Cheese Tteokbokki (Made with Homemade Rice Cakes)
A comforting and spicy Korean street food favorite, Cheese Tteokbokki combines chewy homemade rice cakes with a rich gochujang sauce and melted cheese. Perfect as a snack or a hearty meal, this recipe brings the taste of Seoul to your kitchen — from scratch.
Equipment
- Steamer or steaming pot
- Heatproof bowl or dish
- Parchment paper or cheesecloth
- Mixing bowls
- Silicone spatula or spoon
- Plastic gloves (for kneading hot dough)
- Nonstick pan (for final cooking)
- Knife and cutting board
Ingredients
- For the Rice Cakes:
- 2 cups sweet rice flour glutinous rice flour
- ¾ cup water adjust as needed
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp sesame oil optional, for shaping
- For the Sauce:
- 2 tbsp gochujang Korean chili paste
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 –2 tsp fish sauce or ¼ cup Korean dashi or veg broth for vegetarian
- ½ cup water
- 1 tbsp ketchup optional for sweetness
- Other Ingredients:
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella or any melting cheese
- ½ cup Korean fish cakes optional
- 1 green onion chopped
- 1 boiled egg optional
- Sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Make the Rice Cakes:Mix rice flour, salt, and water until a thick batter forms.our into a parchment-lined dish and steam fPor 20–25 minutes.While still warm, knead for 5–10 minutes with gloves.Roll into logs, let cool slightly, then cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Make the Sauce:In a bowl, whisk together gochujang, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and fish sauce/dashi.Add water and stir until well combined.
- Cook the Tteokbokki:In a pan, add the sauce and rice cakes. Simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring gently.Add fish cakes and green onions, simmer for another 3–5 minutes.Sprinkle cheese on top, cover the pan, and let the cheese melt.Serve hot, garnished with sesame seeds and boiled egg if using.
Notes
For vegetarian version, skip fish sauce and use veggie broth instead of dashi.
Adjust spiciness by reducing gochujang or adding more sugar/ketchup.
Store rice cakes in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for 1 month.
You can broil or pan-fry the rice cakes before adding sauce for a toasty bite.
This dish is best enjoyed immediately while the cheese is still melty.
