Kimchi Pancakes (Kimchi Jeon)

5 from 1 vote

A savory, thin pancake loaded with kimchi and fried to crispy perfection in a cast iron pan. Good as an appetizer. Even better as a late night snack.

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Total Time35

Course: Appetizer, Booze Food, Casual Party, Dinner, Party Food, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: Korean

Keyword: Kimchi Pancake

Servings: 10-12 inch pancakes

Calories: 195kcal

Author: The Subversive Table | Lis Lam

Ingredients

Batter:

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup potato starch (corn starch also works)
1 cup cold water
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
pepper to taste
3 green onions, chopped (optional)
2 cups kimchi chopped into bite-size pieces

Dipping Sauce:

1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
pinch sesame seeds optional
pinch Gochukaru (Korean chili flakes) optional

Instructions

Whisk flour, cold water, sugar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Make sure there are no lumps.
Add green onion and kimchi, into the batter. It's ok if your kimchi is juicy. Mix well with a spoon. The texture should be similar to thin pancake batter.
Heat a 12-inch, well seasoned, cast iron skillet on medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add 2 Tbsp neutral oil (I use grapeseed oil). The oil should thin on contact and smoke slightly.
Add 1 cup of kimchi pancake batter. Use a spoon to spread the batter as thin as possible, all the way to the edges. Shake the pan so the oil distributes evenly and slides underneath the pancake, not just on the edges. When the bottom is crispy with browned spots, flip to the other side. Shake again and finish cooking. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side.
When the second side is done, flip back to the first side and cook for an additional 1 minute. This will ensure the crispiest pancake.
While the pancake sizzles away, make the dipping sauce. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Remove from pan. Slice into pieces with a pizza cutter or knife. Garnish (if desired) with green onion or cilantro and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Serve with dipping sauce and eat immediately.

Notes

*The garnish and the dipping sauce are entirely optional but delicious.

**Each pancake should take about 10 minutes to fry. Here's how I estimated the time: 1 minute to spread batter and shake pan. 4 minutes on the first side. 4 minutes on the second side. 1 minute to crisp up the first side again.

Nutrition