Kimchi Fries

Kimchi Fries. Homemade French fries seasoned with garlic and paprika simply loaded with kimchi with mayo. Simply delicious!

These loaded kimchi fries are such a tasty dish, and they will blow your taste buds away! They serve well as an appetizer, side dish or snack.

I first learned of these loaded fries when I went to Bahn Mi Boys here in Toronto. I took my first bite and it seriously made my eyes roll to the back of my head as they were so delicious! The hint of sweetness and tanginess from the fermented napa cabbage with creamy spicy mayo over those crispy fries was pure heaven.

Kimchi fries are not a traditional dish served at a Korean restaurant but it's very popular, trendy and a dish you'd find at restaurants that are open to food experimentation or at food trucks. The original kimchi fries comes from Jae Kim, who is the owner of Chi'Lantro. His food truck focuses on serving Korean and Mexican food. His version is more complex but I wanted to share my simplified version of this infamous Asian fusion dish featuring main ingredients: potato and kimchi!

Easy to make

This kimchi fries recipe is super easy to make at home because we're using store bought kimchi for ease. You can also use your own homemade kimchi but I wanted to reduce the cooking time as the fries take about 35 minutes in the oven.

You can also make the kimchi fries in the air fryer as well if you wish but if you have an oven, it'll be easier to avoid air frying in batches.

Ingredients

You'll need the below kimchi fries ingredients. Please scroll down to the below recipe card for full measurements:

• Potatoes: I highly recommend yellow russet potatoes for these fries because they are best for baking or roasting fries since they contain low-medium starch. However, if you only have white potatoes, just make sure to rinse them in cold water after cutting them into fries.
  • You may also substitute with sweet potato fries for a healthier alternative. But please monitor the baking time as sweet potatoes contain more sugar versus regular potatoes, so they are prone to burning.
• Kimchi: store bought or homemade kimchi will work. If you're vegan, you can use vegan kimchi which is sold at certain Korean grocers like H-mart and it does not contain fish sauce. Pulmuone makes a great version of vegan kimchi. Any Korean grocer will carry this ingredient in their refrigerated section.
• Neutral oil: any flavorless oil with a high smoke point such as avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil. Please avoid using olive oil, coconut oil, or sesame oil as they are overpowering in scent.
• Garlic powder: I prefer using garlic powder over minced garlic as it's a powder form that evenly distributes and coats the fries.
• Paprika powder: This gives it a nice subtle smoky flavor to balance out the fermented kimchi.
• Mayonnaise: You may use any mayonnaise of your choice, such as vegan mayo. You may also substitute with sour cream if you wish. This ingredient will take your fries to the next level!
• Green onions: these add more color to contrast the vibrant red kimchi mixture.
• Sesame oil: drizzle a little sesame oil over top for that wonderful nutty aroma. Most Korean, Asian grocers, or online retailers, like Amazon, will carry this ingredient.

Additional toppings

Feel free to sprinkle any of these additional ingredients on top of the fries to elevate them further:

• Sesame seeds, toasted
• Sriracha sauce for a spicier version
• Cheddar cheese, grated
• Sautéed sliced onion: yellow onions or white onion will work
• Gochugaru, aka Korean chili powder
• Sautéed Ground beef or sliced beef ribeye
• Taco meat
• Gochujang mayonnaise (made by adding 1 tablespoon of gochujang to ⅓ cup mayo)
• Kimchi juice
• Korean BBQ chicken, pork or beef
• Fresh ginger
• Cheese sauce
• Spicy gochujang aka Korean red pepper paste
• Korean fried chicken

Required equipment: baking sheet or baking dish, slotted spoon,

How to make Kimchi Fries

Below are steps on how to make kimchi fries:

