Cheesy Cabbage Tteokbokki
Updated February 18, 2026
Bobbi Lin for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Sue Li. Prop Stylist: Sophia Pappas.
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 tablespoons gochujang
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 large garlic clove, finely grated
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large shallots, thinly sliced crosswise into rings
Salt
1 pound fresh or frozen tteok (rice cakes)
½ cup shredded cheese, such as sharp Cheddar or low-moisture mozzarella
5 ounces green cabbage, shredded (about 2 cups)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
16 grams carbs; 173 milligrams cholesterol; 251 calories; 5 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 16 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 834 milligrams sodium; 11 grams protein; 8 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Bring a small pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the eggs carefully and reduce the heat to gently simmer the eggs until soft-boiled, 7 minutes. Drain the eggs, leaving them in their pot, then gently shake the pot to crack their shells. Cover the cracked eggs with cold water to shock them, then let cool enough to touch. Once they are sufficiently cooled, peel the eggs directly in the water (they should peel easily); set aside.
- Step 2
In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, gochujang, soy sauce and garlic. Set aside.
- Step 3
In a large pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, season generously with salt and cook, stirring constantly, until the edges of the shallots are really brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the gochujang mixture and cook, stirring for a few seconds, just until the sauce loses its raw edge.
- Step 4
Stir in 1 cup cold tap water and add the tteok, making sure to separate them if stuck together. Bring to a simmer over medium-high and cook until the sauce thickens and the tteok are heated through but still chewy, 4 to 6 minutes. (Add a minute or two if using frozen rice cakes.)
- Step 5
To serve, scatter over the cheese, followed by the cabbage — a nice, crunchy blanket of it. Cover to let the cheese melt; the cabbage will steam slightly and lose some of its raw edge. Halve the soft-boiled eggs and arrange them over the crunchy, cheesy cabbage.
Private Notes
Comments
I've made this twice, once as written and the second time with fresh ginger and rice vinegar in the sauce mixture, and some leftover tofu simmered with the teokk (it was languishing in the fridge). Both times I finished with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil and a tangle of fresh scallions because I love both. Across the board, this was an easy and excellent recipe, and infinitely customizable to match your mood and veg drawer situation.
Wow, this is good. I've made Tteokbokki before and liked it but adding raw cabbage was intriguing. As noted in the recipe, it steamed just a bit so is still crunchy. The eggs came out very well using the method described and were perfect with the flavors. I cut the gochujang down to 2TBL and used fewer rice cakes because they are so filling. It was even better the next day when I warmed up the leftovers. Can't wait to make it again.
I'd never cooked any Korean food, but got the unfamiliar ingredients at a Korean market. I was quite skeptical I was going to have anything edible. The rice cakes looked and felt like white plastic discs and the sauce prior to cooking was underwhelming. But then magic happened. The flavor of the sauce improved radically with cooking and the rice cakes became chewy. Seemed too little cheese for a recipe titled "Cheesy" but glad I followed the recipe and didn't add more. Delicious and fun!
I LOVE this recipe. The crunchy cabbage adds a textural contrast that makes me so happy. I've made it as written a few times, and I've also added fish cakes, shortly after adding the tteok. They're a delicious addition, but the recipe doesn't need them.
Absolutely delicious if you sub the gochujang for miso as well!
This was a true delight to eat! I added in some edamame along with the shallots for some extra protein. I used a pre-cut cole slaw mix (without dressing) in place of the cabbage, which was shredded thinner than I could have managed to do by hand. Will be making this again!