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.
Buy this recipe's ingredients online
I really like Weee! they deliver quality packaged and fresh Korean ingredients to the continental USA. Cheaper and better than Amazon! Check them out!
hey,
does anyone here know where i can buy a cheap rice cake tubed shape in La also hot pepper paste because i really want to make hot spicy rice cake ^_^ (pls reply!!!) thanks
You can purchase all the ingredients in H-mart in many different location. There are four locations in NJ alone.
OMG….i’m drooling…
i wanna make ddukbokkie tomorrow….
love it much….
thx for the recipe Maangchi…
you are very welcome!
dear Maangchi;
Thanks for all these receipies.
I would like to prepare DOGBOUGI.However in my country there is no opportunity to find ready made rice cakes.So how can I prepare rice cake for dougbogi?
Thanks in advance.
Berfin/ Turkey
aigo, I’m sorry, I don’t know how to make it.
I live in london and was wondering where I can get rice cakes from. Relly in to korean food but just do not have the ingredients to make them. Also im muslim so I would prefer it if it is halal. Please can you let me know. I have seen this dish many times on dramas and shows and have always wanted to make it. Thankyou
There’s a little korean supermarket just off Tottenham Court Road, on Store Street. They sell rice cakes there.
Kamhsahamnida! (- -) (_ _) <— 90 degrees bow
I made it and it taste great!
: ) Thank you!
Hi Maangchi..
i’m so lucky to found this website, i love u Maangchi.. !! you’ve teached me how to cook Korean Food well, and it works..
I’m lucky to be found by you, too! Happy cooking!
I’m typing this while eating my ddukbokkie and all i can say is….OMG where has ddukbokkie been all my life?!?!?!?!
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe Maangchi!!
lol, “where have you been!”
hai maangchi? i love all of ur recipes… i couldn’t eat bcoz i have no ingredients..my mouth feel wants to eat.. hahaha
Hi maangchi, i wonder if i can use spring onion??
yes, you can.
hi maangchi,
i was wondering what else i could make with the rice cakes besides ddukbokkie… i think i bought too much of it and right now, its in my freezer sitting, taking up too much space…thanks in advance…
You can keep the leftover rice cake in the freezer and use it later. Or bake it in the oven and dip it in honey which will be delicious snack.Or when you make any stew, add the rice cake.
Hi Maangchi! thanks for the info. if i want to bake, how long and what temp? Do i need to do anything to them first if they are frozen? thanks so much!!!!
hi maangchi,
i was so happy i finally found the frozen rice cakes.. i was searching for it high and low and i found them in a local grocery under the asian section… it was really good, everyone in the family enjoyed them… thanks again…
Good news! : )
Hi I would like to try your recipe and was wondering how big is the serving?
This amount is for 2-3 servings.
First, let me say thank you for providing us with this recipe, it is amazingly delicious, spicy and flavourful, warming and heartwarming. I have been looking all over for it, and the recipe you’ve provided is excellent. I hope to impress my girlfriend with it. Thank you again, on behalf of all of us who love to cook authentic food.
-Sven
I’m so glad to hear that you are planning to make this for your gf! I hope she likes it.
hi maangchi ,i don’t have dried anchovies but i have dried fish so can i use it? please tell me soon
If you don’t have dried anchovies, just skip them. Don’t use any other dried fish.
hai..i’d love to try to make dok bogi,but the prob is that at Malaysia,there is no frozen rice cake available,the question is,how can i make my own rice cake???please answer,i’ll b waiting 4 ur reply
I don’t know how to make the rice cake for ddukbokkie. I think you can get it at a Korean grocery store there. Check “where do you buy Korean ingredients” category on the forum, please.
https://www.maangchi.com/talk/forum/where-to-buy-korean-cooking-ingredients
if you live in JB near Singapore, you can get them at Korean grocery stores here. S$6.60 for 600 grams.
is using mulyot okay? instead of sugar? thanks
Hey maangchi,
I used the frozen tubes of rice cake. I soaked it in cold water for an hour, then some lukewarm water for ten minutes.
Then, I went to cook it, and the rice cakes got all soggy and nasty! What did I do wrong?
Mary, you played with the rice cake too long! : )
30 minutes soaking in cold water is enough before cooking.
Hi Chef Maangchi,
I love your website – thank you very much for sharing your recipes! I am Filipino-Chinese but live in Canada and currently hosting a Korean exchange student. I made ddukbokkie tonight and my student said it was delicious and even had seconds. She said though that in Korea her Mom makes it with ketchup so I was quite surprised… it’s funny too that she found the recipe very spicy – I only used 4 tablespoons of gochujang and not 6 as your recipe suggests. I have to say spicy Korean food is a great way to encourage milk intake for teens.
