Okonomiyaki (Japanese Savory Cabbage Pancakes)

Name: Okonomiyaki (Japanese Savory Cabbage Pancakes)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled; ½ tsp (2 g) baking powder; ¼ tsp (1½ g) fine salt; ¾ cup (180 ml) dashi stock, at room temperature (or ¾ cup water mixed with ½ tsp dashi powder); 2 large (100 g) large eggs, lightly beaten; 5 cups (450 g) green cabbage, cored and finely chopped into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces; 4 whole (40 g) scallions, thinly sliced; ¼ cup (15 g) tenkasu (tempura scraps) (optional); 6 oz (170 g) thinly sliced pork belly, cut into 12 slices, each about 4 inches (10 cm) long; 2 tbsp (30 ml) neutral oil; 4 tbsp (60 ml) okonomiyaki sauce; 4 tbsp (60 g) Japanese mayonnaise, in a squeeze bottle or spoon-ready; ½ cup (10 g) bonito flakes (katsuobushi); 1 tsp (1 g) aonori (dried green seaweed flakes) (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Thick, tender cabbage pancakes topped with crisp pork belly, sweet-savory okonomiyaki sauce, creamy mayo and dancing bonito flakes. A griddle-cooked Osaka-style street food you can make at home in under an hour.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 25 min
Wait: 10 min
Total: 55 min
Makes: 4 pancakes (about 5 inches / 13 cm each)

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the pancakes
1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
½ tsp (2 g) baking powder
¼ tsp (1.5 g) fine salt
¾ cup (180 ml) dashi stock, at room temperature (or ¾ cup water mixed with ½ tsp dashi powder)
2 large (100 g) large eggs, lightly beaten
5 cups (450 g) green cabbage, cored and finely chopped into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces
4 whole (40 g) scallions, thinly sliced
¼ cup (15 g) tenkasu (tempura scraps) (optional)
6 oz (170 g) thinly sliced pork belly, cut into 12 slices, each about 4 inches (10 cm) long
2 tbsp (30 ml) neutral oil
For the toppings
4 tbsp (60 ml) okonomiyaki sauce
4 tbsp (60 g) Japanese mayonnaise, in a squeeze bottle or spoon-ready
½ cup (10 g) bonito flakes (katsuobushi)
1 tsp (1 g) aonori (dried green seaweed flakes) (optional)

Equipment (7)

Large electric griddle or two 10-inch (25 cm) nonstick skillets with lids
Large mixing bowl
Sharp chef's knife and cutting board
Wide spatula (2 if possible)
Instant-read thermometer
Baking sheet with wire rack
Silicone pastry brush or spoon for sauce

Steps

Before you start

Finely chop the cabbage into pieces about ¼ inch (6 mm) wide. Large chunks make the pancakes fall apart when flipped.
Make the dashi (or dissolve dashi powder in water) and let it cool to room temperature so it doesn't start cooking the eggs.
Have the pork belly slices cold from the fridge but separated, so they are easy to lay down flat.
Preheat the oven to 200°F (95°C) to keep the first batch warm while you cook the second.
Cook two pancakes at a time on a large griddle or in two 10-inch (25 cm) skillets. Read the timing: each batch takes about 12 minutes.

