Korean Chive Kimchi Jeon (Spicy Fermented Kimchi Pancake)

Quick answer

Total time: 27 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 10

About this dish

Buchu-kimchi-jeon is a Korean pancake built around well-fermented aged kimchi and garlic chives, mixed into a cold-water batter that also includes a pour of kimchi brine.

The brine is not optional: it tints the batter a deep red and introduces the concentrated, tangy umami that only long-fermented kimchi produces, which a fresh batch or water substitute cannot provide. Cold water is used because it limits gluten development, giving the finished pancake a shatteringly crisp exterior instead of the chewy, doughy texture that warm water encourages. Thinly sliced fresh hot green chili adds a sharper, more immediate heat on top of the kimchi's fermented sour spiciness, creating a more complex profile than either ingredient achieves alone. The pancake must be spread thinly on a pan preheated over medium-high heat and left alone until the edges turn a deep golden brown; attempting to flip before the perimeter has fully set will cause the center to collapse and lose its structure. The garlic chives soften into the batter but release a persistent fragrance that carries through each bite and lingers after the meal.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

aged kimchi180 gg

garlic chives80 gg

Korean pancake mix120 gg

water140 mlml

kimchi brine40 mlml

onion50 gg

hot green chili1 eaea

cooking oil2 tbsptbsp

sugar½ tsptsp

salt¼ tsptsp

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Prep

Knock off the excess filling from 180g aged kimchi and chop finely, cut 80g chives into 4cm pieces, and thinly slice 50g onion and 1 Korean chili pepper so each ingredient is ready separately.
2

Season

In a bowl, whisk 120g pancake mix with 140g cold water and 40g kimchi brine until completely smooth, then stir in half a teaspoon of sugar and a quarter teaspoon of salt to balance the seasoning.
3

Prep

Add kimchi, chives, onion, and chili to the batter all at once and fold just 2 to 3 times with a spatula so ingredients are evenly spread, avoiding overmixing so the chives keep their shape.
4

Step

Heat a pan thoroughly over medium-high, add 1 tbsp oil, spread half the batter in a thin layer, and wait without touching until you clearly hear the oil sizzling along the edges.
5

Heat

When the edges turn a deep brown and feel crisp, flip in one clean motion and cook 2 to 3 more minutes, then repeat the entire process with the remaining batter to make a total of 2 pancakes.
6

Finish

Rest the finished pancakes on a paper towel for 30 seconds to drain excess oil, cut into serving pieces, and plate immediately while the fermented tang of the kimchi is still bright.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Tangy kimchi brine and garlic chives create a deep red batter in this Korean Chive Kimchi Jeon.
Finish cue: Rest the finished pancakes on a paper towel for 30 seconds to drain excess oil, cut into serving pieces, and plate immediately while the fermented tang of the kimchi is still bright.
Avoid this: Do not overmix; too much gluten makes the pancake chewy.
Substitution: The brine is not optional: it tints the batter a deep red and introduces the concentrated, tangy umami that only long-fermented kimchi produces, which a fresh batch or water substitute cannot provide.