Gochujang Rice Cakes Stuffed With Cheese
These delectably moreish Gochujang Rice Cakes are super easy and quick to make – and did we mention, utterly delicious? They’re perfect as an easy entertaining appetizer or simply as a yummy, chewy, and oh-so-satisfying snack.
Bonus feature? Including prep-time and cooking time, they’ll be ready in under 30 minutes.
Made With Heart and Seoul
These Korean-inspired rice cakes are not to be confused with Tteokbokki – the quintessential Korean street food made from rice flour – but they do offer a similar flavour profile. This Gochujang rice cake recipe uses cooked sushi rice that is shaped into a disc, like the more familiar western-style rice cakes.
Gochujang Rice Cakes Bursting with Asian Flavour
Let’s have a look at some of the ingredients common in Asian cooking, that we’ll be using to make these rice cakes:
Gochujang
Like another famous Korean export ‘Gangnam Style’, Gochujang is incredibly popular – both within Korea and worldwide. It’s a savoury, spicy, sweet fermented red chilli paste that is used in Korean dishes like Korean Fried Chicken, Tteokbokki and in these divine Gochujang Chicken Wings! It comes in different heat intensities, so be sure to read the label.
Kimchi
Also from Korea, Kimchi is a side dish made of spicy, fermented vegetables including cabbage, Korean radish, spring onions, garlic and ginger. Some recipes include carrots in Kimchi, too. Thanks to fermentation, Kimchi happens to be full of gut healing probiotics that are incredibly good for your immune system. And of course, it adds a nuanced depth of flavour to just about anything.
What is Miso?
Miso is a Japanese fermented soybean paste that adds a deliciously complex salty, savoury, earthy umami flavour to this dish. The soybeans are fermented with koji – the same fermentation culture used to produce saki.
Miso is a popular ingredient in Japanese cooking and has been around since the 8th century. And depending on the process and preference, fermentation can take anything from a few weeks to several years.
Why Add Rice Wine Vinegar to Gochujang Rice Cakes?
Rice wine vinegar is another popular ingredient to have on hand for Asian-inspired dishes. It has a milder, delicate, and slightly sweet flavour, and is less acidic than white vinegar or spirit vinegar. I’ve used it here because it doesn’t overpower the other ingredients – but rather, complements them.
Check Your Balance
As I’ve mentioned previously, getting the flavour balance just right is often what elevates a dish from ‘nice’ to sublime. And that’s why we pay a great deal of attention to balancing sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami.
In this Gochujang Rice Cake recipe, honey adds sweetness, miso and sesame oil add the distinctive umami notes, and the sour cream and buttermilk in the kimchi ranch add a creamy, tangy coolness with a surprising pop of flavour. Then, the parsley introduces freshness, while the heat of the Gochujang paste and the Kimchi contrasts brilliantly with the mildness of the mozzarella.
A cautionary note. Seriously. Once you’ve tasted these Gochujang rice cakes, you’ll want more.
Spill The Beans
Did you try out these Gochujang Rice Cakes Stuffed With Cheese? If so, we’d love to hear about it. Please leave us a comment – tell us what you liked, and we’d really appreciate it if you could leave us a rating.
Please share the recipe with your friends and followers too! Don’t forget to tag your photo#theculinarycartel on Instagramso we can see what you come up with.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this gluten-free?
This dish is gluten-free, but check the label of your garlic powder to make doubly sure.
Is this recipe suitable for vegans?
It is possible to make this recipe suitable for vegans, but it will require a number of substitutions and I have not tested these in this specific recipe. Substitute honey with maple syrup, dairy yoghurt with plant-based yoghurt and a squeeze of lemon juice to replace the sour cream and buttermilk in the Kimchi ranch sauce. And of course vegan mayonnaise for Kewpie / regular mayonnaise and plant based cheese for Mozzarella.
Check the Kimchi label to ensure it doesn’t contain fish sauce. Mr. Kimchi offers a vegan option.
You can find recipes for vegans here
Gochujang Rice Cakes Stuffed With Cheese
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These delectably moreish Gochujang Rice Cakes are super easy and quick to make – and did we mention, utterly delicious? They’re perfect as an easy entertaining appetizer or simply as a yummy, chewy, and oh-so-satisfying snack.
Bonus feature? Including prep-time and cooking time, they’ll be ready in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
FOR THE RICE CAKES
- 400g cooked and seasoned sushi rice, cold
SPICY RICE SEASONING
- 1 Tbsp Gochujang
- 1/2 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
RICE CAKE GLAZE
- 2 Tsp Miso Paste
- 2 Tsp Honey
- 2 Tsp Sesame Oil
- 1–2 Tsp Water
STUFFING
- 60–100g Mozzarella
- 20g Kimchi, roughly chopped
KIMCHI RANCH DIPPING SAUCE
(*Optional)
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 Tbsp/30ml buttermilk
- 1 Tbsp Mayo/Kewpie
- 1 Spring onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp/ 3g chopped fresh parsley
- 30g Kimchi, finely chopped * The dipping sauce can be substituted for kewpie, mayo of choice, or any spicey dipping sauce you love
Instructions
- Combine the Gochujang paste and rice vinegar, then use a silicone spatula to stir this mixture through the cooked and cooled sushi rice. Divide the rice into 4 equal portions.
- Make the glaze by combining the miso, honey and sesame oil. Add a little water at a time, until it takes on a basting consistency. Set aside.
- Line a small flat bowl or ramekin with plastic wrap. Divide one of the rice portions into two.
- Press ½ the rice portion into the lined container, and make a ‘well’ in the middle.
- Divide the Kimchi and cheese stuffing into 4 portions. Roll into balls.
- Insert one portion of the stuffing into the ‘well’ and then cover with the other ½ portion of rice. Press down gently firmly, then remove the rice cake from the plastic wrap and rest on a plate. Repeat until you have 4 stuffed rice cakes.
- Time to cook:
Air fry: Set your air fryer to grill and time to 6 minutes.
While the air fryer pre-heats, brush both sides of the stuffed rice cakes with glaze.
Place in air fryer for 6 minutes.
Grill: Set your oven to grill on 220C
While the oven oreheats, brush both sides of the stuffed rice cakes with glaze.
Place under the grill, 20cm below the element. Grill the rice cakes on each side, turning once, until both sides are a little charred at the edges, then remove from the oven. - Make your Kimchi ranch dipping sauce while you wait for the rice cakes to cook. Combine the sour cream, buttermilk, kewpie mayonnaise, finely chopped spring onion, garlic powder, chopped parsley, and kimchi and stir to combine.
- Using tongs, turn your rice cake 3 minutes into the cooking time, basting again with any leftover glaze. Once cooked, the rice cakes should be slightly charred at the edges.
- Plate the rice cakes while they’re hot and serve them with Kimchi ranch.
- The rice cakes should be crispy on the outside, with a deliciously gooey centre.
Serve immediately.
Notes
Cooked Sushi rice can be purchased at your local supermarket at the sushi counter – or if you prefer, you can make it yourself.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Air fryer
- Cuisine: Korean Inspired
Nutrition
- Calories: 545.49kcal
- Sugar: 5.45g
- Sodium: 382.27mg
- Fat: 13.88g
- Saturated Fat: 5.49g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7.12g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 89.14g
- Fiber: 3.31g
- Protein: 13.54g
- Cholesterol: 27.67mg
2 Responses
hey there! is there a way to make this recipe in a regular oven or on a stovetop?
Hey Ollie, just added in some oven instructions for you. Happy cooking!