Ryu Soo-young’s Eomuk Jeyuk: Spicy Korean Fish Cakes and the Right Heat Sequence

Ryu Soo-young’s eomuk jeyuk turns flat Korean fish cakes into a spicy stir-fry with browned spring onions, garlic and sesame oil. Despite the word jeyuk, this version contains no pork. The key is the heat sequence: char the spring onion first, switch the heat off before adding chili flakes, then return to medium heat for the fish cakes.

Photo: KBS Fun-staurant, Episode 230.

Ingredients: start with 200g of fish cakes

This follows the ingredient list in KBS’s official Episode 230 recipe. Use flat, rectangular Korean fish cake sheets rather than assuming that any fish ball or fish cake will cook the same way.

• 4 rectangular fish cake sheets, 200g total
• 1 large Korean spring onion (daepa)
• 4 Cheongyang green chilies
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1½ tablespoons jin ganjang, Korean soy sauce
• 1½ tablespoons sugar
• 1½ tablespoons Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 10 turns of a black pepper mill
• Sesame seeds, to finish
• Cooking oil: three generous circles around the pan, as described by KBS

The source does not convert the cooking oil into milliliters or specify a serving count. Its “three circles” instruction is accompanied by a note to use plenty of oil. Thinly sliced onion is an optional accompaniment, not an ingredient with a measured amount in the stir-fry.

Cook it in this order

1. Cut the ingredients. Divide each fish cake sheet into six roughly square pieces. Thinly slice the spring onion and green chilies.
2. Brown the spring onion first. Put it into a preheated pan over high heat. When dark patches appear, add the chilies and cooking oil, then stir-fry.
3. Lower the heat for the garlic. Once the onion and chilies have cooked, reduce to medium and add the minced garlic. Cook until it turns lightly golden.
4. Turn the heat off. Stir in the chili flakes to make the chili oil. Push the ingredients to one side, pour the soy sauce into the empty area and let it bubble in the residual heat. Stir in the sugar.
5. Add the fish cakes over medium heat. Turn the heat back on and stir-fry the pieces through the seasoning.
6. Finish over low heat. Add the sesame oil and black pepper, reduce the heat and keep stir-frying. When dark browned patches appear on the fish cakes, spread them out and cover the pan for one minute on low heat.
7. Toss and serve. Remove the lid, mix once more and sprinkle with sesame seeds. KBS suggests serving with thinly sliced onion.

Why the heat changes matter

This is not a recipe where all the sauce ingredients go into the pan at the start. The spring onion is browned before the oil and chilies are added. The garlic cooks at a lower heat, and the chili flakes go in with the burner off. Keep that order when following the original recipe; leaving the burner on high throughout changes the method.

The final covered minute is also on low heat. The official directions do not add water or call for a long simmer. Prepare the measured seasonings before starting so you can change the heat and add them in sequence.

Before shopping

Check the package weight as well as the number of sheets: this recipe uses 200g. The original version uses four Cheongyang chilies plus chili flakes. If you reduce the chilies for a milder dish, that is your adaptation; KBS does not give a tested mild version or an exact substitute ratio here.

Read the original KBS recipe · Korean →

For a rice-bowl option, try the eggplant recipe below. It uses one sauce in two stages rather than the chili-oil sequence used here.

Yoon Yoo-sun’s eggplant rice bowl · English →

Source: KBS Fun-staurant, Episode 230 recipe. Checked November 1, 2026. English adaptation of the published instructions; not a personal cooking review.