Rabokki (Korean Tteokbokki with Ramen)

Name: Rabokki (Korean Tteokbokki with Ramen)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons gochujang; ½ tablespoon gochugaru (more to taste); 2 tablespoons honey (or another sweetener of your choice); 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 3 cups dashi (alternatives: seafood stock, anchovy stock; use more if needed); ½ pound rice cakes (tubular-shaped); 1 carrot (cut into slices); 2-3 green onions (cut into slices, white and green parts separated); 1 cup shredded green cabbage; 1 package instant ramen (seasoning package discarded); 2 fish cake sheets (cut into triangles); 3 eggs (fried or boiled, for serving); sesame seeds (optional) (for garnish)

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Korean rabokki is a popular dish that combines tteokbokki (rice cakes in a spicy gochujang sauce) and ramen. It also has fresh vegetables, fish cakes, fried eggs, and green onions. It's a delicious comfort food that is a must-make for anyone who loves spicy Korean foods!

korean rabokki garnished with sesame seeds, green onion, and a fried egg in a pan

If you've checked out some of my recipes, then you'll know how much I love Korean food! It's spicy, packed with flavor, and actually super easy to make at home.

This rabokki recipe has quickly become one of my favorite comfort foods to make at home! It has a spicy gochujang sauce just like regular tteokbokki or dakgalbi, delicious instant ramen noodles, and fresh vegetables that I also love to use for stir-fries, such as my Korean-style spicy noodles.

The great thing about this recipe is that it comes together super quickly with ingredients that can be stored in the freezer or in your pantry. It's also great to use any leftover vegetables that may be sitting in your refrigerator.

It honestly is an incredibly flavorful dish that I highly recommend trying if you like Korean foods!

Rabokki Ingredients

To make rabokki, you'll need the following ingredients:

Rice cakes: Just like for tteokbokki, you'll need tubular-shaped rice cakes that can be found in the refrigerator section of most Asian grocery stores. You could also order them online. If you have the choice between big and small rice cakes, I'd recommend the smaller and thinner ones.
Instant ramen noodles: You'll also need instant ramen noodles. You can buy a package of instant ramen and just discard the seasoning packet. I personally love the brand Neoguri as their noodles are thicker and super delicious. But feel free to pick the brand you like!
Fish cakes: Fish cakes are a typical ingredient for rabokki. You can often find them in the freezer section in Asian grocery stores. If you can't find fish cakes, don't worry about it. Rabokki tastes delicious, even if you don't have them.
Dashi: For the sauce base, you'll need some kind of fish or seafood stock. I love to use dashi or anchovy stocky. You can either make your own at home or use instant dashi powder or pre-packaged anchovy stock bags.
Gochujang: Gochujang is a spicy red pepper paste that is a staple in Korean cuisine. It's used for a variety of recipes and is available in different heat levels. I'd recommend buying mild or medium hot gochujang.
Gochugaru: Gochugaru is a Korean red pepper flake that is spicy. It's used for all types of recipes and can also be reused for non-Korean recipes such as shrimp udon stir fry or Thai basil fried rice.
Honey: Honey is used to sweeten and thicken the sauce. You can replace it with another sweetener of your choice.
Soy sauce: You can use regular soy sauce for this recipe.
Vegetables: This rabokki recipe uses carrots, green cabbage, and green onions.
Eggs: You'll also need eggs to serve the rabokki. You can enjoy rabokki without eggs, but it tastes a lot better with boiled or fried eggs! Plus, it makes it more satiating.

How to make rabokki

Prepare the sauce. First, add the gochujang, gochugaru, honey, soy sauce, and dashi to a pan. Bring the sauce to a simmer.

Add the rice cakes and vegetables. Once the liquid is simmering, add the rice cakes, carrots, cabbage, and white green onion parts to the pan. Let everything simmer for 10-15 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken slightly. Give everything an occasional stir so that the rice cakes don't stick to the pan.

Add the noodles and fish cakes. Next, add the noodles and fish cakes to the pan. Cover the pan and let everything simmer for 5 minutes until the noodles are cooked through.

instant ramen and fish cakes added to rice cakes and vegetables in a gochugaru sauce

Add toppings and serve. Top the rabokki with fried or boiled eggs, sesame seeds (optional), and the remaining green onion parts. Enjoy!

Tips & Notes

Add the ramen noodles when the sauce is still a little thin. As the noodles soak up liquid, it's best to add them when the sauce hasn't thickened completely yet. Otherwise, the sauce will end up being too thick. If that happens, just add more water.
Adjust the amount of liquid you use. If the sauce is too thick for your taste, you can thin it with some water after the noodles have been cooked. Don't worry if it seems too thin in the beginning, it thickens nicely once the rice cakes and noodles are cooked.
Add more gochugaru for extra heat. This rabokki is only a little spicy, so if you prefer it spicier I recommend using more gochugaru. You can adjust the spiciness while you let the rice cakes simmer in the sauce.

Variations

Vegetables: Green cabbage and carrots are a classic addition to rabokki and taste really great! But if you prefer other vegetables, feel free to use them. I sometimes add sliced potatoes or sweet potatoes.
Protein: Instead of eggs and fish cakes, you could use other types of protein. I'd recommend using some kind of seafood to make rabokki. I sometimes use shrimp.
Toppings: A simple combination of eggs, green onions, and sesame seeds tastes really amazing. But if you want to switch things up, you can use other toppings such as chopped roasted nori or cheese that can be melted over the rabokki.

korean rabokki garnished with sesame seeds and green onion in a pan

Frequently Asked Questions

What is rabokki made of?

Rabokki is a combination of tteokbokki (spicy Korean rice cakes) and instant ramen. It has a spicy and slightly sweet gochujang sauce, chewy rice cakes, fresh vegetables, instant ramen noodles, fish cakes, and eggs.

What is the difference between rabokki and tteokbokki?

Tteokbokki uses only rice cakes (tteok) while rabokki uses ramen and rice cakes. Rabokki also has additional ingredients such as vegetables that aren't always part of classic tteokbokki.

What does rabokki taste like?

Rabokki tastes incredibly flavorful, a little spicy, slightly sweet, and has a seafood flavor as dashi is used for the sauce base. It's seriously delicious and I recommend trying it if you like dishes that have a little bit of heat.

Is rabokki spicy?

Some rabokki recipes are spicier than others. The level of heat depends on the amount of gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) that you use. This recipe is only moderately spicy and can be enjoyed by most people.

What ramen is used in rabokki?

Rabokki is made with instant ramen noodles that are typically packaged with a small bag of seasoning powder. You can use any brand that you like. I love to use Neoguri as their noodles are thicker than most other ramen noodles. As the seasoning is not used, it really doesn't matter which brand you pick.

How do I store leftovers?

You can store leftovers in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat them, add some water and place them in a microwave.

More easy and delicious Korean recipes

If you want to try more Korean dishes, feel free to check out the following recipes. They are very easy to make, taste super delicious, and use ingredients that you may already have if you've made this rabokki.

5 from 1 vote