Korean Jjajang Tteokbokki
Quick answer
- Total time
- 25 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Jjajang tteokbokki simmers chewy rice cake sticks in a sauce of black bean paste (chunjang) stir-fried with ground pork, onion, and cabbage.
Read more
The critical first step is pre-frying the chunjang in a generous amount of oil before adding any other ingredients: raw black bean paste carries a flat, slightly bitter taste, but several minutes of stirring in hot oil transforms it, removing the harsh edge and developing the characteristic deep, roasted sweetness that defines the dish. As the sauce reduces and thickens, it clings heavily to each rice cake, delivering an intense hit of savory black bean flavor with every bite. Unlike gochujang-based tteokbokki, there is no chili heat present at all, making this a version accessible to those who find standard tteokbokki too spicy. The ground pork renders fat into the sauce as it cooks, adding richness and making the sauce glossier and heavier in body. Julienned cucumber scattered on top at serving provides a fresh, crunchy contrast that cuts through the richness of the black bean sauce and brightens the overall flavor of the bowl.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Separate 300 g rice cake sticks, then blanch them in boiling water for 1 minute to soften the surface.
Drain well and avoid overcooking, because the rice cakes will continue cooking later in the sauce.
- 2Control
Cut 100 g onion and 80 g cabbage into bite-size pieces before heating the pan.
Warm 1 tablespoon cooking oil over medium heat so the pork browns gently without scorching the black bean paste later.
- 3Control
Add 100 g ground pork and stir-fry over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks.
When the pink color disappears and a little fat renders, add the onion and cabbage.
- 4Season
When the vegetables look slightly translucent, add 40 g chunjang and 1 tablespoon sugar.
Lower the heat to medium-low and stir-fry for about 2 minutes, scraping the pan so the paste fries but does not burn.
- 5Control
Pour in 200 ml water and scrape the bottom to dissolve the fried chunjang into the liquid.
Once it boils, add the rice cakes and simmer over medium-low heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring often.
- 6Finish
Turn off the heat when the sauce coats the rice cakes thickly and a path briefly appears as you stir.
Serve right away, and add julienned cucumber on top if desired for a cool crunch.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Stir-frying black bean paste in oil removes its raw bitterness before the savory sauce is combined with chewy rice cakes and ground pork.
- Finish cue
- Turn off the heat when the sauce coats the rice cakes thickly and a path briefly appears as you stir.
- Avoid this
- Drain well and avoid overcooking, because the rice cakes will continue cooking later in the sauce.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
25min, 8 ingredients
Category median
30min, 8 ingredients
Based on 109 recipes
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