Rose tteokbokki is a milder and creamier variation of classic Korean tteokbokki that is just as delicious as the original version! It features chewy rice cakes, delicious add-ins like sausage, and a creamy gochujang sauce that turns simple ingredients into an irresistibly delicious dish!
If you love creamy sauces and Korean dishes, I highly recommend giving this rose tteokbokki recipe a try! It is a creamy version of classic Korean tteokbokki, one of the most popular Korean street foods, that isn't as spicy as the original version but packed with all the delicious tteokbokki flavors.
Plus, it features tasty add-ins such as fish cakes, mini sausages, and bacon that make this dish extra special. It's the ultimate comfort food that can be enjoyed as a snack or full meal that's always satisfying!
Rose Tteokbokki Ingredients
To make rose tteokbokki you'll need the following ingredients:
- Rice Cakes: You'll need Korean cylinder-shaped rice cakes called tteok in Korean. You can find them either fresh, frozen, or vacuum-packaged in most Asian grocery stores or online. They also come in different sizes. I prefer the smaller tteok, but the big rice cakes work as well!
- Bacon: Bacon adds lots of flavor to this dish and makes it taste extra delicious and comforting. You can use turkey bacon as a pork-free alternative.
- Mini sausages: Mini sausages are another typical ingredient in Korean rose tteokbokki. You can use either pork or turkey sausages.
- Fish cake sheets: Fish cake sheets are a typical add-in for tteokbokki. You can often find them frozen in Asian grocery stores. I definitely recommend using them, but don't worry if you can't find them!
- Milk: I recommend using whole milk to give this rose tteokbokki the creamy texture that it's loved for! Other types of milk work too, but they won't make the sauce as creamy. If you can't have lactose, you can use lactose-free milk.
- Gochujang: Gochujang is a spicy Korean red pepper paste that is used in a variety of dishes. You can find it in most Asian grocery stores. Just be sure to check the label and buy mild or medium-hot (levels 1 and 2) gochujang. The great thing is that you can reuse it to make delicious dishes like kimchi ramen, gochujang chicken wings, or Korean-style spicy noodles.
- Gochugaru: Gochugaru are Korean red chili flakes that are used for most Korean recipes. They are usually packed in bags and can be found in Asian grocery stores or online. I also use them for all other types of dishes so that I don't waste any. 😊
- Soy sauce: Soy sauce adds flavor to the sauce. You'll only need a small amount, but definitely use it for some extra umami!
- Honey: Honey balances the flavors and adds some slight sweetness. You can use brown sugar as an alternative.
- Green onion: Green onions are used for extra flavor and are recommended whenever you make any type of tteokbokki dish!
- Heavy cream and garlic (optional): Heavy cream and garlic are two optional ingredients that I personally don't use. Heavy cream makes the sauce extra creamy while garlic adds flavor. I don't use them as I find the garlic flavor a little too strong and the heavy cream not necessary (I personally can't eat a lot of dairy, so I use as little as possible). But if you love garlic and want an extra creamy sauce, you can certainly use both ingredients!
How to make rose tteokbokki
Soak the rice cakes. First, let the rice cakes (tteok) soak in a bowl filled with hot water until they are easy to detangle. Then drain and set them aside.
Pan-fry the bacon and mini sausages. Next, add the bacon to a pan and pan-fry until there is some bacon grease in the pan. Then add the mini sausages and pan-fry until they are slightly browned.
Add the sauce ingredients. Gently pour the milk into the pan and add gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, and honey. Stir everything and bring the sauce to a simmer.
Add the remaining ingredients and simmer. Now add the rice cakes, fish cakes, and white green onion parts. Simmer and stir everything occasionally until the sauce starts to thicken.
Add the green onions and finish. Add the remaining green onion parts and continue to simmer until the sauce has thickened to your liking. If the sauce is too thick, add more water or milk. Garnish with sesame seeds (optional) and enjoy!
Tips & Notes
- Prepare all ingredients before you start cooking. The actual cooking process doesn't take that much time, so be sure to have all ingredients prepped and ready to go.
- Make this dish milder by using less gochugaru and gochujang. If you are unsure about the heat level, use less gochugaru and gochujang. You can always add more as you go. Just be sure to use gochujang as it is one of the key ingredients for the sauce.
- Simmer everything until the sauce thickens. After adding the rice cakes, the sauce will start to thicken. It is important to be patient and to let the sauce simmer until it has thickened. It definitely takes 5-10 minutes, so don't worry if the sauce still looks thin after 2-3 minutes.
