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Side dishes

Stir-fried Fish Cake

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eomuk-bokkeum

Fish cake strips stir-fried in sweet soy sauce.

Easy15 min3 servings🌶️★ 68Contains fishContains glutenContains soyContains sesame
Stir-fried Fish Cake

History & culture

Stir-fried fish cakes (eomuk bokkeum) are closely tied to Busan and other port cities, where processed fish products were plentiful and street vendors experimented with sweet-spicy sauces. The dish likely moved from snack stalls to home kitchens as packaged eomuk spread nationwide after the mid-twentieth century. It is now a quick banchan, pub side, and lunchbox filler familiar to Koreans at home and abroad.

Servings
3

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Ingredients & steps

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Ingredients

  • Garlic
    2 cloves, minced
  • Onion
    ½ medium, sliced
  • Korean fish cake (eomuk)

    Substituteoptional in tteokbokki

    300 g, sliced
  • Neutral cooking oil
    1 tbsp
  • Green onion

    Substitutescallion or spring onion

    1 stalk

Seasonings

  • Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)Optional

    Substitutecoarse red pepper flakes (adjust heat)

    ½ tsp
  • Soy sauce

    SubstituteTsuyu (diluted) 4 tsp (2 tsp per 1 tbsp) or Tamari 2 tbsp

    2 tbsp
  • Toasted sesame oil

    Substitutea small amount of olive oil (flavor differs)

    1 tsp
  • Sugar
    1 tbsp
  • Rice wine (mirim / cooking wine)

    Substitutedry sherry or water + pinch of sugar

    1 tbsp

Steps

  1. 11 min

    Pour hot water over fish cake 10–20 seconds to remove excess oil and saltiness; drain well. Mix soy sauce, sugar, rice wine and garlic into a glaze.

    • Korean fish cake (eomuk)
    • Soy sauce
    • Sugar
    • Rice wine (mirim / cooking wine)
    • Garlic
  2. 2High heat2 min

    Stir-fry fish cake and onion in oil on medium-high for 2 minutes.

    • Korean fish cake (eomuk)
    • Onion
    • Neutral cooking oil
  3. 3Medium heat3 min

    Add glaze and optional gochugaru; stir-fry 2–3 minutes until glossy. Finish with sesame oil and green onion.

    • Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
    • Toasted sesame oil
    • Green onion

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate 3–4 days. Eat cold or warm in a pan.

Troubleshooting

  • ⚠️ Too salty

    → Blanch fish cake briefly in hot water before stir-frying.

  • ⚠️ Sauce burns

    → Lower heat after adding glaze and keep stirring.