Tuna Kimchi Pancakes are crisp, chewy Korean-style savory pancakes made with well-fermented sour kimchi and canned tuna. The batter is simple, quick to prepare, and full of bold kimchi flavor, making this recipe a delicious way to use up older kimchi in your refrigerator.
These Tuna Kimchi Pancakes were inspired by Youn’s Kitchen Season 2, a South Korean reality travel show where the cast opens a small pop-up Korean restaurant in another country. After rewatching the episodes, I became curious about the dishes served on the show, especially this savory kimchi pancake with tuna.
Kimchi pancakes are already a popular comfort food because they are easy, inexpensive, and packed with flavor. Adding canned tuna makes the pancakes even more savory without making the recipe complicated. The tuna blends into the batter, while the kimchi remains the star of the dish with its tangy, spicy, and deeply fermented taste.
The best part of this tuna kimchi pancake recipe is the contrast in texture. When cooked in enough oil over medium-high heat, the outside becomes beautifully golden and crisp, while the inside stays tender and slightly chewy. The flavor is rich and umami-forward, with a pleasant sourness from the kimchi and a mild sweetness from the onion and sugar in the batter.
These pancakes are perfect as an appetizer, snack, light meal, or side dish. They are especially useful when you have a jar of sour kimchi that needs to be finished soon. Serve them warm straight from the pan, either on their own or with a simple soy dipping sauce.
The Best Kimchi for Kimchi Pancakes
For the best tuna kimchi pancakes, use old, sour, well-fermented napa cabbage kimchi. Fresh kimchi is delicious for eating as a side dish, but it does not have the same depth of flavor needed for a bold pancake batter. Well-ripened kimchi tastes tangy, smells more pungent, and gives the pancakes their signature savory-sour flavor.
Do not throw away the kimchi brine. The liquid from the kimchi jar, often called kimchi water, is one of the most important ingredients in this recipe. It seasons the batter, adds color, and boosts the fermented kimchi flavor. If your kimchi is very wet, drain it lightly before chopping, but save a few tablespoons of the liquid for the batter.
Finely chopping the kimchi helps it mix evenly into the batter and makes the pancakes easier to shape. Many Korean home cooks use kitchen scissors to cut kimchi directly in a bowl, which also helps prevent staining a cutting board.
Choosing Flour
Korean pancake mix, also known as buchimgaru, is commonly used for Korean savory pancakes. It is convenient because it usually contains a blend of flour, starches, leavening, and seasonings that help create a crisp and flavorful result. If you have Korean pancake mix, it is a great choice for this recipe.
If you do not have pancake mix, all-purpose flour also works well. For a crispier and chewier texture, replace a few tablespoons of the all-purpose flour with rice flour, cornstarch, or potato starch. This small change helps the pancakes brown better and gives them a more satisfying bite.
The batter should be thick enough to hold the kimchi and tuna together, but still loose enough to spread thinly in the pan. Thin pancakes cook more evenly and become crispier than thick ones. If the batter feels too stiff, add a small splash of water. If it looks too loose, add a little more flour.
More Kimchi Recipes
If you love cooking with kimchi, there are many simple ways to use it in everyday meals. Sour kimchi is especially good in fried rice, kimbap, steamed buns, bibimbap, stews, and savory pancakes like this one.
- Kimchi Fried Rice
- Kimchi Kimbap
- Chicken Kimchi Mayo with Steamed Buns
- Bibimbap
Tuna Kimchi Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup (225 gr) Napa cabbage kimchi, drained and finely chopped
- 3 tbsp kimchi water
- 1/2 can (85 gr) tuna, drained
- 2 tbsp finely diced onion
- 2 tbsp chopped green onion
- 1/2 cup (65 gr) Korean pancake mix or all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp gochugaru or gochujang
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) water
Dipping Sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp water
- 1/2 tsp rice vinegar
- 1/2 tsp sugar
Instructions
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In a large bowl, combine the chopped kimchi, kimchi water, drained tuna, onion, green onion, flour or pancake mix, salt, sugar, gochugaru or gochujang, and water. Mix until the batter is evenly combined.
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Heat a thin but generous layer of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Using enough oil is important for crisp edges and a golden surface.
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For small pancakes, add 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of batter per pancake. For large pancakes, add half of the batter. Spread the batter thinly and evenly with a spoon.
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Cook until the bottom is golden brown, then flip quickly and confidently with a spatula. Cook the other side until crisp and golden. For the best texture, flip each pancake only once.
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Stir the dipping sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Transfer the pancakes to a plate, cut large pancakes into bite-sized pieces if needed, and serve warm with or without the sauce.
Notes
Korean pancake mix gives the best texture, but all-purpose flour can be used. For crispier and chewier pancakes, replace 2 to 4 tablespoons of the flour with rice flour, cornstarch, or potato starch.
Gochugaru or gochujang is optional. It is often added to give the pancakes a more vibrant color and a little extra spice.