Kimchi Jeon (Korean Kimchi Pancakes)

Method

1. Make the batter by combining flour, water, kimchi juice, egg, and sugar in a bowl. Stir until just combined — a few lumps are fine. Fold in the chopped kimchi and scallions. The batter should be thin and pourable, with kimchi pieces visible throughout.

2. Cook the pork belly (if using) by pan-frying the thin slices in a skillet over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes per side until crispy and rendered. Set aside. The rendered pork fat can be used to fry the pancakes.

3. Heat the skillet over medium-high heat with 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil (or pork fat). The oil should shimmer and a drop of batter should sizzle immediately.

4. Pour the batter into the skillet, spreading it into a thin, even layer about 1/4 inch thick. Arrange the crispy pork belly slices on top, pressing them into the batter. Press the entire pancake flat with a spatula.

5. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the bottom is deeply golden and crispy. The edges should be lacy and browned. Flip carefully (use a plate to help if needed) and cook the other side for 2-3 minutes until equally crispy.

6. Slide onto a cutting board and cut into wedges. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce. In Korea, kimchi jeon is rainy-day food — the sound of the pancake sizzling in the pan is said to sound like rain. It's traditionally paired with makgeolli (rice wine) or soju.

Equipment

• Nonstick skillet or cast iron skillet (10-12 inch) Recommended: Lodge 12-Inch Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet
• Spatula Recommended: GIR Ultimate Silicone Spatula
• Nonstick skillet Recommended: All-Clad HA1 Expert Hard Anodized Nonstick Frying Pan
• Tongs Also good: Wok Spatula
• Deep pot or Dutch oven for frying Recommended: Lodge 6-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Chef Notes

• The most important thing: Use old, well-fermented kimchi — the sour, funky stuff that's been in the fridge for weeks. Fresh kimchi is too mild and crunchy for pancakes. The fermented tang and soft texture of aged kimchi is what makes kimchi jeon taste right.
• The kimchi juice in the batter adds flavor and acidity that you can't get from the kimchi pieces alone. Don't discard it.
• The batter should be thin — thinner than American pancake batter. Thick batter makes doughy pancakes. You want a crispy, lacy edge with visible kimchi pieces throughout.
• Press the pancake flat with a spatula while cooking. Thin pancakes = more crispy surface area. Thick pancakes = doughy center.
• Cook over medium-high heat with generous oil. The edges should fry in the oil and get lacy and crispy. If the pan is too cool, the pancake absorbs oil and gets greasy.

Common Substitutions

Ingredient	Substitution	Notes
Pork belly	Omit for vegetarian	Kimchi jeon is often made without meat
Well-fermented kimchi	Fresh kimchi + 1 tbsp rice vinegar	Not as complex but adds the necessary tang
All-purpose flour	Korean pancake mix (buchimgaru)	Pre-seasoned and designed for Korean pancakes — even easier
Gochugaru	Red pepper flakes	Less fruity but adds heat to the dipping sauce
Vegetable oil	Sesame oil (for frying)	Adds nuttiness but burns at lower temperatures — use a blend

What You're Practicing

Kimchi jeon teaches you how to use fermented ingredients as a primary flavor component. The kimchi isn't a topping — it IS the dish. Understanding how fermentation creates complex, tangy, umami-rich flavors that fresh ingredients can't match is a key insight. The same principle drives sauerkraut in German cooking, miso in Japanese cooking, and fermented black beans in Chinese cooking. Visit Techniques for more on cooking with fermented ingredients.

The thin, crispy pancake technique — generous oil, thin batter, pressed flat — is the same approach behind Chinese scallion pancakes, Japanese okonomiyaki, and French socca. Learning to control crispiness through batter thickness and oil temperature gives you a technique that works across cuisines.