Tteokgalbi — Juicy Korean Beef Patties
Small beef patties seasoned with soy sauce, garlic and a little sweetness. Make an affordable home version with ground beef, and learn how to keep the patties juicy and evenly cooked.
AI-generated cooking illustrations. Follow the written quantities and instructions.
Ingredients
3 servings
Everyday kitchen measurements
For 3 servings. Use a small 180 ml paper cup, a level eating spoon (about 15 ml) and a small teaspoon (about 5 ml).
How to fill the cup and spoons
Use the same cup and spoons throughout. Their sizes vary, so these amounts are approximate. Spoon flour in loosely and level the top without pressing. Measure vegetables after chopping, without packing them down. The amounts in g/ml are the original reference quantities. For part of a pack, use the specified pack weight and divide the contents evenly.
King Arthur Baking-
Substitute available
If Ground beef is unavailable
- Use instead
- Ground pork
- Substitute quantity
- ½ of an 800 g packReference quantity: 400 g
Use in the same mixing and shaping steps. Ground pork must reach 71°C throughout, just like the ground beef. It gives a softer, milder-flavored patty; this is a pork variation rather than beef tteokgalbi.
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Substitute available
If Soy sauce is unavailable
- Use instead
- Tamari
- Substitute quantity
- 2 level eating spoonsReference quantity: 30 ml
Use unsweetened tamari in place of soy sauce. Taste the finished dish before adding more salt. If avoiding wheat, check every packaged ingredient as well.
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Substitute available
If Sugar is unavailable
- Use instead
- Maple syrup
- Substitute quantity
- 3 small teaspoonsReference quantity: 15 ml
Mix into the sauce instead of sugar. The flavor is slightly different and the sauce may take an extra 1–2 minutes of gentle bubbling to coat the food; stir and stop before it scorches.
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Essential
Add to the seasoning mixture in step 2. About 1 average peeled garlic clove makes this amount.
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Optional
Skip its preparation and mixing in steps 1 and 2 if unavailable. Do not add water to replace the onion; extra moisture makes patties harder to shape.
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Optional
Leave out in step 2 if unavailable. Keep the listed sugar amount. The meat patties will be a little less fruity but still work.
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Optional
Omit from the seasoning in step 2 if unavailable or unsuitable. No replacement oil is necessary.
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Optional
Skip in step 2 for a milder flavor. The soy and garlic already season the meat.
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Substitute available
If Neutral cooking oil is unavailable
- Use instead
- Sunflower oil
- Substitute quantity
- 1 small teaspoonReference quantity: 5 ml
Use the same amount in the pan. Choose a plain oil suitable for cooking; do not use butter, which browns and burns sooner.
Tap each ingredient as you prepare it. Check product labels for egg, soy, sesame, wheat, fish or shellfish where relevant.
Step-by-step cooking
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Step 1
Very finely chop the optional onion and grate the optional peeled pear. Drain obvious pooled liquid from the onion and pear rather than pouring it into the meat. Divide the labeled 800 g pack of beef in half and use one half. Keep the beef chilled until you are ready to mix; do not wash ground meat.
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Step 2
In a bowl, combine 2 level eating spoons soy sauce, 1 level eating spoon sugar, 1 small teaspoon minced garlic and the optional onion, pear, 1 small teaspoon sesame oil and pinch of pepper. Stir until the sugar is mostly dissolved. Add the ground beef; never taste this mixture while raw.
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Step 3
Mix and gently knead with clean hands or a sturdy spoon for 1–2 minutes until the meat becomes slightly sticky and holds together. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Divide into 6 equal portions and press into small oval patties about 1 cm thick, with no large cracks around the edges. Thin, equal thickness matters more than an exact shape.
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Step 4
Warm 1 small teaspoon cooking oil in a wide frying pan over medium heat. Put in the patties with a little space between them; use 2 batches if necessary. Cook for 3–4 minutes on the first side without pushing them around. Lower the heat if the sweet seasoning darkens too quickly.
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Step 5
Turn carefully with a spatula and cook the other side for 3–4 minutes. Lower the heat, cover and continue for 1–3 minutes if needed, until the centers are fully cooked. Ground beef and ground pork must reach 71°C in the center when checked with a thermometer. Do not press hard on the patties or squeeze out their juices.
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Step 6
Move the cooked patties to a clean plate and rest for 3 minutes. Spoon a small amount of clean pan juices over them if desired, without scraping burnt black bits onto the food. Serve with rice or vegetables. Cut a patty into small pieces for someone who finds a whole patty difficult to handle.
Finished dish
Despite the name, tteokgalbi does not need rice cakes. This home version uses ground beef instead of asking you to chop expensive rib meat by hand. Beef with some fat, rather than very lean mince, stays juicier. No egg, breadcrumbs or nuts are required. Use a small 180 ml paper cup, a level eating spoon of about 15 ml and a small teaspoon of about 5 ml. Household quantities are approximate; use the same cup and spoons throughout. Packet fractions refer to the labeled packet size, not to an unknown bag. Refrigerate leftovers in a shallow covered container within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if the room is above 32°C. Keep at 4°C or colder and use within 3–4 days. Reheat cooked leftovers until hot throughout, reaching 74°C if measured. The recipe contains soy and often wheat from soy sauce, plus sesame if using the optional sesame oil. Serving rice and vegetables are optional suggestions outside the measured recipe.