This Japanese cabbage pancake is a savory, okonomiyaki style pancake: 2 cups of finely shredded green cabbage bound with ¾ cup of flour, 2 eggs and ½ cup of water or dashi, cooked as one thick round. It takes about 30 minutes and serves 3.
Cook it over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes per side and do not press it down. The steam trapped inside softens the cabbage while the outside browns. Finish it the street food way, with zigzags of okonomiyaki sauce and Japanese mayo, green onions and a pinch of bonito flakes.
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Close enough that the names get swapped. Okonomiyaki roughly means “grilled as you like it,” and in Japan it is a cabbage pancake cooked on a griddle with whatever fillings you choose. Restaurant versions often add grated nagaimo yam for a fluffier middle and crunchy tempura bits. This home version keeps to pantry staples, so call it okonomiyaki style.
A Korean cabbage pancake is a different dish. It uses more liquid and less cabbage, so it fries up thin and crisp, and it is dipped in a soy and vinegar sauce instead of topped with sweet sauce and mayo. If you want a thick, soft centered pancake with a browned crust, you want the Japanese one.
What Goes Into the Batter and on Top
- Batter: 2 cups finely shredded green cabbage, ¾ cup all purpose flour, 2 large eggs, ½ cup water or dashi stock, 2 sliced green onions, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Optional add ins: ½ cup each of cooked shrimp, thinly sliced pork belly, shredded carrots or cooked bacon
- Toppings: 2 tablespoons okonomiyaki sauce (or a thick, sweet barbecue sauce), 2 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon chopped green onions, 1 tablespoon bonito flakes and 1 teaspoon dried seaweed flakes
- For the pan: 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Dashi gives the pancake a deeper savory taste than water. Instant dashi granules dissolved in hot water are fine, just let it cool before it goes into the eggs. Japanese mayo is made with egg yolks and tastes richer and tangier than regular mayonnaise. Without okonomiyaki sauce, a thick sweet barbecue sauce stands in well.
Shredding the Cabbage Thin and Short
The cabbage is most of the pancake, so how you cut it decides the texture. Slice it as thin as you can, about ⅛ inch, then run the knife across the pile a few times so no strand is longer than an inch or so. Long ribbons do not bind and the pancake tears when you flip it. Thick pieces stay crunchy and raw in the middle.
Measure the 2 cups loosely packed. Whisk the flour, eggs, water or dashi, salt and pepper into a smooth batter in a separate bowl. A few small lumps are fine. Pour it over the cabbage with the green onions and any add ins, and fold until every shred is coated. The mix should look like cabbage held together by batter, not batter with cabbage in it.
Do this right before cooking. Salt pulls water out of cabbage, and a bowl that sits for 20 minutes turns loose and soupy.
Cooking a Thick Round Without a Raw Middle
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat with about 1 tablespoon of oil, until the oil shimmers. Scoop in the cabbage mixture and shape it into a round about 1 inch thick. It should sizzle gently, not spit. If you are using pork belly, lay the slices over the raw top now.
Leave it alone for 5 to 6 minutes. Pressing it with the spatula squeezes out the steam that cooks the cabbage and makes the pancake dense. It is ready to flip when the edges look set and dry and the underside is a deep golden brown.
Watch the heat. If the bottom browns in 3 minutes, the middle will still be raw when the outside is done. Lower the heat a notch, and if the second side colors before the center sets, cover the pan for a minute or two so the steam finishes the job.
Flipping It in One Piece
Slide a wide spatula under the whole pancake and turn it in one quick motion. The pork belly, now underneath, crisps against the pan. Add a little more oil around the edge if the pan looks dry, then cook the second side for another 5 to 6 minutes.
Nervous about the flip? Use a plate. Set a plate over the skillet, turn the pan over so the pancake lands browned side up on the plate, then slide it back into the skillet raw side down.
To check that it is done, push a skewer or thin knife into the middle. It should come out with no wet batter, and the cabbage inside should be soft and steaming.
Sauce, Mayo and Bonito: Topping It Like Street Food
Slide the pancake onto a plate and top it while it is hot. Drizzle the okonomiyaki sauce in zigzag lines, then pipe the mayonnaise across it. A small zip bag with the corner snipped off gives thin, even lines. Scatter the green onions, bonito flakes and seaweed flakes over the top.
The bonito flakes curl and wave in the heat, which is part of the fun. Leave them and the seaweed off for a vegetarian pancake and use water instead of dashi, since dashi is usually made with bonito. Cut it into wedges and serve right away, while the crust is still crisp.
Shrimp, Pork Belly or Just Cabbage
Plain cabbage and green onion make a light lunch. Cooked shrimp or bacon pieces fold straight into the batter, since they only need warming through. Pork belly goes on top as raw thin slices and cooks in the pan, which is the classic okonomiyaki way. Shredded carrot adds color and a little sweetness.
