Sotteok sotteok is a beloved Korean street snack of sausage and rice cakes threaded on a skewer, grilled until the exterior is lightly crisp and finished with a sticky, sweet-and-spicy glaze that’s irresistible.
The playful name “sotteok sotteok” combines the words for sausage and tteok (rice cake), referencing the alternating pattern of ingredients on the skewer.
It’s very similar to tteokkochi (sweet-and-spicy rice cake skewers) but adds sausage for extra savory flavor. The modern version gained popularity after being featured on Korean television, and it quickly became a common street food favorite.
I tried sotteok sotteok in Korea recently and fell in love with grilled tteok. The contrast of a crisp outside and a soft, chewy interior is addictive. I often order it alongside other grilled treats when I can.
Ingredients
- Rice cake – Use cylinder-shaped garae-tteok. Fresh tteok can be skewered as-is; frozen or refrigerated tteok should be briefly blanched in boiling water to soften, then drained. These are available at most Asian groceries.
- Korean sausage – Think of these as an elevated Vienna sausage. Spicy pork-flavored sausages are great, but mild versions work too. They can be found at Korean markets like Hmart.
- Sweet & spicy sauce – The same glaze used for tteokkochi: gochujang, gochugaru, ketchup, a sweet syrup (yoridang or another sweetener), soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and garlic. A teaspoon of chili oil is optional for extra heat.
- Garnish – Crushed peanuts and chopped green onion, or substitute sesame seeds if preferred.
- Oil – A small amount of neutral oil to brush the skewers before grilling or pan-frying.
Tools needed/where to buy
Skewers
Use sturdy 8-inch bamboo skewers. Soaking skewers briefly can weaken them, so it’s often unnecessary—especially when cooking on a pan. Skewers will char regardless of soaking.
Skewers are widely available from groceries and online retailers.
Grill
A tabletop or small outdoor grill gives the best smoky flavor, but a heavy skillet or grill pan works very well at home. Grilling adds a pleasant char and aroma that elevates the skewers.
For outdoor cooking, instant-light charcoal briquettes are convenient and easy to use.
Instructions for pan-frying
If you don’t have a grill, pan-fry on medium heat. Add a little oil to a skillet, cook the skewers about one minute per side until they are crisp and slightly charred, then brush with sauce and garnish.
After glazing, let the skewers warm briefly so the sauce becomes glossy and slightly caramelized, then finish with crushed peanuts and chopped green onion.
Sotteok Sotteok (Korean Sausage and Rice Cake Skewers)
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Equipment
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Grill or skillet
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8-inch bamboo skewers
Ingredients
- 15 Korean spicy pork sausages, or Vienna sausage
- 15 cylinder rice cakes (garae-tteok)
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
Sticky sweet & spicy sauce
- 2 tbsp gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
- 1 tbsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tbsp yoridang or sweetening syrup
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 tsp chili oil (optional)
Garnish
- 1 tbsp crushed peanuts, or sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp chopped green onion
Instructions
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If your rice cakes are frozen or refrigerated, blanch them in boiling water for 30 seconds to one minute until softened. Transfer to cold water to stop cooking, then rinse and drain.
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Make three diagonal cuts into each sausage to help release flavor and create a crisp edge when cooked.
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Thread three pieces each of sausage and rice cake onto skewers in an alternating pattern. Brush lightly with oil.
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Combine all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer gently until slightly thickened and glossy.
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Grill or pan-fry over medium heat until both sides develop a crisp, slightly charred exterior.
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Brush the sauce over both sides of the skewers. You can remove them from the heat to glaze, or leave them briefly on the grill to let the sauce caramelize.
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Finish with crushed peanuts and chopped green onion before serving.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
Additional Info
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