Kimchi-jeon
Chopped sour kimchi and a splash of its juice stirred into a simple batter, then pan-fried thin in plenty of oil until the edges crackle. The kimchi does nearly all the seasoning, so it's one of the quickest things to cook from a Korean fridge. About 25 minutes for two or three.
- Time
- 25 min
- Level
- Easy
- Spice
- Serves
- 2–3
What is Kimchi-jeon?
WHAT IT IS
Kimchi-jeon is a thin, crisp-edged pancake made by stirring chopped, well-fermented kimchi and some of its juice into a flour batter and frying it in oil. The sour kimchi gives it both its flavor and its red-orange color, so it needs little else beyond onion or scallions and sometimes a little pork, tuna or squid.
WHERE IT COMES FROM
Jeon is the Korean family of foods pan-fried in oil. The Encyclopedia of Korean Culture notes that the batter-bound kinds, such as mung bean bindaetteok, are also called jijimgae or buchimgae and are served with soy or vinegar-soy dipping sauce; kimchi-jeon belongs to this group. It's an everyday home dish with no recorded inventor, often made to use up kimchi that has grown too sour to serve as a side dish.
Sources:Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (전)National Institute of Korean Language (한식명 로마자 표기 및 표준 번역, 2014)
Ingredients
재료Each Korean item has a substitute, in case you can’t get to a store.
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- 1½ cups chopped (about 9 oz / 250 g), plus ¼ cup of its juiceWell-fermented (sour) napa cabbage kimchi 신김치
Substitute: Older, sour kimchi gives the best flavor; fresh kimchi works but tastes flat. If there's no juice in the jar, use water and add a pinch of gochugaru.
Search on Amazon Amazon US - 1 cup (about 130 g)Korean pancake mix (buchim garu) 부침가루
CJ Beksul Korean Pancake Mix · 2.2 lb
Substitute: All-purpose flour works too; add ¼ tsp salt. Replacing 2 tbsp of the flour with potato starch makes the pancake crisper.
Check price on Amazon Amazon US - About ½ cup (120 ml)Ice-cold water 물In your pantry
- ¼ mediumOnion, thinly sliced 양파Any grocer
- 2Scallions, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces 쪽파Any grocer
- 3 oz (85 g), optionalPork belly or shoulder, cut into thin strips 돼지고기
Substitute: Canned tuna (drained) or thin strips of squid are popular swaps. Leave it out for a meatless pancake; most kimchi contains fish sauce, so check the label if that matters.
Any grocer - 1 tsp (optional)Gochugaru, for color and a little heat 고춧가루
Taekyung Red Pepper Powder · 1 lb
Check price on Amazon Amazon US - About 3 tbspCooking oil, for pan-frying 식용유In your pantry
- For the batter: ½ tsp minced garlic (optional) and a pinch of sugar. For the dipping sauce: 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp vinegar and 1 tbsp waterIn your pantry
Method
만드는 법Sources we compared:Korean Bapsang10000recipe
- 1
Chop the kimchi and vegetables
Squeeze the kimchi lightly over a bowl to catch its juice; you need about ¼ cup, topped up with water if there isn't enough. Chop the kimchi into small pieces, about ½ inch (1 cm). Thinly slice the onion, cut the scallions into 2-inch pieces, and cut the pork into thin strips if you're using it.
Many Korean cooks snip the kimchi right in the bowl with kitchen scissors: no stained cutting board.
- 2
Mix the batter
In a large bowl, combine the pancake mix, the kimchi juice, the gochugaru and the garlic if using, then add ½ cup ice-cold water and stir just until no dry flour remains. Add more water a spoonful at a time until the batter runs easily off a spoon. Fold in the kimchi, onion, scallions and pork.
Ice-cold water and minimal stirring keep the pancake crisp. A few small lumps are fine.
- 3
Fry the first side
Heat 1½ tbsp oil in a 10- to 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Ladle in half the batter and spread it into a thin round, about ¼ inch (5 mm) thick. Cook until the edges are golden and crisp and the top looks mostly set, 3–4 minutes.
Thin means crispy: spread the batter out so the kimchi pieces lie in a single layer instead of piling up.
- 4
Flip and crisp
Flip the pancake with a wide spatula, drizzle a little more oil around the edge and tilt the pan so it runs underneath. Press down gently and cook for 2–3 minutes more, until the second side is deep golden. Flip once more for 30 seconds to re-crisp the first side. Repeat with the rest of the batter.
Don't skimp on the oil. Jeon is pan-fried, and the edges only turn lacy and crisp in a good film of hot oil.
- 5
Cut and serve hot
Slide the pancake onto a board, cut it into wedges or squares and serve right away with the dipping sauce: 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp vinegar and 1 tbsp water, stirred together.
In Korea, jeon and a bowl of makgeolli (milky rice wine) are a classic rainy-day pair.
Say it in Korean
한국어로 말해 보세요For a jeon house (jeon-jip) or a makgeolli bar.
Cookware you’ll need
조리 도구Any 10- to 12-inch nonstick or well-seasoned pan works. This is the 12-inch pan we link to (for gas and electric stoves, not induction).
