Korean Rice Cakes with Honey is basically the simplest dish ever with only three ingredients. In this version, the chewy rice cakes are seared with butter until the outsides are crisp before drizzling them with honey.
If you love rice cakes, you will love this recipe. It is so tasty I had to stop myself from gobbling down the whole plate before I even took the photos. And while the sesame seeds topping is optional, I totally recommend sprinkling some to give extra crunchiness and nuttiness.
About Korean Rice Cake
Korean rice cake or known as tteok (떡) is a much-loved traditional dish in Korea. It is usually made with steamed glutinous rice flour, then be pounded, shaped, or pan-fried to make rice cake. Normal rice flour can also be used for some kinds of tteok.
There are various kinds of rice cakes and each has a special meaning, so people made different rice cakes for different events. The rice cake I used for the Korean Rice Cakes with Honey is called garaetteok. It is the most common shape and mainly used for making tteokbokki.
Garaetteok (가래떡) is a long and cylindrical white rice cake made with non-glutinous rice. You can find them in different sizes in Korean grocery stores. Though all rice cakes taste the same, the size and shape dramatically affect the texture and flavor. I use the thin and short type for an easy bite.
You can find garraetteok sold freshly made, refrigerated, or frozen at Korean grocery stores. I really recommend using the freshly made rice cakes because the frozen one tends to be dry, easy to crack, and not chewy.
Tips for Making Korean Rice Cakes with Honey
1. Prepare the rice cakes
Fresh rice cakes are very pliable, soft, sticky, and chewy because they are mainly made from rice flour. They should be eaten on the same day it was made or the next day at the latest because they have a tendency to harden very quickly and when left out, they become dry and hard.
If the rice cakes are truly freshly made, you can just toss them to cook immediately. However, you need to soak them in warm water for 20-30 minutes if you use the refrigerated rice cakes. The soaking will make them soft and chewy again.
2. Make rice cakes crispy
Stir-fry them longer until the rice cakes are light brown in color and crispy on the outside.
3. Eat rice cakes warm
Immediately serve the Korean Rice Cakes with Honey when still warm. Warm rice cakes make a chewy and soft interior.
More Recipes with Rice Cake
If you like rice cake, I have several recipes on the blog that you might also like!
Korean Rice Cakes with Honey
Korean Rice Cakes with Honey is basically the simplest dish ever with only three ingredients. In this version, the chewy rice cakes are seared with butter until the outsides are crisp before drizzling them honey.
Ingredients
- 100 gr fresh or frozen Korean rice cakes
- 1/2 tbsp butter or vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp honey, or more
- sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
- If you are using frozen rice cakes, submerge them in warm water for 20-30 minutes or until they soften. If you are using fresh rice cakes, skip this step.
- Separate the rice cakes.
- Preheat a frying pan over low-medium heat. Add butter until fully melted.
- Add rice cakes and cook for about 4-5 minutes, or until light brown in color and crispy on the outside.
- Serve warm with honey drizzle and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
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