Tteokbokki is chewy rice cakes cooked in a red, spicy broth. It’s a popular Korean street food. When I was a student coming home from school it was hard to resist the spicy rice cakes sold by vendors on the street! They would have big vats of tteokbokki and just kept stirring and stirring it, making it more and more delicious over time. We would stop by and they would give us a small paper cup of spicy rice cakes dripping the spicy, slightly sweet sauce for a very reasonable price that any student could afford. We just couldn’t resist it! The sauce is fiery hot and a little sweet, and the rice cakes don’t have much taste but they are a little soft and a little gooey.
For a lot of my readers who’ve never had it before, it looks like pasta in tomato sauce, but it doesn’t taste like that at all.
When I lived in Korea I learned the secret to making good tteokbokki from a famous place in the local market. It was run by an old lady who could always be found stirring her pot of tteokbokki, and there were always people lined up to buy it.
She prepared it right in front of us, so I saw she first made an anchovy stock from dried anchovies. I made tteokbokki at home and found it made a huge difference in flavor. I once ran out of dried anchovies and made tteokbokki without it, and it didn’t taste at all like what I was expecting. So don’t forget to always make a good stock with dried anchovies when you make this! It totally makes this dish!
There are many variations of the Romanized English spellings of tteokbokki (떡볶이): ddeokbokki, dukbokki, tteok-bokki and on and on. A few years ago the Korean government tried to standardize the name as “topokki” and even asked me to change it everywhere on my website! It just sounded weird to me so I never did it. How do you pronounce it? The first two t’s are a hard t, and the eo sounds more like a u.
There are also many variations of the tteokbokki recipe too: some people add dumplings (mandu), some add cabbage, cheese (mozzarella cheese seems popular), or ramen noodles. Creamy, saucy rosé tteokbokki was popular for a while, and a few hundred years ago the Korean royal court enjoyed nonspicy, soy sauce based gungjung tteokbokki. This version below of the spicy Korean rice cakes is an authentic classic and my favorite. Everyone loves it, so let’s make tteokbokki!
Ingredients
- 1 pound of cylinder shaped rice cake (tteok), fresh or frozen, bought or homemade. (Use a little more if you’re not adding hard boiled eggs and fish cakes)
- 4 cups of water
- 7 large size dried anchovies, with heads and intestines removed
- 6 x 8 inch dried kelp
- ⅓ cup hot pepper paste (gochujang)
- 1 tablespoon Korean hot pepper flakes (gochugaru) aka “Korean chili flakes”
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3 green onions (scallions), cut into 3 inch long pieces
- 2 hard boiled eggs, shelled (optional)
- ½ pound fish cakes (optional)
Directions
Cook time: 15mins for the anchovy broth and 10-15mins for tteokbokki
- Add the water, dried anchovies, and dried kelp to a shallow pot or pan.
- Boil for 15 minutes over medium high heat without the lid.
- Combine gochujang (hot pepper paste), gochugaru (hot pepper flakes), and sugar in a small bowl.
- Remove the anchovies and kelp from the pot and add the rice cake, the spicy mixture in the bowl, the green onion, and the optional fish cakes and hard boiled eggs. The stock will be about 2½ cups.
- When it starts to boil, stir gently with a wooden spoon. Let it simmer and keep stirring it until the rice cake turns soft and the sauce thickens and looks shiny. It should take about 10 to 15 minutes. If the rice cake is not soft enough in that time, add more water and continue stirring until it softens. Freshly made rice cakes will soften faster so if you use frozen rice cakes, thaw them out and soak them in cold water first, to soften them up before cooking with them.
- Remove from the heat and serve hot. If you have any leftovers, keep them in the fridge and reheat them when you want to eat. They won’t be as good as when you first made them, but not bad. You should finished them in a few days, but it’s best to eat them all at once right after you make them.