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Slice potatoes into ½ x ½ inch thick fries. If you're using white potatoes, rinse them in cold water and strain them - this remove extra starch.
3. On a large baking sheet or sheet pan lined with parchment paper, spread your thick cut fries in a single layer. Season fries with paprika powder, garlic powder and oil.
4. Using your hands, massage the oil and spices into the fries until well coated. Bake for 35 minutes on the middle rack, flipping them halfway through.
5. Remove fries from oven with a slotted spoon or tongs and transfer them to a serving plate.
6. Top off with kimchi and drizzle with mayo. Garnish with green onions. Enjoy with suggested topping ideas found in blog post (above)

Cooking tips

• I would not recommended seasoning your fries with a pinch of salt because the kimchi is very high in sodium already.
• Place your fries on the middle rack when baking and make sure to flip over half way.
• I would highly recommend lining your baking sheet with a reusable baking liner so the fries do not stick.

FAQ

How long will Kimchi Fries last?

It's best consumed same day as the fries tend to go soggy next day. But if you wish to store them, they will last up to 4 days in an airtight container. I would suggest keeping the kimchi, mayo and green onions separate from the remaining ingredients when storing.

Where can I find vegan kimchi and vegan mayo?

Vegan Kimchi can be found at your Korean grocer. It is a specific item but a lot of Korean grocers carry it now as more people are becoming vegan. I use vegan kimchi by the brand Pulmuone.

Vegan mayo can be found at select grocers or health food stores. I use Vegenaise by Follow your Heart.

Other recipes you may like!

If you enjoyed these kimchi fries, you may like these other recipes:

• Kimchi Sweet Potatoes Fries
• Fries Supreme
• Curry Lime Fries

📖 Recipe

Easy Simple Kimchi Fries

christieathome

Kimchi Fries. Homemade French fries seasoned with garlic and paprika simply loaded with kimchi with mayo.

5 from 8 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine korean

Servings 4 as a side

Calories per serving 455 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 8 medium size russet potatoes with skin on
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil or sub with any neutral tasting oil
• ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¾ teaspoon paprika
• 3-4 tablespoon mayonnaise or as much as desired
• 1 cup kimchi chopped
• 1 green onion finely chopped, for garnish
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil toasted kind

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
• Slice potatoes into ½ x ½ inch thick fries. If you're using white potatoes, rinse them in cold water and strain them - this remove extra starch.
• If needed, roughly chop kimchi into bite sized pieces.
• On a large baking sheet or sheet pan lined with parchment paper, spread your thick cut fries in a single layer. Season fries with paprika powder, garlic powder and oil.
• Using your hands, massage the oil and spices into the fries until well coated. Bake for 35 minutes on the middle rack, flipping them halfway through.
• Remove fries from oven with a slotted spoon or tongs and transfer them to a serving plate.
• Top off with kimchi and drizzle with mayo and sesame oil. Garnish with green onions. Enjoy with suggested optional topping ideas found below in Notes section.

Notes

Optional topping ideas: 

Feel free to sprinkle any of these additional ingredients on top of the fries to elevate them further:

• Sesame seeds, toasted
• Sriracha sauce for a spicier version
• Gochugaru, aka Korean chili powder, for added spice
• Cheddar cheese, grated
• Gochujang mayonnaise (made by adding 1 tablespoon of gochujang to ⅓ cup mayo)
• Kimchi juice
• Fresh ginger
• Cheese sauce
• Spicy gochujang aka Korean red pepper paste
• Sautéed sliced onion: yellow onions or white onion will work
• Sautéed Ground beef or sliced beef ribeye
• Taco meat
• Cooked Korean BBQ chicken, pork or beef
• Korean fried chicken, preferably in bite sized pieces

Enjoyed my recipe?Please leave a 5 star review (be kind)! Tag me on social media @christieathome as I'd love to see your creations!

Suggested Equipment & Products

Baking Sheet

Baking Liner

Measuring Set

Cutting Board

Santoku Knife

Potato Peeler

Parchment paper

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Nutrition

Calories: 455kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 232mg | Potassium: 1839mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 97IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 4mg