1
Chop and prepOven 200°F / 95°C
- Core the cabbage and chop it finely into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces; you need about 5 packed cups (450 g).
- Slice the scallions thinly.
- Cut the pork belly into 12 slices about 4 inches (10 cm) long and separate them.
- Preheat the oven to 200°F (95°C) and set a wire rack on a baking sheet inside.
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Ready when: Cabbage pieces are small and even, none larger than ½ inch (1.25 cm).
Tip: Cabbage cut too coarsely makes pancakes that break apart when flipped.
2
Whisk the batter
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add the dashi and beaten eggs and whisk until the batter is smooth with no dry flour pockets.
- It will be thick, like loose pancake batter.
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Ready when: Batter is smooth and drips slowly from the whisk.
3
Rest the batter
- Let the batter sit for 10 minutes so the flour hydrates and the pancakes turn out tender.
- Meanwhile, heat the griddle or skillets (next step).
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Ready when: Batter looks slightly thicker and has a few small bubbles.
4
Fold in cabbage
- Add the cabbage, scallions and tenkasu (if using) to the batter.
- Fold gently with a spatula for about 30 seconds until every shred is coated.
- Do not overmix or press down; the mixture should look more like a cabbage salad held together by batter than a pourable batter.
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Ready when: No dry flour or bare cabbage visible; mixture is loosely cohesive.
Tip: Mix right before cooking. Cabbage releases water as it sits and thins the batter.
5
Heat the griddleOven 350°F / 175°C
- Heat the griddle to 350°F (175°C), or heat two 10-inch (25 cm) nonstick skillets over medium heat for 2 minutes.
- Brush or wipe with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the oil.
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Ready when: A drop of batter sizzles gently on contact.
6
Shape and cook first side
- Scoop one-quarter of the mixture (about 1¼ cups, 230 g) onto the griddle and gently shape it into a 5-inch (13 cm) round about ¾ inch (2 cm) thick.
- Make a second pancake beside it, leaving 2 inches (5 cm) between them.
- Lay 3 slices of pork belly across the top of each.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid or inverted pan, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes.
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Ready when: Underside is deep golden brown and the edges look set and dry.
Tip: Don't press the pancakes flat with the spatula; pressing makes them dense.
7
Flip and finishOven 160°F / 70°C
- Slide a wide spatula under each pancake (use a second spatula to support the top) and flip in one confident motion.
- Cover and cook 5 minutes more over medium-low heat so the pork crisps and the center cooks through.
- Flip once more and cook 1 minute, pork-side down, to crisp the pork.
- The center should reach 160°F (71°C) and the pork 145°F (63°C).
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Ready when: Both sides deep golden brown, pork edges crisp, and the center reads 160°F (71°C) on an instant-read thermometer.
Tip: If the outside browns faster than the center cooks, lower the heat a notch.
8
Keep warm, repeatOven 200°F / 95°C
- Transfer the first two pancakes to the rack in the 200°F (95°C) oven.
- Wipe the griddle, add the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil, and repeat shaping and cooking with the remaining mixture and pork.
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Ready when: Second batch is golden on both sides and reads 160°F (71°C) in the center.
Tip: Stir the remaining mixture before scooping; liquid settles to the bottom.
9
Sauce and top
- Place each pancake pork-side up on a plate.
- Brush or spoon 1 tablespoon okonomiyaki sauce over each, then drizzle with 1 tablespoon mayonnaise in a zigzag pattern.
- Finish with a generous pinch of bonito flakes and a sprinkle of aonori, if using.
- Serve immediately, cut into wedges, while the bonito flakes still sway from the steam.
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Ready when: Pancakes are glossy with sauce and topped with bonito flakes.
Tip: Sauce and top just before eating so the crisp pork and edges stay crunchy.

Good to know

Tips

Keep the cabbage pieces small and the mixture loose; the pancake should stay fluffy, not dense.
Use medium-low heat and a lid so the thick center cooks before the outside burns.
Flip with confidence using two spatulas; hesitating makes the pancake break.
Add shrimp, squid or a slice of cheese on top for variations, as long as seafood is cooked through.

Make ahead

"Chop the cabbage and scallions up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate in an airtight container. Whisk the dry ingredients ahead, but don't combine with the liquids or fold in the cabbage until just before cooking."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Fridge: store untopped pancakes in an airtight container up to 3 days. Freezer: wrap individually and freeze up to 2 months. Reheat from the fridge in a covered nonstick skillet over medium-low heat for 4 to 5 minutes per side, or from frozen for 6 to 7 minutes per side, until hot throughout and crisp; then add toppings."

Substitutions

thinly sliced pork belly → thin-sliced bacon. Cut slices in half; the bacon is smokier and crisps faster, so cook through to 145°F (63°C) as well.
okonomiyaki sauce → 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 2 tbsp ketchup, 1 tsp soy sauce and 1 tsp sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves; makes about 4 tablespoons.
dashi stock → water. The pancakes will taste milder; add an extra pinch of salt.
Japanese mayonnaise → regular mayonnaise. Thin with a teaspoon of rice vinegar if you want the tang of Japanese mayo.