Crispy Kimchi Pancake Recipe (Kimchi Jeon)

Crispy kimchi pancakes on soy sauce dipping sauce with wooden chopsticks.

5 from 1 vote

Crispy Kimchi Pancake Recipe (Kimchi Jeon)

Grab what's in your pantry & easily make Crispy Kimchi Pancakes that's perfectly crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside! Save time & money by skipping the hunt for savory pancake mix you'll only use once. Throw together this delicious Kimchi Jeon recipe using the pantry ingredients you already have!

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: Asian, Korean

Servings: servings

Calories: 98kcal

Author: Mikha S.

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder not baking soda
1 egg
1 tablespoon gochujang
2/3 cup cabbage kimchi roughly chopped
5 garlic cloves minced
1/2 onion thinly sliced
3 green onions cut into 2-inch pieces
6 tablespoons ice-cold water
1/4 tablespoons kimchi juice from kimchi

DIPPING SAUCE:

2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds optional

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients - all-purpose flour, cornstarch, salt, sugar, baking powder (not baking soda), onion powder, and garlic powder until well combined.
Then add remaining pancake ingredients - egg, gochujang, kimchi, garlic, chopped onions, green onions, ice cold water, & kimchi juice. Mix until JUST combined and you no longer see flour. Don’t overmix, otherwise, you risk having gummy pancakes.
In a small bowl, combine the dipping sauce ingredients, then set aside.
Pre-heat a skillet on medium-high heat then once hot, add a generous amount of oil. When the oil is hot, ladle in about ⅓ cup of batter, then spread out into a thin layer as much as possible. This will help make your kimchi pancake crispy! Allow the pancake to cook for about 3 minutes, or until about 70% cooked. You’ll know it’s ready to flip when the edges are partially cooked with bubbles forming and the bottom of the pancake is golden brown.
Flip the pancake, add a little more oil if needed to make the other side of the pancake crispy, then cook for another 2 - 3 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Do NOT press down on the pancake while cooking, otherwise, your pancakes will turn out flat instead of light and fluffy.
Remove from heat & repeat for remaining pancake mix.
Cut pancakes into bite-sized pieces & serve immediately with dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Notes

Baking Powder: Note - this is NOT baking soda, which is completely different! Baking powder will help create fluffy pancakes. Without it, the pancakes will be flat & dense.
Gochujang: You can get it in various spice levels, so adjust to your spice tolerance!
Kimchi: Cabbage kimchi is the most commonly used for the kimchi pancakes. To easily cut the kimchi without losing its juices, place kimchi in a bowl & use scissors to roughly cut them & drain its juices!
Ice Cold Water: This is crucial so the baking powder doesn't prematurely develops gluten, which could lead to flat pancakes.
Key Storage & Troubleshoot Tips: Avoid gummy or tough kimchi pancakes with the key tips in the blog post above, along with storage & freezing instructions.

Nutrition