I know, I know, two cabbage recipes in a row? While I’m sure some of you are delighted, some might be totally “over” cabbage. But I’m all about reducing waste over here, so I needed to find a recipe to use up my leftover cabbage, carrot, and green onion from my Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry. I decided to try my hand at Okonomiyaki, or Japanese savory cabbage pancakes. And as per usual, this is my interpretation of Okonomiyaki, not a traditional representation of the dish. I love putting spins on classics to make them work for my pantry and taste buds.
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What Else Can You Add to Cabbage Pancakes?
What attracted me to this dish is the extreme flexibility of ingredients, which makes it a great “sweep the kitchen” recipe. And you know how I love recipes that accept whatever leftovers you might happen to have in the fridge at the time!
I didn’t buy anything special ingredients for my cabbage pancakes. Instead, I used all the ingredients that I had on hand, and you can too. Other vegetables that would be great in these pancakes include:
- kale
- bean sprouts
- radish
- shredded broccoli or Brussels sprouts
- zucchini.
In addition to vegetables, you can toss all sorts of meat into your pancakes. Try:
- shrimp
- canned salmon
- shredded chicken
- pork
- bacon
Have Fun with Toppings!
And that’s just what you can put IN your cabbage pancakes. Don’t even get me started with what you can put ON your pancakes. Traditionally, Okonomiyaki has a special sauce that is kind of sweet-salty-tangy (here’s a great Okonomiyaki Sauce recipe from Just One Cookbook if you want to give it a try!). But since I was using what I had on hand today, I went a different route.
I kept it simple with a drizzle of sriracha mayo, sesame seeds, and sliced green onion, but you could do hoisin sauce, toasted seaweed snacks, a fried egg, bonito flakes, pickled ginger, kimchi, or anything else you like. Honestly, the toppings are where it’s at for this recipe. It’s like pizza (and sometimes called Japanese pizza). The toppings make it fun, unique, and just all around extra special.
So, what do you have in your fridge that you could put in or on a savory cabbage pancake?
Cabbage Pancakes (Okonomiyaki)
Servings 6 6-inch pancakesIngredients
PANCAKES
- 2 extra large eggs ($0.53)
- 1/2 cup water ($0.00)
- 1.5 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.14)
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil ($0.33)
- 3/4 to 1 cup all-purpose flour ($0.07)
- 4-5 cups shredded green cabbage ($1.78)
- 1 carrot ( $0.11)
- 3 green onions ($0.17)
- 2 Tbsp oil for frying ($0.04)
TOPPINGS
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise ($0.28)
- 2 Tbsp sriracha ($0.10)
- 1/2 Tbsp sesame seeds ($0.04)
- 2 green onions ($0.11)
Instructions
- Remove any wilted leaves from the outside of the cabbage. Cut the cabbage into quarters and remove the core. Thinly slice or shred half of the cabbage, or until you have 4-5 cups shredded cabbage. Peel the carrot and shred it using a large-holed cheese grater. Slice the green onions.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, water, soy sauce, and sesame oil until smooth. Begin whisking in the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until it forms a thick, smooth batter (about 3/4 to1 cup total flour).
- Add the cabbage, carrots, and green onion to the batter and stir until the vegetables are mixed and everything is evenly coated in batter.
- Heat 1/2 Tbsp oil in a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add 3/4 cup of the vegetable and batter mixture. Press it down into the hot skillet to form a circle, about 6 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick. Place a cover on the skillet to hold in the steam, which will help the cabbage soften as it cooks. Cook the pancake until golden brown on the bottom (3-5 minutes), then flip and cook until golden brown on the second side. Pile the cooked pancakes on a plate and cover with foil to keep warm until ready to eat. Add more oil to the skillet as needed as you cook the pancakes.
- To prepare the sriracha mayo, mix together 1/4 cup mayonnaise and 2 Tbsp sriracha in a small bowl. Drizzle the sriracha mayo over the pancakes just before serving, followed with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and sliced green onion.
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Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Cabbage Pancakes – Step by Step Photos
Begin by shredding the vegetables. You can use a food processor, mandolin, or just a knife. Just remember, the thinner the better. Shred 1/2 of a small head of cabbage (4-5 cups once shredded), 1 carrot (about 1/2 cup), and slice three green onions.
In a large bowl, whisk together 2 extra large eggs, 1/2 cup water, 1.5 Tbsp soy sauce, and 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil until smooth.
Begin whisking in flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until it forms a thick, smooth batter. You’ll need between 3/4 to 1 cup flour.
Add the cabbage, carrots, and green onion to the batter, then stir until everything is well mixed and coated in batter.
Since eggs and flour both like to stick to surfaces when cooked, I highly suggest using some sort of non-stick surface in addition to the oil. I used a cast iron skillet. Heat about 1/2 Tbsp cooking oil in the skillet over medium heat. Once hot, place about 3/4 cup of the vegetable and batter mixture into the skillet. Press the mixture down to form a 6-inch circle that is about 1/2 inch thick. Place a lid on the skillet to hold in the steam (this helps soften the cabbage) and cook until it is golden brown on the bottom (3-5 minutes). Flip the pancake and cook on the second side until golden brown as well. I could actually fit two pancakes in this skillet, but doing one at a time made for prettier pictures. :P
To make the sriracha mayo, stir together 1/4 cup mayonnaise with 2 Tbsp sriracha.
Drizzle the sriracha mayo over the savory cabbage pancake and then top with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and more sliced onion. Dig in!
This is my favorite way to use up leftovers in the fridge. Have some old lunchmeat, leeks, radishes, celery, rotisserie chicken, broccoli, mushrooms, peas, seafood, pork chops or anything else you need to use up before it goes bad? Throw it in there! As long as you have the base ingredients you can’t go wrong. Used to make these for my roommates and neighbors in grad school and now I make them for my husband. Always a crowd favorite!
Great way to use up leftover cabbage!
Forgot to add the stars
This was delicious! My husband overbought bags of coleslaw mix and this was an excellent use for it.
Easy to make and the toppings added a lot of
flavour. Keeper recipe
Has anyone tried to freeze these?
Healthy, keto friendly, and yummy! I made a large single serving and simply estimated the ingredients, and it came out delicious. I used almond flour, added thinly sliced ham, chili pepper flakes, and served it with miso soup. Total time was 15 minutes for a quick meal with big flavor!
These are so tastey and versitile. I didn’t have soy sauce so used Korean BBQ sauce – yum. I added some shredded ginger and turnip. It seemed like there was too much veggies but after a really good stir, things came together nicely. Served with chicken marinated in tarragon mustard. Definitely a keeper!
Made these for lunch using a little canned salmon. Only change was we added bonito flakes and eel sauce left over from previous sushi prep. They were heavenly. Completely unexpected considering the simple ingredients. Will be adding them to our regular menu. Thank you.
Delicious! I loved these. I used whole wheat flour for about half and it worked well. It’s so versatile.
Not sure how it would work here with the ratios, but the liquid drained from canned chickpeas is often used as an egg substitute.
I’ve made these tons of times, and I usually add shrimp to the mixture. If your batter is too thin, just add more flour, even if you’ve already mixed everything together :)
Have I ever rated these before? I’ve made them about 100 times. They’re probably one of my top 3 or 5 favorites on this site. I had them for dinner again tonight and just kept thinking how tasty they are. I’ve made them in my mini waffle maker on occasion. I always make them with some sort of GF flour, usually Trader Joe’s all purpose gf. Tonight I used a Pamela’s whole grain pancake mix. I’ve made them without flour (used psyllium husks) when avoiding starch. They’re good every time.
