Tender beef, chewy rice cakes, and a blend of vegetables mixed in a savory sauce, these Korean stir-fried rice cakes are a great meal that comes together in one pan.
Korean dishes are one of my favorite Asian cuisines because of the flavors and textures, and stir-fried Korean rice cakes are no exception.
Haven't heard of Korean stir-fried rice cakes? They're also known as "Royal Court Stir-Fried Rice Cakes".
Alternatively, you might see them called "Gungjung Tteokbokki".
Try saying that 5 times fast.
And even though this is a rice cake dish, I'm not talking about those big dry crisp puffed rice cakes you find in the cracker section of the grocery store.
Korean rice cakes are oblong shaped disks made from rice flour, and you find them in the refrigerator section of your handy-dandy neighborhood Asian grocery store. They are opaque and hard when you buy them, but once cooked, the hard rice cakes soften and have a nice chewy bite to them.
Combine them with flavorful marinated beef and a myriad of vegetables and you've got a one tasty one-pan meal!
Speaking of flavorful marinated beef, part of that magical marinade includes...
...grated pear!
I know, right??
So what does the grated pear do? When you mix it in the raw beef and allow it to marinate, it acts as a natural meat tenderizer! And as a bonus, it adds a natural sweetness to the overall dish.
For even more of a Korean taste, serve this dish with some kimchi or some gochuchang (Korean spicy chili sauce)! If you know Korean food, you know that gochuchang sauce makes just about every Korean dish even better!
And if you're interested in trying another Korean dish, take a look at my recipe for Korean Sweet Potato Noodles (Japchae)!
This mix of rice cakes, vegetables, marinated beef, all coated in a tasty sauce is a delicious blend of textures and flavors, all in one bowl. Hearty and satisfying, this recipe is a great way to bring a taste of Korea to your next meal.
~ Lisa.
Korean Stir-Fried Rice Cakes
Ingredients
- ¾ lb. (340g) tenderloin steak, sliced thin
Beef marinade:
- 3 tbs soy sauce (tamari, liquid aminos for gluten-free)
- 1 tbs mirin or white wine
- 1 tbs sesame oil
- ½ Asian pear grated
- 1 garlic clove grated
- 1 tbs honey
Rice cakes:
- 1 lb. (454g) Korean rice cakes
- 1 medium carrot julienned or sliced into thin disks
- ½ lb. (227g) small head napa cabbage chopped into bit-sized pieces
- ½ onion sliced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
Sauce:
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tbs soy sauce (tamari for gluten-free)
- 2 tbs mirin or white wine
- 2 tbs sesame oil
- 2 tbs honey
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Slice beef into small slices.
- Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
- Add marinade to beef slices and stir well to combine. Marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours; overnight is best.
- Soak rice cakes in hot water for 30 minutes; drain.
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tbs light olive oil.
- Add onions and carrots and stir-fry until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add beef and cook through.
- Add napa cabbage and stir-fry with other ingredients, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add rice cakes to skillet and mix well with all the ingredients.
- Cover skillet with lid and reduce heat to medium. Cook about 3-4 minutes until rice cakes have softened.
- Uncover skillet and add sauce. Stir to combine and heat through.
- Remove the pan from heat when the rice cakes have absorbed enough of the sauce so that the spatula leaves a "path" when scraped on the pan.
- Garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.
Notes
- This recipe also tastes great with sliced shitake mushrooms, spinach, and broccoli.
- It does not take long for the rice cakes to cook through and start to soften, so remove the pan from the heat as soon as they are done.
- It is important to keep stirring/tossing the ingredients in the pan once you add the rice cakes so that they cook evenly and don't start to stick to the bottom of the pan or wok.
Nutrition
If you make this dish, share your photo on Facebook or Instagram and tag me @dayinthekitchen!
You might also like:
-
- Korean Sweet Potato Noodles (Japchae)
-
- Korean Steak Lettuce Wraps
-
- Pepper Beef Rice Skillet
LK
Love this recipe! I’ve cooked it many times now and it never fails.
I'm so glad this recipe has worked so reliably for you and that you keep coming back to it! Thanks so much!
ashok
My Family Loved it. I am definitely sharing Guys, Thanks For sharing this Great Recipe. this recipe and this website with my friend. Hope they also love it. Thank you again for sharing such a great recipe.
Thanks so much! I'm so glad your family loved it!
Christina Larribeau
I’m late to this party but wanted to let others know that if they can’t find the oval rice cakes locally, you can buy them from Amazon.
I grew up eating these things boiled in beef stock with egg and green onion. Wonderfully savory sticky meal.
Yes, thanks for pointing that out, Christina! Eating the rice cakes with beef stock and egg and onion also sounds like a delicious way to enjoy them! My family also likes them for hot pot!
Damian
Do you cook the beef with all the marinade or do you drain
Cook the beef with all the marinade. There will not be much marinating liquid and it will cook off quickly.
Colleen
I love Korean food, and have visited that country, but never heard of those rice cakes. This recipe looks amazing and I want to try it asap. Thanks for sharing, Lisa!
Thanks, Colleen! I hope you like it!
Jo Vanderwolf
Oh my gosh. I can't even tell you how much I need to try this. Your photos are amazing and have me drooling all over my keyboard. As soon as I can find all the ingredients I am definitely giving this a go. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks so much, Jo! Let me know how it turns out when you make it!