Tteokguk is a Korean rice-cake soup traditionally served for Seollal, Lunar New Year, with chewy oval rice cakes in a savory broth. This version builds its broth from beef and aromatics, then finishes the soup with egg, scallions, and roasted seaweed; families and regions use different broths and toppings, so the recipe is one welcoming variation rather than a single definitive version.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) sliced oval Korean rice cakes (tteokguk-tteok), fresh or frozen
- 10 oz (280 g) beef brisket, thinly sliced across the grain
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) toasted sesame oil
- 8 cups (1.9 L) cold water
- 1/2 medium yellow onion (about 75 g), peeled and cut in half
- 4 garlic cloves (about 12 g), lightly crushed
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) Korean soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) regular soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt (about 3 g), plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (about 0.5 g)
- 2 large eggs (about 100 g without shells)
- 2 scallions (about 30 g), thinly sliced
- 2 sheets roasted gim (Korean seaweed, about 4 g), crumbled
- 1 teaspoon (3 g) toasted sesame seeds, optional
Instructions
- Soak the rice cakes and prepare the garnishes. If the rice cakes are frozen or feel firm, put them in a bowl of cool water for 15 minutes, then drain. Fresh, soft rice cakes may need only a quick rinse; still separate any pieces stuck together. While they soak, slice the scallions, crumble the gim, and lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl. If the beef is in larger pieces, cut it into thin strips across the grain so it cooks quickly and stays easy to eat with a spoon.
- Brown the beef. Heat the sesame oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the beef and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring and turning the slices until the surface is no longer raw and some pieces are lightly browned. Avoid crowding the meat into a mound; spread it across the pot so it browns rather than steams. Pour in the water and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen the browned bits, which add flavor to the broth.
- Make the broth. Add the onion and crushed garlic. Bring the pot to a gentle boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes. Keep the broth at a steady, quiet simmer rather than a vigorous boil, which can make it cloudy and evaporate too much liquid. Check a thicker piece of beef with a food thermometer: USDA FSIS lists 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest as the safe minimum for whole cuts of beef. The thin slices should exceed that temperature during the simmer. Lift out the onion and garlic with a slotted spoon and discard them, or leave the garlic in if you prefer a stronger broth.
- Season and add the rice cakes. Stir in the soup soy sauce, regular soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Add the drained rice cakes and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring gently once or twice so they do not settle and stick. They are ready when they are soft and pliable all the way through but still hold their oval shape. If the broth has reduced more than you like, add a little hot water; taste before adding extra salt because soup soy sauce varies in saltiness.
- Cook the egg and finish the soup. Pour the beaten egg in a thin stream over the gently simmering soup. Wait about 20 seconds, then stir once or twice to form soft ribbons; continue cooking until the egg is fully set. Serve promptly in bowls, topping each with scallions, crumbled gim, and sesame seeds if using. Rice cakes continue to soften as they sit, so avoid leaving them in the hot pot for a long time before serving.
Tips
- Choose the right rice cakes. Look for thin, oval rice cakes labeled for tteokguk in a Korean grocery store, often in the refrigerated or frozen section. Thick cylindrical rice cakes used for tteokbokki take longer to soften and give the soup a different shape and bite. If the oval cakes are frozen, soaking helps separate them and brings their cooking time closer to that of fresh cakes.
- Use soup soy sauce if possible. Guk-ganjang is lighter in color and more assertive than ordinary soy sauce, so it seasons broth without making it dark. If you cannot find it, substitute 1 tablespoon (15 ml) regular soy sauce plus 1 tablespoon (15 ml) water, then adjust salt after tasting. The broth will be a little darker and less distinctly Korean in flavor, but still enjoyable.
- Keep the simmer gentle. A hard boil can break up the rice cakes and make the broth cloudy. Stir carefully rather than whisking, especially after adding the egg. If the soup thickens while you serve it, loosen it with hot water or unsalted broth, then taste and season again.
- Season at the end, not by guesswork. Beef, soy sauces, and packaged rice cakes vary in saltiness. Start with the stated salt, taste the finished broth, and add small pinches only as needed. For a clearer bowl, skim excess foam from the beef broth during its simmer.
