Cheese Tteokbokki (made with homemade rice cakes)

Tteokbokki, a spicy, chewy, savory, and slightly sweet Korean rice cake dish, is already delicious on its own. But have you tried adding cheese to your Tteokbokki? The combination of the spicy sauce and melted cheese creates a flavor explosion in your mouth that’s sure to satisfy your cravings.

Korean Rice Cakes

Korean rice cakes, also known as Tteok (떡), are a staple ingredient in many Korean dishes. They are made from glutinous rice flour or rice flour (both are gluten-free), which gives them their chewy and slightly sticky texture. They come in various shapes, sizes, and colors, depending on the dish they’re used in.

Korean rice cakes are typically sold in the frozen aisle in Korean or Asian grocery stores and can be stored in the freezer for up to several months.

In case Korean rice cakes are not readily available in your nearby grocery stores, you can conveniently prepare them at home using only 3 ingredients: short grain white rice, water, and butter by following my homemade rice cake recipe.

Why bake the rice cakes?

My cheese tteokbokki recipe has a unique twist – I don’t boil the rice cakes in the spicy sauce like traditional tteokbokki recipes. Instead, I bake the homemade rice cakes until they’re crispy and then add the sauce.

The main reason why I bake the rice cakes instead of boiling them is because the homemade rice cakes I make using a stand mixer are less firm than the ones bought from stores that are made using a professional rice cake kneading machine. Boiling the rice cakes directly in the sauce can cause them to become mushy and dissolve in the sauce.

To avoid this, I bake the homemade rice cakes until they develop a crispy outer crust, which not only tastes great but also prevents the rice cakes from dissolving in the sauce when boiled later.

Baked rice cakes have a slightly different taste and texture compared to the traditional boiled rice cakes used in many Korean dishes. When baked, the rice cakes become puffy and slightly crispy on the outside while still retaining their chewy texture on the inside.

The flavor of the baked rice cakes is also subtly different, as the baking process adds a slightly nutty, toasty flavor to the rice cakes. This can be a nice addition to cheese tteokbokki, who has a rich and savory flavor.

Can I skip the baking step?

If you choose to use store-bought Korean rice cakes, you can skip the baking step as they are firmer than my homemade ones and won’t dissolve in the sauce when boiled.

However, if the rice cakes are frozen or feel firm to the touch, you will need to boil them in water for around 5 minutes until they become soft before cooking them with the spicy sauce.

Even if you use store-bought Korean rice cakes, you can still bake them if you prefer a crispy outer layer. Just follow the steps I list below. After baking, you can add the rice cakes to your Tteokbokki sauce and cook them until soft. Just keep in mind that baked rice cakes may absorb more sauce compared to boiled ones, so you may need to add some extra water if the sauce has been thickened while the rice cakes are not soft yet.

Korean dashi or fish sauce

Korean dashi, also known as “gukmul” (국물) in Korean, is a type of broth or stock that is commonly used in Korean cuisine. It is made by boiling dried anchovies and dried kelp (also known as kombu) in water to extract their savory flavors.

Korean dashi is often used Tteokbokki recipes to enhance the flavor of the dish. Korean dashi provides a rich and savory base that can elevate the overall taste of the dish and make it more flavorful. You can follow Maangchi’s Tteokbokki recipe to make Korean dashi with dried anchovies and dried kelp .

If you’re hesitant to purchase dried anchovies or dried kelp for the sole purpose of making Tteokbokki, there’s a simple alternative to consider. You can opt to add a small amount of fish sauce to the dish in order to achieve the same savory umami flavor.

Or you could try substituting Korean dashi with another type of broth, such as chicken or vegetable broth, or simply use water. While this may not give you the exact same flavor as using Korean dashi, it can still help to add some depth and richness to the dish.

