Healthy Korean Tteokbokki Rice Cake in 10 Minutes!
Tteokbokki Korean Rice Cake
Cook Time: 10 minutes | Serves: 4 meals
10-Minute Korean Street Food Transformed to a Fast Meal That's Packed with Veggies and Proteins!
Welcome to your new favorite Korean comfort food! This healthy tteokbokki tastes exactly like authentic Korean street food but is packed with way more veggies and protein. With chewy rice cakes swimming in a glossy, sweet and spicy sauce, plus nutrient-rich enoki mushrooms and bok choy, this recipe gives you all the satisfaction of traditional tteokbokki with added nutrition.
The best part? It comes together in just 10 minutes! Whether you're craving Korean flavors or want to try something new, this healthy twist on the classic dish will become your go-to comfort meal. Perfect for busy weeknights when you want something delicious, satisfying, and wholesome.
Ingredients
2 cups tteokbokki (Korean rice cakes)
2 cups water 2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tablespoon gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
2 tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
2-3 sheets fish cake
1 pack enoki mushrooms
2 stalks bok choy
2 boiled eggs
1 green onion, sliced diagonally
Sesame seeds (for garnish)
Tteokbokki Rice Cake Ingredients
Instructions
Cook the Egg
Cook the eggs to your preferred doneness - whether you like them soft-boiled with a jammy yolk or fully hard-boiled, it's completely up to you! Peel and set aside.
Start the Rice Cakes
Add 2 cups of water and 2 cups of rice cakes to a pot and bring to a boil. If your rice cakes are frozen, they'll need to cook 5 minutes longer than fresh ones. They're ready when they're soft but still perfectly chewy!
Build the Sauce
Tteokbokki Rice Cake Sauce Ingredients
Once the water starts boiling, it's time to build those amazing flavors. Add the minced garlic, gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, and fish cake to the pot. Stir everything together and let it bubble away. This is where the magic happens as all these ingredients come together to create that perfect sweet and spicy sauce.
Cook & Thicken
Tteokbokki Rice Cake Cooking
Cook and stir for 7 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken and coat the rice cakes beautifully. Add the enoki mushrooms and bok choy, then cook for 3 more minutes until the vegetables are tender but still crisp. If using frozen rice cakes, cook an extra 5 minutes total. Turn off heat and stir in the sliced green onions.
Assembly & Garnish
Transfer to your serving bowl and add the boiled eggs. Sprinkle generously with sesame seeds and extra green onions. Look at that beautiful glossy sauce coating those perfectly chewy rice cakes!
Tteokbokki Rice Cake
Tips for Perfect Tteokbokki
Fresh vs frozen rice cakes: Fresh rice cakes cook faster and have better texture, but frozen work perfectly with extra cooking time.
Don't skip the sugar: It balances the spicy gochujang and creates that signature sweet-spicy flavor Sauce consistency
Cook until the sauce coats the back of a spoon for the perfect glossy finish Vegetable timing
Add harder vegetables first, softer ones last to maintain perfect texture Garnish generously: Sesame seeds and green onions add essential flavor and visual appeal
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Authentic taste: All the flavors of Korean street food without leaving home Healthier twist: Packed with vegetables and protein while keeping the classic taste Quick and easy: Ready in just 10 minutes for busy weeknight dinners Customizable spice: Adjust gochugaru and gochujang to your heat preference Comfort food satisfaction: Chewy, spicy, sweet, and utterly satisfying Budget-friendly: Uses affordable ingredients that go a long way
Variations & Substitutions
Protein boost: Add sliced chicken, beef, or tofu for extra protein
Vegetable swaps: Try spinach, cabbage, or Korean leeks instead of bok choy
Vegan version: Skip the fish cake and eggs, add extra mushrooms or tofu
Milder version: Reduce gochujang and gochugaru for sensitive palates
Extra indulgent: Add a slice of cheese on top for Korean-style cheese tteokbokki
Korean Ingredient Guide
Tteokbokki Rice Cake Korean Ingredients
Gochujang: Korean fermented red pepper paste, available in Asian grocery stores or online
Gochugaru: Korean red pepper flakes, milder and sweeter than regular chili flakes
Tteok: Korean rice cakes, found in the frozen section of Asian markets
Fish cake: Pre-cooked processed fish sheets, adds umami depth to the dish
Storage: Leftover tteokbokki keeps in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat gently with a splash of water to restore the sauce consistency. The rice cakes may firm up when cold but will soften again when reheated.
