Easy and Crispy Korean Kimchi Pancakes (김치전) Recipe.

Easy.

Crispy.

KIMCHIFIED.

This crispy kimchi pancakes recipe is going to be one you make over and over again, saving you the trouble of having to order it at your favorite Korean restaurant. It’s that good! I’ve been testing multiple different ways of preparing these Korean savory pancakes, and I gotta tell ya: this Korean pancake recipe will now be among my favorite go-to recipes! And unlike most other savory Korean pancake recipes, I include instructions for my own Korean pancake mix, so that you don’t have to go out to the Korean grocery store to buy it!

So, without further ado, let’s get into it!

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links for products I use and love. If you make a purchase after clicking one of those links, I may earn a small affiliate commission, perhaps enough to buy some extra gochujang or gochugaru 🙂

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What are kimchi pancakes?

Kimchi pancakes are, as the name suggests, pancakes made out of chopped kimchi. Sometimes referred to as “kimchi jeon” (김치전) or “kimchi buchimgae” (김치부침개), kimchi pancakes join a long roster of ingredients that Korean cuisine likes to “fritter.” Although technically more of a pancake than a savory fried piece of dough, these crispy pancakes are made with flour and fried in generous amounts of oil–more so than your average breakfast pancakes.

But unlike many of the “joens” in Korean cuisine, kimchi pancakes are definitely within the “peasant food” category. Born out of Korea’s long tradition of frugality and no-waste, kimchi pancakes (like kimchi jjigae, kimchi fried rice, and kimchi itself) are designed to make your kimchi last longer. Thus, this simple recipe is the perfect way to use up some of that sour kimchi that’s been sitting in your fridge.

One thing: kimchi pancakes or kimchi jeon should not be confused with bindaetteok or kimchi bindaetteok. Although bindaetteok is also shaped like a pancake, it is made out of ground mung beans. Kimchi jeon entails a much simpler, more straightforward preparation.

In modern Korean cuisine, kimchi pancakes are often served with Korean spirits (like makgeolli or Korean rice wine). According to Korean dramas, Korean pancakes are a great way to while away a rainy afternoon, since the sizzling sound of the Korean savory pancakes is reminiscent of the sound of rain. Regardless of when you eat these kimchi pancakes, this recipe is a great way to expand your Korean food repertoire and use up some of those leftovers!

Why You’ll Love this Kimchi Pancakes Recipe.

You’re going to love this kimchi pancakes recipe because it’s:

• easy
• crispy
• versatile
• addictive

I spent hours combing through many many iterations of this Korean classic, including multiple by Korean home cooks and Korean chefs. I made multiple different batches of Korean pancake batter, to arrive at something that was crispy around the edge, but soft and tender in the middle. Also, because this recipe provides a quick and easy section on how to make your own Korean pancake mix, you can use it not just for kimchi, but for zucchini, chives, scallions, potatoes, carrots, or any combination thereof!

This Korean pancake recipe is THE ONE!

How to Make Your Own Kimchi Pancake mix.

Probably the best part of this kimchi pancakes recipe is that it comes with instructions on how to make your own kimchi pancake mix. Of course, if you want, you can use a store-bought mix (I prefer O’Food or Assi), but not everyone (myself included) lives near a Korean grocery store. Moreover, making your own Korean pancake mix is easy as pie, trust me!

Your Korean pancake mix will be made up of the following:

• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups potato starch
• 3 tablespoons garlic powder
• 3 tablespoons onion powder
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons salt

This is enough for roughly 4 cups of kimchi pancake batter, which is enough to make tons of kimchi pancakes! Now, I know what you’re going to ask:

Can I substitute in gluten-free flour? Yes, you can. However, your pancakes may not be as crispy as when you use regular all purpose flour.

What if I don’t have potato starch? You can use corn starch, tapioca flour, or arrowroot powder. However, potato starch is what most at-home Korean cooks will use to make their pancakes extra crispy (it’s what my mom uses).

Key Ingredients and Notes on Substitutions for Kimchi Pancakes Recipe.

Now that you have prepared your kimchi pancake mix, the rest of the ingredients for this simple batter are very straightforward:

Kimchi.