I’ve also made Bibimbap twice and even her friend (Korean too) seemed to like it. Is it traditionally served on a stone bowl like in the restaurants? Would you recommend getting one?
I’ve asked my student to mark down some recipes she likes in a Korean cookbook that I have. I’m interested in learning to make Yak Shik. What do the seedless red dates look like? Hope that you would consider posting this recipe on your website.
More power to you!
Thanks again
oh, you must be such a warm-hearted host mom! Your students are lucky to stay at your house!
ok, yak shik recipe will be posted someday in the future.
Thank you!
hi im from canada too and was just wondering where do u buy the rice cakes???
Toronto Canada:
Here is the address of the Korean grocery store where I used to go in Toronto. The store is called P.A.T. and it is located at 675 Bloor Street near Christie Subway. Check this out.
http://toronto.cityguide.ca/pat-korean-supermarket-on-bloor-015910.php
https://www.maangchi.com/talk/topic/where-do-you-buy-your-korean-ingredients
I added some cabage, onion and fish cake to your recipe and this came out great! Didn’t know anchovie stock would make that much difference in taste. Stirring constantly does make it so much better. I used to add ramen AND it’s soup base to ddukbokki and I don’t think I will do that any more. Your recipe has to be much healthier. Next time, I will just add the noodle. Thank you!
It sounds like you are already ddukboki expert! I totally agree!
hi maangchi i have the ingredients for ddukbokkie but i don’t the dried anchovy, do you now anything that i can use.thank you
How about using chicken stock or beef stock?
Im living in singapore and only small anchovies are available here. So i don’t really know how much anchovies to put in? Do you know how much i should use if im making stock with small anchovies?
I think 1/4 cup (4 tbs) of small dried anchovies will be good for this amount of ddukbokkie. Good luck with making delicious ddukbokkie!
안녕하세요 ^ ^
Greeting from England. I just wonder how long can I keep the 떡볶이 떡 in the pack (like yours in the video) for? Normally I use the frozen one, so I can keep it for longer but since I watched your video I think the fresh one looks a lot better. 고맙습니다 ^ ^
Could you add tofu to this dish?
i used the tofu in the end. fold it in to the ddukbokkie right at the end(as the sauce was thick and placed the heat on really low and let it cook for extra 5 minutes.
it was amazing the tofu went well with it. i also added shiake mushrooms in with the dried anchovies will makin the broth.
thanks maangchi for the reciepe.
Also maangchi i was wondering can do a video for this korean side dish it was like a coleslaw. all i know it was really creamy and yummy
thanks
Sam (for Australia)
We must be sitting at the computer at the same time! I just replied to you and found you left your another comment. Good!
Tofu worked with ddukbokkie! : )
oh, it will be strange, don’t do that! : ) But I can’t give you hard time if you add it secretly while cooking in your house. lol,
Who knows it turns out delicious.
Hi Maangchi!
Thanks so much for the recipe! I made it last night and it was SO delicious! I made it with some fried squid for dinner and it was great!! I live in NYC, so the ingredients are really easy to find. I can’t wait to try more! I’ve also made the kimchi chigae! :)
I’ve tried some of your recipe n I love it. But I have a problem here, as i can’t find the hot pepper paste here. Is there a way tat i can make it my own??? ;p
can i use Toppokki?
Mash-eet-gaet-da.
I’m going to try your recipe next time I come back from the Korean supermarket.
I always wanted to taste ddukbokkie but didn’t know how to make it. Then i found your video. I made it just now. The taste? My goodness, it’s so deliciouuuuuuuuuuuuus. Never thought that it would be very easy to make.
yeah, dried anchovy is a very important ingredient. You can add your other favorite ingredients such as noodles, fish cake, or hard boiled eggs to your ddukbokkie. I prefer simple ddukbokkie though.
hello maangchi.. instead of using dried anchovy i used the anchovies that has been flakes.. can i??
How was the result? I don’t know much about anchovy flakes.
Greetings from America
I really like how u made it and it looks really really delicious i think u should be a cook and i like spicy food!
Thank you so much!
Hi Maangchi
I finally tried making ddukbokkie last night. It was good!!! Despite reducing the amount of hot pepper paste (1 1/2 tbsp), it was still too spicy for me. Hence, I added in more sugar. Because I love vegetable, I added cabbage (in season) during the cooking too. Yummy. It tasted very similar to those ddukbokkie I bought from the Korean takeaway. Sadly, my family does not like spicy food especially my girls (like the Kiwis). I finished almost the whole portion alone.