Enjoy this healthy Korean comfort food that brings authentic street food flavors right to your kitchen! Whether you're new to Korean cuisine or a longtime fan, this tteokbokki delivers all the satisfaction of the original with added nutrition. Don't forget to share your own spice level preferences and vegetable additions!
Hello, World!
10-Minute Healthy Korean Tteokbokki
Quick and healthy Korean tteokbokki ready in just 10 minutes! Chewy rice cakes in sweet and spicy Korean sauce, loaded with enoki mushrooms, bok choy, and boiled eggs. This healthier version of Korean street food is perfect for busy weeknights when you're craving authentic Korean comfort food. All the traditional flavors with added nutrition!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot.
- Add the rice cakes and cook until they're soft but still perfectly chewy — about 3-5 minutes for fresh rice cakes, or 8-10 minutes if using frozen.
- Don't worry if they look a bit firm at first; they'll continue cooking in the sauce!
- Once the water is bubbling, it's time to create those incredible Korean flavors!
- Add the minced garlic, gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, and fish cake pieces to the pot.
- Stir everything together and watch as the sauce transforms into that signature glossy red color. This is where the magic happens!
- Let the mixture bubble and cook for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- The sauce will thicken beautifully and coat the rice cakes in glossy perfection.
- Add the enoki mushrooms and bok choy, then cook for 3 more minutes until the vegetables are tender but still have a lovely crisp bite.
- If you started with frozen rice cakes, give everything an extra 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and stir in most of the sliced green onions, saving some for garnish.
- Transfer to serving bowls and add the halved boiled eggs.
- Sprinkle generously with sesame seeds and the remaining green onions. Look at that beautiful glossy sauce coating those perfectly chewy rice cakes — absolutely irresistible!
Notes
Tips for Perfect Tteokbokki
- Fresh vs. frozen rice cakes: Fresh cook faster and have better texture, but frozen work perfectly with a little extra time
- Don't skip the sugar: It balances the spicy gochujang and creates that signature sweet-spicy flavor that Korean street food is famous for
- Watch the sauce: Cook until it coats the back of a spoon for that perfect glossy finish
- Vegetable timing: Add harder vegetables first, softer ones last to maintain perfect texture and color
- Spice level: Start with less gochugaru and add more to taste — you can always make it spicier!
Make It Your Own
- Protein boost: Add sliced chicken, beef, or tofu for extra protein
- Vegetable swaps: Try spinach, cabbage, or Korean leeks instead of bok choy
- Vegan version: Skip the fish cake and eggs, add extra mushrooms or tofu
- Cheese lovers: Add a slice of cheese on top for Korean-style cheese tteokbokki
- Seafood twist: Include shrimp or squid for ocean flavors
Korean Ingredient Guide
Don't worry if these ingredients sound unfamiliar — they're available at most Asian
grocery stores and increasingly online:
- Gochujang: Korean fermented red pepper paste with a sweet, savory heat
- Gochugaru: Korean red pepper flakes, milder and sweeter than regular chili flakes
- Tteok: Korean rice cakes, found in the frozen section of Asian markets
- Fish cake: Pre-cooked processed fish sheets that add umami depth
Storage & Reheating Leftover tteokbokki keeps in the fridge for 2-3 days. When reheating, add a splash of water to restore the sauce consistency — the rice cakes firm up when cold but soften beautifully again when warmed!
Enjoy this healthy Korean comfort food that brings authentic street food flavors right to your kitchen! Whether you're discovering Korean cuisine for the first time or you're already a K-food fanatic, this tteokbokki delivers all the satisfaction of the original with added nutrition and wholesome goodness. Share your spice level preferences and favorite additions — I love seeing how you customize it!
Hi, I’m Sencha. welcome to my kitchen! I’m a home cook with Korean and Vietnamese roots, raised in the Middle East. In my kitchen, cultures blend and flavor comes first. I share comforting, everyday recipes inspired by my heritage and upbringing: bold Korean, fresh Vietnamese, cozy Arabic dishes — made with love for family, and now for you!
