Indulge in a unique snack that combines flavors from Mexico and Korea – the Street Corn Kimchi Pancake. This mouthwatering concoction brings together the flavors of classic street corn with the tangy, spicy kick of a kimchi pancake! Kimchi pancakes are pretty easy and straightforward to make. You can whip this up in no time in the comfort of your own kitchen! This foolproof recipe will have you making pancakes that are chewy on the inside, super crispy on the edges, and infused with the flavors of elote and tart, spicy kimchi!

The inspiration for this recipe

Last week I made some corn fritters for a TV segment for national corn fritter day. I topped the fritters like you would top Mexican Street corn – with a lime and mayo mixture, some cotija cheese, and lots of cilantro. I had all the ingredients out and the idea of doing the same thing with a kimchi pancake popped into my head. At first, I was just going to load up the pancake batter with corn, but I ended up adding a little kimchi so it would be a true mashup of flavors. I topped it with a lime mayo, cotija, cilantro, and chili powder. I also drizzled on a soy sauce mixture that would have normally been served with a traditional kimchi pancake.

Making the pancake batter

Corn, kimchi, kimchi juice, rice vinegar, flour, and cornstarch. That’s it! Stir it together and add it to a super hot pan with plenty of oil.

You can see how hot it is here because it is sizzling so much as the batter settles in the pan. I like to shake the pan a bit and use a spatula to spread it out. The batter is a bit thicker than a regular pancake so it needs help flattening out.

Getting a nice crispy crust on the street corn kimchi pancake

Brown it well, then flip to brown the other side. So crispy! You want these nice browned spots, that’s how you know it will be perfectly crisp.

Serving the street corn kimchi pancake

Slice it up and put it on the serving plate.

Then add all the toppings!

mayo first on the street corn kimchi pancake

First a drizzle of mayo-lime-chili powder, and then a drizzle of soy-sesame-sriracha-vinegar.

then cheese and cilantro to finish the street corn kimchi pancake

And finally, cotija cheese, tons of cilantro, Korean chili flakes, and sesame seeds.

So damn good! A great combo of street corn flavors and kimchi pancake flavors, all served it that classic kimchi pancake package. A little crispy, a little chewy, and the fresh summer corn popping in your mouth as you take a bite. I originally made this on a live stream, so check it out if you want to watch the recipe being made.

Twists on this dish

If you are looking for more information about a traditional kimchi pancake, or kimchijeon, check out this post. That is the one I used the first time I ever made them, and it is easy to follow.

As a shortcut, you could also just buy a frozen kimchi pancake from a Korean market, (or they even have them at trader joes) and top it with these street corn style ingredients.

If you love kimchi pancakes like me and want to see some more unique twists on them, check out my kimchi pancake burger, or these pickle pancakes inspired by kimchi pancakes!

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Street Corn Kimchi Pancake

A kimchi pancake made with the flavors of street corn on the inside as well as on top.

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Total Time25

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: Korean, Mexican

Servings: people

Calories: 1157kcal

Ingredients

PANCAKE

2 cups fresh summer corn cut from a cob
1/2 cup kimchi
3/4 cups flour
3/4 cups cornstarch or potato starch
1/4 cup kimchi juices
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

TOPPINGS

1/2 cup mayo
1 Lime
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons sriracha
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese
korean chili flakes
sesame seeds

Instructions

Mix the corn and kimchi in a large bowl. Add in the flour and cornstarch and stir to combine. Add in the kimchi juices, rice vinegar, and cilantro and stir. Add in a little water as needed to form a thick pancake batter texture.
Mix the mayo, lime, and smoked paprika in a bowl, set aside in the fridge. Mix the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame, sriracha, and honey in another bowl. Set aside in the fridge.
Bring some oil to high heat in a frying pan and add as much of the pancake mixture as you can to fit in the pan and be about a half inch thick. Cook about 3-5 minutes until browned on the bottom. Flip and cook another 5 minutes until cooked through.
Repeat with remaining batter.
Slice the pancakes and arrange on the serving platter.
Drizzle on the mayo mixture, then the soy sauce mixture. Top with cojita, cilantro, chili flakes, and sesame seeds.

Nutrition