Korean Fish Cake Stir Fry (Eomuk Bokkeum) (2024)

Korean fish cake stir fry tossed in a sweet and savory umami sauce makes the most delicious quick and easy side dish. This easy Korean fish cake side dish can be ready in under 10 minutes!

Eomuk Bokkeum or Korean fish cake side dish is by far my favorite Korean banchan of all time. It is slightly sweet, and savory has a hint of spicy, and incredibly flavorful and addicting. Whenever I go to Korean bbq or my favorite Korean tofu house I always ask for refills on this stir fry fish cake side dish.

Whenever I eat Korean food, I love the variety of flavors from all the different types of barchans. If you loved this Korean fish cake recipe, go ahead and check out my gyeran mari (Korean egg roll), oi muchim (Korean cucumber salad), or mayak eggs for more banchan inspiration.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Quick and Easy: my Korean fish cake only has a handful of steps and can be ready in under 10 minutes!
• Flavorful and delicious: this Korean stir-fried fish cake is packed with delicious rich umami flavor. It has the perfect balance of sweet, and savory with a tiny kick of spice.
• Customizable Spice Level: since every person has different levels of spice they can handle, this fishcake recipe can be easily adjusted based on your preferences.

Kitchen Equipment

This quick and easy Korean stir-fry fish cake will only need a few items of kitchen equipment.

• Medium pot: you will use a medium-sized pot to quickly blanch the fish cake sheets.
• Mixing Bowl: you will need a small mixing bowl to combine all the sauce ingredients for the stir-fried fish cake.
• Skillet: you will need a medium skillet to stir fry the spicy fish cake ingredients together.

Ingredients

You can find all of the ingredients for this fishcake recipe at your local Korean grocery store or Asian grocery store.

• Korean Fish Cake: make sure to use frozen Korean fish cake sheets found in the frozen aisle of Korean or Asian grocery stores.
• Yellow Onion: sliced yellow onion serves as an aromatic for this stir-fried fish cake.
• Garlic: minced garlic serves as another aromatic.
• Green Onion: adds another layer of aromatics to this fishcake recipe.
• Carrot: julienned carrots add a touch of crunch and sweetness to the spicy fish cakes.
• Soy sauce: soy sauce adds a salty umami flavor.
• Mirin: mirin is a type of rice wine that adds a sweet and tangy flavor to the Korean stir fry fish cake.
• Honey: honey serves as the sweetener for the stir-fry sauce.
• Gochugaru: Gochugaru or Korean red chili flakes add a mild to moderate spicy taste with a hint of sweetness to the spicy fish cakes. You can customize the spice level by adding more or less Gochugaru.
• Toasted Sesame Oil: toasted sesame oil serves as a finishing oil that adds the last bit of umami flavor to the fishcake recipe. Make sure to add the sesame oil when the heat is turned off for maximum flavor.
• Toasted Sesame Seeds: toasted sesame seeds add a hint of nuttiness and crunch to the Korean side dish fish cakes.

Substitutions and Additions

You can customize this Korean fish cake recipe however you want! Feel free to add more vegetables or spice to the stir fry fish cakes. I’ve listed some suggestions below.

• Vegetables: you can add red or green bell peppers, jalapenos, or Korean chili peppers for more vegetables or heat.
• Brown Sugar: instead of honey you can use granulated or brown sugar to sweeten the Korean side dish fish cakes.
• Gochugaru: if you want to eliminate all the spice, just remove the gochugaru. If you’d like a spicier fish cake, go ahead and add another 1-2 teaspoons of gochugaru.

How to Make Korean Fish Cake

Here is how to make this Korean fish cake recipe! I recommend reading through the instructions and the tips section before you begin.

1. Blanch the fish cakes. Boil water in a medium saucepan. Once the water is boiling turn off the heat and blanch the fish cake in the hot water for 30 seconds or until softened. Pat dry and cut into bite-sized strips.
2. Combine the sauce. In a small mixing bowl, add the soy sauce, rice wine, honey, and gochugaru. Mix until combined. You can add extra gochugaru if you’d prefer spicier fish cakes.

3. Cook. Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the sliced onion and garlic. Saute and stir continuously until translucent and golden brown about 3 minutes. Then add the fish cake, shredded carrots, and green onion and toss them together for about 2 minutes or until softened.

4. Add sauce. Add the sauce and toss to combine. Continue cooking the fish cakes until the sauce is reduced by about 1 minute.

5. Serve. Remove the Korean fish cake stir fry from heat and finish by mixing in the sesame oil and sprinkling on the toasted sesame seeds for garnish. Enjoy!

Storage Instructions

You can store this Korean fish cake recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.

To serve: you can serve the spicy fish cake cold from the refrigerator or warmed up in the microwave.

Frequently Asked Q’s & A’s

Did you make this Korean Fish cake?

Recipe