Korean Seaweed Chips aka Gim Bugak. An addictive, savory, crunchy simple snack made of roasted seaweed and rice paper deep fried in oil.
A popular treat in South Korea enjoyed by many! These are easy to make at home at the fraction of the cost of store bought chips.
What do Korean Seaweed Chips taste like?
These crunchy Korean seaweed chips are tasty and highly addictive for good reason! The taste of the roasted seaweed with the crispy texture of the crackled rice paper with a bit of salt and sesame will keep you coming back for more.
Easy to make!
This Korean seaweed chips recipe is easy to make at home with minimal natural ingredients! If you have an Asian pantry, you're set to make these Korean seaweed snacks.
They are the perfect quick bite when you're feeling peckish! One of my favorite Korean recipes to make as it contains my favorite flavors and it's simple!
What are seaweed chips made of?
Traditionally Korean seaweed chips are made of sheets of seaweed, glutinous rice paste, sesame seeds and a little salt. It's deep fried in oil. It's a very popular snack in Korean food.
What you’ll need
This recipe for Korean fried seaweed chips requires the below ingredients. ***Please scroll down to the below Recipe card for full measurements***
- Roasted Seaweed (or Nori Sheets): It's called Gim in Korean. But also known as Laver or Nori. These seaweed sheets are made of dried pressed sea vegetable and contain a very umami ocean like flavor! Korean or Asian grocery stores, Western grocers or online retailers will sell this item.
- Rice paper: Traditionally glutinous rice flour paste is used for this recipe, but we are using Vietnamese rice paper to make things easier. Most Asian grocers, online retailers and some Western grocers will carry this item.
- Avocado oil, or any neutral tasting oil: You can also use vegetable oil, canola oil, peanut oil, or grapeseed oil for this snack. Do not use olive oil as it has a slight taste and scent.
- Warm Water
- Sea Salt: I prefer using sea salt for this recipe, but you can use any salt you have.
- Toasted sesame seeds: I like sprinkling some onto the chips for extra flavor. Most Western grocery stores, or Asian markets will carry this item.
How do you make Korean seaweed chips?
Below are visuals to show you how to make Korean seaweed bugak chips. ***Please scroll down to the recipe card below to find full instructions and details***
- On a clean working surface, lay out a sheet of roasted seaweed, rough side up.
- Soak rice paper in warm water just until wet then remove from water (do not oversoak). Quickly place it over the roasted seaweed sheet. Press down on rice paper until it sticks to seaweed. Fold the corners of empty seaweed inward and the sides of the hanging rice paper inward.
- Transfer to a cooling rack to dry as you work on other pieces.
- Dry until the rice paper isn’t sticky to touch, this will take some time. Tip: Use a blow dryer or a heat gun, blow dry the rice paper until dry on the hottest setting.
- Using clean kitchen scissors cut each sheet into equal sized triangles.
- Over medium heat, add avocado oil and once it’s hot (place a wooden chopstick and look for bubbles). Deep fry the triangles rice paper side down until they become crispy, white with a very slight light brown tone, about 10-15 seconds. Do not over fry until it's dark brown or it'll taste burnt.
- Transfer chips to a cooling rack to drain excess oil (excess oil will create soggy chips). Season with salt to taste and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Cooking Tips
Below are tips on making seaweed rice chips:
Lay out roasted seaweed first rough side up
Do not attempt to soak your rice paper first and then fetch your seaweed sheet. This causes the rice paper to become over soaked and mushy. Making it difficult to handle.
Instead lay out the seaweed rough side up first on your working surface. The rough sides allows for the rice paper to stick better.
Soak rice paper JUST until wet, no more!
Soak your rice paper in warm wet only until it gets wet. Do not soak it for more than that. The rice paper will become soft and mailable - causing for issues when you stick it to the seaweed sheet.
Fold any hanging seaweed or rice paper inward
If you see any corners of seaweed or rice paper without a partner, fold it inward. Many recipes will teach you to cut the rice paper into fours to fit your nori. But I find that to be troublesome and creates rice paper overlap. The overlap can cause the chips to be thick and very chewy if not deep fried long enough. I don't teach that, and I share a much simpler way if you view my video.
Allow them to dry overnight or blow dry!
If you're patient, you can allow them to dry overnight or a few hours on a wired rack. But for speed, I like using a blow dryer on the highest setting to heat dry them until the rice paper is not sticky to touch. The drier it is, the crunchier the chips will be. Also, if you own an electric dehydrator, that will work very well.
Cut into triangles for best shape
I find cutting them into equal size triangle like figures to be the best shape when it deep fries. The triangles create a great crispy texture as they can curl.
