A simple Korean recipe starring chewy rice cakes swimming in a creamy Italian-inspired sauce: Carbonara Tteokbokki! Creamy, cheesy sauce. Chewy Korean rice cakes. A popular street-style Korean dish that’s good as a snack, appetizer, or main meal!
What is Carbonara Tteokbokki?
Carbonara Tteokbokki is a popular Korean street food made with Korean rice cakes and a creamy carbonara-style sauce. The chewy rice cakes are irresistible. Soft and squishy long tubes (cylinders) that absorb any kind of sauce well.
The cream sauce is actually a cross between Italian alfredo sauce and carbonara. A true fusion dish with a beloved South Korean flavor profile. Make in 15-minutes for a great weeknight dinner or snack night with friends!
Sometimes called Cream Tteokbokki, the cheesy sauce is kid-friendly and not spicy at all. The flavorful sauce pairs well with chewy, tender rice cakes. They soak up every bit of the delicious sauce!
Most people are familiar with Tteokbokki swimming in a spicy red sauce. But there are many different kinds of Korean Rice Cake dishes. Carbonara Tteokbokki is a popular flavor. The lush creamy sauce is so cheesy and decadent!
More rice cake recipes: Cheesy Tteokbokki, Rose Tteobokki and Gireum Tteokbokki (Stir-Fried). If you love Korean food, be sure to start with Korean Food for Beginners: 10 Easy Recipes.
Ingredients:
- Korean rice cakes (tteok). Tube-shaped rice cakes. They come in different shapes and sizes. For gluten-free versions, be sure to read the ingredient label. Look for them at Korean markets or Asian grocery stores.
- Onion + Garlic. The essential aromatics.
- Bacon. Adds smoky, meaty flavor.
- Whole Milk. Full-fat, whole milk has the best flavor without being overly rich. Sub with 1/2 cup heavy cream + 1/2 cup water if you don’t have it.
- Parmesan Cheese. Salty, cheesy flavor. Use freshly grated parmesan (off the block) to ensure a non-grainy texture.
- Mozzarella. Sprinkle a small handful at the end for that cheesy pull!
- Parsley. For garnish — adds pretty color and flavor.
- Black Pepper. A sprinkle finishes the dish!
How to make Cream Tteokbokki:
- Cook bacon. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add a little bit of oil and add the chopped bacon. Cook bacon until brown and crispy, stirring often, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add aromatics. Add the chopped onions and garlic. Keep cooking, stirring from time to time with a spatula until soft and slightly browned, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add rice cakes. Add the rice cakes directly into the pan. Add the milk. Cook until soft and chewy, stirring from time to time, about 3-4 minutes. When the rice cakes are soft, add the parmesan cheese. Stir again.
- Serve. Turn off the heat. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the top. The residual heat will melt the cheese. Garnish with parsley and black pepper. Serve and enjoy!
Pro Tips:
- Cook on medium to medium-low heat. The heat needs to be high enough so the sauce reduces and thickens. But low enough so the sauce doesn’t burn. Watch carefully to achieve the right saucy consistency.
- Defrost Frozen Rice Cakes. To defrost frozen rice cakes, add frozen rice cakes to a bowl and cover with cold water. As it sits in the cold water for 15-20 minutes, it will defrost.
- Rinse Rice Cakes. Sometimes, refrigerated rice cakes can develop a slimy coating. Rinse well in a fine mesh sieve before using.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
- Non-stick skillet. The best tool for cooking carbonara tteokbokki at home, as it’s a very saucy cheesy dish and everything has a tendency to stick. Stainless steel pans also work, but clean up can be messy.
- Silicone spatula. For mixing the sauce and rice cakes. Especially good for scraping the thick sauce.
Variations
- Mushrooms. Throw in a handful of sliced mushrooms with the onion. Shitake, brown or white, King oyster, and black oyster mushrooms all work well.
- Broccoli. Add lightly steamed broccoli to balance the heavy creaminess of the sauce.
- Thyme or Rosemary. Add fresh or dried herbs for another layer of aromatic flavor.
What are Korean Rice Cakes?
Korean Rice Cakes are small pressed cakes made from white rice. Specially, they are made from sticky rice. The texture is sticky and chewy. They absorb flavors well.