Maangchi, I was told by the guy from the Korean shop that the remaining uncooked rice cake can be kept in the freezer. The one thing to remember is to break the rice cake into pieces. So, my question to you is when I defrost the rice cake, should I remove them from the freezer and leave them overnight in room temperature (it is now Spring in New Zealand so the average temperature is around 12 degree during night time) then put them into hot water the next day if they are still very hard.
Anyway, I am going to try making two more of your dishes for dinner tonight. Sweet and crispy children (without hot pepper and peanuts) and vegetable pancake. Wish me luck.
Thank you once again for sharing your awesome recipes.
A full time working mum from New Zealand
I always throw the leftover ddukbokkie away because I don’t like to eat it later. : ) “remove them from the freezer and leave them overnight in room temperature (it is now Spring in New Zealand so the average temperature is around 12 degree during night time) then put them into hot water the next day if they are still very hard” Yes, that’s a good idea.
Good luck with making delicious vegetable pancake! Take some photos and email me!
i love to try this dish but i dont know of we have this kind of rice cake here in Manila.
I think you can find this rice cake at a Korean grocery store there. Check the forum “where do you get Korean ingredients” section. Thank you!
you can find rice cakes in Korean stores at Kalayaan (UP Diliman) they sell for P 150 per pack. You can also get ttokbokki at the restaurants nearby.
Greetings from Singapore !
Sorry for my late reply. Well, the ingredient label only mentioned rice and water. The rice packaging is very hard. I tried soaking them overnight like 13 hrs and still hard. So i decided to soak them in hot water, walla, only 10-15 mins they became soft. However, it does not have the gluey texture. I tried making them just a while ago, it turned out so-so but not like the korean type of rice cake where you mentioned the sauce become thick. This one don’t still watery.
Next round, will try to look for the korean type of rice cake.
Maangchi, thanks. Keep up the good work.
You might have bought the rice cake that they sell on the aisles. It came in a plastic package right? Well, the difference between what you bought and what mangchi uses is like the difference in a fresh homemade spagettii noodle to the dried ones. It just required more cooking (boiling). What I do is let the rice cake soak in cold water while I bring the stock to a boil. Then add the rice cake into the pot and let boil until al dente. Then I go ahead and put in the pepper paste and etc. You might need a tad bit more water than what mangchi uses here. This dish tastes great with some minced garlic, beef, sliced carrots, chopped cabbage, sliced onions, and tempura (fish cake) too. Some even enjoy it with ramen noodles added in at the last moment and garnished with a hard boiled egg. There’s also those who like cheese on it (mozzerella).
Hello Rosalynn,
I am from Singapore. You can easily get imported Korean rice cake from the Korean supermarket here, they cost around SGD$ 12-15 for 500gm. They are like what maangchi use in her video. I tried the dried chinese rice cake before, they have less chew than the Korean ones as they are thin but I think Korean do use these types for soups.
Jo is right, the dried rice cake need to pre-boiling prior to cooking and this takes time.If your ddukbokkie is watery, you may need to cook a little longer for the starch to be released to thicken your gravy.
i saw a lady make this with ketchup and some cabbage and onions in there. i forgot what all she added, but is that normal?
I think she used ketchup for those who can’t eat spicy food.
Hi Maangchi,
I didn’t realise this website provide so much of help in improvising my Korean cooking. Thank u so much. I do make this recipe (spicy rice cake) some time ago, but it won’t turn out quite well, since I’m using home-made rice cake. Anyway, I have couple questions here, first, can I use fish cake in my cooking for this recipe and second, can you suggest any additional ingredients that could be added to give extraordinary flavour for my spicy rice cake???
Hope for reply.
Thanks Maangchi. Keep up the excellent & marvellous work.
아자! 아자!
yes, you can add fish cake, starch noodles, or shelled hard boiled eggs to ddukbokkie. I like just simple ddukbokkie though.
Hmmm, do you mean 라면??? I never try it before, well, I’ll try my best to make it according to your recipe and tips… thanks so much Maangchi… All the best
Best wishes,
one of ur fan from malaysia… ^_^
oh, you can add ramen, too, but I meant starch noodles (dangmyun):
https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/starch-noodles
Oh, I got the idea.
Thanks so much Maangchi. ^_^
Hi Maangchi, is not so easy to get ahold of korean rice cake so i bought the made in china rice cake. May I know how long it takes to soak the chinese rice cake as compared to korean type. For this particular ddukbokkie cooking, i don’t remember seeing that you soak them. Please advise. Thank you.
If you get fresh rice cake, you don’t have to soak it. I don’t know if I can use Chinese rice cake for ddukbokkie. Is the rice cake very chewy and made of short grain rice?