Eomuk bokkeum, a popular Korean fish cake side dish, is short and direct to cook with soy sauce, onions, and other basic Asian pantry ingredients.

If you love Korean food, you probably know about the memorable variety of side dishes, called banchan. One of our favorites is eomuk bokkeum, a stir-fried fish cake side dish.

This dish is a staple in Korean households and many Korean restaurants also serve it frequently. When we were a child, it was known as odeng bokkeum, and it has always been one of our favorite banchan. We still love it just as much today.

Eomuk bokkeum placed over a bowl of rice.

Eomuk bokkeum is great as a side dish or enjoy on its own with rice for an unfussy meal.

Eomuk bokkeum is made by quickly stir-frying thin slices of fish cake with everyday vegetables in a savory fish cake sauce. The result is a savory dish with a soft and chewy texture that pairs evenly with rice.

You’ll love this recipe because it’s direct and short to make with basic pantry ingredients. If you can find Korean fish cake, we urge you to give this a try! It’s so tasty, it might just make you forget about all the other banchan on the table.

Korean fish cake side dish offers a hint of sweetness and deep umami, making it steady for those who enjoy both flavors in one dish.

The Fish Cakes we Actually Use for Eomuk Bokkeum

Korean fish cake, called eomuk (어묵) or sometimes odeng (오뎅), is made from ground white fish blended with starch and seasonings, then shaped and cooked. You’ll usually find them sold in thin sheets or skewered forms at Korean markets.

For eomuk bokkeum, we always reach for the thin, flexible sheets rather than thick or ball-shaped ones. They soak up the soy sauce better and stay tender without getting heavy.

If you’re shopping at an Asian market, look for:

flat sheets labeled Korean fish cake
Busan-style fish cakes for better texture
frozen packs, which are what most Korean home cooks use

Once you have them on hand, they’re incredibly versatile. We use the same fish cakes in our Korean fish cake soup (The same thin fish cakes are also what we use in our cozy Korean fish cake soup).

If you already keep fish cakes in the freezer, they work beautifully in tteokbokki (korean spicy rice cake) and seaweed rice rolls like kimbap, too.

Key Ingredients for Eomuk Bokkeum

You can make this fish cake side dish with basic Asian pantry ingredients, and it only takes a few minutes to cook!

Fish cakes: We use thin, rectangular sheets and slice them into bite-size pieces. Thinner fish cakes absorb the sauce better and stay tender. If you only have thicker or ball-shaped ones, slice them thin so they don’t feel heavy.
Aromatics: Onion and Asian leek are our go-to combination. They add a mild sweetness and depth without overpowering the fish cake. Green onion works well as a substitute if Asian leek isn’t available.
Sauce: The sauce is a short mix of soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and a splash of sweet rice wine. It creates a light glaze that coats the fish cake without turning it overly saucy or salty.

How the dish comes together

In a small mixing bowl, combine all these sauce ingredients except the sesame seeds and mix well. Slice fish cakes into bite sized pieces.

Saute onions and garlic in hot oil until soft. Add sliced fish cakes and continue to stir-fry, about 2 minutes. Drizzle water and cook continuously.

Let the water evaporate, then push the fish cakes to one side of the skillet. Pour the sauce into the empty side and let it boil. Mix the fish cakes with the sauce until it thickens. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

Helpful Tips

Adding a splash of water during the stir-frying of fish cake softens it and helps maintain the same texture even after storing it in the fridge. Often, stir-fried fish cake side dishes can harden once chilled, so this trick will prevent that.
Corn syrup is an optional ingredient. It adds a sheen to the dish, making it look more appetizing.
If you want to make this side dish more hearty, add sliced vegetables like bell pepper or carrot. You can stir-fry them with the onions in the cooking step.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy it cold, at room temperature, or warm it in the microwave for a few seconds.

Even leftover eomuk bokkeum tastes great when chilled and has a long shelf life.

Yield: 8
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 15 minutes

Ingredients

4 sheets Korean fish cakes, sliced into bite size pieces
2 tbsp oil
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 Asian leek, or 2 green onion
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

For the sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp sweet rice wine (mirin)
2 tsp corn syrup, optional

Method

In a small mixing bowl, combine all these sauce ingredients and mix well.
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic until soft, about 3 minutes. Add sliced fish cakes and stir-fry until soft, about 2 minutes. Pour water and stir fry continuously. Let the water evaporate. Push fish cakes to the corner of your skillet.
Pour the sauce mixture to the other empty corner in the skillet and let it boil. Combine the sauce with fish cake mixture and mix it thoroughly until the sauce is thickened and no longer runny. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds at then end.

Notes

If you want to make this side dish more hearty, add sliced vegetables like bell pepper or carrot. You can stir-fry them with the onions in the cooking step.

Corn syrup is an optional ingredient. It adds a sheen to the dish, making it look more appetizing.