Is there anything you can use instead of eggs?
We’ve only made them using egg as the binder, i’m afraid!
You can try ground flaxseed or chia seeds. If you don’t want to grind your own, buy the meal that is already ground for you. 1 ground tablespoon of either, plus 3 tablespoons of water equals 1 large egg. You mix the meal with the water and let it stand for 5-30 minutes to thicken and use it like you would an egg. This is a 1:1 replacement. It does, however, impart a slightly nutty taste to things, so you might want to replace the sesame seed oil for frying.
I have friends who use silken tofu. 1/4 cup of pureed silken tofu replaces 1 egg. I’m not sure I’d use this for this recipe though. I don’t think it would cook up nice and taste good. My friends use it for baking.
They also sell egg substitutes in the grocery store that would probably work well with this recipe. I would try those before I did the flax or chia egg substitutes.
I love your recipes! They have made cooking for my family so much more enjoyable and delicious! Do you think that this recipe would work with red cabbage, or only green cabbage? I have some leftover red cabbage and I’m trying to find creative ways to use it up!
Thank you! I wanted to use some leftover cabbage that I had from a salad I made at Christmas. Your recipe made it easy for me to make some delicious cabbage pancakes using what I already had. Cheers!
Curious if we think these would work in a waffle maker. I’ve got a 4 year old who loves using the waffle maker, but I’m running out of things to waffle.
One of my favorite go to recipes. Once I brought a ton of leftover coleslaw and pulled pork home from the office and made okonomiyaki out of that. Incredible! A little egg and flour is like magic.
Super delicious! My husband is a little suspicious of anything savory being called a “pancake” so I told him they were “Japanese cabbage hashbrowns” and he loved them lol
Will make again for sure!
Okay so I made this with 1/2 a cabbage and didn’t realize until halfway through that I had essentially doubled the recipe. Made ingredient changes accordingly, but making these form pancakes was a struggle. I divided the batter between 2 well-greased and foil-lined rimmed baking sheets and baked them for 40 minutes at 400 F, switching them halfway through. Basically did a bulk sheetpan hashbrowns thing. It totally worked and saved me some effort and my meal! Terrific with sriracha and fried eggs.
These are wonderful, like vegetable comfort food. This is my preferred way to use a leftover 1/2 cabbage. Delicious!
I know you made it clear that this is your own version of okonomiyaki, but I prefer the original okonomiyaki, Hiroshima style. Nothing beats that. And never top with mayo!
I am trying this recipe right now!
I agree that I prefer the original okonomiyaki – but it’s traditional to top with mayo :) to be exact, mayo, okonomiyaki sauce, and bonito flakes!
My daughter literally said “Dad did you put drugs in these? They are addicting!”
Hahaha! I love it. :)
Super tasty and easy, great way to use up extra shredded cabbage! I made these as two big pancakes and next time I’ll make them smaller little pancakes for easier meal prep. Will be cooking this again!
Made it with ground Turkey and they couldn’t get enough. Came out really good. 😃
The family loved it. Thank you :)
Do theses freeze well? If so, how to serve after?
Fully cooked Okonomiyaki freeze well. Do not add toppings. Transfer fully cooked and cooled pancakes into an airtight container and store in the freezer for 1-2 months. Thaw and reheat until steaming.
Thank you for the great recipe! I mixed in half pancake mix and half flour, and used our panini maker with buttered griddle pans. My kids and I had a great time making these delicious okonomiyoki!
Cabbage Pancakes, Yummy I can’t wait to try it. It reminds me of Egg Foo young. I am super excited!!
I loved the concept and adapted it to what I harvested from the garden: radishes and radish greens. (No cabbage) Worked out wonderfully! Also added shredded carrots and green onions like the recipe. Thanks!
Hi. Any clue what I could substitute for the toasted sesame oil, and do you think I could use red onion and cabbage instead of the green alternatives? Thanks!
The toasted sesame oil is pretty unique and does bring a lot of flavor to the pancake batter. I’m not sure there’s anything similar that you could replace it with, but you could definitely try toasting some sesame seeds in a skillet then adding them to the batter. You can try red onion and red cabbage, just keep in mind that they will change both the flavor and appearance of the pancakes.
second time making these… added some prawns this time and served with an easy sauce (ketchup, sugar, worcestercire, soy sauce, srirach) this time. chefs kiss. love this for a cheap easy dinner
While I was cooking these up I put some rice in the pan and frozen dumplings in the steamer of my rice cooker. Made a nice whole meal with pretty minimal effort and cost
Had some cabbage and shredded chicken that needed used up, so used this recipe as a base. Subbed the scallions for red onion, left out the carrots (already roasted some for a side), and used chipotle ranch for the sauce. Made for a super tasty dinner that also helped clean out the fridge!
Can you cook these in an air fryer? Thanks
Since this recipe wasn’t developed for the air fryer, and we haven’t tested it that way, I hesitate to give you any specific suggestions because they may not be successful. That being said, you can always test out a small amount in the air fryer and see how it goes — and then if it doesn’t work out, you can switch over to the method we outlined in the recipe! ~ Marion :)
Great Recipe for SAVORY CABBAGE PANCAKES (OKONOMIYAKI). It’s a different variation. Bcuz some other Recipes you need to pre-cook + drain the Cabbage, wait for it to cool off, then squeeze out any water from the pre-cooked Cabbage. This Recipe is faster + a bit easier.
Is it possible that I have seen you taking part in Guy’s grocery games?
You made that and got to the next round. It sounds absolute delicious and I am going to make it.
Looking forward to your recipes.
I’m not absolutely certain if Monti has been on GGG, but it wouldn’t surprise me one bit! (And she’s not near me right now to confirm!) But she’s the real deal, that’s for sure, and you’ve likely seen her somewhere on TV…Food Network, MasterChef, Netflix, etc. If you click her image at the top of the recipe, it will take you to her bio and all the recipes she’s made for BB! ~Marion :)
Thank you for my new favorite breakfast! Made these for this morning and immediately whipped up another batch for a breakfast meal prep. Hoping the veggies keep me full in the mornings which is usually a struggle. Yay for breakfast veggies!
So easy and so good!!! Was a hit with my family, served it with a little white rice and kimchi on the side.
I keep trying these and I just can’t get them to work. I think next time I’ll omit the water and get a batter that’s less thick than pancake but thicker than I’m getting with this recipe. The flavor is great, but the texture is not.
Thank you for this recipe! Okonomiyaki is another favorite food among the Japanese and other individuals around the world. The meal is famous in parts like Hiroshima and Osaka which are in the western part of Japan. Preparation of Okonomiyaki requires a griddle that facilitates its preparation. You can find more facts about Okonomiyaki here: https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-cultural-presentation-of-sushi-and-okonomiyaki-recipes/
Hello! If anyone subs a gluten free flour in this recipe, can you tell me what you used?