Keep the add ins to about ½ cup each, or the batter cannot hold everything together. For a party, cook smaller pancakes about 4 inches across. They cook faster and flip more easily, and you can top them just before serving.
Leftovers That Crisp Up Again
Store leftover pancake without toppings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat it in a skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side so the crust crisps again. The microwave warms it but leaves it soft. Add fresh sauce and mayo after reheating.
What People Ask About Cabbage Pancakes
Why is my cabbage pancake soggy in the middle?
The heat was too high, so the outside browned before the center cooked, or the pancake was pressed flat and lost its steam. Cook it over medium heat and cover the pan for a minute if needed.
Can I make it without eggs?
The eggs hold the cabbage together, so this recipe needs them. Without eggs the pancake falls apart in the pan.
What do you eat with Japanese cabbage pancakes?
A bowl of miso soup, rice or quick pickles turn it into dinner. For dessert, keep the Japanese theme with mango mochi, a scoop of matcha ice cream or a slice of Japanese cheesecake.
Are there sweet Japanese pancakes too?
Yes. Japanese souffle pancakes are tall, jiggly and sweet, the opposite of this one. For another bake from Japan, try soft Hokkaido milk bread, and for cabbage in a sweet dish, this sweet cabbage strudel is a surprise worth trying.
Japanese Cabbage Pancake Recipe
This Japanese cabbage pancake is a savory okonomiyaki style pancake made with finely shredded green cabbage, flour, eggs, water or dashi stock and green onions, topped with okonomiyaki sauce and Japanese mayonnaise. It is ready in about 30 minutes and makes one thick pancake, 3 servings, with a browned, crisp edged crust and a soft, tender cabbage center. Cook it over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes per side without pressing it, so the trapped steam cooks the cabbage through. Serve this cabbage pancake recipe as a quick lunch or dinner, add shrimp, pork belly, bacon or carrots, or keep it vegetarian with plain cabbage and water. Leftovers keep 3 days in the fridge.
Ingredients
- FOR THE PANCAKE BATTER
- 2 cups finely shredded green cabbage
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup water or dashi stock
- 2 green onions, sliced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- FOR OPTIONAL ADD-INS
- ½ cup cooked shrimp
- ½ cup thinly sliced pork belly
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- ½ cup cooked bacon pieces
- FOR THE TOPPINGS
- 2 tablespoons okonomiyaki sauce or thick sweet barbecue sauce
- 2 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon chopped green onions
- 1 tablespoon bonito flakes (optional)
- 1 teaspoon dried seaweed flakes (optional)
- FOR COOKING
- 1–2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
PREPARE THE CABBAGE: Finely shred the green cabbage using a sharp knife. Thin slices help the cabbage soften quickly during cooking and blend evenly into the batter. Place the shredded cabbage into a large mixing bowl.
MIX THE BATTER: In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, eggs, water or dashi stock, salt, and black pepper until a smooth batter forms. A few small lumps are acceptable as long as the mixture is evenly combined.
COMBINE THE INGREDIENTS: Pour the batter over the shredded cabbage. Add sliced green onions and any optional add-ins such as shrimp, pork belly, carrots, or bacon. Gently fold the mixture together until the cabbage is evenly coated with batter. The mixture should appear heavy with cabbage, which creates the correct texture after cooking.
HEAT THE PAN: Place a large nonstick skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Add about 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and allow it to heat until it lightly shimmers.
COOK THE FIRST SIDE: Scoop the cabbage mixture into the hot skillet and shape it into a round pancake about 1 inch thick. Cook for 5–6 minutes without pressing it down so the bottom develops a golden crust. If using pork belly slices, place them on top of the pancake while the first side cooks.
FLIP THE PANCAKE: Slide a large spatula under the pancake and carefully flip it over. Cook the second side for another 5–6 minutes until the pancake is golden brown and the cabbage inside becomes tender.
ADD THE TOPPINGS: Transfer the cooked pancake to a serving plate. Drizzle okonomiyaki sauce in zigzag lines across the surface, then drizzle Japanese mayonnaise over the sauce. Sprinkle chopped green onions, bonito flakes, and dried seaweed flakes on top before serving.
Notes
Thinly sliced cabbage cooks more evenly and creates a lighter texture inside the pancake; cut long strands shorter so the pancake holds together.
Mix the batter into the cabbage right before cooking, because salt draws water from the cabbage and a mixture that sits turns loose.
Medium heat helps cook the cabbage fully while allowing the outside to brown. Do not press the pancake down; if the outside browns before the center sets, cover the pan for a minute or two.
If flipping feels difficult, place a plate over the skillet, invert the pan so the pancake lands on the plate, then slide it back into the skillet to cook the second side.
Leftover pancakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated in a skillet over medium heat to restore crisp texture. Add toppings after reheating.
