Bacon and Kimchi Pajeon (Savoury Korean Pancake)

Kimchi is everything in South Korea

I have fond memories of my time in South Korea, particularly when it comes to food.  Aside from that wok-fried silkworm pupae, I ate on a dare, I never had a bad meal.   Everything was delicious, especially the kimchi (Korean fermented cabbage).

 For anyone who knows about Korean food, kimchi is a big deal.  No meal is complete without it and there are a plethora of different kinds to choose from.  All of which are amazing.   When out at my favorite Korean restaurant, I used to ask for seconds as I could never help but to snack on it while waiting for my entree to arrive.  That and Bibimbop always tasted better with a big heap of the spicy fermented cabbage thrown on top.

 

 

a slice of pajeon on a cutting board

 

Start your meal off right with a savoury pancake (pajeon)

However, these days, if I am feeling particularly decadent and want to forego the healthy Korean recipes, I make this pancake or pajeon as they say in Korea.  It has all my favorite things: kimchi, salty pork, and carbs pan-fried together.  Cook this if you want a spicy and salty snack or need a starter to a dinner of fried chicken and boozy iced tea.

 

Bacon and kimchi pancake with scallion on cutting board

strips of bacon cooking in a pan
Cook the bacon in a non-stick frying pan until slightly crispy
kimchi pancake ingredients in a bowl
Mix together flour, sugar, salt, chopped scallions, apple cider vinegar, red chili flakes and cabbage.
kimchi pancake mixture
Add 2-3 oz of water to make the batter fluid but not too runny.
kimchi pancake mixture in pan
Heat a non-stick frying pan on high heat and add pancake batter to it when oil is hot.
strips of bacon atop raw kimchi batter in a pan
Top with strips of bacon and try as best as you can to push them down into the pancake batter.
bacon and kimchi pancake on a plate
Cook until crispy on both sides. then cut into pieces and garnished with sesame seeds.
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kimchi and bacon pancake on cutting board

Bacon and Kimchi Pajeon (Savoury Korean Pancake)


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  • Author: Spicepaw
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 1-2 pancakes 1x

Description

Spicy cabbage kimchi and scallions mixed into a savory and crispy Korean-style pajeon (pancake) with salty bacon for added deliciousness. #bacon #kimchi #pancakes #easyrecipes #appetizer


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 3/4 cup rice flour
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 2 scallions finely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
  • 1 cup chopped cabbage kimchi (with juices)
  • 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 egg
  • 23 oz (60-90 ml) water (you want just enough water to make the batter fluid but not too runny and thin. The amount of water you put in will usually depend on how much fluid is in the kimchi.)
  • 34 strips of streaky bacon
  • 1 tsp red chile flakes

Instructions

  1. Mix together flour, salt, sugar, egg, vinegar, water, chopped scallions, red chili flakes and chopped kimchi.  Mix until thoroughly combined and set aside.
  2. In a non-stick frying pan, cook bacon until just cooked but not too crispy.  Take out the bacon and set aside.
  3. Keeping the bacon grease in the pan, turn heat to high and let the fat get really hot, this should take 1-2 minutes.
  4. Add pancake mix to the non-stick frying pan and cook on high heat for 1-2 minutes.
  5. Place strips of bacon on top and push down slightly so that pancake batter is covering it but it is not pushed down to the bottom.
  6. Turn heat to low/medium-low, cover and cook until crispy at the bottom and partially cooked on top (around 5-6 minutes).
  7. If you are feeling courageous, carefully flip the pancake over and continue cooking on the opposite side until crispy.  If not, simply brush the top lightly with vegetable oil and place under the broiler until pancake top has reached that nice and brown crispy coating.
  8. When all done, take out and cut into 8 pieces and serve.  Garnish with sesame seeds or finely chopped scallions and enjoy!
  • Prep Time: 5
  • Cook Time: 10
  • Category: Side, Snack, Appetizer
  • Method: pan fried
  • Cuisine: Korean

This Korean pancake goes extremely well with Korean Iced Tea (Green Tea Soju cocktail) and Ginger and Garlic Brined Spicy Fried Chicken.

 

Author: Natasha

I'm just a busy expat mom who has a psychological need to feed people. I enjoy learning about new cultures, (especially the food) and enjoy experimenting with new ingredients and spices

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