EQUIPMENT you will need:

• Oven & baking sheet (doesn’t need if you use store-bought rice cakes)
• frying pan

INGREDIENTS List

• 2 cups Korean rice cakes
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

• 2 tbsp gochujang chili paste
• 1 tsp Korean chili flakes (Skip if you want your cheese tteokbokki to be less spicy.)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp fish sauce (optional)
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1¼ cup water

• ¼ onion (cut into wedges)
• 1 tbsp garlic (minced)
• ½ cup fish tofu (optional, cut into bite size; See my homemade fish tofu recipe here. )
• ½ tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 green onion (Separate the white part and the green part, finely chopped)

Step-by-step INSTRUCTIONS 

1. To make cheese tteokbokki using my homemade rice cake recipe, add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil to 2 cups of frozen rice cakes, mix well with clean hands. Arrange the rice cakes in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with foil, making sure they don’t touch each other. Bake them at 355 °F for 20 minutes (15 minutes if you didn’t freeze the rice cakes) until they become crispy and puffy.

* If you opt for store-bought Korean rice cakes, you may skip the baking step. However, if they are frozen or feel firm to the touch, boil them in water for about 5 minutes until they become soft. Once done, drain the rice cakes and transfer them to a plate.

2. Combine all the sauce ingredients (gochujang chili paste, Korean chili flakes, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, water) in a bowl until well mixed.

3. Add baked homemade rice cakes (or boiled store-bought rice cakes) to a frying pan, along with the onion, fish tofu, minced garlic, and the white part of the green onion. Once done, pour the sauce over all the ingredients.

4. Turn on the heat to medium-high, gently stir all the ingredients with a spatula or a pair of tongs for about 3 to 5 minutes until the sauce is thickened to your desired texture.

5. Reduce the heat to medium-low, evenly spread ½ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese on the top. Close the lid to cook for 1 minute until the cheese is fully melted. Open the lid and turn off the heat.

6. Sprinkle the green part of the green onion and toasted sesame seeds as decoration. Serve hot.

My other Korean Recipes you will also like:

Cheese Tteokbokki (made with homemade rice cakes)

Ms Shi and Mr He

Have you tried adding cheese to your Tteokbokki? The combination of the spicy sauce and melted cheese creates a flavor explosion in your mouth that's sure to satisfy your cravings. This recipe teaches us how to make cheese Tteokbokki using my homemade Korean rice cakes.

4.67 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Asian, Korean

Servings 2 people

Calories 447 kcal

Equipment

• oven (doesn't need if you use store-bought rice cakes)
• Baking sheet
• frying pan

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups Korean rice cakes
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Sauce

• 2 tbsp gochujang chili paste
• 1 tsp Korean chili flakes (Skip if you want your cheese tteokbokki to be less spicy.)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp fish sauce (optional)
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1¼ cup water

Other ingredients

• ¼ onion (cut into wedges)
• 1 tbsp garlic (minced)
• ½ cup fish tofu (optional, cut into bite size)
• ½ tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 green onion (Separate the white part and the green part, finely chopped)

Instructions

 

• To make cheese tteokbokki using my homemade rice cake recipe, add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil to 2 cups of frozen rice cakes, mix well with clean hands. Arrange the rice cakes in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with foil, making sure they don't touch each other. Bake them at 355 °F for 20 minutes (15 minutes if you didn't freeze the rice cakes) until they become crispy and puffy.

  If you opt for store-bought Korean rice cakes, you may skip the baking step. However, if they are frozen or feel firm to the touch, boil them in water for about 5 minutes until they become soft. Once done, drain the rice cakes and transfer them to a plate.
• Combine all the sauce ingredients (gochujang chili paste, Korean chili flakes, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, water) in a bowl until well mixed.
• Add baked homemade rice cakes (or boiled store-bought rice cakes) to a frying pan, along with the onion, fish tofu (see my homemade fish tofu recipe here), minced garlic, and the white part of the green onion. Once done, pour the sauce over all the ingredients.
• Turn on the heat to medium-high, gently stir all the ingredients with a spatula or a pair of tongs for about 3 to 5 minutes until the sauce is thickened to your desired texture.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low, evenly spread ½ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese on the top. Close the lid to cook for 1 minute until the cheese is fully melted. Open the lid and turn off the heat.
• Sprinkle the green part of the green onion and toasted sesame seeds as decoration. Serve hot.

Video

Keyword Cheese Tteokbokki, rice cakes, Tteokbokki