A popular and trendy fusion dish, this Rose Tteokbokki features chewy rice cakes in a creamy, cheesy, and mildly spicy Korean rosé sauce. It’s full of flavor, ready in 30 minutes, and has a dairy-free and gluten-free option!
What is Tteokbokki?
Tteokbokki (떡볶이) is a popular spicy rice cake street food in South Korea. Made with chewy rice cakes, fish cakes, and meat commonly cooked in red spicy sauce, that’s super addicting.
“Tteok” translates to rice cake, and “bokki” means stir-fried, so it’s basically a “stir-fried rice cake” dish. I grew up eating all different versions of it, and it’s one of my favorite comfort food dishes. There are many variations with different ingredients and spice levels. It’s so popular in Korean Cuisine that it is often served in Korean restaurants, street food markets, various street vendors during events and festivals, and more!
Today, we’re making Rose Tteokbokki, which is a trendy fusion take on the traditional dish. Creamy with a slightly tangy gochujang sauce made with ingredients like spicy gochujang sauce, cream, cheese, and various seasonings to create a mild Tteokbokki with a creamy sauce. Its pinkish color is where it gets its “rose” name!
The resulting Korean dish is a sweet, savory, and mildly spicy meal or snack that is absolutely delicious and addicting. This will be one of your favorite recipes in no time!
What Makes This Recipe Great
Ready in under 30 minutes, this Rose Tteokbokki is the perfect way to bring popular Korean street food right into your own kitchen! This fusion dish combines Korean and Western cultures, making it both a tasty, satisfying meal and a fun dining experience.
The rosé tteokbokki sauce has a cheesy, creamy texture, a mild spice level, and a flavor profile that resembles your favorite pasta sauce seasoned with amazing Korean staples like gochujang and gochugaru (Korean red pepper paste and Korean chili flakes). It’s quite easy to make at home and truly addicting!
I included tips to make a gluten-free and/or dairy-free option for those with dairy or gluten sensitivities. You can find those tips in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Watch a Short Video of This Recipe
Ingredient Notes
Sourcing ingredients for this recipe should be pretty simple. You can find them at your local Asian grocery store, Korean grocery store, some big box chains, or online at Amazon and other retailers.
- sesame oil
- onion
- garlic cloves
- gochujang: This is Korean red pepper paste. You can find it online, in local Asian Markets, or even in your local grocery store. Make sure to find a gluten-free version if needed.
- tamari sauce: This is a gluten-free soy sauce alternative. If you’re not gluten-free, you can use regular soy sauce instead.
- sugar
- gochugaru
- milk: You can use the milk of your choice. Feel free to use heavy cream if desired.
- Korean rice cakes: If you have frozen rice cakes, soak them in cold water for about 30 minutes before using them in this recipe. Fresh rice cakes do not need to be soaked.
- Korean fish cakes
- mini sausages
- shredded mozzarella cheese
- grated parmesan cheese
- sliced green onions and sesame seeds: Optional for garnish.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and stir, cooking for 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Add gochujang, tamari sauce, sugar, and gochugaru, and stir to combine.
- Stir in milk until smooth and creamy.
- Increase the heat to medium-high, then add rice cakes, fish cakes, and sausage to the pan. Once the sauce comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the rice cakes are tender but not mushy.
- Stir in mozzarella and parmesan until the rosé sauce is creamy and thick and the cheese melts.
- Remove from heat and serve, sprinkled with green onions and sesame seeds to taste.
Expert Tips
- Swaps & Substitutions: You can add any other vegetables you have in your refrigerator, other protein like bacon, steak or tofu, or glass noodles.
- Gluten-Free Option: To make this dish gluten-free, use gluten-free gochujang like this one and tamari sauce instead of soy sauce. Also, make sure your rice cakes and fish cakes are gluten-free because they commonly include wheat in them. Find ingredients at your local Korean markets or Asian grocery stores.
- Dairy-Free Option: Make this dish dairy-free by using dairy-free milk and omitting the cheese. It won’t have the same cheesy flavor, but it’ll still be delicious!
- Texture: Make sure not to simmer the rice cakes for too long because they’ll turn mushy. You want soft rice cakes, but not mushy!
Serving Tips
- Serve this dish hot, garnished with sesame seeds and chopped green onions. If you’re wondering what to eat with Tteokbokki, it goes well with side dishes like kimchi or pickled radishes. You can also serve it by itself. Enjoy!
Storage Tips
- Store leftover rose tteokbokki in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Reheat the leftovers over the stove or in the microwave. You can add a bit of milk if the rose tteokbokki sauce is too thick.
Recipe FAQs
It’s made with cylindrical rice cakes, gochujang, milk, cheese, and seasonings, which make a creamy and tangy sauce that coats the rice cakes, giving the dish its flavor and pinkish hue. Additional ingredients like vegetables and protein can be added for customization.
Korean rose sauce is made from cream and optional cheese, seasoned with ingredients like garlic, salt, sugar, and gochujang. It’s known for its creamy, tangy, and mildly spicy flavor. It can be used in other dishes but is most popularly served in tteokbokki.
The two versions are spicy teokbokki (spicy Korean rice cakes), which is the traditional version made with spicy red pepper paste sauce, and creamy rose tteokbokki, a newer, fusion version with a cream sauce. Each is a popular dish in its own right, and a staple in Korean culture!
Traditional Tteokbokki has a spicy, sweet, and savory taste. Creamy tteokbokki is made with milk and cheese, which makes it milder, creamy, and more of a fusion dish. If you’re not a huge fan of spicy food, this easy tteokbokki recipe is for you!
More Homemade Korean Food
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Creamy Rose Tteokbokki Recipe (Korean Rice Cakes)
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 onion thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1½ tbsp gochujang
- 1½ tbsp tamari sauce or soy sauce
- 1½ tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp gochugaru or more for spicier
- 1½ cup milk of your choice
- 1 lb Korean rice cakes
- 2 sheets Korean fish cakes about 4 oz, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 6 oz mini sausages
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan
- Sliced green onions and sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and stir cooking for 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Add gochujang, tamari sauce, sugar, and gochugaru, and stir to combine.
- Stir in milk until smooth and creamy.
- Increase the heat to medium high, then add rice cakes, fish cakes, and sausage. Once the sauce comes to a boil, reduce heat to simmer for 4-5 minutes stirring occasionally until the rice cakes are tender but not mushy.
- Stir in mozzarella and parmesan until the sauce is creamy, thick, and cheesy.
- Remove from heat and serve, sprinkled with green onions and sesame seeds.
Notes
Expert Tips
- Swaps & Substitutions: You can add any other vegetables you have in your refrigerator, other protein like bacon, steak or tofu, or glass noodles.
- Gluten-Free Option: To make this dish gluten-free, use gluten-free gochujang like this one and tamari sauce instead of soy sauce. Also, make sure your rice cakes and fish cakes are gluten-free because they commonly include wheat in them. All ingredients are usually found at your local Korean or Asian grocery stores.
- Dairy-Free Option: This can be made dairy-free by using dairy-free milk and omitting the cheese. It won’t have the same cheesy flavor, but it’ll still be delicious!
- Texture: Make sure not to simmer the rice cakes for too long because they’ll turn mushy.
Serving Tips
- Serve this dish hot, garnished with sesame seeds and chopped green onions. If you’re wondering what to eat with Tteokbokki, it goes well with sides like kimchi or pickled radishes. You can also serve it by itself. Enjoy!
Storage Tips
- Store leftover rose tteokbokki in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Reheat the leftovers over the stove or in the microwave. You can add a bit of milk if the rose tteokbokki sauce is too thick.
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