Rosé Tteokbokki
Rosé tteokbokki is prepared with chewy Korean rice cakes in a mildly spicy, and creamy pink sauce. The crisped bacon bits give it a smoky flavor, the shrimp a refreshing seafood taste, and the baby oyster mushrooms great umami. It almost tastes like a creamy pasta dish.
Tteokbokki is a popular Korean street food dish made with chewy rice cakes, savory fish cakes, and assorted vegetables in a spicy Korean chili sauce.
Rosé tteokbokki (로제떡볶이) is a more recent and trendy take on tteokbokki. However, it is only mildly spicy and my recipe is made with savory bacon, shrimp, and mushrooms.
You can prepare this rich and creamy dish in just 30 minutes.
The recipe serving size works perfectly with my 8″ Lodge Cast Iron Skillet. Cast iron has great heat retention and will keep your rosé tteokbokki nice and warm even at your tabletop. I also use this skillet to make my Kimchi Cornbread and Al Dolsot Bibimbap.
Korean Rice Cakes
Tteokbokki is made with cylindrical, Korean white rice cakes called garaetteok (가래떡). If possible, try to use freshly made garaetteok. The refrigerated or frozen ones can sometimes be a bit dried out. I like to soften them in some boiling water for a couple minutes before using them. You can omit this step if they are freshly made.
You can find these rice cakes at your local Korean grocery store. I get mine from H Mart.
These Korean rice cakes are slightly sweet but have a mostly neutral taste. They are soft, chewy and extra delicious when smothered with a flavorful sauce.
Creamy Rosé Sauce
Most recipes use a heavy cream sauce base. I tried using heavy cream, but found it to be a bit too rich.
I like to instead use whole milk and let it simmer and reduce down into a thicker, creamy sauce. It has just the right amount of richness without tasting too heavy. It’s also healthier than heavy cream and contains way less fat.
The pink rosé color comes from the gochujang (고추장), a Korean fermented red chili paste. Once the creamy sauce is mixed with a dollop of this spicy, red paste it turns light pink. This recipe is mildly spicy. However, you could always add more gochujang if you would like a bigger kick of spice.
Some recipes also use tomato paste in their rosé tteokbokki recipes. However, I find that the gochujang already adds enough savory and umami flavor.
Other ingredients
Bacon vs Vienna Sausage
Traditional spicy tteokbokki is usually cooked with fish cakes. Most rosé tteokbokki, on the other hand, is made with mini Vienna sausages.
Bacon is another popular addition. I skipped the Vienna sausage and decided to add crisped bacon bits for its smoky, savory flavor. One slice of bacon adds just enough flavor to this dish.
Also, the bacon fat does not go to waste and is used to sauté and flavor the shallots and garlic.
Shrimp
When I started testing out rosé tteokbokki recipes, I only used bacon. The flavor was great, but it tasted a bit flat and I wanted to have more flavors. I decided to add seared shrimp and was finally satisfied. It adds a fresh seafood taste to the sauce and some juicy, tender bites.
I make sure to give the shrimp a nice sear and then let them finish cooking in the rosé sauce.
To be honest, I’m not sure if you’ll find another rosé tteokbokki made with shrimp. But I can guarantee that it is pretty darn delicious.
Vegetables & Mushrooms
I also like to add frozen sweet peas and chopped shallots to this dish. The shallots have a softer and sweeter onion taste that helps to cut some of the richness in this dish.
The peas add bursts of subtle sweetness and a nice pop of color.
To me, the baby oyster mushrooms (and shrimp) are pretty integral to this dish. While I was eating my rosé tteokbokki, I found myself seeking out bites of the thinly sliced oyster mushrooms. It has a meaty texture and excellent umami.
Parmesan & Parsley
You’ll find that it tastes very much like a creamy pasta dish. However, instead of wheat flour pasta noodles you have thick, chewy Korean rice cakes. It’s no surprise then that final garnishes of grated parmesan reggiano and finely chopped, fresh parsley brings the dish together.
The parmesan adds a sharp and savory taste. And the parsley gives it a bright, herby flavor and fresh element that’s needed to balance the rich and savory sauce.
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Mise en place
If you make this Rosé Tteokbokki, I would love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to leave a comment and/or recipe rating at the bottom of this page. And if you have a photo of your food, be sure to tag me on Instagram!
Rosé Tteokbokki
Ingredients
- 1 slice bacon, cut into ¼" slices
- ⅓ cup shallots, chopped
- 1 tbsp garlic, crushed
- 1 cup baby king oyster mushrooms
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 6 shrimp, cleaned, peeled and deveined
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 1 tbsp gochujang
- 10 oz Korean rice cakes
- ½ cup frozen peas
- ¼ tsp salt, or TT
Garnish
- 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp parmesan, finely grated
Instructions
- Heat a small skillet over medium heat.
- Add the bacon, stir occasionally, and cook for about 5 minutes or until mostly crispy. Transfer the bacon to a small bowl, leaving the bacon fat in the skillet.
- Add the baby king oyster mushrooms to the skillet and stir for about 1 minute or until there is a good sear. Transfer the cooked mushrooms to the bowl with the bacon.
- Add 1 tbsp of EVOO and the garlic and shallots to the pan. Stir for about 1 minute or until fragrant and the shallots start to turn translucent. Push the cooked garlic and shallots to one side of the pan.
- Add the remaining EVOO to the pan. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Let it cook for about 2 minutes or until there is a nice sear.
- Stir in the whole milk, gochujang, peas, and rice cakes and let it simmer for another 2 minutes or until the sauce thickens and the rice cakes soften. Season with salt.
- Transfer to a large serving plate. Garnish with parsley and parmesan and serve immediately.