Looks delicious
Hi, Jo! We haven’t tested this recipe using GF flour, so I can’t promise equally successful results. However, I will say — the founder of one of our sister blogs (Mama Knows Gluten Free) is a HUGE fan of Pillsbury’s Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour (available at Walmart) and they use it in all their recipes. It *should* be a 1:1 substitution for the conventional AP flour in this recipe — as should any other brand of GF flour that promises the same ease in substitution. Good luck & let us know how it goes if you try it! ~ Marion :)
https://www.mamaknowsglutenfree.com/
I just harvested a cabbage from my garden that is so nice and sweet so I wanted some of these bad boys. Recipe didn’t disappoint even with my modifications for what I had in the house. Too tasty.
Can you freeze the pancakes?
Yes- but the texture will change.
This is an amazing recipe. I add a few extra carrots and use a whole bunch of scallions and the batter amount still works fine :)
just to save time I buy a bag of 3 color coleslaw and add smoked salmon for a little extra protein…………very good
I forgot to say – sometimes I put a slice of bacon in the pan and form the pancake on top of it so that the bacon cooks into it. Delicious!! Similar to the Okonomiyaki that I had at a Japanese bazaar.
This is one of my favorite recipes. I’m making it just for me, so I make half a batch. I make one pancake and store the rest in the fridge. The next day I give it a stir and make another pancake. The batter is a little thinner on the 2nd and 3rd days but it still cooks up fine. I top it with the Okonomiyaki sauce that you linked, sriracha mayo, and a fried egg. Yummy!!
Love this
Wow! crazy delicious, such a great way too use up cabbage. This will be on repeat!
I’m very interested in this recipe but looking for some protein. When and how much canned salmon would I add?
Depending on how salmon heavy you want to go, add anywhere from 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of drained canned salmon to the batter. Do it when you add the cabbage etc. Have fun with these! They’re yummy. XOXO -Monti
Easy well written recipe but they were very bland even with siracha mayo. Much better after I added salt and more soy to batter and dipped in some dumpling sauce.
I made a mistake, I was trying to make a half batch, but forgot I was doing that when I was adding the soy sauce and sesame oil and added the full amounts. I added a tiny bit of extra water (<.25 cup) and flour (maybe an extra tbsp) to adjust and they turned out great! Can't compare to the recipe as is unfortunately, but I suspect the normal recipe can probably handle extra soy and sesame.
I have made a few different okonomiyaki recipes. This one is the best. I don’t know if it is anything like original, but I like this version very much.
I made a different sauce, and topped it with the onions, some furekake and some japanese style pink ginger (Lidl).
I might make this again…tomorrow.
I’ve made this recipe many times and love it. I was wondering if anyone has an idea about how to lower the carb content y replacing the flour with something else without sacrificing taste?
I made these w/o the flour and carrot, added just a little bit of ground flax to act as a binder. They were fragile and definitely did not resemble a puffy pancake but they were delicious!
Very very good. I’ve made this 3 times total now but somehow I haven’t been able to replicate the crispy edges as well as I did the first time! Didn’t have sriracha so used mayo & soy sauce – not the best but this pancake screams for a dipping partner.
Haven’t tried freezing but leftovers are okay as long as you reheat in a skillet not the microwave. You’ll get the crispyness back
To be honest this recipe is nothing close to the original Japanese okonomiyaki. It just cabbage pancake. Not bad, but I was expecting more flavor.
We ended up adding more soy spice, cause otherwise they were too bland.
Third time making these. Very tasty
Amazing! I made it with some chopped shrimp so tasty!
I’m a morning person and had some extra cabbage so wanted to try this. The plan is to have them later or even freeze them. My husband was skeptical and I made him taste one at 8:00 am and he said, “that is absolutely amazing!” They are VERY good!!! Thank you! I had 3 heads of extra cabbage from our garden!
Did you end up freezing them? Did it work well? I was hoping to do the same but didn’t know how well it would work. I’d love to hear how it worked for you!
Yummy and easy. Not a fan of toasted sesame oil, so I subbed olive oil. The pancakes released from a regular fry pan fine if the pan and oil were hot when the batter went in. We experimented with toppings and found our favorite is just a sprinkle of salt and some ketchup on the side.
Plan on serving this as a side with beef teriyaki and stir fried pea pods.
So delicious! We love okonomiyaki from our time in Japan and have always been too nervous to try making it. This recipe was easy and I had most of the ingredients at home. Cast iron worked beautifully. 5 stars and will add this to my regular recipe rotation.
These were tasty but took some practice. I used a cast iron and burnt the first few before realizing the lid was making it really hot, so I had to lower the heat more than I’m used to for pan frying.
This fed my boyfriend and I with only one pancake leftover, so I’d add a side dish if making this for more people.
Can these be made with almond flour instead?
I haven’t tried that, but almond flour has very different characteristics than wheat flour, so I wouldn’t expect it to turn out the same.
Love this recipe! I now keep shredded cabbage in my frig just to make these. I substituted high protein pancake mix for the flour and egg whites to increase the amount of protein and decrease the fat. I use Miracle Whip salad dressing in place of mayo for an extra tang. FYI: at best this recipe only serves 2 or 3 people. Too yummy to serve 6!
This is so fast, and so easy! It started out as a way to use up some leftover cabbage, but now this is definitely going into our regular rotation. We made the okonomiyaki sauce linked above to go with it, and pancakes + sauce + green onions = YUM.
I’m still in the “getting to know you” phase with the new food processor I got for Christmas, so the shredded cabbage ended up more like minced, oops. I think the pancakes held together better this way, but I’m eager to see what the texture is like with properly shredded cabbage.
I needed to use up a bag of coleslaw mix and this worked perfectly! I followed the recipe exactly except I made 2-3 HUGE pancakes. They were so delicious!!!!!! I need to add to the 5 star count because it is well deserved
So delicious and easy!
Amazing!!! I measured my shredded cabbage which was averaged sized and half a head made 7 cups so I left two cups for something else. I’m glad I did because the proportions were perfect.
These sound delicious! The carb count is fairly high for one cabbage pancake though and due to medical condition, I have to watch my carbs intake. I wonder if I substituted cheese for the flour to bind the cabbage and egg together if it would work. I’m definitely going to try it though. Excellent recipe!
I’ve made this with no flour at all. and no cheese. I’m also low carb. It tastes a little more eggy, similar to egg foo young, but it’s delicious, quick, cheap, and nutritious. Kinda perfect.
I made a similar recipe using coconut flour to make it Keto. It came out very well.
I blame this site for my recent obsession with all things cabbage – killing it with the cabbage recipes! I make a version of this using kimchi (chopped) and the brine from the jar in place of cabbage and water, which adds some extra flavor and spice. It’s delicious for any meal, but I especially love it for breakfast over jasmine rice with a soft egg and tons of green onions on top. YUM.
Cabbage is so underrated! Haha! :)
Simple and so so tasty! We devoured them and I’m excited to make them again.
Delicious! I used gluten free flour (Bob’s Red Mill all purpose) and a little more oil for frying and I got 10 cakes using about 1/4 to 1/3 cup mix each (about 1/4 cup oil total and I cooked 4 at a time) . My husband was super impressed, he said he doubted these when I told him I was making “Japanese latkes” but he loved them.
I used Bob’s Red Mill too! It really is the best gluten-free flour.
Haha, they really are Japanese latkes, aren’t they?
We love these and serve the leftover pancakes reheated in the microwave with green enchilada sauce, shredded cheese and a fried egg for breakfast. Japanese and Mexican together. Can’t go wrong!