- When the sauce is too thick, add more liquid. You can use more milk or some water to thin it again.
- Make sure to stir everything occasionally, especially after adding the rice cakes. The rice cakes are quite sticky and can stick to the bottom of your pan, even when using non-stick. So be sure to give the rose tteokbokki an occasional stir.
Variations
- Add some mozzarella cheese and let it melt. I personally don't eat a lot of dairy so I skip the mozzarella cheese. But if you love cheese, feel free to add some shredded mozzarella cheese on top. Then cover the pan with a lid and watch the cheese melt beautifully into the creamy rose sauce!
- Add hard-boiled eggs to your rose tteokbokki. I love to cook eggs that are still a little runny on the inside when I make tteokbokki. It's super delicious and a great way to add more protein to your meal! I always cook eggs for 7 minutes and then place them in a bowl filled with cold water. They always turn out perfect that way!
- Use more vegetables to make your meal more balanced. Adding vegetables such as carrots, cabbage, or potatoes makes this dish more satisfying and adds nutritious ingredients to your meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Classic Korean tteokbokki uses a sauce that is made of anchovy stock or dashi and gochujang. Rose tteokbokki sauce uses milk, sometimes heavy cream, and gochujang. Rose tteokbokki is much milder and therefore a great option for anyone who doesn't like spice.
The word "rose" mainly refers to the pinkish color of the creamy gochujang sauce. This recipe doesn't use any rosé wine or alcohol as some may assume.
It is slightly spicy. It definitely doesn't taste as spicy as the original version, but this recipe still has some heat. So if you prefer it even milder, you may want to use less or skip the gochugaru. You can also use some heavy cream to make it creamier and milder.
Most Asian grocery stores have them as they are ingredients that are very commonly used. You can also order them online if there are no Asian grocery stores nearby. For more tips, check out the ingredients section of this post.
Gochujang and gochugaru are the two ingredients that make tteokbokki spicy. So if you want to make it milder, use less of these two ingredients.
You don't have to soak them if you use fresh tteokbokki. When you use vacuum-packaged or frozen tteok, always soak them so that they detangle easily and aren't as hard.
The sauce thickens due to the starchy rice cakes that are added. There isn't anything else that needs to be done to make the sauce perfectly creamy!
I recommend enjoying this dish as is! It's already packed with a variety of ingredients that make it a filling and satisfying dish. You could add more vegetables such as carrots and cabbage to make it more balanced.
You can store it in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat it using a microwave or your stove. Make sure to add some extra liquid to make the sauce creamy again.
More simple and delicious Korean recipes
If you love Korean dishes, I'd recommend trying one of the following Korean and Korean-inspired recipes:
- Classic Tteokbokki (Spicy Korean Rice Cakes)
- Dakgalbi (Spicy Korean Chicken Stir Fry)
- Shrimp Udon Stir Fry
- Kimchi Pancake (Kimchi Jeon)
- Ground Beef Bulgogi
Rose Tteokbokki
Ingredients
- 1 pound cylinder-shaped rice cakes (tteok) fresh, vacuum-packed, or frozen
- 4 bacon strips cut into bite-sized pieces
- ¾ cup mini sausages scored with two light cuts
- 2 cups milk or vegan milk
- 2 tablespoons gochujang mild or medium-hot
- 1-2 teaspoons gochugaru adjust to taste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey or brown sugar
- 2 fish cake sheets cut into triangles
- 3 green onions cut into 2-inch pieces, white and green parts separated
Instructions
- First, let the rice cakes (tteok) soak in a bowl filled with hot water until they are detangled. Then drain and set aside. This step is not necessary if you use fresh tteok.1 pound cylinder-shaped rice cakes (tteok)
- Next, preheat a pan over medium heat and cook the bacon until there is some bacon grease in the pan. Then add the sausages and pan-fry until they are lightly browned.4 bacon strips, ¾ cup mini sausages
- Lower the heat and add the milk to the pan. Then add the gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, and honey. Stir everything and bring the sauce to a light simmer.2 cups milk, 2 tablespoons gochujang, 1-2 teaspoons gochugaru, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon honey
- Now add the rice cakes, fish cakes, and white green onion parts. Simmer and stir occasionally until the sauce starts to thicken.2 fish cake sheets
- Add the green onions and continue to stir and simmer until the sauce has thickened as desired. Serve and enjoy!3 green onions
Notes
- If you want to make the sauce even creamier use heavy cream. And if you want to add more flavor use one garlic clove.
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