Kimchi pancake
Crispy, savoury Korean kimchi pancakes — quick to mix, pan-fried until golden and served with a tangy soy-vinegar dip.
Kimchi pancake (kimchijeon) is the kind of scrappy brilliance Koreans turn to when there’s a jar of kimchi and not much else in the fridge. It’s quick, punchy and brilliantly crisp around the edges.
Make it for a messy midweek supper or as part of a sharing spread — it loves company and a tangy soy-vinegar dip. Use a firm, well-fermented kimchi for the best flavour; swap for vegetarian kimchi if needed.
Ingredients
- 250 g kimchi — roughly chopped; reserve about 30 ml kimchi juice for the batter
- 100 g plain flour
- 50 g rice flour — gives extra crispness
- 120 ml cold water
- 1 egg
- 2 spring onion — trimmed and thinly sliced
- 45 ml vegetable oil — for frying
- 30 ml soy sauce — for the dipping sauce
- 15 ml rice vinegar — for the dipping sauce
- 5 ml sesame oil — for the dipping sauce and finishing
- 5 g caster sugar — for the dipping sauce
- 5 g sesame seeds — toasted, for garnish
- salt — pinch, to taste
- black pepper — freshly ground, to taste
Instructions
Roughly chop the kimchi and set it in a bowl. Tip or spoon off and reserve about 30 ml of the kimchi juice — you’ll add this to the batter to deepen the flavour.
In a large bowl whisk together the plain flour, rice flour, a good pinch of salt and a light grind of black pepper. In a measuring jug beat the egg into the cold water, then pour the wet mix into the dry and stir until you have a loose, lumpy batter — it should be pourable but not watery. Fold in the chopped kimchi (including the reserved juice) and the sliced spring onion until evenly distributed.
Leave the batter to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. This hydrates the flours and helps the pancake hold together.
Heat a large frying pan over a medium–high heat. Add a little vegetable oil so the base is lightly covered. For each pancake ladle roughly 180–200 ml batter into the pan and spread gently to an 18–20 cm circle. Fry for 3–4 minutes until the edges look dry and the underside is deep golden, then flip and cook a further 3–4 minutes until crisp and cooked through. Repeat in batches, adding a little more oil if the pan looks dry.
Meanwhile make the dipping sauce: mix the soy sauce, rice vinegar, caster sugar and sesame oil in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves.
When each pancake is cooked, transfer to a board, drizzle a little sesame oil over the top and scatter toasted sesame seeds and a few extra spring onion slices. Cut into wedges and serve hot with the dipping sauce.
Tips
- For the crispiest finish use a mix of plain flour and rice flour — rice flour keeps the edges snap-ready.
- Control the heat: medium–high gives a golden exterior without burning. If the pan smokes, turn it down.
- Make the batter up to 1 hour ahead and keep covered in the fridge; bring back to room temperature before frying and give it a quick stir.
- If the batter is too thick, loosen with 1–2 tbsp (15–30 ml) cold water — you want a pourable consistency.
- Leftovers reheat best in a dry frying pan over medium heat to restore the crispness; avoid the microwave which makes them soggy.
Substitutions
rice flour → replace with an extra 50 g plain flour
Noticeably differentegg → for a vegan option use 30 ml sparkling water and a tablespoon neutral oil
Noticeably differentsoy sauce → use tamari (same quantity) to make the dipping sauce gluten-free
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 387
- Calories
- 8 g
- Protein
- 46 g
- Carbs
- 19 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 850 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use store-bought kimchi?
Yes — the stronger and more mature the kimchi the better the flavour. If it’s very wet, drain a little but reserve about 30 ml of the juice for the batter.
How do I get the pancake crispy?
Use a moderately high heat and a little oil; don’t overcrowd the pan and let the pancake form a golden crust before flipping.
Can I make these ahead and reheat?
You can make the pancakes ahead and reheat in a dry frying pan over medium heat to regain crispness. Store cooled pancakes in the fridge up to 2 days.
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