8 Korean Street Food Recipes You Can Make At Home

Korea is very famous for its street food culture. This comes from humble beginnings, wherein, after the war, these affordable foods became a lifeline for everyone.

Today, it has evolved in variety—from skewers to soups to innovative trendy food items; in functionality—from survival meals to becoming a part of the everyday lives of Koreans because of affordability and convenience; in popularity—where people all over the world come to experience the hospitality and communal culture that cannot be compared anywhere else. 

There’s nothing really like the feeling of standing in front of stalls, enjoying the steam from the food cooking in front of you, and sharing that first bite with your family or friends. Korean street food will always bring back childhood memories for me, and whenever I’m in Korea, it warms my heart to share all these with my kids, and they get to have those core memories with them as well. 

Making Korean Street Food at Home 

There are many famous street food locations in Korea, like Gwangjang Market, Namdaemun Market, and Jongno, and it’s even more popularized because of social media. I always love visiting these spots because there are many hidden gems where ahjussis and ahjummas serve delicious and authentic recipes.

However, if you’re across the world, mouthwatering from your screen, I suggest that you try making some of these at home. Some of these recipes take time, but are worth the effort. And then the rest are guaranteed easy and delicious! 

For items like rice cakes, fish cakes, anchovy soup bags, gochujang, gochugaru, corn syrup, and potato starch—they may be new or unique to you, but they can easily be found at Hmart or Asian groceries. Follow these and you will surely be transported to the streets of Seoul.

Tteokbokki (Spicy Rice Cakes)

Tteokbokki is one of the most popular street foods all over the world! It’s a simple combination of chewy rice cakes and tender fish cakes in a fiery red, sweet, and spicy sauce. You will often see this bubbling hot in cauldrons in the streets of Korea, and you can ask for this as a pairing to fried dumplings, soondae, or mayak kimbap. 

As a hack, when you try this out, you can add vegetables like cabbage and green onions to add nutrients to the dish. If you don’t like the spice, there are also many varieties of Tteokbokki, and all of them are doable at home, so feel free to check out the recipes on the blog.

Eomuk Guk (Fish Cake Soup)

Who would have known soup can also be included as a street food?? The main reason for this is that the skewered Fish Cakes are cooked in a light and hearty anchovy stock. The Fish Cakes become soft and chewy, while the soup just gets more umami-filled as it boils all day long. I used to ask my aunt to buy this for me as an after-school snack, and it was even more special during winter because it warms me up. 

This is so easy to make at home! You can find skewered fish cakes and anchovy soup bags at Hmart and simply boil them together to get a taste of what it’s like in the streets of Korea! 

Korean Fried Chicken

Fried Chicken is a very popular street food in Korea, and it’s always done right—crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and remains crispy even with the sweet and spicy sauce! There are usually chicken shops that serve in buckets, but popcorn chicken-style chicken is also very common, so it can be eaten using a stick and shared. 

I know it takes a lot of effort to fry at home, but this is one of my most loved recipes, so I hope you like it too. This can be a snack, a drinking munchie, or part of your meal rotation. And!! If you love the sauce, you can also use it for other proteins like fried meatballs, shrimp, or even tofu! This is a very versatile recipe! 

Tteokkochi (Rice Cake Skewer)

Besides Tteokbokki, rice cakes can also be skewered by themselves, panfried until crispy, then smothered with a sweet and spicy sauce. This highlights the versatility of rice cakes, which can be both crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, and it is a great vessel for any sauce. 

To make this even better, you alternate between rice cakes and sausage or rice cakes and beef cubes so it becomes sotteok sotteok! This is one of those recipes I’m sure your kids will love! 

Korean Corndog

This is not your typical hot dog on pancake batter type of corndog. Korean corndog is sausage and cheese inside a soft bread dough, fried until crispy, and sprinkled with sugar for a nice contrast to the savory flavors inside. 

Not only that, you can also coat the batter with cubed potatoes for maximum crisp and flavor, and it becomes an all-in-one snack! This is one of those recipes that takes a bit of work to do, but is worth the effort. There’s a really good reason why this recipe is also viral! 

Mandu (Korean Dumplings)

Dumplings are often an accompaniment to other street food like Tteokbokki or Kalguksu to make them more filling. However, I know it can shine by itself because you can make varieties of it like pork, beef, kimchi, or vegetable—flavor bomb on its own! It can also be boiled, steamed, or fried, which changes its texture and flavor!

But what I love most about making this at home, besides being customizable, is that you can make a big batch so you can have one anytime. Whether it’s for a quick snack or meal, dumplings are going to be your lifesaver!

Dalgona Cookie

Dalgona Cookies are a big part of my childhood! I used to play this game with my friends after school. We’d race to finish who can cut away the characters cleanly first, and the stall owner would give the candy for free to whoever wins. Now, the dalgona cookie has become popularized through the Netflix show Squid Games, and I’m happy that many people now share the thrill of playing this! 

Do note that when you make this at home, it can take a few tries before you get it right, but it’s a fun activity to do with your family!

Hotteok (Korean Sweet Pancakes)

Hotteok is essentially a crispy pancake filled with cinnamon, sugar, and walnuts. This becomes gooey in the center once cooked, and it nicely smothers the soft bread from the inside. For a savory variant, these pancakes can also be filled with vegetable japchae, which is equally good! 

This is a delicious sweet treat, and once you make this, you can also try a variety of fillings like chocolate or cheese to switch it up!

Make sure to leave a rating, a comment, or tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Tiktok when you chop them up! Yeobosayo! 

Posted By: Chef Chris Cho · In: Korean Street Food, Snack