Chewy Korean Rice Cakes (Printable)

Chewy rice cakes and boiled eggs in a bold spicy-sweet sauce, delivering classic Korean flavors.

# What You Need:

→ Rice Cakes & Eggs

01 - 1.1 lb 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), 4 x 4 inch
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

# Directions:

01 - Soak the rice cakes in warm water for 10 minutes if they are hard or refrigerated.
02 - In a saucepan, combine water, dried kelp, and anchovies. Bring to a gentle boil, simmer for 10 minutes, then strain out kelp and anchovies to obtain a clear broth.
03 - Boil eggs for 8 to 9 minutes. Cool in cold water, peel, and set aside.
04 - Add gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, honey, garlic, and toasted sesame oil to the broth. Stir thoroughly until dissolved.
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 soft and chewy.
06 - Add the boiled eggs to the simmering sauce and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes to warm completely.
07 - Garnish with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds before serving hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Those pillowy rice cakes soak up every drop of the spicy-sweet sauce in a way that feels almost addictive.
  • It comes together in under 40 minutes, making it perfect for when you want something bold but don't have hours to spend cooking.
  • A single pot does all the work, and the soft-boiled eggs add richness that makes you forget this started as street food.
02 -
  • Don't skip soaking the rice cakes if they're cold or hard—this is the difference between chewy and grainy, and nobody wants grainy.
  • The sauce will look thin when you first add the gochujang, but it thickens as it simmers; resist the urge to add cornstarch or make it thicker faster.
  • Your broth should taste good enough to sip before you add the gochujang—if it doesn't, the whole dish will feel flat.
03 -
  • Keep your sauce moving as it simmers so the gochujang doesn't settle to the bottom and burn—a wooden spoon and gentle, constant stirring are your friends.
  • If you can't find Korean anchovies, skip them entirely rather than substituting—vegetable broth works just fine and you won't miss them if you've never had the comparison.
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