are my rice cakes still hard?
They probably need more soaking or cooking time. Add a little water and simmer them longer.
Can I make Tteokbokki less spicy?
Yes. Use less gochugaru, choose a milder gochujang, and balance the sauce with sugar or syrup.