Have had this a few times as I buy cabbage when it’s on special just to have this! It’s insanely cheap, and when paired with sriracha, is really tasty. I feed just two of us with plenty of leftovers for the next day. This is something I’ll always come back to because it’s just so easy and with just one whole cabbage you can make an impressive amount.
I also like to chuck in other veges if I have them on hand like cauliflower and mushroom.
Highly recommend sambal oelek for the mayo mixture! Although hotter, so mix maybe a teaspoon at a time to get find the right heat
these look so delicious! how can i store them in the fridge or freezer and for how long? thank you!
I just put them in a food storage container and keep them in the fridge for up to four days or so. :) You can reheat in the microwave or in a skillet.
I make this frequently as my family requests it often! We mix it up with various veggies and toppings. It’s always a hit. Great recipe.
These were delicious! The okonomiyaki restaurant near us has been closed due to lockdown, so this recipe was a great way to fulfill a growing craving. We did them with bacon in the batter, and topped with mayo, tonkatsu sauce, and a bit of furikake.
I loved this recipe! I did add some Kale I had lying around which probably made it less battery like, but it was still tasty.
Woah woah woah! These are amazing! Made them because we had a head of cabbage that was getting old and I didn’t want to waste it. Didn’t quite have everything (subbed white onion for green onion and garlic chili paste in the spicy mayo instead of sriracha) but this was a pretty forgiving recipe. My husband was skeptical and typically hates mayo but ate 2 of these up with the spicy mayo happily. I just reheated one for lunch and it was still terrific. Will be making again and saving for kiddos to eat as they get older. Seems like a good way to sneak in some veggies in a fun way. Thanks again, Beth and team for a great recipe!
You stated not to add the cabbage to the batter, if planning to use the next day, as the salt would pull out the water in the cabbage and make a lumpy mess — but — then said these could be frozen. Won’t the salt still pull out the water from the cabbage resulting in soggy mess?
You’ll want to freeze them after cooking, so they won’t be soggy then.
LOVE THIS! I made it as written the first time, then last night decided to cook it in a waffle iron! I know, this pandemic has made me go a little crazy in the kitchen. Your recipe was a hit both ways!
omg, that is BRILLIANT! Trying it this way next time!
I have wanted to try okonomiyaki for YEARS, and this recipe did not disappoint! So yummy. Thank you!
This was an amazing recipe that turned out just as promised! The advice to put the lid on while cooking was excellent: my cabbage steamed up beautifully, even though it wasn’t as finely shredded as I might have liked. This recipe would be a crowd-pleaser for friends on a weeknight. It cooked up surprisingly fast, and it was easy to flip. I did have to add an extra egg, but the beauty of this recipe is its simplicity and versatility. Thank you. It’s been ages since I have had a cabbage recipe with such “WOW” factor.
Just made these for the first time. Super easy and delicious! Can’t wait to make them again!
THIS WAS SO SIMPLE AND EASY CLEAN-UP!!
I bought a huge bag of cabbage from a restaurant food market. What was I thinking? Oh yeah, it was cheap.
Lucky for me, I found your recipe and made it (times 8). So then, what to do with all the pancakes? The next night I cut them in strips for rice paper spring rolls with avocado, cucumber, cilantro, carrots and peatnuts. Another easy meal!
Oh, and the sauce was fabulous. I made peanut sauce also so we had two dipping sauces. The peanut sauce complimented the spring rolls, but I tell you, your sauce was fabulous and a keeper! Thank you for your efforts on this blog. You are appreciated!
I forgot to rate it! What’s this, 10 stars not an option? Okay then, 5 STARS times 2!
Using leftovers for in rice paper wraps is such a good idea!!
I LOVE this recipe. My 3rd time making these last night and I’m more in love every time. I add some grated garlic and ginger!
Sugoi! I had this last summer from a food truck in Hawaii, and this gets very close. I found mine to be a tad short on batter, but I may have been a tad heavy on cabbage this time around. This dish really is really “whatever you like”. I added sliced prosciutto, surimi crab, and diced up shrimp (salad shrimp would be excellent in this). Next time around I will be increasing the volume of the batter, and ensuring even stirring. Partway through it got a little sparse, but I imagine that’s user error. For the sauce, I used garlic sriracha aioli I had hanging around in the fridge anyway. Excellent.
So why two stars?!
Hi..was just wondering, if one adds a couple of teaspoons of oil to the batter, can one bake this in an oven instead of frying in a pan?
No, unfortunately you need the direct contact with a hot skillet for this one to work correctly.
There’s a couple posts from people who tried baking with successful results (at least those folks were satisfied), but you will need to search the older comments – I think from 2019.
Man, these are incredible. They’re definitely going in our regular rotation of dishes. We stuck an over-easy egg on top along with sriracha mayo and teriyaki, and they were SO good :D Thank you!
We also learned to only make as many as we’re going to eat in one sitting. Then we can refrigerate the batter and fry more up fresh the next day!
Can you make this with red cabbage instead of green cabbage?
It will definitely make it a funky color. Hahah. But if you don’t care about that it may be okay. I do find that red cabbage has a stronger flavor than green, so it may make the overall flavor a bit different as well.
Can I prepare the batter mix and then try a few hours later
I think your best bet would be to prepare the batter, but not combine it with the vegetables until just before cooking. Otherwise the salt in the batter will pull water from the vegetables and you’ll get a sort of soupy, limp mess. :)
This is getting us through lockdown, thank you! I’ve wanted something like okonomiyaki, but with a more western-friendly list of ingredients. Great for using up odds and ends of vegetables, I’ve put broccoli and spinach in it too. I didn’t have time to make separate pancakes so I cooked it all together in a gigantic, well oiled cast iron skillet (which makes it hard to flip over, so not a highly recommended method, but it’s mine dang it). Served with mayo, sriracha, scallions, and some homemade tsukemono. Lovely recipe!
What a good idea to make one big pancake.
Just made these! They’re fantastic! I live alone and made quite a few. Would these be ok to freeze?
Yes I would layer them between wax or parchment so just they won’t stick together.
These look great. I’m going to try with “JUST egg” plant based eggs (taste and cook exactly like regular egg) to make it vegan. Do you think I could cook ahead of time and bake to heat up the next day for a party?
Yes I think they’d be fine if you made them ahead of time.
Great recipe. So happy to find one for okinomiyaki.
I baked mine, and it was delicious. 375 degrees for 23 min, flip, and then another 7 min. I am not at altitude.
I also added 3/4 tsp baking powder per other recipes online, and it worked out well. Not sure what it would be like without the baking powder.
Happy to hear it Jake!
Hi Beth, I love many of your recipes! This has been bugging me for a while (every time this recipe pops up on facebook): I think it’s a bit misleading to say that you can put anything ON okonomiyaki (in it, sure! that’s what the _okonomi_ part is referring to). I’m Japanese. I’m not going to stop people from putting sriracha mayo on their okonomiyaki if they like the taste of it, and I don’t think you’re necessarily making a claim of authenticity in this recipe. But I wonder if you could put a note somewhere that it’s traditionally served with okonomiyaki sauce (can be store-bought or homemade, here’s one recipe https://www.justonecookbook.com/okonomiyaki-sauce/), a drizzle of (Japanese) mayo, bonito flakes, dried green seaweed (aonori), and red ginger. Sriracha and sesame seeds definitely don’t go on them traditionally. I totally understand that you’re offering a budget version of okonomiyaki, which means that the traditional toppings would likely be too expensive and not super accessible. But it makes me a bit uncomfortable as a Japanese person to see this advertised plainly as “okonomiyaki”. If people unfamiliar with Japanese cuisine walked away from this recipe thinking that this is okonomiyaki, that would make me a tad sad. Would you be willing perhaps to add a note that this is “okonomiyaki-inspired,” or the like?
