Cheese tteokbokki is one of the best cheesy foods in the world, and we are ready to fight for it! This one stands out in an era where cheese is a common ingredient in most dishes. Nowadays, this Korean street food is popular among many K-food fans worldwide.
The cheesy dish is truly irresistible with soft, chewy rice cakes and stretchy melted mozzarella. The good news is that you no longer have to fly to South Korea to taste it. You don't even have to succumb to the instant versions from convenience stores. Why? Because we love this dish so much that we created an easy cheese tteokbokki recipe for everyone to follow.
This recipe is a result of several trials and errors within our fellow foodie community. And we're glad to announce that all the dedication has led to this perfect Korean rice cake recipe.
It is creamy, not too spicy, and definitely way better than the instant versions. So whether you're a dairy lover or prefer your food not too spicy, it will certainly meet your standards.
Not only is it extremely good taste-wise, but it is also effortless to make at home. So, let's get into it.
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What is Cheese Tteokbokki made of?
We make this delightful dish from rice cakes and melted cheese smothered in a sweet and spicy sauce called gochujang. But due to its high versatility, you can add many other ingredients to the rice cake dish. In Korea, street food stalls also serve creamy cheese tteokbokki with fish cakes and hard-boiled eggs.
One thing for sure is that Koreans love cheesy dishes, especially the younger generations. Thus, a lot of traditional Korean foods have their cheesy versions. This cheesy, spicy dish is, in fact, a variation of the original tteokbokki.
The only difference between the traditional and cheesy versions is the presence of cheese. Traditional tteokbokki contains no dairy, so it is hot and spicy. On the other hand, our version is creamier and a little less spicy. Therefore, most people prefer the cheesy version as it is not too spicy yet still gives them that gochujang kick.
Calories
This creamy Korean snack contains around 800 calories per serving. But, for something so sinfully good and cheesy, this snack isn't too high in calories like other cheesy dishes.
Cheese Tteokbokki Ingredients
The only ingredients that you will need are:
- Korean rice cakes
- Korean soup stock
- Gochujang
- Cheese
- Granulated sugar
- Corn syrup
- Soy sauce
- Garlic
Korean rice cakes
For the rice cakes, we highly recommend using garatteok, which are cylindrical white rice cakes made with non-glutinous rice flour. You may use other types of rice cakes as they are practically the same. However, note that the size and shape of rice cakes will affect the flavour and texture of the dish.
Thin rice cakes easily and quickly soak in the flavour. That is why they are usually used to make this spicy Korean snack. But you can also use thick rice cakes to make the dish.
Just cut them shorter so they will only take a little time to cook. If you can't find rice cakes, making cheese rice paper tteokbokki by using rice paper as rice cakes works too.
Gochujang and Gochugaru
The gochujang sauce makes this rice cake dish spicy and red. Most recipes combine gochujang and gochugaru (Korean red chilli flakes). However, feel free to omit the chilli flakes if you don't want your Korean snack to be too spicy. For our easy cheese tteokbokki recipe, we will only use gochujang.
Korean soup stock
You will need Korean soup stock as it works as the base of the sauce. However, you can swap it with any other stock, such as dashi broth, dried anchovy stock, or dried kelp. Use dried kelp to make a vegetarian tteokbokki.
Cheese
Lastly, mozzarella is used in most Korean cheesy dishes. It is also the most common cheese used in tteokbokki because it melts and stretches well. But this isn't a sign for you not to incorporate other variations.
Apart from mozzarella, you can use different types, like cream cheese and parmesan, for the recipe. We highly suggest adding cheddar to your spicy rice cake dish.
How to make Cheese Tteokbokki spicy
You can make this dish spicy by adding more gochujang to match your preference. This is because the amount of gochujang used is responsible for determining the level of spiciness.
But if you're up to another level of hot and spicy, try adding gochugaru to our recipe. 4 tablespoons of gochujang and a tablespoon of gochugaru is enough to create an extra spicy cheese tteokbokki.
However, this dish isn't just made for spicy food lovers. If you are looking for a milder and non-spicy cheese tteokbokki recipe, then go for rose tteokbokki. Cheese rose tteokbokki is lighter, milder, and creamier than the original spicy stir-fried rice cakes. Therefore, it is a favourite of those who usually can't handle too much spice.
Other variations
There are other variations of tteokbokki that you can try apart from having it the traditional way.
Grilled Cheese Tteokbokki
This variation is also known as grilled cheese tteokkochi in Korea because they are often served on skewers. Korean cooks skewer the rice cakes and cheese alternatively and grill them on each side for about 1 minute. Then, they dip or drizzle the skewers with gochujang sauce. Some people also eat it with condensed milk drizzled on top. This variation offers a crispier version of this chewy and cheesy recipe.
Ramen
You can also enjoy your rice cake snack with ramen, creating the famous Korean dish, Rabokki. Apart from tteokbokki and ramen, this variation also contains fish cakes and eggs to complete the dish.
Meats and Veg (Gungjung Tteokbokki)
This variation of rice cake dish has meats and vegetables, making it a well-rounded meal. Most restaurants make this variation using beef brisket and vegetables like mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, and carrots.
Koreans call it Gungjung Tteokbokki (royal court tteokbokki), which is usually non-spicy. Therefore, it is a good option for children and those who prefer less spice. But it can always be made spicy with some chillies or red chilli flakes.
Mac and Cheese
This variation exists for those who love their mac! Instead of the usual red gochujang sauce, you can enjoy tteokbokki in a mac sauce. Simply follow your go-to mac and cheese recipe and replace pasta with rice cakes.
The dish is often topped with red chilli flakes, sesame seeds and scallions to vary the flavour and add texture. You can use cream cheese for a creamier sauce and sprinkle parmesan as toppings. Those who want it to be more cheesy can also make cheese-stuffed tteokbokki by wrapping your preferred cheese in rice paper.
Vegan
You can make the vegan version of this delightful snack by using a few substitutes. Since most ingredients are vegan-friendly, you will only have to replace the cheese and broth with a vegan alternative.
We recommend using vegetable broth, vegan cheese, or nutritional yeast to make your vegan rice cake dish. You can also use rice paper to make vegan rice paper cheese tteokbokki.
Frozen cheese-filled Tteokbokki
You can make this dish in advance and freeze them for up to a month. If you're wondering how to cook frozen cheese tteokbokki, just reheat them on the stove on low heat until soft. You may also add a splash of broth and more gochujang if needed.
Easy Cheese Tteokbokki Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 g Korean rice cakes
- 2 cups Korean soup stock
- 1 cup grated mozzarella
For the sauce:
For garnish (optional):
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- Chopped scallions
- Toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Mix all the tteokbokki sauce ingredients in a bowl.
- Heat a pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the soup stock and the rice cakes. Leave the stock to boil. Then, pour in the sauce and stir well. Let the sauce boil until it thickens.
- Move the rice cakes to the centre of the skillet and spread mozzarella over them. Cover and let them cook until the mozzarella has fully melted. Turn off the heat once it is melted.
- Drizzle some sesame oil and sprinkle some scallions and sesame seeds over the cheese tteokbokki. Serve hot, and enjoy while the toppings are all melty.
Notes
- Soak frozen rice cakes in warm water for 20-30 minutes or until they soften beforehand.
- If desired, you can add more ingredients to your dishes, like fish cake, vegetables, meat, and hard-boiled eggs.
- Add two teaspoons of red chilli flakes (Gochugaru) into the sauce mixture to make the sauce spicier.
Nutrition
Calories have been calculated using an online calculator. Nutritional information offered on Honest Food Talks is for general information purposes and are only rough estimations.
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