Deep fry over medium heat until white and slightly brown
The oil temperature should be over medium heat, about 300-350 F. This makes it easier to handle. Do not deep fry over medium-high heat.
Deep fry rice paper side down
It's important for the oil to touch this side as the rice paper will need to crack and bubble to create a crunchy texture. Otherwise, the rice side will become chewy.
Drain off excess oil
Make sure to allow your chips to drain off extra oil. Excess oil will create soggy chips.
Season with salt to taste and sesame seeds
Adding a pinch of salt to taste and sesame seeds will season this snack to give it more flavor.
FAQ
Below are frequently asked questions about this recipe:
How long will Korean seaweed chips last?
It's best consumed same day. But if you wish to store them for more than 24 hours, store in a Ziplock bag and freeze them.
Can I make Korean seaweed chips in the air fryer?
Yes! They won't become crackly or bubble but they will be crispy and healthier! Follow these instructions:
- Lay out a sheet of roasted seaweed on a clean working surface.
- Soak rice paper in warm water just until wet and apply to roasted seaweed. Press down until the rice paper sticks to seaweed. Fold any hanging seaweed or rice paper inward.
- While the rice paper is still moist, sprinkle enough salt and sesame seeds across the sheet.
- Allow this to dry or blow dry until rice paper is no longer sticky.
- Use a sharp knife or scissor to cut into triangles.
- Place them flat in the air fryer basket, do not overlap. Lightly spray chips with oil. Then place a wired rack that fits your air fryer basket on top of the chips. This prevents the chips from flying around touching the hot element.
- Air fry at 350 F for 3 minutes until crispy.
What can I do with leftover roasted seaweed sheets?
There are many roasted seaweed recipes you can make, and I share some below:
Japanese Spicy Tuna Bowl
Sesame Nori Fries
Korean Tuna Rice Balls
Japanese Tuna Onigiri
Teriyaki Spam Musubi
Tenmusu Rice Ball
Spicy Tuna Kimbap
Onigirazu
How do I store nori or roasted seaweed sheets?
To store, freeze the seaweed sheets in a Ziplock bag so they don't lose their flavor or crispy texture.
What is Korean seaweed snack called?
It's called Gim Bugak or Kim Bugak in Korean.
Other recipes you may like!
If you enjoyed this recipe, you may like these other rice paper recipes:
Rainbow fresh rolls
Fresh shrimp rolls
I hope you give my Korean Seaweed Chips a try and enjoy it!
If you enjoyed my recipe, please leave a star rating and share it with your family and friends or on social media! Take a picture of your re-creation and make sure to tag me @ChristieAtHome in your feed or stories as I would love to see it!
Christie
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Easy Korean Seaweed Chips
Ingredients
- 4 sheets Nori or Roasted Seaweed
- 4 sheets Rice paper
- 1 cup avocado oil or any neutral tasting oil
- Water to moisten rice paper
- ¼ tsp Sea Salt (or sub with table salt) add more as needed
- ½ tsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- On a clean working surface, lay out a sheet of roasted seaweed, rough side up.
- Soak rice paper in warm water just until wet then remove from water (do not oversoak). Quickly place it over the roasted seaweed sheet. Press down on rice paper until it sticks to seaweed. Fold the corners of empty seaweed inward and the sides of the hanging rice paper inward.
- Transfer to a cooling rack to dry as you work on other pieces.
- Dry until the rice paper isn’t sticky to touch, this will take some time. Tip: Use a blow dryer or a heat gun, blow dry the rice paper until dry on the hottest setting.
- Using clean kitchen scissors cut each sheet into equal sized triangles.
- Over medium heat, add avocado oil and once it’s hot (place a wooden chopstick and look for bubbles). Deep fry the triangles rice paper side down until they become crispy, white with a very slight light brown tone, about 10-15 seconds. Do not over fry until it's dark brown or it'll taste burnt.
- Transfer chips to a cooling rack to drain excess oil (excess oil will create soggy chips). Season with salt to taste and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Notes
Can I make these in the air fryer?
Yes! They won't become crackly or bubble but they will be crispy and healthier! Follow these instructions:- Lay out a sheet of roasted seaweed on a clean working surface.
- Soak rice paper in warm water just until wet and apply to roasted seaweed. Press down until the rice paper sticks to seaweed. Fold any hanging seaweed or rice paper inward.
- While the rice paper is still moist, sprinkle enough salt and sesame seeds across the sheet.
- Allow this to dry or blow dry until rice paper is no longer sticky.
- Use a sharp knife or scissor to cut into triangles.
- Place them flat in the air fryer basket, do not overlap. Lightly spray chips with oil. Then place a wired rack that fits your air fryer basket on top of the chips. This prevents the chips from flying around touching the hot element.
- Air fry at 350 F for 3 minutes until crispy.
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