Serving Suggestions
Serve tteokguk hot as a complete Lunar New Year meal or as the first course of a larger Seollal table. Put extra scallions, gim, sesame seeds, and black pepper on the table so each person can finish a bowl to taste. A small dish of kimchi provides a bright, crunchy contrast to the mild broth, while other Korean banchan such as seasoned spinach or bean sprouts can round out the meal without competing with the rice cakes.
The soup is filling, so a modest bowl alongside a few shared side dishes is often enough. If serving it as part of a festive spread, prepare the garnishes in advance and cook the rice cakes just before everyone sits down. This keeps the texture pleasantly chewy instead of letting the cakes swell and soften in the pot.
Variations
Beef broth is a common choice, but tteokguk also appears with anchovy-kelp broth, chicken broth, or a simpler stock depending on region and household preference. For an anchovy-kelp version, simmer dried anchovies and a piece of dried kelp in water, then strain them out before adding rice cakes; leave out the beef and sesame oil. This makes a lighter, seafood-scented soup. Dried anchovies and kelp are traditional pantry ingredients, but a mild, unsalted vegetable broth is a practical substitute, with a less savory and less sea-like result.
For a heartier bowl, add thinly sliced dumplings during the last few minutes of cooking; this combination is called mandu-tteokguk. Check the package directions and make sure any meat-filled dumplings are cooked through. You can also use shredded cooked beef as a topping instead of leaving the sliced beef in the broth. In that case, reserve a little broth to moisten the beef and add it back to the bowls when serving.
Garnishes vary too. Some cooks add a small amount of julienned cooked egg, while others use egg ribbons, gim, scallions, or a sprinkle of ground pepper. To make a vegetarian bowl, use vegetable broth and omit the beef; season gradually with soy sauce and salt. For a fully plant-based version, omit the egg as well and use a plant-based seaweed garnish. These changes alter the classic beef-and-egg profile but retain the chewy rice cakes that define the dish.
Storage and Reheating
For the best texture, serve the rice cakes as soon as they are cooked. If you expect leftovers, store the broth and beef separately from the rice cakes when practical; the cakes absorb liquid and grow softer during storage. Transfer leftovers to shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. The soup keeps for 3 to 4 days refrigerated. You can freeze the broth and beef for up to 2 months for best quality, but cooked rice cakes may become soft or grainy after thawing.
Reheat the broth and beef in a saucepan until steaming, then add fresh or separately stored rice cakes and simmer until tender. If reheating a combined portion, add a splash of water or broth and stir gently as it warms. Reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C), checking with a food thermometer, and avoid repeatedly cooling and reheating the same pot. Add fresh scallions and gim after reheating, since they lose their texture in storage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does tteokguk mean?
Tteok means rice cake and guk means soup, so tteokguk is literally rice-cake soup. It is associated with Seollal, the Korean Lunar New Year. Eating a bowl is traditionally connected with welcoming the new year and, in a familiar expression, growing a year older; customs and the stories people tell about the dish differ among families.
Can I use frozen rice cakes without thawing them?
Yes, but separate them first and soak them in cool water for about 15 minutes if they are frozen into a solid clump or unusually firm. Drain before adding them to the broth. If you add a frozen clump directly, the pieces may cook unevenly and stick together. Start checking for tenderness at 5 minutes, since brands and thicknesses vary.
Why are my rice cakes too soft or gummy?
They may have simmered too long, or the soup may have been held hot after cooking. Begin checking thin oval rice cakes after 5 minutes and stop as soon as they are tender but still springy. Cook only the amount you plan to serve, and store leftover broth separately from the cakes when possible. A vigorous boil and frequent rough stirring can also damage their shape.
Can I make tteokguk ahead?
You can make the beef broth a day ahead, cool it promptly, and refrigerate it in a covered container. Reheat the broth, add the rice cakes, and cook them just before serving. This approach saves time while preserving their chewy texture. Slice scallions and crumble gim ahead if you like, but keep the garnishes covered and dry so they stay fresh and crisp.
What can I use if I cannot find Korean soup soy sauce?
Use the regular-soy-sauce-and-water substitution in the tips, then adjust the salt after the rice cakes have cooked. Ordinary soy sauce is darker and can make the broth look brown if you use too much, so avoid replacing the soup soy sauce with an equal amount of regular soy sauce without tasting. A little salt can bring the seasoning into balance without adding more color.
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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes
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