I sure will, and thank you for bringing that to my attention and in such a diplomatic way. :) I appreciate this type of suggestion very much, as I try to be culturally sensitive while still putting my spin on things. Thank you for understanding and for your kind approach! <3
Thank you for your equally kind response :) You’re awesome, and thank you for being a good ally. I’m 200% more excited to be following your page!
What a lovely, encouraging, peaceful exchange. I appreciate both of your diplomacy and understanding in the way you expressed yourselves. What a great thing to see! :)
For real? I’m French and don’t give a flying brioche about the number of “traditional French recipes” filled with anything but traditional French dishes. Beth is a sweetheart and obviously has to be diplomatic on her website but I feel like I just have to say that girl, I’m rolling my eyes at you.
I didn’t have carrots but I had beets… Still amazing! And beautifully pink. Thanks Beth :)
Thisis my go-to recipe for a quick, nutritious meal. It makes enough for me to have easily reheated leftovers too.
I made this for a holiday breakfast this morning and it was delicious! I first tried okonomiyaki when we had Japanese exchange students visiting during my high school years. This recipe was just as good as I remember okonomiyaki to be and it was super easy. I can’t eat wheat due to an allergy so I made this with Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flour and 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum instead of the all purpose wheat flour, and i used wheat free soy sauce, other than that I followed the recipe exactly. I topped the pancakes with smoked salmon, green onion, and the siracha mayo. Everyone loved the result. I will definitely make this again.
SO SO GOOD!! I made these this morning for breakfast. I actually chopped up two pieces of bacon and fried that to add to the batter, and then cooked the pancakes in the bacon drippings. I took your suggestion to use what we had and I chopped up some bok choy and half an onion with the cabbage. My husband LOVED it and I saved half the batter to make tomorrow morning. Yum! Thank you for this recipe.
Excellent! So tasty and easy to make! My family and I really like these! We’ll be making these often.
If you would have told my 13 year old self that I would have seconds of a cabbage pancake and love every min of it I would tell you that you are crazy, but here we are. I changed nothing and will be making this again and again. The mayo really was a nice touch. I had it as a side to grilled porkchops because I was a bit scared if we would like it, next time I will have it with a sunny side up egg as the main course.
I love reviews like this, thank you! :)
When you think about it, there IS a cost for the water, it’s simply difficult (if possible??) to figure out the cost for 1\2 cups from your water bill!
It would very likely be less than 1/100th of a penny and I round everything to the penny, so that would still be represented as zero.
Gonna try this recipe as my friend made it for me the other night and it was so delicious! As respond to an earlier comment, she used cornflour instead of normal flour, or something gluten free, if that was the issue :)
This recipe is right up my alley…. just a question, what can the flour be substituted with? Thanks for your reply
Unfortunately the flour plays a very important role in this recipe and I’m not sure there is anything that would work in its place. :(
Hello, I am used to adapting recipes to avoid wheat due to an allergy. I made this with Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flour and 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum today and it worked very well. For paleo or keto you could probably try coconut flour, 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum and add another egg to bind things, you would just want to remove 3 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons of water due to the extra moisture from another egg. I hope this helps. This is a delicious recipe.
Thank you so much for providing some gluten-free/low-carb options!
I just made these for dinner and we loved them! We used about half red cabbage and half a bag of this shredded broccoli / green cabbage / carrot mix that we’d used in another recipe. Garnishes were the sriracha Mayo, sesame seeds, green onions, crispy onions (I have a problem), and a bit of sweet soy. We made 4 giant pancakes and my husband and I ate all of them…wouldn’t recommend that part, but they were so good! Next time I’ll probably halve the recipe and top with a fried egg along with the garnishes so I don’t eat too much! We think we’ll start making these regularly—thanks for the recipe! Would never have come up with this on our own.
I’ve made these twice. I halve the recipe and get 4 good sized cakes out of it. I never seem to have green onions so each time I’ve used whatever onion I do have. I love these, so easy to make, the first time I used the remainder of a head of cabbage after I made kimchi, the second time I made these I bought cabbage for the sole purpose of making these. Today I made them and put a little of the kimchi I made on them and it was spectacular. I’m on a budget and also trying to eat more veggies, so this recipe fits both, despite using mayo, it’s not a lot of mayo. Husband approves. This makes a perfect weekend lunch but I would make this for dinner too.
I tried this and it was delish! I used red cabbage instead (I have a ton to use up) and it still worked (although I used a bit less – 4 cups – as it’s a bit tougher in texture than green cabbage). I topped it with sriracha, a bit of soy sauce, sesame seeds and a “relish” I made using chopped red onion, cilantro and lime juice. Super tasty! Thanks for this recipe :)
Any suggestions for substituting the egg?
The egg is pretty critical to keeping these pancakes together and unfortunately I’m not well versed in egg substitutes.
There’s actually a very similar Korean dish called jeon that doesn’t use egg at all! The batter is essentially just flour and water (with salt, sugar, and kimchi juice for flavour), so you’d probably just have to mess with the liquid/flour ratio a bit until you have the right amount and consistency to coat the veggies. The finished texture is obviously a bit different from one that contains eggs, but it still works!
Chickpea flour!
Delicious! The only thing I’d change is to shred my cabbage next time rather than just slicing it with a knife, because it was a little too chunky for my taste. User error! Great recipe!
For vegan friendly version, try substituting the egg with liquid from a can of beans. It does a good job binding the batter without altering the taste. Cakes usually substitute eggs with apple sauce, but in savory dishes . You can also add a table spoon of cooked amaranth seeds (with liquid), or make a small portion of chia seeds porridge to benefit from their binding properties. Mix 1 table spoon of chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water. Another great egg substitute is arrowroot powder, or even some mashed up tofu.
Hey everyone I baked them instead of frying and they came out scrumptious!! I doubled the recipe added also 2 grated squash and lots of green onions with the green part. I used half water half olive oil and 1 cup self rising flour and one semolina flour, I added crushed garlic and Worcestershire and lots more soy and sesame oil. They tasted like the inside of an egg roll. Thanks for this terrific recipe.
Hi, what temp and how long did you bake? I would like to do the same…thank you!!
I found this whle searching for cbbage recipes. Can these be frozen and reheated later? I just harvested a huge cabage from my garden and need a way to preserve it.
Unfortunately I haven’t tried freezing these, so I’m not sure how they would hold up.
Holy moly! These pancakes are delicious! I’ve never loved cabbage so much. Used leftovers as breakfast with some bacon. I’m going to have to make another batch just for leftovers again 😉
Found this recipe while trying to replicate a meal from the Smorgasburg food cart. I shredded fresh Napa cabbage, and added mung bean sprouts, grated carrot, and minced ginger root. Served with rice noodles and fried egg. It was a big hit with the family!
This was absolutely delicious! I had some cabbage to finish and this was a perfect recipe for it. I think I didn’t have quite enough batter in the ratios, but it still worked. I placed a lid over the pan to help the veggies cook more because my cabbage wasn’t the thinnest. Made extra sauce by adding more sriracha and 1/4 cup Greek yogurt. Served it with a fried egg for some protein. Definitely a keeper! Thank you.
