Sotteok Sotteok: Korean Sausage and Rice Cake Skewers Recipe

Sotteok sotteok is a beloved Korean street snack made from sausages and cylindrical rice cakes threaded on skewers. The skewers are grilled until they develop a crisp exterior, then brushed with a glossy, sweet-and-spicy sauce that’s irresistible to eat with your hands.

The playful name “sotteok sotteok” combines the words for sausage and tteok (rice cake), reflecting the alternating sausage–rice cake pattern on the skewer.

This dish is closely related to tteokkochi (spicy-sweet rice cake skewers) but includes sausages for extra flavor and texture. It rose to wider popularity after being featured on Korean television and has since become a common street-food favorite.

I first tried sotteok sotteok in Korea recently and was instantly hooked. Grilled tteok has an irresistible contrast: a lightly crisp, slightly charred surface and a soft, chewy interior. I could happily enjoy grilled tteok often, and when possible I like to pair it with gopchang (grilled intestines) for an adventurous meal.

Ingredients

• Rice cake – Use cylinder-shaped garae-tteok. Fresh tteok can be skewered as-is; frozen or refrigerated tteok should be blanched briefly in boiling water to soften, then cooled before skewering. These are available at Asian supermarkets.
• Korean sausage – Similar to Vienna sausages but more flavorful. Spicy pork sausage is my preference, though you can choose mild if you prefer. These are commonly sold at Hmart and other Korean markets.
• Sweet & spicy sauce – The same sauce used for tteokkochi: gochujang, gochugaru, ketchup, a sweet syrup (like yoridang or any sweetening syrup), soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and water to adjust consistency. A little chili oil is optional if you want extra heat.
• Garnish – Crushed peanuts and chopped green onion. Sesame seeds can be used instead of peanuts.
• Oil – A small amount of neutral oil to brush the skewers for grilling or pan-frying.

Tools needed/where to buy

Skewers

Use sturdy 8-inch bamboo skewers. I tried soaking them but found they became weak and could break under the weight of the ingredients; soaking isn’t necessary and they will char regardless, especially if you cook on a grate or in a pan.

These skewers are widely available at grocery stores and online in multi-packs so you can prepare many at once.

Grill

You can make sotteok sotteok on a frying pan, but grilling adds a pleasant smoky note. A small, affordable grill works well for home and outdoor use. If you use charcoal, instant-light briquettes are convenient and easy.

Instructions for pan-frying

If you don’t have a grill, pan-frying yields excellent results. Heat a small amount of oil in a pan over medium heat and cook the skewers, turning until both sides are nicely browned and slightly charred, about 1 minute per side. Brushing oil on the skewers beforehand is optional when pan-frying.

Once they are crisped to your liking, remove the skewers and brush them with the sauce. Finish with crushed peanuts and chopped green onions, and serve immediately.