Chewy Spicy Sweet Tteokbokki (Printable)

Chewy rice cakes cooked in a spicy-sweet sauce with tender boiled eggs and savory garnishes.

# What You Need:

→ Rice Cakes & Eggs

01 - 1.1 lbs Korean cylindrical rice cakes (tteok)
02 - 4 large eggs

→ Sauce

03 - 3 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chili paste)
04 - 2 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
05 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
06 - 1 tablespoon sugar
07 - 1 tablespoon honey or corn syrup
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

→ Broth

10 - 3 cups water
11 - 1 piece dried kelp (kombu), approx. 4x4 inches
12 - 8 dried anchovies, heads and guts removed (optional for vegetarian: omit)

→ Vegetables & Garnish

13 - 1 small onion, sliced
14 - 1 green onion, sliced
15 - 1 sheet fish cake, sliced (optional)
16 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

# How To Make It:

01 - Soak rice cakes in warm water for 10 minutes if they are hard or refrigerated to soften.
02 - In a medium saucepan, combine water, dried kelp, and anchovies. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Remove kelp and anchovies to yield a clear broth.
03 - Meanwhile, boil eggs for 8 to 9 minutes until hard-boiled. Cool in cold water, peel, and set aside.
04 - Add gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, honey, minced garlic, and toasted sesame oil to the broth. Stir thoroughly to dissolve all components.
05 - Add soaked rice cakes, sliced onion, and fish cake if using to the sauce. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 10 to 12 minutes until sauce thickens and rice cakes become tender and chewy.
06 - Add the peeled boiled eggs to the simmering sauce and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes to warm fully.
07 - Sprinkle sliced green onion and toasted sesame seeds over the dish before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 40 minutes, making it perfect for nights when you want something bold without spending hours cooking.
  • The sauce is dangerously addictive—sweet, spicy, and savory all at once, with enough personality to make you want to pour it over everything.
  • Soft boiled eggs turn it from a snack into something substantial enough for dinner, without any fuss.
02 -
  • Cold or hard rice cakes will stay lumpy and won't absorb the sauce properly, so that initial soak is non-negotiable if they're not fresh.
  • Don't skip removing the kombu and anchovies after they've steeped—they'll continue breaking down and eventually make your broth cloudy and overly fishery.
  • If your sauce seems too thin after cooking, it means your rice cakes released more starch than expected; a quick 2-3 minute uncovered simmer will thicken it beautifully.
03 -
  • Toast your sesame seeds in a dry pan for 30 seconds right before serving—it wakes up their flavor and makes them impossible to ignore.
  • If you're cooking for people with different spice tolerances, make the broth and let everyone season their own bowl from a separate bowl of gochujang and chili flakes.
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