Extra Crispy Kimchi Pancake: Easy Korean Pancake

Today, I’m going to share the crispiest easy kimchi pancake recipe. It only requires three simple ingredients, yet the result is incredibly delicious. It’s a secret recipe that Koreans often share with each other, and now I’m letting you in on it.

What is Kimchi Pancake?

Kimchi pancake is called kimchi jeon or kimchi buchimgae in Korea. When you hear “pancake,” you might picture the sweet, fluffy American version, but Korean buchimgae is not sweet at all. In a jeon, various ingredients like pork, beef, or fish are mixed into a flour-based batter and pan-fried in oil, almost like shallow frying.

Kimchi pancake is a type of Korean jeon where kimchi is the main ingredient. That’s why, in fact, you don’t really need any other additional ingredients. You can add seafood or vegetables, but leaving them out makes it feel more like a traditional homemade Korean dish.

Traditionally, Korean jeon isn’t meant to be crispy. However, lately there has been a growing trend toward extra-crispy pancakes, and people have started developing recipes to satisfy that craving. In line with that trend, today I’m sharing a crispy Korean pancake recipe—the kind that only Koreans know how to make just right.

Authentic Kimchi Pancakes Need Just 2 Ingredients

The truly authentic kimchi pancake that Korean people make at home only needs two ingredients: kimchi and Korean pancake mix (buchimgaru). Many households simply use flour instead of pancake mix, and that’s totally fine too. Optional additions like green onion, pork, or squid are just that—optional. In fact, kimchi alone is enough to make a delicious pancake. If you use flour instead of pancake mix, the pancake might turn out less crispy, but many people enjoy the softer, more comforting texture.

No Korean Pancake Mix?

If you don’t have buchimgaru, you can simply use flour instead. I don’t recommend using bread flour, but all-purpose flour or cake flour works. For a soft, slightly chewy texture, use all-purpose flour. If you prefer a lighter, crispier texture, cake flour is the better choice. To make your pancakes even crispier when you use flour, try adding a bit of potato starch and a pinch of baking powder to the flour.

• Recommended Buchimgaru: US l UK

How to Make Crispy Korean Pancakes

If you want that extra crispy texture, skip the plain flour — you need Korean pancake mix (buchimgaru).
And here’s the secret trick: add tempura powder (twigimgaru). Today’s recipe uses half pancake mix and half tempura powder. This gives your jeon a chewy inside and crispy outside — just the way younger Koreans love it these days. If you’re going for the ultimate crunch, use only tempura powder without any pancake mix. That way, your kimchi pancake will be fried to perfection with a shatteringly crisp texture.

Why Your Korean Jeon Isn’t Crispy

There are several reasons why your Korean jeon might not turn out crispy.

• Using only flour: If you use just plain flour, the gluten creates a chewy texture rather than a crispy one. This is actually the most traditional style. If you go this route, I recommend using all-purpose or cake flour.
• Not enough oil: To get that crispy texture, you need to use plenty of oil and cook the pancake like you’re frying it. If you skimp on the oil to be healthier, your pancake will end up soggy and more like a baked pancake.
• Cooking on low heat: When you cook kimchi jeon on low heat, the oil soaks fully into the pancake, making it soggy instead of crispy. To get it crispy, cook on medium to medium-high heat, frying the pancake. Be careful with high heat though, as it can burn the jeon quickly.

Extra Crispy Kimchi Pancake Recipe

Combination of Pancake Mix and Tempura Powder

If you’ve ever thought, “This pancake isn’t crispy enough” when using only pancake mix (buchimgaru), try adding tempura powder (twigimgaru). The ideal ratio is 1 part pancake mix to 1 part tempura powder. If you want the ultimate crispiness, use only tempura powder.

Water Ratio

Add water in the same amount as the total flour and tempura powder combined. This is the best ratio for the batter.

Kimchi

Add kimchi equal in volume to the pancake mix amount.

Perfect Ratio

• Kimchi Pancake Batter

Pancake mix : Tempura powder : Kimchi : Water = 1 : 1 : 1 : 2

This ratio creates the crispiest Korean jeon you can make.

Korean Buchimgae Menus

Besides kimchi jeon, there are many other types of buchimgae in Korea.

• Haemul Pa Jeon: What you call a seafood pancake is called Haemul Pa Jeon (해물파전) in Korea. It’s made by mixing plenty of seafood and green onions into a flour batter, then pan-frying it until golden brown. This savory Korean buchimgae is mild and nutty in flavor, making it a beloved dish worldwide.

• Modeum Jeon: One of the traditional Korean holiday dishes, Modeum Jeon (모듬전) is a set of assorted Korean jeon varieties cooked together. It includes skewered jeon with crab sticks, ham, and green onions, zucchini jeon coated with egg batter, and Korean meatball-style donggeurangttaeng made with ground meat fried in oil.

• Cheese Gamja Jeon: This is one of the trendiest Korean pancakes right now. It’s made by shredding potatoes thinly, removing the starch for crispiness, and mixing in mozzarella cheese. The crispy potato texture combined with the gooey, salty cheese is a perfect match. You can often find this as anju (Korean drinking food) at makgeolli bars in Korea.

Dipping Sauce for Korean Pancake

Dipping jeon directly into soy sauce can make them too salty. To avoid this, add a bit of cooking wine, such as mirin or matsul, to the soy sauce. This balances the saltiness, adding a slight sweetness and tang that makes the sauce much more delicious. Finally, sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds on top for added texture and a nutty flavor.

• Recommended Soy Suace: US l UK

Various Kimchi Foods

In Korea, there are many kimchi-based dishes beyond just kimchi pancake. Kimchi plays a key role in Korean cuisine, sometimes as the main ingredient and other times as a supporting ingredient that adds flavor and aroma. For example, in budae jjigae (army stew), a small amount of kimchi is added to bring a balanced tanginess and depth. Let’s look at two representative kimchi dishes.

• Kimchi Jjigae: This is one of the most well-known Korean dishes. The classic recipe usually includes pork or canned tuna. The pork kimchi jjigae version is the simplest and most authentic way to enjoy it. Please, do not add gochujang (red chili paste) to this stew.

• Kimchi Jjim: Although it looks similar to kimchi jjigae, the key difference is that large chunks of whole kimchi are used. It also contains plenty of pork or fish as main ingredients. The broth is simmered slowly with just enough liquid, creating a rich, deep flavor while the ingredients become tender. This is my mom’s special kimchi jjim recipe.

Kitchen Guide

• Korean Pancake Mix (Buchimgaru): US l UK

• Korean Frying Mix: US l UK
• Kimchi: US l UK

• Soy Suace: US l UK