You cannot make kimchi pancakes without kimchi. Period. You can make all sorts of other jeon or Korean pancakes without kimchi, but not kimchi pancakes! But let’s talk about what kind of kimchi you’ll need to make the best kimchi pancakes.

First of all, kimchi pancakes require napa cabbage kimchi. Second of all, the kimchi should be well-fermented kimchi. This is not the time to be using the kimchi you literally just made yesterday. That kimchi is good for very little, in my opinion, other than waiting to become good. Because this is a recipe for vegan kimchi pancakes, make sure you are using vegan kimchi. In addition to the kimchi itself, you’re also going to want to include some of the kimchi brine or kimchi liquid in your batter. This will not only intensify the flavor of your kimchi pancakes, it will provide the hallmark bright, scarlet color to your kimchi pancakes.

Shiitake Mushrooms.

Many traditional Korean kimchi pancake recipes incorporate some type of seafood or pork. Because this is a vegan version of the Korean classic, I’m opting to go with sliced shiitake mushrooms. They add lots of flavor that complements the kimchi, instead of getting in its way. I tested recipes using vegan meat ham products and vegan sausage, but it turned out being way too salty.

Green Onions.

This kimchi pancakes recipe calls for a lot of chopped green onion. The green onions will provide both flavor and color. But if you don’t have green onions, feel free to substitute with regular onions (very thinly sliced) or chives.

Red Jalapeño.

I added thinly sliced red jalapeño for both color and heat. But I did seed it first! If you don’t want any heat, I’d skip it!

Sweetener.

In order to balance out the sourness from the aged kimchi, this recipe calls for just a little sweetener. I use regular sugar, but you can also use a liquid sweetener like maple syrup, brown rice syrup, plum syrup, agave syrup, etc.

Ice Cold Water.

In order to achieve crispy pancakes, you’ll need to add ice cold water to your batter. Why? The cold water deters the development of gluten in your batter. Gluten, as you know, tends to make things chewy, not crispy. Second, when the cold batter hits the oil in your pan, it will create steam, which will give you that lovely sizzle.

Vegetable Oil.

If you want those crispy edges, you’re going to need a good amount of oil for each pancake. I use plain old canola oil, but you can use whatever preferred neutral oil you have on hand.

Garnish.

I garnished my kimchi pancakes with a little furikake. But if you don’t have furikake, just tear up some roasted seaweed and sprinkle with sesame seeds!

Step-by-Step Instructions for Making Kimchi Pancakes Recipe.

Step 1.

In order to make the pancake batter, place the kimchi into a large bowl. Using kitchen shears, cut up the kimchi as much as possible. The chunkier the kimchi, the thicker your kimchi pancake will be. The reason we are using kitchen shears instead of chopping our kimchi on a cutting board is because we want to retain all the precious kimchi juice! Then, add the sliced shiitake mushrooms, chopped green onions, minced garlic, and sweetener to your bowl, together with 1 cup of pancake mix.

Step 2.

Slowly pour in your cold water while you stir the batter. When you’ve added about half the water, stir the batter around to check its consistency. You do not want too much liquid in your batter. It should be a lot thicker than your breakfast pancake batter. It should be in between regular batter and a paste. Continue adding more water, slowly, until you achieve the right consistency (I can’t just tell you “add 1 cup water” because the amount of water you’ll need will depend upon how much kimchi juice you got out of your chopped kimchi).

Step 3.

To an 8- to 10-inch skillet, add a generous amount of oil over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers (about one minute), add about 2/3 cup of the batter onto your pan. Using the back of the ladle, spread the batter out so that it is nice and thin, though you don’t want any gaps in the batter. Cook the pancake for about 1 minute, until it easily lifts off your pan. If your pancake doesn’t easily come off the pan, you can use a spatula to loosen it.

Then, lift the pan off the flame and, using a circular motion, swirl your pancake around so that it collects the excess oil. Otherwise the oil will splatter when you flip the pancake.

Step 4.

Flip the pancake (with or without a spatula). Add a little bit more oil around the edges. Cook for another minute until the bottom of the pancake turns a deep, reddish hue. Flip a couple more times until both sides are evenly cooked before placing on a serving plate. Repeat with remaining batter. Garnish and serve immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions.

Want More Kimchi Recipes?

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Comments & Questions.