Can you use leftover cooked cabbage for this recipe? thanks
I think it’s certainly worth a try! I’ve never done so myself, so I’m not sure how that would turn out, but I suspect it would work great.
This was so good. I used a bag of finely shredded cabbage and a zucchini and onion I shredded myself. They cooked up perfectly, and I topped them with spicy mayo and some teriyaki steak strips. This is be on of my new easy go-to dinners.
I was really excited for this recipe since i had okonomiyaki for the first time when i traveled to Japan and was visiting Osaka. It was one of my favorite foods I ate while there! This recipe didn’t work entirely for me. I had a bag of coleslaw mix but it wasn’t shredded as much as the one i normally buy and so pieces were thicker than they should have been, but that’s on me. However when adding flour to the batter i got to more than two cups and it was only slightly thickened. Nothing like the photo and ultimately I stopped adding it then because i was worried about the flour overwhelming all the soy sauce and toasted oil. So my ‘batter’ was a little thin which threw the cakes off a bit too. The people i made them for liked them, but since i’d had it before i was a bit disappointed (and on the first one i used too much oil and that one turned out a little gross). I think i will try this again since it had good potential and so many others raved about it. Oh and i made the sauce which complemented the dish nicely ! I used plain greek yogurt instead of mayo. Delicious!.
OMG!!! These are amazing!!! Thank you for recipe! I honestly thought they would fall apart but they are perfect!
Yes. Used a bag of coleslaw mix with green & red cabbage & shredded carrots and it worked perfectly. :)
Beth, this is so good!! I didn’t have sesame seeds, but thoroughly enjoyed them nonetheless! In fact, I pretty much ate them all on my own! haha. I will definitely be making these again, but next time will try to share them.
I loved this recipe! It is super easy to make and it prevented the cabbage from going bad in my fridge. I subscribe to an ugly produce box and I got two heads of cabbage, so I was eager to use them ASAP. It is very tasty!
THANK you
I never leave reviews on the recipes I try. But while grocery shopping with my partner this evening we aimlessly bought all the ingredients in this amazing recipe we use at least twice a month. It blows my mind how (seriously!) good, easy, and cheap this meal is.
Leftovers receive compliments at work, when I make it for friends they think it’s something fancy and lots of work.
Thanks for bringing this into my life!
Do you have nutritional information? Thank you.
Searching “what to do with leftover cabbage” brought me to this recipe. I love how simple it is! I added some shittake mushrooms in my batter. I am a lover of sauce as well, so dressing the pancakes in Kewpie mayo and okonomi sauce was a treat. I’ll make this one again if I have leftover cabbage!
Can you store them in the freezer?
Hmm, I haven’t tried freezing these and I’m not sure how something like this would hold up to freezing and thawing.
I’ve frozen them before. They’re not as good as fresh, but still good. I suggest reheating in an oven if possible. They get soggy if reheated in the microwave.
Good to know they turn out with rice flour, I have some and am trying to go back to wheat free.
We use these pancakes as base for substitutes for tortillas, tostada chips and bread for sandwiches . i do spice them slightly different but these things are amazing
When we get a cabbage from our CSA, it always sits in the fridge forever and my husband always wants to throw it away saying how he hates cabbage and it’s taking up all the space. Found this recipe last week and made a batch to eat for dinner through the week with stir fried chicken. Now husband says, PLEASE MAKE ANOTHER BATCH I LOVE THOSE! So we had them with an egg and some Thai sweet sauce for breakfast all week!
These are so delicious and flexible, and a great way to get rid of cabbage! And super easy to make!
Forgot to add the stars! Definitely 5!
Wow these were freaking delicious! I bought an extra bag of coleslaw in case I needed more for the beef and cabbage stir fry recipe. Didn’t end up needing it for that recipe but then conveniently had everything on hand that I needed to make this one! The only thing I would do differently next time is to heat up two pans since it takes a little while to make the whole batch using just one pan.
The flavor of the pancakes alone is phenomenal but the sriracha mayo take it over the top!
Nice light recipe. Easy to make and doesn’t need non-stick pan. I didn’t have sesame oil so used some tahini instead. I served it with Japanese steakhouse dressing, the recipe for which I found on another site. A keeper for using up cabbage.
Made as per recipe but added small hand full grated cheese. Yummm
I made cabbage rolls yesterday, but I still have a half head of cabbage in my fridge. Was just going to make coleslaw, but this sounds and looks really good. I’m gonna give them a try tonight.
These are awesome! I chopped the cabbage and carrot much finer and it worked out great. They were very light and fluffy, not dense or heavy at all. I also substituted the sesame oil for rice bran oil, and plain flour for self raising flour with no problems.
These are delicious!!! I halved the recipe and was too lazy to make the sauce, which really didn’t matter, since we ate all 12 of them as soon as each batch came out of the pan and was cool enough to handle. Thanks for an amazing recipe! We will make these again for sure, probably tomorrow. :)
Loved the taste and easiness. Didn’t have green onions,so used white. I think I’ll add some aleppo pepper next time. Made half a batch. Wish I had made the full recipe. Yum.
So I made these with minimal effort and the wrong ingredients – rice flour and red cabbage – and they turned out scrumptious!!
Oh my goodness – these are even better the next day as lunch!!
Thanks for another winner! Delicious!
Has anyone tried this with red cabbage? It looks like just what I want, but I’m not sure what kind of a difference it may make.
Thanks! :-) I think this is my first post, but I am a long time lurker, and direct people here all the time!
It will definitely make it a funky color. Hahah. But if you don’t care about that it may be okay. I do find that red cabbage has a stronger flavor than green, so it may make the overall flavor a bit different as well.
Thank you for this recipe! I made it a couple of nights ago and it was so good I had to make it again tonight. It would be pretty spectacular to make it in the more traditional way with pork belly slices, but it’s much more economical and healthy this way.
I have been topping mine with green onion, sesame seeds, sushi ginger, and bonito flakes, along with the sriracha mayo.
Hi Beth.
Thanks for the recipe. Been seeing home deliveries on fb for okonomiyaki but considering the delivery charge,.. i kept pushing it aside. Now that i’ve prepared and tasted it… i think this is a great alternative for kimchi pancakes whenever i run out of kimchi. Easier to prepare and tastes even better.
Oh man these are amazing! Kids even liked them (dipped in ranch dressing). I cooked on a griddle and they came out perfectly.
Super late to the party. However, when I bought WAY too much cabbage for coleslaw I was in desperate need for ways to use the leftovers. I rarely use cabbage so I didn’t have any recipes handy. Googled it and I was brought here.
Wonderful, easy recipe. Ate it for breakfast. I added some dashes of soy sauce on top because the pancake was a little bland, and I also love salty flavors. Maybe I would add salt (or old bay?) to the mix next time.
is there a gluten-free workaround?
You should be able to find wheat-free soy sauce if you check a few stores. Kikkoman makes one, and they are a pretty common brand. For flour, this recipe doesn’t rely on the gluten-properties of wheat flour to hold together. The flour just makes the batter less thin and bulks it out a bit. I would guess that any gluten-free flour you have will work, but you will just need to eyeball the batter thickness, as it may take more or less alternative flour to reach the same batter consistency. For example, I’ve heard that it takes a smaller amount of rice flour than wheat flour to reach the same consistency. Happy cooking!
