Rosé Tteokbokki (My Healthy-ish Take on the Korean Fusion Classic)

Rosé tteokbokki is that perfect Italy-meets-Korea comfort food dish—chewy rice cakes coated in a creamy, mildly spicy sauce that feels intimidating but is totally doable at home.

This is my healthy-ish version: thoughtful swaps, better ingredients, and still so much flavor.

INGREDIENTS

• Korean rice cakes (garatteok) cylindrical shape – 1 lb

• Salt Only Prosciutto – 3–4 slices, torn

• Grass Fed Beef Sausages – 2–3 links (ground beef works too)

• Organic Grass-Fed A2 yogurt – ½ cup

• Hot filtered water – ½ cup

• Homemade Gochujang (Korean red pepper paste) – 1½–2 tbsp ( more if you want extra heat)

• Grass-Fed Butter – 1 tbsp

• Optional: garlic (minced), enoki mushrooms

  Optional Toppings we love

• Raw Cheese (Gruyere is our favorite)

• Perilla Leaf

• Boiled Eggs (look for: Low PUFA, pasture raised)

METHOD

1. Crisp the prosciutto
   
   Heat a wide pan over medium heat. Add a pat of butter and fry the prosciutto until crispy. Remove and set aside (or just shove it to the side of the pan).

2. Brown the sausages
   
   In the same pan, add the sliced sausages (or just pop them in whole if you’re short on time). Let them get some color and pick up that prosciutto fat flavor. This is key.

3. Do the yogurt move
   
   In a bowl, whisk:

• ½ cup A2 yogurt

• ½ cup hot water
  until smooth and pourable (cream-adjacent consistency because we’re skipping heavy cream).
  

4. Build the rosé sauce
   
   Lower the heat a bit. Add gochujang directly to the pan with the sausages and stir it around for ~30 seconds so it blooms and darkens slightly.
   

5. Rice cakes in
   
   Add the tteok straight into the pan. Toss so they’re coated in the gochujang and meat oil.
   

6. Make it creamy
   
   Pour in the yogurt mixture and stir gently. Let everything simmer 5–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until:

• the rice cakes are soft

• the sauce turns pink, glossy, and clingy

7. Finish with prosciutto
   
   Stir the crispy prosciutto back in at the end so it keeps some texture.

Taste / Vibe Check

Add black pepper, chili flakes if you like extra heat, and a splash of water if it got  too thick for your liking. Now’s also a great time to add in optional toppings like boiled eggs (if tolerated), perilla leaves for a fresh touch, and raw cheese because… how can you not?! It’s Rosé Tteokbokki!

Rosé Tteokbokki Origin

As a popular Korean fusion dish that immerses chewy rice cakes in a creamy, mildly spicy "rosé" sauce (it’s Italy & Korea in a pan). 

While traditional tteokbokki is known for its fiery red gochujang sauce, the rosé version mellows that heat with dairy, creating a rich, silky texture and a distinct pinkish-orange “rosé” tint. 

How I Make Rosé Tteokbokki Healthy-ish

• The Sauce: Usually it’s a blend of gochujang, milk, and heavy cream. Some versions I like include tomato sauce to mimic Italian-style rosé pasta making it kid-friendly.

• Flavor Profile: It is sweet, savory, and creamy. It is significantly less spicy than the original, making it an inclusive "comfort food" and great for those new to Korean cuisine.

• Common add-ins I swap: Beyond the cylindrical rice cakes (garae-tteok), it often includes vienna sausages (swap: grass fed beef sausage), bacon (swap: Italian prosciutto), fish cakes, and melted mozzarella cheese (swap: raw gruyere cheese). 

Buon Appetito! Feel free to compare my ingredients to store-bought versions below: