TikTok Loves This Chef’s Kimchi Pancakes — Here’s How to Make Them

It’s no secret that quarantine has driven many to TikTok, where the infinite scroll of entertainment is a lulling balm to anxiety, boredom, or stress. But it can also be a source of inspiration — especially if you follow Chris Cho, the chef and co-owner of Seorabol in Philly. Chef Cho’s TikTok account is filled with cooking demos, in which he showcases approachable recipes with close-ups on the ingredients and endlessly entertaining, energetic commentary that’s earned him piles and piles of fans — almost 900,000, to be precise.

The chef’s kimchi pancake TikTok, demo’ing the popular pancakes that are also served at Seorabol — “some of the best pajeon pancakes I’ve had,” according to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s restaurant critic — has 122.7K likes and rising. So Cho joined Eater’s Instagram Live, part of our Eater at Home series, to give us a more in-depth walk-through of the recipe, which you can find below.

Kimchi Pajeon (Kimchi Pancake)

Time: 10 minutes prep, 20 minutes cook

Serves 2

For the pancake mix:
¹⁄₂ cup of all-purpose flour
¹⁄₂ cup of potato starch
¹⁄₃ cup of kimchi juice
¹⁄₃ cup of water
¹⁄₄ teaspoon of garlic (minced)
¹⁄₄ teaspoon of sesame oil
1 egg
1 cup of kimchi
¹⁄₄ onion
2 scallions
¹⁄₂ cup of pork butt
Salt to taste

For the dipping sauce:
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of water
¹⁄₄ tablespoon of vinegar
¹⁄₄ tablespoon of red pepper flakes
¹⁄₅ tablespoon of sugar
Sesame seeds (optional)
Chopped scallions (optional)

Step 1: In a bowl, make the pancake batter by adding all the ingredients together: all-purpose flour, potato starch, kimchi juice, water, egg, minced garlic, sesame oil, and salt to taste. Whisk well.

Step 2: Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well: kimchi, onion, scallion, pork butt.

Step 3: Heat the frying pan for about 15 seconds at high heat. Add vegetable oil and make sure it’s spread evenly through the pan.

Step 4: Evenly spread the pancake mixture on the frying pan. With a ladle, make the perfect circle shape. Cook the pancake mixture on a high heat for 1-2 minutes until lightly brown.

Step 5: Flip over the mixture and with a spatula, push it down so it evenly spreads and with even thickness. (Tip: It’s a pancake, not a pizza!) Cook the other side until it’s lightly brown.

Step 6: When lightly brown, lower the heat and flip the pancake every one minute until the center is evenly cooked. (Tip: Lightly poke into the pancake to see if it makes the crispy sound.)

Step 7: When both sides are cooked, slice it into 8 pieces like a pizza, and the kimchi pancake is ready to be served.