This chicken and rice cake stir fry is a hearty, flavorful dish inspired by the beloved Korean street food, tteokbokki. With tender chicken thighs, chewy Korean rice cakes, sweet carrots, and earthy shiitake mushrooms tossed in a savory gochujang sauce, it’s comfort food at its best – quick enough for weeknights and bold enough to impress!
What is Tteokbokki?
If you’ve ever walked down a street in Seoul or visited a Korean food stall, you’ve probably seen tteokbokki (떡볶이) simmering away in large pans. The name breaks down simply:
- Tteok (떡) = rice cake
- Bokki (볶이) = stir-fried dish
So tteokbokki literally means “stir-fried rice cakes.”
Traditionally, there are two well-known versions:
- Spicy street food tteokbokki: chewy cylinder-shaped rice cakes simmered in a fiery-sweet gochujang sauce, often with fish cakes, boiled eggs, or cabbage. This is the one most people know and love.
- Royal court tteokbokki (gungjung tteokbokki): a soy-sauce based, non-spicy version enjoyed in the Joseon royal court, stir-fried with beef and vegetables.
This chicken and rice cake stir fry borrows the spirit of both: it has the bold gochujang sauce of street food tteokbokki, but it’s stir-fried with hearty chicken and vegetables in a more balanced, everyday-friendly way.
The Beauty of Korean Rice Cakes (Tteok)
Rice cakes are a cornerstone of Korean cooking and appear in both savory and sweet dishes. Made from glutinous rice flour, they are steamed, pounded, and shaped into chewy bites that can take on bold flavors.
There are two main types you’ll see in everyday cooking:
- Cylinder-shaped rice cakes (garaetteok): Thick, tube-like rice cakes that hold up well in sauces and stir-fries. They’re what you’ll find in most tteokbokki dishes and are perfect for this stir fry.
- Oval-sliced rice cakes (tteokguk-tteok): Thinner slices typically used in tteokguk, the Korean New Year soup. These cook faster and have a softer bite.
For this recipe, we’re using cylinder-shaped rice cakes – the same chewy kind you’d see in street food tteokbokki. They hold up beautifully to the sauce and add the perfect bite.
Serving Suggestions
This dish is filling enough to enjoy on its own, but for a more traditional Korean spread, serve it with steamed rice, kimchi, or a light cucumber salad. The chewy rice cakes make it hearty, the chicken adds protein, and the sauce ties everything together with that signature Korean balance of spicy, savory, and sweet.
Why This Dish Represents Asian Comfort Food
Across many Asian cuisines, rice is a foundation, but in Korean cooking it goes beyond grains in a bowl — it becomes chewy rice cakes, the star of dishes like tteokbokki and this stir fry. Where Chinese stir fries often highlight crisp vegetables and glossy sauces, and Japanese donburi leans on clean, delicate flavors, Korean stir fry dishes bring in bold heat from gochujang, a depth of umami from soy sauce, and the chewy, satisfying texture of rice cakes.
This fusion of protein, vegetables, and chewy rice cakes makes Korean stir fries not only filling but also deeply comforting – a true example of Asian comfort food culture!
Easy Chicken and Rice Cake Stir Fry – A Twist on Korean Tteokbokki
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs cut bite-sized
- 2 medium carrots thinly sliced (on the diagonal or matchsticks)
- 6 –8 fresh shiitake mushrooms stems removed, caps sliced
- 1 zucchini sliced into half-moon shapes
- 1 lb Korean cylinder-shaped rice cakes soaked in warm water if refrigerated/frozen
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- ¼ cup water
- 2 green onions chopped
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Sauce:
- 4 mild tbsp gochujang
- 1 tbsp coarse gochugaru reduce to 2 tsp for less spice
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 thumb-sized piece ginger grated
- 2 garlic cloves grated
Instructions
- Make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, honey, ginger, and garlic.
- Cook the chicken: Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high. Add chicken and stir-fry until lightly browned but not fully cooked through.
- Add vegetables: Stir in onion, carrots, and shiitake mushrooms. Cook for 3–4 minutes until slightly softened.
- Add rice cakes: Drain the soaked rice cakes and add them to the pan along with ¼ cup water. Stir well and cook 3–4 minutes until tender and chewy.
- Toss with sauce: Pour in the sauce, tossing everything together. Reduce heat to medium and cook for another 3–5 minutes until chicken is fully cooked and the sauce thickens.
- Finish & garnish: Top with chopped green onions and sesame seeds before serving.
Notes
- Rice cake prep: Always soak refrigerated or frozen rice cakes before cooking to soften them.
- Make it more like tteokbokki: Add ½ cup chicken broth or water when mixing in the sauce to create a saucier, more stew-like version.
- Vegetarian option: Swap chicken for tofu or add extra shiitake mushrooms.
- More veggies: Bell peppers, zucchini, or bok choy would all work beautifully.
- Meal prep tip: The sauce can be made 2–3 days in advance and stored in the fridge.
