Savory Korean kimchi pancakes paired with irresistible Korean pancake dipping sauce! Simply delicious!
Kimchi pancakes is one of my go to dishes I create when I have a large volume of old sour pungent kimchi in my fridge. It’s such a great way to use it up as I can use as much as my heart’s desire. ๐
Kimchi pancakes are a savory pancake commonly made with wheat flour. It is made with a bit of seasoning and loads of kimchi!
The Korean name for kimchi pancakes is Kimchi Buchimgae (김치 부침개), but some people might also call it Kimchi Jeon (김치전).
Kimchi pancakes are super easy to make and versatile. Also, if you make a large volume of batter (like my recipe – you can make 4 large pancakes), it can be refrigerated for later cooking (within 2-3 days).
If so, just stir the batter around a bit as the water and the flour mixture may have separated.
I hope you give it a go right away so you do not miss out on this heavenly food! ๐
P.S. If you’re looking for more ways to use up your sour kimchi, check my how to eat kimchi article!
Ingredients for Kimchi Pancakes (makes 4 large pancakes)
- 2 & 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 & 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 cups kimchi (about 420g / 15 ounces)
- 1 Tbsp kimchi liquid
- 5 ice cubes (about 100g / 3.5 ounces)
- 2 green chili (optional)
- 1 red chili (optional)
- Some vegetable cooking oil (I used rice bran oil)
- Homemade Kimchi pancake dipping sauce to serve
* 1 Tbsp = 15 ml, 1 cup = 250 ml
**If you want to learn more about Korean ingredients, check my essential Korean cooking ingredients list.
How to Make Kimchi Pancakes
1. Make the pancake batter per the following. Sieve the flour and the salt. Add the water and whisk it well. Add the beaten egg, Kimchi, Kimchi liquid and chilies. Mix them well. Add the ice cubes to keep the batter cold.
2. Pre heat a pan / skillet until well heated. Put a generous amount of cooking oil into the pan. Make sure the oil is spread all the way over the pan.
3. Scoop out the pancake mixture with a ladle, pour it out on the pan. Make sure it is evenly spread.
4. Cook the mixture on high heat initially for 10 to 20 seconds then reduce the heat to medium to low. (Cook and finish with this temperature setting.)
5. Turn the pancake over when 70% of the pancake is cooked. (Per the above picture – Meaning the bottom of the pancake is cooked and the top of the pancake is also partially cooked. This makes it easy to turn the pancake. ). Press the pancake with the spatula a couple of times to make it crispy.
6. When both sides are cooked, slice it into easy to bite-size. Serve. (Don’t forget to serve it with some Korean pancake dipping sauce.)
Note
- I find that Korean pancakes cook faster, taste better and get crisper when cooked on a gas burner rather than electric burner. As I don’t have a built-in gas burner, I used a portable gas burner to cook these pancakes and I’m very pleased with the result.
- If you have Korean pancake mix, which is pre-seasoned, you can use it instead of flour. In this case, omit the salt.
- I made 4 large Kimchi pancakes with the ingredients above, but you can make more but smaller sized pancakes if you prefer. (Turning the pancakes will be easier if the pancake size is smaller.)
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Kimchi Pancakes (Kimchi Buchimgae)
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 large egg , beaten
- 2 cups Kimchi (about 420 g / 15 ounces)
- 1 Tbsp Kimchi liquid
- 5 ice cubes (about 100 g / 3.5 ounces)
- 2 green chili (optional)
- 1 red chili (optional)
- Some vegetable cooking oil , I used rice bran oil
- Homemade Kimchi pancake dipping sauce
Instructions
- Make the pancake batter per the following. Sieve the flour and the salt. Add the water and whisk it well. Add the beaten egg, Kimchi, Kimchi liquid and chilies. Mix them well. Add the ice cubes to keep the batter cold.
- Pre heat a pan / skillet until well heated. Put a generous amount of cooking oil into the pan. Make sure the oil is spread all the way over the pan.
- Scoop out the pancake mixture with a ladle, pour it out on the pan. Make sure it is evenly spread.
- Cook the mixture on high heat initially for 10 to 20 seconds then reduce the heat to medium to low. (Cook and finish with this temperature setting.)
- Turn the pancake over when 70% of the pancake is cooked. Meaning the bottom of the pancake is cooked and the top of the pancake is also partially cooked. This makes it easy to turn the pancake. Press the pancake with the spatula a couple of times to make it crispy.
- When both sides are cooked, slice it into easy to bite-size. Serve. (Don’t forget to serve it with some Korean pancake dipping sauce.)
Notes
Nutrition Info (per serving)
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