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Its wow thanks to you but why it still taste rice flour
It looks great to me! Cook it longer if it tastes a little uncooked.
hi maangi, I love following you on youtube. Your page is awesome. here is my version of Tteokbokki.
Hi Maangchi! I’ve been craving for tteokbokki for days now and today I finally got the chance to cook! I have made Yangnyeom Chicken for many times already, Kimbap, Jeyuk Bokkeum, Kimchi Bokkeumbap, Galbi, Sundubu Jjigae, Doenjang Jjigae, Kimchi Jjichae, Japchae, Kimchi and many more all from your website and tutorials!! I followed the recipe for this tteokbokki except for the anchovy and the fish cakes, I used odeng instead of fish cake balls and fish cubes to make the stock and added dasima to it. It turned out so good!! Look! Thank you for sharing all of there great recipes Maangchi!!
Here’s one more pic.
Your tteokbokki looks so delicious and perfect! It sounds like you have been getting into Korean cooking these days! Good luck!
Yes Maangchi! I have been a Korean Food Addict since I became an English Teacher for Koreans here in the Philippines. I’ve been teaching since 2009. I am now a
유치원 Headteacher for 3 years. Its the best and most rewarding thing ever! Seeing kids learn from you and most of the Korean Parents appreciate our work! Its true when you said in your Gimbap Video that Koreans respect Teachers a lot. And by the way I just ate my favorite snack as Im writing this, Pajeon! Thank you so much for replying to my comment Maangchi!! You rock!!
I first made this following your recipe a few years ago. Now, every time my sister visits, she asks for me to make tteokbokki. Thank you so much for providing such great recipes!
Tteokbokki made with spicy anchovy broth is irresistible!
I know it’s absurd to ask if there is any recipes that does not include rice cakes. I would only want to use the teokbokkie sauce in other dishes. Can u please advise me as my family does not like the texture of rice cakes.
Florflor, you can use this sauce with all fish cake and eggs. Why not? Follow the recipe except for adding rice cake. Just a suggestion.
How exactly do I use chicken broth or vegetable stock to make the broth? Substitute the water and anchovies and put the kelp in the stock? How much stock exactly? Thank you!
Hi, bought Gochujang Brown Rice Red Pepper paste by mistake, can I use it instead of the Red Hot Pepper Paste or will it taste different or less spicy ???
Don’t know whats the different between those 2.
Hello Maangchi! I finally made this recipe,I have been wanting to make it for so long,but no recipe was as good as yours! It looks good and it tasted amazing! The smell is nice too ! :) Thank you a lot !
Your tteokbokki looks so spicy and delicious! You added some ramyeon! Happy cooking!
You know what’s so cool about Tteokbokki is a little sweet and spicy.
It’s a perfect mix!! :)
Made my 1st tteokbokkie today…
I add cabbage and quail egg because I can’t find fish cake in the groceries.
Thanks for the recipe.
Hi! I really want to make Tteokbokki but I can’t seem to find It anywhere near where I live. I’ve checked in the asian stories aswell. I have ground fresh chili paste which has a different consistency and pepper flakes. I got it because when I asked the man at the asian store I needed to make spicy rice cake he told me to use it. Is it okay for me to use this? and How?
Sorry, i forgot to write, I cant seem to find pepper paste
Did you try it with the sambal sauce? I can’t imagine using that for tteokbokki. Curious to know how it turned out if you did. Korean red pepper paste is a pretty common ingredient if you go to an asian store or any aisle with korean products. It shouldn’t be too hard to find…if all else fails, I suppose you can order from online.
Hi! I tried it with sambal sauce and it turned out great! Everyone in my family loved it. It might not be the same consistency and the color isn’t exactly as red and the picture but an orange to red color. I add a few more things to it just to make the consistency thicker. But defiantly is a good substitute for the paste. You should defiantly try it out :)
I have a Korean friend who taught me to make Ddoekbokki with carrots and onions as well as fish cakes and rice cakes. Her recipe also uses soy sauce with the gochujang, but does not use the pepper flakes. Is that common? Most often I’ve seen Ddoekbokki with just the rice cakes and fish cakes.
