Spicy Korean Rice Cakes (Duk Boki) Recipe

By
Naomi Imatome-Yun
Naomi Imatome-Yun
Asian food expert Naomi Imatome-Yun is a freelance writer and the author of four Asian food cookbooks.
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Updated on 07/10/21
Spicy Korean rice cakes duk boki

The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack
Prep: 60 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 75 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
552 Calories
7g Fat
106g Carbs
16g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 552
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 10%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 30mg 10%
Sodium 1002mg 44%
Total Carbohydrate 106g 38%
Dietary Fiber 6g 21%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 16g
Vitamin C 5mg 23%
Calcium 60mg 5%
Iron 3mg 16%
Potassium 569mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This Korean dish of cylindrical rice cakes (duk) covered in a thick, spicy sauce is a popular street food in Korea. It is also eaten as a casual meal at home or as a drinking snack.

You can make dukboki with fish cakes (oden, o-mook), but it's also good made with beef or no meat at all for a vegetarian version. It's delicious served with Napa cabbage or bok choy. You can change the vegetables to suit what you like or what you have at home—other options you might consider include green onions or scallions, sugar snap peas, and even yellow, green, or red sweet bell peppers. If you like this recipe, try out Rabokki, which is dukboki and ramen.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound cylindrical rice cakes, or duk, cut into 2-inch pieces

  • 3 cups water

  • 1 tablespoons kochujang, or chili pepper paste

  • 1 teaspoon kochukaru, or hot chili powder

  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 1 cup rectangular fish cake, oden, or omook, sliced into 1-inch pieces

  • 3 pieces shiitake mushrooms, soaked, sliced into pieces

  • 2 cups chopped napa cabbage

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for spicy Korean rice cakes duk boki
    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  2. Soak rice cakes (duk) for about an hour in cold water (see tip at the end if short on time).

    Soak rice cakes
    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack 

  3. In a pot, mix 3 cups water with kochujang, kochukaru, garlic, sugar, and soy sauce and bring to a boil.

    Mix spices
    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  4. Add fish cakes and bring back to a boil.

    Add fish cakes
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  5. Add the mushrooms, cabbage, and rice cakes.

    Add mushrooms
    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack 

  6. Bring up to a boil again, simmer for about 3 minutes, and then turn off the heat. The sauce will thicken upon standing.

    Bring to a boil
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  7. Serve as a casual meal or a snack when drinking.

    Serve
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  8. Enjoy!

    Spicy Korean rice cakes
    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

Freezing and Defrosting Rice Cakes (Duk)

If you have rice cakes left over from your meal, it's quite possible to freeze them for later use. However, you should be cautious in doing this, since freezing your rice cakes can impact their texture (one of the features people like about Korean rice cakes). They will freeze best in a very cold freezer. If you have access to a home vacuum packing machine, that will help prevent freezer burn.

To defrost the frozen rice cakes before using them, wait until just before you're ready to cook them, remove them from the freezer, and place them in cool water for between 10 minutes and one hour (until they're thoroughly defrosted). Then cook them immediately.

Tip

  • If you don't have time to soak the rice cakes for an hour in advance, you can add the rice cakes into the pot in the very beginning with the sauce. Simmer for about 10 minutes before adding fish cakes and simmer for a few minutes more after adding vegetables.