How to Cook Korean Tokbokki at Home: Combining Authentic Vietnamese Ingredients, Easy to Make
Tokbokki (Spicy Rice Cakes) – Authentic Korean Recipe
Combining authentic Vietnamese ingredients with chewy rice cakes and a rich, sweet and spicy sauce.
Tokbokki is an iconic Korean street food. Made with simple ingredients... Viet Sin With readily available ingredients like fish balls, shrimp balls, spring rolls, sausages, etc., you can easily recreate this dish at home.

- 1 Part 1: Preparing the Ingredients
- 1.1 A. Main ingredients:
- 1.2 B. Tokbokki sauce seasoning:
- 2 Part 2: Steps to Follow
- 2.1 Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients
- 2.2 Step 2: Making Tokbokki Sauce
- 2.3 Step 3: Cook the Tokbokki
- 2.4 Step 4: Presentation
- 2.5 Helpful tip:
- 3 Part 3: Variations of Tokbokki with Vietnamese Ingredients
- 3.1 1. Seafood Tokbokki
- 3.2 2. Creamy Cheese Tokbokki
- 3.3 3. Crispy Fried Tokbokki
- 4 Part 4: Success Tips from Experts
- 4.1 1. Choose delicious rice cakes:
- 4.2 2. Troubleshooting:
- 4.3 3. Storage:
- 5 Conclude
- 5.1 Suggested presentation:
- 6 Contact Us for Consultation
Part 1: Preparing the Ingredients
(Serves 2-3 people)
A. Main ingredients:
Tokbokki rice cakes:
- 300g store-bought rice cakes (or make your own from 200g rice flour + 50g glutinous rice flour + 250ml warm water)
- Tip: Soak the dried rice cakes in cold water for 1-2 hours before cooking to ensure they soften evenly.
Viet Sin products:
- 150g Viet Sin fish cake/fish balls (cut in half)
- 100g Viet Sin sausage (sliced diagonally)
- 100g Viet Sin spring rolls (partially fried, cut into pieces)
Vegetable:
- ½ small cabbage (shredded)
- 1 leek (cut diagonally)
- 1 carrot (shredded, optional)
B. Tokbokki sauce seasoning:
(Flexible substitution with Vietnamese ingredients)
- 3 tablespoons Korean chili paste (Gochujang) or 2 tbsp Vietnamese chili sauce + 1 tbsp tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp Korean chili powder (Gochugaru) or Vietnamese chili powder
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 300ml chicken broth/water
Part 2: Steps to Follow
Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients
Rice cakes:
Boil the dumplings for 5 minutes in boiling water, then immediately remove and soak them in ice water to make them chewy and prevent sticking.
Viet Sin products:
Lightly fry the fish balls, sausages, and spring rolls until lightly golden; this enhances their flavor when cooking the sauce.
Step 2: Making Tokbokki Sauce
Sauté the garlic until fragrant. with 1 tbsp of cooking oil in a deep pan.
Mix the saucePut it in the pan:
- 3 tbsp chili paste + 1 tbsp chili powder + 2 tbsp sugar + 1 tbsp soy sauce + 300ml broth
- Stir well, simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
Step 3: Cook the Tokbokki
- Add the rice cakes and Vietnamese-Sin fish cakes/sausages to the sauce and stir gently.
- Add cabbage, carrots, and leeks.
- Cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes. Continue cooking until the sauce thickens and the rice cakes absorb the flavors.
- Turn off the heat and drizzle 1 tablespoon of sesame oil over the top.
Step 4: Presentation
- Scoop into a bowl, sprinkle with chopped scallions and roasted sesame seeds.
- Eat it while it's hot to fully appreciate the spicy kick and the soft, chewy texture!
Helpful tip:
- Reduce the spiciness by adding 1 tbsp of fresh cream or 1 tsp of honey to the sauce.
- Increase protein intake: Add boiled eggs or Viet Sin shrimp balls at the end.
Part 3: Variations of Tokbokki with Vietnamese Ingredients
1. Seafood Tokbokki
Combine: Viet Sin shrimp balls + sliced squid rings.
MakingSauté the seafood briefly with garlic, then add it to the sauce along with the rice cakes.
2. Creamy Cheese Tokbokki
Additional ingredients: 50g Mozzarella cheese.
MakingAfter cooking, sprinkle cheese on top, cover and let it melt for 2 minutes.
3. Crispy Fried Tokbokki
MakingBoil the rice cakes > roll them in batter and egg > deep-fry. Serve with spicy sauce and chopped Vietnamese spring rolls.
Part 4: Success Tips from Experts
1. Choose delicious rice cakes:
- Make your own using rice flour and glutinous rice flour (4:1 ratio) for a soft and chewy texture.
- If buying pre-packaged, choose those that are off-white and not cracked or dried out.
2. Troubleshooting:
- The sauce is too thick: Add broth little by little.
- The dumplings are hard: Soak them longer before boiling.
3. Storage:
- Pre-cooked tokbokki can be kept in the refrigerator for a maximum of 2 days.
- Raw rice cakes can be frozen by coating them with sesame oil to prevent sticking.
Conclude
With this recipe, you can easily cook authentic Korean tokbokki at home, utilizing readily available Viet Sin products such as fish balls, shrimp balls, spring rolls To make the dish more flavorful and save time, Tokbokki is not only an ideal snack for cold, rainy days, but also suitable for "transforming" family meals with many attractive versions!
Suggested presentation:
- Served with kimchi and pickled radish to balance the spiciness.
- Garnish with boiled quail eggs or dried seaweed.