Everybody has a different recipe for tteokbokki. As long as it turns out tasty, it’s good! Your tteokbokki looks very tasty by the way! It’s made with vegetables so that can be one meal!
Hi Maangchi
I just tried cooking Tteokbokki but no rice cake as I am eager to try it so I added my own ingredients. I did not add a lot of Chilli paste and it already spicy and I’m loving it. I will try again once I get the rice cake and will add more Chilli..
Just wanna say thanks!
Is it possible to use small anchovies?
Of course! I have no luck with big anchovies, so I just use the small ones I have. You can just estimate how many you need. I usually do 14-15 small anchovies.
Is fermented hot pepper paste the same as hot pepper paste?!?!?
Korean gochujang is called either fermented hot pepper paste or hot pepper paste. Some people call it Korean chili paste, too. https://www.maangchi.com/ingredient/hot-pepper-paste-gochujang
I did this recipe today, and it was awesome!! Thanks Maangchi for sharing these deliciousness.
Maangchi,
It’s difficult for me to express in words how grateful I am that I found your website and your recipes. I am just now finishing a very difficult period of my life where it was hard for me to find a reason to be happy about much. Lucky for me, I found your website and decided to try making some of the recipes. This tteokbokki recipe was the first I tried. The surprise and satisfaction of cooking something so tasty gave me a positive glow that I hadn’t felt in a long time.
These days, I am constantly cooking something and always telling friends and family to come over so we can share a meal together. The times where I’ve shared delicious food with family and friends has revitalized me and brought light back into my life. This is all possible because of the hard work you’ve put into your recipes, the website, and the book. I can now look back at those times and smile knowing that I ended up gaining something priceless — I’ve gained the confidence that I could make something delicious that brings smiles to the faces of the people I love.
Thank you!
Just sharing a tip for people who can’t get access to dried anchovies. In some Asian supermarkets, you may be able to find Ikan Bilis (anchovy) stock powders and stock cubes – usually Knorr or Maggi brands. Sometimes I use the no MSG versions to replace dried anchovies and they work well!
How many cube if anchovy stock did you use? 1 cube?
This was mine, I added quick-melt cheese! It’s so addictive till I ate it 3 days in a row (once a day surely). Thanks Maangchi.
Hi, I had a quick question. Is there another ingredient I can use instead of dried anchovies? They are just so expensive where I live and I have to drive so far to get them. Can I use something like fish sauce?
I used fish sauce and it turned out fine. Most fish sauces I could find had anchovies as main ingredient.
How much fish sauce and water instead of stock? Thank you!!
I still made stock with kelp first, skipping the anchovies as per Maangchi’s instructions. I can’t recall exact amounts because I haven’t made this in a while, but start with about 2tb and keep tasting till it is to your liking. I find that since gochujang paste is slightly salty itself, it’s a good amount to start off with to not get too salty of a dish. (I added the fish sauce near the end.)
Just tried this recipe out and it was sooo good! I didn’t have any dried anchovies but I substituted it with some chicken bullion and fish sauce and personally I think it turned out wonderful!
I paired it with two types of kimchi: Radish kimchi that I made myself and some store bought kimchi!
Hi maangchi! I just want to ask what kind of your dried anchovies that you use to making this? In my place, i have two kind of dried anchovies, first is salted dried anchovies and second is unsalted dried anchovies. What should i use? Thank you so much!
Get unsalted dried anchovies, please. https://www.maangchi.com/ingredient/dried-anchovies-myulchi
How long does it take to cook spicy rice cakes?
Hi! I really want to make this, but I am having troubles finding the dried anchovies. I saw that you said in a previous comment to use chicken broth, but I cannot eat chicken. Is it okay if I use anchovy sauce? If so, how would I use it?
