Savoury potato pancakes packed with umami kimchi! These quick and easy kimchi potato pancakes are made with only 6 ingredients! They're delicious as a snack, appetizer or side dish and will be a hit with the family.
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Kimchi Potato Pancakes are a Korean twist to your classic potato pancakes! These crispy pancakes are made of grated potatoes, kimchi, all-purpose flour, potato starch, and egg and fried in hot oil until golden brown.
These Korean-inspired potato pancakes are absolutely delicious, tender and crispy on the edges. Packed with that savory umami flavor you get from the kimchi! There's so much flavor in the kimchi that you don't even need to season these pancakes.
They serve well as a snack, appetizer or side dish and are easily made with minimal ingredients! They're a great way to get some vegetables into your diet.
Perfect for all the kimchi-lovers out there, like myself. I created this recipe years ago because kimchi and potatoes are such a match made in heaven.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Yellow russet potatoes: these type of potatoes work best for these pancakes are they are more starchy. The second best substitute would be yukon gold potatoes.
- Well-fermented Kimchi: aim to get kimchi that has been well-fermented and you can check this by looking at the cabbage. If the cabbage is more red and tender looking and less white and sturdy in texture, it's been well fermented. I recommend buying the pre-cut kimchi, aka "mat kimchi" to make the preparation easier! You can find kimchi at most Korean or Asian grocery stores.
- All-purpose flour: this is general use wheat flour. Or substitute with cornstarch, potato starch or gluten-free baking flour.
- Potato Starch: this makes the potato pancakes crispy! Or substitute with cornstarch.
- Large Egg: to help bind everything together.
- Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil. Avoid olive oil or any heavy scented oils.
Expert Tips
- Use yellow russet potatoes as they are starchy and are perfect for making the best potato pancakes.
- Grating with a box grater takes more time but it's worth it as it creates the perfect shreds. If you're tight on time, use a food processor with a grating blade to shred the potatoes.
- Rinse the grated potatoes with cold running water to remove the excess starch which causes the pancakes to be less crispy.
- Remove as much water in the potatoes as possible using a clean tea towel! Excess water creates soggy pancakes.
- Don't skimp on the oil! This makes the pancakes crispier.
- Transfer the cooked pancakes to a wire rack or paper-towel lined plate to remove any excess oil which can create soggy pancakes.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make kimchi potato pancakes:
- First grate your peeled potatoes with a box grater or a food processor on the smaller setting. Transfer grated potatoes to a colander.
- Rinse the grated potatoes with cold running water to remove excess starch. Strain out the excess water by giving the colander a good shake.
- Transfer the grated potatoes into a clean tea towel and wring out as much water as possible. The drier the potatoes are, the more crispy your pancakes will be.
- Place the grated potatoes in a large mixing bowl with all-purpose flour, potato starch, egg and chopped kimchi. Mix thoroughly until ingredients are well combined and the batter is sticky.
- In a large pan on medium heat, add 2 tablespoon vegetable oil. Spoon about ¼ cup of the batter into the hot pan. Flatten batter into a thin pancake using the flat side of your measuring cup. Do not overcrowd the pan and fry the pancakes in small batches depending on the size of your pan.
- Flip pancakes over with a spatula. Pour another 2 tablespoon of vegetable oil around the pancakes. Fry on the other side until golden crispy brown. Remove pancakes from pan and transfer to a wire rack or paper-towel lined plate to remove excess oil. Serve with your favourite condiment and enjoy!
Storage
- Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
- Freezer friendly? I don't recommend freezing these kimchi potato pancakes as they cabbage will become mushy.
Pairing Suggestions
These kimchi potato pancakes serves well with other Korean side dishes or banchans like:
FAQ
These can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To enjoy, reheat it in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop on medium heat until hot through out.
Yes, feel free to use green onion kimchi but I don't recommend using radish kimchi or other types because they may contain too much water creating for soggy pancakes.
I don't recommend this as the pancake batter will fall through the grates in the air fryer basket and can create a very sticky mess!
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📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy Kimchi Potato Pancakes
Ingredients
- 7 small yellow russet potatoes peeled
- 2 cups kimchi finely chopped
- 0.5 cup all-purpose flour or cornstarch/potato starch/gluten-free baking flour
- 0.5 cup potato starch or cornstarch
- 1 large egg
- 4 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
Instructions
- First grate your peeled potatoes with a box grater or a food processor on the smaller setting. Transfer grated potatoes to a colander.
- Rinse the grated potatoes with cold running water to remove excess starch. Strain out the excess water by giving the colander a good shake.
- Transfer the grated potatoes into a clean tea towel and wring out as much water as possible. Note: The drier the potatoes are, the more crispy your pancakes will be.
- Place the grated potatoes in a large mixing bowl with all-purpose flour, potato starch, egg and chopped kimchi. Mix thoroughly until ingredients are well combined and the batter is sticky.
- In a large pan on medium heat, add 2 tablespoon vegetable oil. Spoon about ¼ cup of the batter into the hot pan. Flatten batter into a thin pancake using the flat side of your measuring cup. Do not overcrowd the pan and fry the pancakes in small batches depending on the size of your pan.
- Flip pancakes over with a spatula. Pour another 2 tablespoon of vegetable oil around the pancakes. Fry on the other side until golden crispy brown. Remove pancakes from pan and transfer to a wire rack or paper-towel lined plate to remove excess oil. Serve with your favourite condiment and enjoy!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
Adding kimchi to these crispy potato cakes is simply tantalizing. What an epic upgrade to traditional hash browns!
Rosemary
Oh my gosh this is like the Asian version of German potato pancakes and I love it! Potatoes are the best vegetable 🙂
Sherri
Love this twist on potato pancakes! The kimchi must add so much flavor and the color of the pancakes is amazing! 🙂