This recipe for kimchi pancakes is a fascinating and tasty savory treat. These extremely savory, artistically stunning pancakes were a new discovery for Michele and I at a neighborhood tavern. The dancing bonito flakes on top caught my attention more than their delicious flavor and satisfying texture. You are welcome to combine the kimchi with any leftover meat and vegetables. These pancakes taste fantastic with eggs or grilled meat and spicy mayo on top.
| Prep Time: | 15 mins |
| Cook Time: | 20 mins |
| Total Time: | 35 mins |
| Servings: | 4 |
| Yield: | 4 appetizer-sized pancakes |
Ingredients
- 1 (12 ounce) jar kimchi
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ cup thinly sliced green onions
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour, or as needed
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoons bonito flakes (Optional)
Instructions
- Drain kimchi thoroughly through a sieve, reserving juice. Chop kimchi finely and set aside.
- Whisk together egg, water, 3 tablespoons reserved kimchi juice, brown sugar, salt, and sesame oil in a large bowl. Mix in kimchi and green onions. Stir in flour until just combined.
- Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add a few spoonfuls of batter to the skillet. Cook pancake in hot oil until edges are lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until crispy, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer pancake to a serving plate and repeat with remaining batter.
- Sprinkle bonito flakes on top of pancakes to serve.
- If you prefer a thicker kimchi pancake, use less liquid or more flour so the batter isn’t as runny. I enjoy a thinner pancake that’s crispy around the edges but still moist and tender inside.
- You can make the batter ahead of time; refrigerate until ready to use.
- You can find bonito flakes at an Asian market or online.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 167 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 24 g |
| Cholesterol | 47 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Protein | 6 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Sodium | 871 mg |
| Sugars | 3 g |
| Fat | 6 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
OMG these are so good! I make them a couple of times per month for dinner, topping them with fried eggs. I took chef John’s advice and add whatever vegetables I have in the fridge and sautee them first. I’ve sauteed leftover spring mix, mushrooms, broccoli, peppers, spinach and let it cool first before adding to the rest of the ingredients. Any veggies works, really. I make it all in the food processor making sure not to over process otherwise it turns to mush. You still want some texture to them. Definitely something to try if you’re looking for something different to make.
We had these with oven-baked fish and lemon mayo (stir lemon juice and lemon zest into mayo to taste), and they complemented each other perfectly. I added 1 T of the kimchi brine to the egg dip for the fish. Next time, I’ll cut back on the flour; I couldn’t get the pancakes as thin as I would like. Also, when Chef John says chop the kimchi, do it! I rushed through that part, and it was impossible to cut a piece from the pancake without pulling out long bits of cabbage. Next time, I’ll probably run it through the mini-food processor to get a finer chop.