Since the first time I prepared these for my family, they have demanded them at least once each week. My 7 year old even likes to have them in her packed school lunch the next day.
We’ve played around with the toppings (sweet chili sauce; mayo and mustard; and ketchup by my little one), and added things like minced rapini, or shredded pork, or ground beef. One of the best basic recipes I have found.
Thank you for sharing it!
These babies are awesome! My boyfriend and I ate the whole batch for dinner the other night with some fried eggs and will definitely be making them again soon.
Beth, my 11 year old son wanted me to tell you how much he loves your recipes. He said everything I’ve made from your site or cookbook is his favorite.
This was a great way to use up a bunch of cabbage before we leave on vacation. We topped them with bacon and egg. It was a hit with my family, and they’ve all requested for me to make it again.
That is so wonderful, thank you!! It means so much to know that the recipes are a hit with kids as well as adults. :)
Made the savory cabbage pancakes tonight from your recipe! wow, these are superb and compare favorably with the ones that I had this week in a wonderful restaurant in Charleston, SC. Thanks for sharing.
Simple food that is this delicious is truly amazing.
I don’t know if it is just my range or that I used a napa cabbage, but the first pancake came out burnt when cooked on medium. I cooked the next two at the third notch between low and medium, and that worked well with a three-minute cooking time on the first side and two-minute time on the second side. These were quite good, and I was surprised at how much we liked the sriracha mayo. Thanks for another great recipe!
My family loved this recipe. For my family, I leave out the sriracha….we are not a hot sauce kind of family. I add a little extra salt to the batter. I also make the pancakes a little smaller, which helps them to hold together better, and makes them easier to handle.
thisisa fun easy recipe for something different. We ate them as they came hot off the grill. we brushed them with a pre-made Tonkaksu sauce and hot sauce, sprinkled with sesames, seaweed, picked ginger and green onions. Sooooo yummy.
This is such a beautiful post and the pancakes look so yummy! I’m writing a cabbage recipe roundup for a Spoon University article, and I was wondering if I could use one of your pictures of the pancakes. I will give you photo credit. Your blog is awesome, keep up the great work!
Yes, feel free. Thanks for asking! :)
Poor student means I love heal veg like cabbage in a tasty recipe. This stuff is great. If I want to be cheap I don’t add to it. Fancier means I add browned minced meat. Fancy deluxe means adding chopped shrimp to the batter. Definite crowd pleaser.
Perfect recipe for using leftover cabbage from Eggroll bowls… Tastes like Japanese Hibachi!
Guys, guys, guys…this recipe is AWESOME! I have something like this before, but it took a lot of preparation, but this one– it was so good. Just follow the recipe and I wasn’t even that exact. Also, this can be quite healthy if you change the sauce and make it wheat flour. Dont waste your sodium intake for the day on actually fully seasoning the okanomiyaki (like I did), just make the sauce super flavorful.
I made this tonight for dinner and oh my God, they were So Good!!! I sort of want to run out and buy more cabbage!
Thanks for this delicious recipe!
If you want to keep pancakes warm, an easy method that doesn’t involve messing with foil, is to put on a pan with water, heat that, put a plate on top of that (bottom down). Put the pancakes on the plate, and use another plate upside down to cover.
Use the top plate to eat, since it’ll be preheated!
Hey Beth. I tried making this recipe, but the pancakes weren’t cooking evenly at all- parts would be burning while other parts weren’t even started browning. I don’t know if it wasn’t evenly heating or what, but it just wasn’t working for me. Did I use too much cabbage compared to the batter? Or do you have any other ideas for what the problem could have been?
Hmm, that’s tough to answer without having been there while it was in action. I would say to make sure that your cabbage is finely shredded so that it cooks quickly, make sure you’re not using a very thin bottomed skillet (those can have hot spots and cold spots), and perhaps turn the heat down a little so that they have time to heat through before burning on the exterior?
I love love LOVE this recipe! I made it as written (except I had to use wheat flour) then, as some commenters suggested, made a quick okonomiyaki sauce. We had half topped with shrimp and half topped with bacon. Authentic or no, this was delicious, and so inexpensive and filling! I’m making this for the second time today.
OMG this is sooooooo good!!! And really easy. I added some soy meat crumbles to increase the protein and make it more of a full meal. The first few I made a little to spread out and thin, so they broke apart (still tasty). Make sure you make them a little thicker than you’d first think. Another great recipe!
I just wanted to say I made these and the came out great
I have tried lots of reciepes that call for pan frying and they never work for me I’m not patient enough or they taste oily fall apart ect so I was reluctant to make this. Today I came across my recipe for waffle hash browns and thought these pancake would work the same and they did now ican just pop them in the toaster to reheat and get that crispy texture back
So Thanks for a new way to use cabbage the not filled with cheese and bacon
I finally made this and it was so, so tasty! I think next time, I will chop the cabbage a bit finer, but otherwise, it was perfect! I made a homemade okonomiyaki sauce and topped the pancakes with cheese, bacon, potatoes, regular mayo and okonomiyaki sauce, just like I used to get in Kyoto! My partner was crazy about them and wants them for his birthday dinner!
is there a good gluten free substitute for the flour? thanks
I’ve seen other versions that are more eggy and don’t use flour at all. So you can do it kind of like a cabbage omelet (more eggs, no flour).
Susan, I used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten free baking mix and they turned out great!
I am SO GLAD you posted this recipe. My husband and I have already made it twice and we are OBSESSED! It is so good and also such a great way to use extra cabbage up. Brilliant!
I LOVE these. Never been a fan of cabbage, but these are awesome. I also don’t love scallion pancakes that you can order in many Chinese restaurants…I think because they’re somewhat sweet. These are 100% savory. The toasted sesame oil REALLY makes the difference, so make sure you have it.
I don’t have a high spicy tolerance, so I used about 1/3-1/2 the Sriracha in the mayo. Still a little spicy, but tolerable :)
Forgot to add–I use 4 cups from a bag of coleslaw mix (green cabbage + carrots). Probably a bit pricier than shredding my own, but very easy.
Did I miss the nutritional info? Can someone post that? Thanks!
These sound divine! I use a recipe called “cabbage shnitzel” which uses lots of egg and a little flour and to I pre-steam and drain the cabbage to make it a bit softer in the finished product. Very similar to this but without the asian flavors, they are amazing hot with sour cream and even cold and plain, they are amazing! I love most of your recipes and your fun and easy to navigate site! Thinking of buying your book for my 9 year old son for his birthday. Have a great day today!
Could I use regular sesame oil in place of toasted?
Toasted sesame oil has a much stronger nutty flavor. If you use regular it will be more bland.
Hi Beth! I made this tonight for dinner and found it more doughy than I’d like. I followed the recipe pretty closely, but added a little more than 1 cup of flour as the dough seemed pretty watery after adding 1 cup of flour. Could that have been the problem? I’m trying to figure out what I did wrong. Thanks in advance for your input.
-fay
Yes, I’d try using less flour next time. :) I’ve also seen several recipes for okonomiyaki that are more eggy than floury. You might like a version like that instead. I think it’s just personal preference as most of the recipes I checked out were either one way or the other.
Very easy to make, with exception of chopping the cabbage.
Turned out to be very tasty, and my wife, whom otherwise is quite picky, liked them a lot!
Try a large hole cheese grater.
That is such a smart idea. Thank you. I’ll be doing that tomorrow.