I don’t think anchovy sauce works well because it’s salty. How about using beef broth or vegetarian stock?
Hello Maangchi!
I cant find a Shop with dried kelp, can i use something like roasted Seaweed?
Thank you for your great work!
I Made many delicious food with your help.
You have a lot of Fans from Germany. Greetings !! :) ㅋㅋㅋ
I’m very happy to hear that your Korean cooking is going well! : )
You can skip dried kelp and use only dried anchovies. It will make the broth tasty.
Hi Maangchi, I made this tteokbokki using store-bought rice cakes. I soak them in water to thaw, then add it to the pan once the broth was done. After the sauce thickened, I put them on a plate to eat and was shocked! Some of the tteokbokki is chewy, and some were mushy and soggy. Do you think it is because I boiled it too long, or is it the rice cakes?
Sam413 Store bought rice cakes can be hard, most especially if you leave them in the fridge or on the counter too long. But dont bother soaking them, this actually prevents you from achieving greater flavor. The rice cakes should absorb some of the broth and seasoning when in the pan, when you soak them you create a moisture barrier. Having soaked them this may add to the effect of them being mushy or soggy. You might have also overcooked it as well. After the rice cakes are put in dont take more than 15-20 minutes with it on the stove. Next time even if they are hard just put them in. theyll soften in the pan.
I was living with a Korea girl that she taught me how to make rice cake sauce. It was delicious besides the ingredients you need is a lot more than what Maangchi asked for. But I have to say, Maangchi’s recipe is much more delicious and authentic and effortless to follow!! It is amazing. I will certainly using this recipe forever!!!
Hi Maangchi,
Thanks for putting this up! My fiancé is Korean and he insists on putting myeolchi dashida, lots of garlic, and mozzarella. He skips the anchovies (because of the dashida) and green onions. What is your opinion on this variation on the recipe? How can I tell him to improve it?
Thanks!!!! Love you!
Hi Maangchi! I’m going to try making this dish and I was wondering if it would be a problem if I used a deeper pot to make this? I don’t have any flat pans like the one you used in the video.
Hello! i love watching your videos and cooking them. I have a slight problem though. Where i live, there is absolutely no dried anchovy sold. What should i substitute the stock with? – besides vegetable stock.
Thank you! much love.
How about using chicken broth?
Is there a simple recipe to make chicken broth?
Thank you for the reply! x
I would use a can of unsalted chicken broth to make quick tteokbokki. Check out my chicken noodle soup recipe if you like to make delicious chicken broth. https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/dak-kalguksu
Just want to say thank you for your recipes. I am half Korean grew up with foods all homemade. This is my favorite food. Now I can make it thanks to you. My mom doesn’t use measurements, so she would just make it by request. Taste like my moms. I am going to surprise her and make it for her.
I tried making this for the first time, and instead of using the fish I used chicken broth.
It turned out like a soup because the sauce didn’t thicken, should I have reduced the amount of water I used? Or convert the other ingredients?
I’m not sure how this is suppose to taste since I’ve never had it before.
If you keep cooking and stirring the rice cake, the broth will thicken. Or use less chicken stock.
Thank you so much for this recipe and video! :)
I made this yesterday and it was sooooo good! I don’t usually like spicy food, but I’d thought I’d take a chance because it looked really tasty.
My parents really liked it too and there is none left. I’ll be making this again! :p yum!
Hi! Sorry for reacting on such an old post, but I’m in a bit of a struggle. I absolutely love Korean food but I’m a vegetarian so my choices are a bit more limited. Even though you’ve mentioned the importance of the anchovis multiple times already, is there any way I could make good vegetarian rice cakes?
You could use vegetarian stock or make your own delicious stock. I can suggest boiling some dried shiitake mushrooms, radish, onion, and dried kelp with water over low heat until the stock turns a little brownish. To make delicious tteokbokki, the stock should be delicious.
Thank you so much!