This chicken and rice cake stir fry is amazing! The chewy rice cakes are combined with tender chicken and simmered in a quick, spicy-sweet Korean-style sauce with Gochujang and ginger.
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 4 | Difficulty: Easy
Today’s chicken and rice cake dish is perfect if you’ve never tried rice cakes before. The recipe is super simple, with just two main ingredients - chicken and rice cakes - plus a few pantry staples you probably already have if you cook Korean food now and then.
Check out these Glazed Asian Turkey Meatballs or the Hong Kong-Style Sweet and Sour Chicken, too.
Recipe ingredients
Chicken: I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces. You can use chicken breast, too, but I prefer thighs because they stay juicier.
Rice cakes (tteok) are chewy Korean rice noodles made from glutinous rice flour - a bit like dense, springy pasta. I usually buy them in Korean or other Asian grocery stores. They’re usually sold refrigerated, frozen, or shelf-stable, and come in either cylinder or oval shapes. I use the cylinder, shelf-stable ones because they’re easier to find.
Gochujang I used 4 tablespoons, which made the rice cake and chicken dish quite spicy, but you can use a bit less for a less spicy dish or even a bit more for more kick. If you have an open box of the paste, make Marinated Pork Belly or Gochujang Chicken Wings, too.
Gochugaru is Korean chili flakes made from dried red peppers - coarser than regular chili powder, with a bright color and a smoky, mildly spicy flavor.
- If you don’t have gochugaru, start with 1 teaspoon of regular chili flakes for 1 tablespoon of gochugaru - it’s spicier, so add less and adjust to taste. A pinch of sugar or smoked paprika can help mimic the smoky, sweet flavor.
Vegetables: I use napa cabbage (also called Chinese cabbage) and sweet potatoes. You can swap green cabbage for napa cabbage or pumpkin for sweet potatoes if you like. I also like to add mushrooms to this dish whenever I have some on hand.
See the recipe card for the full recipe and ingredient quantities.
How to make chicken and rice cake stir fry?
Step #1: Mix the sauce ingredients in a large bowl, add the chicken, and leave to marinate for 30 minutes if you have the time. In the meantime, prepare the vegetables.
Step #2: Cook the chicken and sweet potatoes for 5 minutes.
Step #3: Add the onions, the rice cakes, and a bit of water. Cook for 5 minutes with the lid on.
Step #4: Remove the lid and cook for another 3 minutes. Stir in the green onions and sprinkle the dish with sesame seeds.
Tip
Don’t overcook the rice cakes - they should be firm and chewy. Check by pressing gently or tasting one early, as they soften more after cooking.
Storage
Store leftover chicken and rice stir fry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The rice cakes will firm up a bit, but the dish reheats well in a pan with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
This dish is not freezer-friendly - rice cakes tend to get tough after freezing and thawing.
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📖 Recipe
Chicken and Rice Cake Stir Fry
Equipment
- Large saucepan or frying pan with a lid
- Large bowl
Ingredients
Chicken and rice cakes:
- 1.7 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 medium sweet potato about 7 oz/ 200 g
- 4 cups napa cabbage chopped, about 7 oz/ 200 g, Note 1
- 1 medium onion
- 1 lb rice cakes Note 2
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ¼ cup water
- 2 green onions
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Sauce ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons Gochujang sauce Note 3
- 1 tablespoon coarse Gochugaru Note 4
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons honey
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger grated
- 2 garlic cloves grated
Instructions
- Marinate chicken (Note 5): Mix all the sauce ingredients in a large bowl. Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces, add them to the bowl, and stir well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes if you have the time or at least until you prepare the rest of the ingredients.4 tablespoons Gochujang sauce + 1 tablespoon coarse Gochugaru + 3 tablespoons soy sauce + 1 tablespoon rice vinegar + 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar + 1 ½ tablespoons honey + 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger + 2 garlic cloves + 1.7 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Chop vegetables: Peel, quarter, and slice the sweet potato quarters. Chop the cabbage into bite-sized pieces. Peel, quarter, and thinly slice the onion quarters. Finely slice the green onions. Keep all these ingredients separated as they all have different cooking times.1 medium sweet potato + 4 cups napa cabbage + 1 medium onion + 2 green onions
- Stir fry: Heat the oil in the pan. Stir-fry the marinated chicken and the sweet potatoes for 5 minutes on medium-high heat.1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Add the onions, cabbage, rice cakes, and water. Stir well and cook on medium-low heat and with a lid on for another 5 minutes. 1 lb rice cakes + ¼ cup water
- Finish the dish: Remove the lid and cook for another 3 minutes until the sweet potatoes are soft and the sauce is slightly thickened. Add the sliced green onions and stir for another minute. Sprinkle the dish with the sesame seeds and serve immediately.1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Notes
- Vegetables: I use napa cabbage and sweet potatoes, but you can swap green cabbage or pumpkin. Mushrooms are a great add-on if you have them.
- Rice cakes are chewy Korean noodles made from glutinous rice flour. I buy the shelf-stable cylinder-shaped ones from Asian grocery stores.
- Gochujang sauce: You can use a bit less for a milder sauce or more for a spicier sauce.
- Gochugaru is Korean chili flakes - coarser and milder than regular chili. If needed, swap 1 tablespoon with 1 teaspoon of chili flakes, plus a pinch of sugar and one of smoked paprika.
- Marinating the chicken is optional but recommended for even more flavor and tenderness.
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