I love you. Thank you for this recipe. This changes everything for my weekly menu. Haha!
These look SO good! I always hated cabbage as a kid so I’ve never really given it a chance as an adult, but I just got back from a trip to Austria where we picked things off the menu without a clue what they were, and ended up with something called krautfleckrl — it didn’t look like much, but it was so irresistible. Have you ever heard of it? It’s basically just cabbage, onion, garlic, egg noodles, and tiny bits of bacon. Totally budget-friendly, and I can’t wait to try some recipes home!
I’ve seen recipes like that, but never heard of that name. I guess people just give it a name to go with whatever language they speak. :) I definitely want to make that soon!
This sounds so good. I love that it uses leftovers, and ingredients that I often have. Your site has the best budget meals EVER!
I’m SO excited!! I just had Okonomiyaki for the first time ever while in Tokyo and have been raving about it since. What a nice surprise to see it featured on your blog.
I like it!
We could not wait to made this dish. We were able to buy a massive savoy cabbage for $3.25, which will do my family of 3 for at least four meals, and kept the cost to a minimum.
Delicious! Absolutely foolproof recipe, and so very inexpensive to make. We will be adding this to our weekly dinner menu. We may add a touch of ground meat or different vegetables on occasion to change things up from week to week, and are looking forward to playing with it.
Thank you for posting this!
So, I looked up how to make this Okonomiyaki sauce everyone’s talking about and authentic or not, I found a basic one with ketchup, soy, and Worcestershire sauce. I have been looking for a reason to buy a bottle of veg-style Worcestershire (it shows up in unsuspecting recipes I’ve found.) Plus, I was getting cabbage for other things this week anyway. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of this dish and I’m excited by everyone’s enthusiasm! Thanks to everyone!
I used to live in Japan and, as others, and you, have pointed out this isn’t a super authentic recipe. I like the pancake part but the toppings are way off. It IS much better if you top okonomiyaki with both mayo and okonomiyaki sauce. Tonkatsu or teriyaki sauce would both be very similar to okonomiyaki sauce as well. In the okonomiyaki restaurants, they generally add some protein on top. I frequently had mine topped with potatoes, cheese and bacon. My friend usually had hers topped with noodles and seafood. This recipe is fine, but I think people would really be wow-ed by topping these with both the mayo and brown sauce, plus some protein.
You have great timing! I have a leftover 1/2 head of cabbage to use up and these will be perfect. Can’t wait to try them!
BRILLIANT–we loved it! Kind of like that Egg Foo Yung I remember from Chinese restaurants when I was a child–but way better (didn’t miss the soy sauce and cornstarch gravy that one came with). I’m sort of the queen of recipe alterations, but didn’t change a thing. A very inexpensive and delicious supper, maybe something to add to the Snap repertoire–are you doing that challenge again?
I don’t think I’ll be able to do the challenge this year. I accidentally scheduled my vacation in September and I have a business trip at the end of the month. :( I’d move it to another month, but the last few months of the year have so many issues with holidays and that’s busy for the food business.
This is great, Beth! We are planning to cook outside this weekend on a Coleman stove. I think these will be fun to make on our cast iron double griddle. Yum! Thanks for the idea!
I just made the other cabbage recipe last night and was wondering what to do with the leftover half cabbage. This sounds amazing. Btw that cabbage stir fry IS crack…
I love Okonomiyaki! It’s my favorite and this is an interesting variation!
I like to use a variation on https://www.reddit.com/r/EatCheapAndHealthy/comments/44k8jk/share_your_recipes_involving_cabbage/czr5azx?context=3
Yours looks awesome and delicious, but I don’t know about the fact that you’ve skipped the Okonomi sauce entirely?! Some Okonomi Sauce and Kewpie Mayo are just so imporant to making Okonomiyaki what it is!
I just made sriracha mayo because it was easier. :) I don’t often stay super “traditional” with my recipes. I aim for what works with what I have on hand.
Authentic Japanese recipes use grated Yamaimo ( a type of yam) to get that nice and creamy texture. They also sell premade Okonomiyaki mix at Asian supermarkets!
I’m so excited to try this! I’m obsessed with anything cabbage and anything that can be made into a “pancake”! I’m going to sub in some type of gluten free flour :)
I am SO EXCITED to see this recipe on your blog! When I was in Japan last year, I was lucky enough to eat both Osaka and Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki and loved them. Most recipes I’ve found use a lot of ingredients that I don’t have on-hand, so I really appreciate the simplicity and ease of this recipe. I can’t wait to try it!
I just wanted to know what you would serve with this? Is this a side or what to add as a side. Thanks!
I just ate them as a main dish. I even ate them for breakfast! :D
Looks amazing! Do you cover the pan after you flip the pancake, Beth?
Yes, I covered during the entire cooking time. :)
I love cabbage and am always looking for ways to use it! This looks really neat!
“Over” cabbage??? Never!
This is also an excellent recipe when coleslaw mix goes on sale for $1/bag. I’ve been making it for years!
Would these be good left overs or lunch next day?
I’ve been enjoying the leftovers. :)
Do you eat them cold/room temp or how do you reheat them?
I just reheated mine in the microwave and I can’t believe how much I liked them (despite the microwave part, lol).
They freeze well, too. My SIL is Japanese and she taught me that little trick.
We used to live in Japan and these “pancakes” were a very typical “fair food” (like funnel cake or corn dogs in the states)! They would make them on big skillet surfaces in the booth…so good and fun! We have made various versions of these at home now, but it’s a good reminder to use up some produce we have laying around!
Would subbing some or all of the flour for whole wheat flour be an option? These sound delicious!
That might affect the texture too much.
You’ve found my go-to cabbage recipe! I love a stronger onion flavor so I use sliced onions in mine along with bacon. I drizzle it with okonomiyaki sauce and kewpie mayo – YUM! I never have leftovers.
Okonomi sauce and Kewpie mayo is the only way to eat these! It’s a bit pricier but always worth it! Nothing compares to that tangy flavor.
I follow a pair of bloggers on Youtube who currently live in Japan, and they had a pro chef come to their house to show them some recipes, and the first one they posted was for okonomiyaki. It’s a little different (1 egg, 3/4 c water, no soy or sesame oil in the batter) but basically the same, and it was DELICIOUS! The recommended sauce was tonkatsu sauce and Japanese mayonnaise. I had neither of these, but used a maple smokey BBQ sauce and Heinz mayo, and it was SO GOOD. I did think it was missing a little bit of saltiness, so I will try the soy sauce next time.
Also I had about half of the cake leftover, and it reheated just fine on day 2, but I wouldn’t keep it much longer than that.
Eat your kimchi!! Well not anymore lol but they are fantastic!
Simon and Martina!
Sweet! I’m rejoicing 2 cabbage recipes in a row because I have a giant bag of prepared coleslaw in my fridge to use up! Love Okonomiyaki. The last time I tried making it it was a flop. Excited to have your recipe, ’cause yours are always simple, delicious and successful. Thanks!
Do you think purple cabbage would work? I have some left from those purple power bowl thingies
I was just about to say this same thing – literally made purple power bowls today and I don’t think I will be able to eat all the cabbage. Super curious!
I went ahead and made it with the cabbage I had – it was awesome. So unexpected, nothing like anything I’ve personally made before but totally worth trying.
Yes, I do think that would work. It WILL be a strange color, but as long as you can overlook that I think it will taste just fine. :)