Crispy texture with hot, sour, and hint of saltiness, kimchi pancakes are a delicious snack or appetizer that also pairs well with rice and side dishes or banchan.
The main ingredients in kimchi make this pancake versatile for both meat or vegetable-based. As a result, it goes well with various toppings and sides.
What to eat with kimchi pancakes? Kimchi pancakes or kimchi jeon, starts with a basic pancake batter, kimchi, meat, vegetables, egg, cheese as topping, and served side of soy-vinegar blended dipping sauce as a final touch.
Make a meal with kimchi pancakes and steamed rice, mild soup, and seaweed paper or gim, and variety of banchan on the side.
Kimchi is flavorful and universal side dish in Korean cuisine. The greatest thing about kimchi pancakes is that they are served as an appetizer, hearty snack, or a side dish for lunch or dinner meal.
They are super easy to make and quite versatile too. Tweak them to your liking with meat, veggies, and seafood, or better yet, go with herbs and spices. Here are fun ways to upgrade kimchi from basic to irresistible.
What do you eat with Korean kimchi pancakes?
From snack to appetizer for parties, Korean kimchi pancakes are easy to make with base ingredients and versatile enough to serve vegetarian or for meat lovers.
To transform Korean kimchi pancakes from bland to a complete meal, pair them with:
- Meat: ground pork, shrimp, squid, prawns, eggs, bacon, pork belly, mussels, tuna
- Vegetables: mushrooms, zucchini, spring onions, sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, scallions, mung bean, chives, cabbage
- Condiments: rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, fish sauce, soy sauce, honey, gochujang, chili oil, rice vinegar
- Spices: garlic powder, red pepper flakes, gochugaru
- Seeds: sesame seeds
Kimchi pancake dipping sauces
Soy sauce mixed with rice vinegar dipping sauce is the best sauce for kimchi pancakes. This sauce enriches the overall flavors in kimchi pancakes and it is slightly sweet with tangy flavors that will instantly dilute the oiliness of the pancakes.
In addition, sesame oil, sugar, and a pinch of salt offers earthy, sweet, and salty taste to the dipping sauce. Be sure to add some green onion, minced garlic or red chili pepper flakes, toasted sesame seeds to the sauce to give it that extra kick.
This classic dipping sauce is not only perfect for kimchi pancakes, but also great sauce for kimchi dumplings, green onion or seafood pancakes.
What flavor goes well with kimchi pancakes?
Pancakes with kimchi and basic spicy batter with gochujang and kimchi juice is an excellent base to allow other ingredients to mix in. From seafood to meat and vegetables, the toppings are your choice.
Depending on the personal choice and region, there are various ways to serve kimchi pancakes. But here are classic flavor combination that go well with kimchi pancakes for you to try:
- kimchi pancakes + minced pork + soy sauce + pepper paste
- kimchi pancakes + cheese + egg
- kimchi pancakes + scallion + white wine vinegar + soy sauce
- kimchi pancakes + potatoes + egg + flour
- kimchi pancakes + squid + gochujang
Eat with Kimchi Pancakes: Conclusion
Nothing brightens up a boring midday with crispy and spicy kimchi pancakes. Everyone can use a little luxury in the middle of day, and these griddle cakes have exactly that to offer.
These savory pancakes are not complete without a few fix-ins. Luckily, they are quite versatile and can be paired with almost anything.
Kimchi pancakes also go well with rice, soup, and side dishes instead of plain kimchi as part of banchan.
Mix in vegetables, meat or seafood, and egg to bind the pancakes together. As a result, you can make this pancake vegetarian, seafood, or with ground pork to make delicious based on your preference.
In addition, the pancake dipping sauce can be made with soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar to give salty and sour flavor. However, adding minced garlic, red pepper flakes with chopped green onion can enhance the spiciness to the next level.
Dip the freshly made pancakes on soy-vinegar dipping sauce to enjoy every last bite. There’s no excuse for eating bland kimchi pancakes when serving with toppings and condiments pairing.