What are the ingredients of tteokbokki?

Tteokbokki, the original dish behind the instant yopokki recipe, uses chewy Korean rice cakes, gochujang, soy sauce, sugar, and garlic. Traditional versions often include fish cakes, cabbage, and boiled eggs. These simple ingredients create a dish that’s spicy, sweet, and savory all at once.

Is Korean tteokbokki healthy?

Tteokbokki can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet. Rice cakes are high in carbs, which give you energy, while the sauce adds flavor and spice. To make a healthier version at home, you can use less sugar, add vegetables, and choose broth instead of plain water. When made this way, a yopokki recipe becomes a lighter and more nutritious comfort food.

What makes Korean rice cakes chewy?

The chewy texture comes from glutinous rice flour, which is kneaded, steamed, and shaped into sticks called tteok . When simmered in sauce, the rice cakes soften while still keeping their bounce. The cooking method in a yopokki recipe—soaking or briefly boiling before simmering—helps preserve that perfect chewy bite.

What’s the difference between tteokbokki and rice cakes?

Rice cakes are the ingredient, while tteokbokki (and yopokki) is the dish made with them. Think of rice cakes as the raw pasta, and tteokbokki as the finished pasta dish. Yopokki is the instant version of tteokbokki, where rice cakes and sauce are pre-packed for convenience. By adjusting the sauce and add-ins at home, you can turn an instant yopokki recipe into something closer to traditional tteokbokki.

Yopokki Recipe – 5 Simple Steps to Delicious Korean Comfort

Name: Yopokki Recipe: How to Make Korean Spicy Rice Cakes at Home
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Korean

Description

A quick and flavorful yopokki recipe with chewy rice cakes in a spicy-sweet Korean sauce, ready in under 20 minutes.

Ingredients

2 cups Korean rice cakes (tteok)

2 ½ cups water or broth

2 tbsp gochujang (red pepper paste)

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced

Optional: fish cakes, cabbage, cheese

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Instructions

1. Soak or boil rice cakes until tender.

2. Heat broth in a pan and stir in gochujang, soy sauce, sugar, and garlic.

3. Simmer sauce until glossy and slightly thickened.

4. Add rice cakes and stir until coated and chewy.

5. Serve hot, with optional cheese or toppings.

Notes

Use broth instead of water for richer flavor.

Add cheese for creamy yopokki.

Adjust spice level with more or less gochujang.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: Snack, Main Dish
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Korean

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 bowl
Calories: 350
Sugar: 12g
Sodium: 780mg
Fat: 6g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Unsaturated Fat: 3g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 70g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 6g
Cholesterol: 5mg