Also called Tteok, they are a common ingredient in Korean cuisine. In Korean history, they were once considered food for royalty.
More Facts:
- Comes in different shapes, sizes, and thickness
- The smaller the tteok, the faster it will cook
- Can be gluten-free (look at the ingredient list to make sure)
- Rice Cakes made with wheat are called “Mil” Tteok
At the grocery store, Korean Rice Cakes (Garaetteok) can be found in 3 forms:
- Fresh. Wrapped in plastic wrap, on styrafoam trays. The texture is soft and squishy; eat them immediately! They need to be consumed within 24 hours before they start to harden. When cooked in tteokbokki, they release a lot of starch and make tteokbokki extra creamy.
- Refrigerated. Look for them in the refrigerated section, in a vacuum sealed plastic bag. They last longer than fresh rice cakes (2-3 weeks) but are hard and cannot be eaten immediately. To achieve the right texture (squishy and chewy), cook in liquid for 4-5 minutes.
- Frozen. Look for them in the frozen food aisle, in a vacuum sealed plastic bag. They last a long time (several months) and are a great freezer pantry item. Before cooking, defrost by soaking in cold water for 15-20 minutes.
FAQ
To store leftover Carbonara Tteokbokki, transfer to an air-tight storage container and keep in the fridge. It should stay good for 3-4 days.
Reheat in a microwave. Cover loosely and microwave in short 1-minute to 30-second bursts, stirring in between. When the rice cakes are soft and chewy and the sauce is hot, it’s ready.
This is a common problem when rice cakes are stored incorrectly. Rice cakes can be stored in the fridge or freezer. To avoid this problem, store refrigerated rice cakes in the fridge only. Look for a label that states, “Keep refrigerated.” Do not store rice cakes with this label in the freezer.
Please note: freezer rice cakes should not splinter or break apart when cooked. But they must be frozen by the manufacturer not the store. Look for a label that states, “Keep frozen.”
If you’ve already placed a bag of refrigerated rice cakes into the freezer, don’t throw away! Simply transfer the bag back to the fridge. After defrosting in the fridge overnight, cook as per usual.
More easy Korean recipes:
- Tuna Kimchi Fried Rice
- Gyeran Jjim (Korean steamed Egg)
- Gamja Salad (Korean Potato Salad)
- Kimchi Fried Rice
Creamy Carbonara Tteokbokki with Bacon recipe
Equipment
- 1 Non-stick skillet (large)
Ingredients
- 3 cups/300g Korean tubular rice cakes
- 1-2 tsp olive oil
- 3 slices bacon (preferably thick cut, chopped)
- 1/2 large onion (finely chopped, about 1 cup)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup milk (whole, full-fat milk preferred)
- 1/2 cup parmesan (grated)
- 1/4 cup Mozzarella (shredded)
Garnish:
- black pepper
- parsley
Instructions
Prep Rice Cakes:
- For refrigerated rice cakes: set aside in a bowl. If there's a slimy, wet coating all over the rice cakes — rinse well in cold water and drain in a colander.
- For frozen rice cakes: add to a bowl and cover with cold water for 15-20 minutes until defrosted. (They must be drained before cooking).
- For fresh rice cakes: separate rice cakes by hand and set aside on a separate plate.
Cook Tteokbokki/Ddukbokki:
- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add 1-2 tsp olive oil and bacon. Cook until no longer pink and slightly brown and crispy-looking on the edges, about 2-3 minutes. Mix from time to time with a silicone spatula to make sure the bacon is evenly cooked.
- Add onion, garlic, and pinch of salt. Cook until soft and translucent, mixing from time to time, about 3-4 minutes more.
- Add milk and rice cakes. (If using frozen rice cakes and they are defrosting in water, drain first). Cook on medium to medium-low heat until the rice cakes are soft and squishy, about 3-4 minutes. Mix from time to time as the sauce will bubble and reduce until thick and creamy.
- Add parmesan cheese and black pepper. Taste and add a pinch or two of salt, if needed. Stir through the sauce, another 1-2 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and sprinkle mozzarella cheese all over. The residual heat will melt it gently. As a garnish, add parsley and more black pepper, if desired. Serve immediately!
