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.
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!
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. :)