Chewy rice cakes in spicy sauce

Tteokbokki stars cylindrical Korean rice cakes that get stir-fried until crispy, then simmered in a gochujang-spiked anchovy-kelp broth. Generous onion brings sweetness to balance the heat.

“Saucy, spicy tteokbokki stars tteok (chewy Korean rice cakes).”

Finding the right rice cakes

Look for cylindrical Korean rice cakes labeled tteok or tteokbokki tteok, about two and a half inches long. Find them in the freezer section at Korean and East Asian grocery stores or online.

Control the heat level

This version is quite spicy with both gochujang and gochugaru. If you're sensitive to spice, omit the gochugaru (Korean chile flakes). Heat levels vary by gochujang brand.

Sweetness comes from onions

Unlike some versions that use sugar or rice syrup, this recipe balances chile heat with a generous amount of cooked onion. The onions sweeten the sauce naturally.

Fish cakes are optional

Korean fish cakes, or odeng, add a bouncy texture but aren't essential. The anchovy-kelp broth provides plenty of savory depth on its own.

Build umami with anchovy-kelp broth

Simmer dried anchovies and kombu in water for 15 to 45 minutes. The longer it simmers, the more savory depth you get. Strain and use this stock as your sauce base.

Crisp edges, tender centers

Stir-fry the rice cakes in oil for about 5 minutes until they get lightly crisp edges. Then add onions and garlic, cook briefly, and pour in the gochujang mixture and broth to finish.

“Stir-frying the rice cakes gives them lightly crisp edges before they simmer in an umami-rich anchovy-kelp dashi.”