You know those days when the fridge is scarily empty, but you still got hungry bellies to feed before you can get groceries? These kimchi rice pancakes (jeon) are perfect for those days. But of course, you don’t have to wait until you run out of all the other options. These kimchi pancakes are mildly spicy, salty, and crispy—the ultimate comfort food. These pancakes aren’t only for my kids. They make excellent bar food, perfect with a cold beer.
Are these kimchi rice pancakes spicy?
These kimchi pancakes are mildly spicy. My kids can handle a bit of spice, so I no longer rinse kimchi when serving it to them. My 7-year-old can eat these pancakes with no problem. My 3-year-old asked for water after a few bites. However, if you’d like to make this recipe less spicy, rinse kimchi in cold water before adding it to the pancakes.
The easiest way to chop kimchi is to add it to a bowl and cut it using kitchen shears. If you try to cut it on a cutting board with a knife, you might end up with kimchi juice spilling over to the counter.
Canned tuna or salmon?
You can use either canned tuna or salmon in this recipe. I prefer the taste of tuna here, but my kids don’t mind either way. I sometimes opt for salmon because it’s lower in mercury, especially if we have already enjoyed a lot of seafood during the week. Sometimes, I find canned salmon to have a fishy taste that I don’t particularly enjoy. If this bothers you, add the salmon to a mesh sieve and briefly rinse under cold water.
If you tried this recipe, I would love to hear from you!
Also, check out Kimchi mixed noodles with egg on top for another yummy kimchi-based recipe.
Kimchi Rice Pancakes (Jeon)
These kimchi rice pancakes are mildly spicy, salty, and crispy—the ultimate comfort food.
Ingredients
- 1 cup kimchi
- 1 can 5~6 oz tuna or salmon, drained
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp cornstarch or potato starch
- 1 1/2 cups cooked medium-grain white rice
- cooking oil
Instructions
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In a large bowl, add kimchi and chop kimchi into small pieces using kitchen shears.
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Add tuna/salmon, egg, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, flour, starch, and cooked rice. Gently mix to combine.
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In a nonstick pan, pour enough cooking oil to cover the bottom of the pan and heat over medium heat. Form 1/4 cup of mixture into a patty, then place it on the pan. Fry as many patties as you can fit with about an inch gap between them. When the bottom is browned and crispy, flip the patties and gently press them with a flat spatula. Cook until browned and crispy.
Recipe Notes
These kimchi pancakes are mildly spicy. You can make it less spicy by rinsing the kimchi in water before step 1.
