Japanese Okonomiyaki Pancakes (Printable)

Savory Japanese cabbage pancakes topped with okonomiyaki sauce, mayo, bonito flakes, and vibrant garnishes. Street food favorite made simple.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pancake Batter

01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 2/3 cup dashi stock or water
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

→ Vegetables

06 - 3 cups finely shredded green cabbage
07 - 1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
08 - 1 small carrot, julienned
09 - 1/2 cup bean sprouts

→ Proteins & Fillings

10 - 4 strips bacon or pork belly, halved
11 - 1/2 cup cooked shrimp, chopped

→ Toppings

12 - 1/4 cup okonomiyaki sauce
13 - 1/4 cup Japanese mayonnaise
14 - 1/4 cup bonito flakes (katsuobushi)
15 - 2 tablespoons aonori (dried seaweed flakes)
16 - 2 tablespoons pickled ginger (beni shoga)

# How To Make It:

01 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, dashi stock, eggs, salt, and baking powder until smooth and free of lumps.
02 - Fold in cabbage, green onions, carrot, and bean sprouts until evenly coated with batter. Add chopped shrimp if desired.
03 - Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat and lightly oil the surface.
04 - Pour approximately 1/4 of the batter onto the skillet, shaping into a round pancake about 1/2-inch thick.
05 - Lay 2 bacon or pork belly halves across the top of the batter if using protein.
06 - Cook for 4-5 minutes until the bottom is golden brown and edges are set.
07 - Flip carefully and cook another 4-5 minutes until cooked through and the second side is golden.
08 - Repeat with remaining batter to make 4 total pancakes, adjusting heat as needed.
09 - Transfer pancakes to serving plates. Drizzle with okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise in a crisscross pattern.
10 - Sprinkle with bonito flakes, aonori, and pickled ginger. Serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The contrast between the crispy exterior and tender, savory interior creates an addictive texture that keeps everyone coming back for seconds.
  • Its the perfect clean-out-the-fridge meal where leftover vegetables transform into something extraordinary under a blanket of umami-rich toppings.
02 -
  • The batter should barely hold the vegetables together, a common mistake is adding too much flour creating a dense, doughy result instead of the light, crispy-edged pancake we want.
  • Let your pancake cook undisturbed for at least 4 minutes before attempting to flip, otherwise youll end up with a broken mess that tastes delicious but looks disastrous.
03 -
  • Keep your heat at medium, not high, as okonomiyaki needs time to cook through without burning, a lesson I learned after setting off the smoke alarm during my first three attempts.
  • Store extra batter components separately, combining vegetables with the wet mixture just before cooking prevents that sad, soggy texture that happens when cabbage sits too long in batter.
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