Recipes

Okonomiyaki (Japanese Savory Pancakes)

Serves 4-6

| Prep Time: 10 mins

| Cook Time: 40 mins

| Total Time: 55 mins

You may need: Furikake

Discover The Recipe

Okonomiyaki (pronounced Oh-KOH-no-mee-aki) is a style of savory pancake originally from South-Central Japan, a region which includes the cities of Osaka and Kyoto. Literally translating to "grill it as you like", Okonomiyaki (Japanese Savory Pancakes) is typically cooked on flat griddles (Teppanyaki) in front of customers seated at counters in diner-style restaurants who select from an array of fresh ingredients including vegetables, seafood, meats, and/or sauces.Typically built around shredded cabbage mixed with a flour, egg, broth batter, these pancakes act as a delightful (and healthy) conveyance of your favorite comfort food ingredients.

The best thing is that you can use our recipe as a framework to construct your own unique version: try bacon, shrimp, calamari, sausage, and/or a medley of fresh veggies. We also include a recipe to make an authentic topping sauce to drizzle using common supermarket ingredients.

Ingredients

  • Okonomiyaki Sauce:

  • 2 Tbsp Oyster sauce (or Hoisin sauce)

  • 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 Tbsp honey

  • 1/4 cup ketchup (or seafood cocktail sauce) 

  • Okonomiyaki (Japanese Savory Pancakes):

  • 1/2 cabbage head (~1-1.5 pounds worth), chopped

  • 1.5 cups all-purpose flour

  • 3/4 cup dashi (see Udon recipe, or sub broth of choice)

  • 1/3 cup milk or soy/almond milk

  • 1/2 tsp baking powder

  • 1/4 tsp salt (optional)

  • 2 Tbsp canola (or other vegetable oil)

  • 4 eggs

  • 6 oz of shrimp, shelled, precooked & coarsely chopped

  • 4 scallions, chopped

  • handful of cilantro, chopped

  • 1-2 Tbsp of Piquant Post Furikake blend

Notes

See our udon recipe to make the Dashi broth.

We recommend using about 1/2 a cabbage head. We originally used 1 whole head of cabbage, but found it was too big (and hence too much cabbage). A good rule of thumb is 1-1.5lbs of cabbage for this recipe.

In Japan, Okonomiyaki restaurants typically offer a range of different sauces to top the pancakes. We provide you 1 recipe that will get you close to a sweet-savory sauce that is typical. If you don't have (or don't like oyster sauce or hoisin sauce), try adding a little bit of the dashi to the ketchup or cocktail sauce to infuse some umami.

Optional ingredients add a little character and flavor but don't sweat it if you don't have them.

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder & salt. Then add dashi / broth and milk and whisk until batter is smooth. Set bowl aside for minimum 15 mins (up to 3 hours) while you continue to prep.

Slice cabbage head in half, remove core, then coarsely chop 1/2 cabbage head. Gather and prep any remaining pancake ingredients. In a separate small bowl whisk together ingredients listed to make the Okonomiyaki sauce and set aside.

Heat a large pan, skillet, or griddle on Med-High. Add cabbage, scallions, shrimp and any other desired ingredients to the mixing bowl with batter. Crack 4 eggs on top. Using a large mixing spoon or spatula, toss all ingredients with batter to thoroughly mix. The mixture will look like cabbage with a thick coating of batter (note: it will not look like traditional pancake batter!).

Add 1/2 tbsp oil to pan (before making each pancake separately). Using both hands or 2 large spoons, add cabbage/batter to make a 6" diameter / 2" high pancake. Place a pan lid over the top and cook for 5 mins. Using 2 spatulas, carefully flip the pancake, cover and cook for ~5 mins. Remove and repeat until all pancakes are done. Garnish each with cilantro, Furikake, and drizzle with sauce.

Alternatives & Substitutions

  • View this Okonomiyaki recipe as a canvas for your own favorite ingredients. We suggest shrimp, but you can easily try (cooked) scallops, calamari, bacon, sausage, any shredded veggies, eggplant, and even cheese. Add your own twist and post comments below on your experiment.

  • We suggest using our Furikake spice blend as a finish to add a slightly salty, umami crunch to the savory flavors. Furikake is a common table condiment made with nori (seaweed), sesame seeds, and a little sea salt used to season anything, from rice to ramen. But you can also use the Shichimchi Togarashi blend in conjunction with Furikake for a spicier punch. 

  • Tired of the same old weeknight salmon recipe? Amp up the flavor by making our easy-baked Furikake Salmon!

  • For a plant-based alternative, try using Furikake to season our Vegan Poke Bowl, or our Vegan Okonomiyaki

  • Need a new, easy and flavorful meal to work into your rotation? Try our Soba Noodles with Chicken, Edamame and Furikake recipe and our Furikake Chex Mix recipes.

  • Don’t forget to leave comments and feedback on your meals and experiments in the comments for others to read.

  • Post pictures of your masterpiece meal on social media and tag us. We repost!

Okonomiyaki (Japanese Savory Pancakes)

Serves

4-6

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Total Time

55 mins

Piquant Post spice you'll need: Furikake

Ingredients

  • Okonomiyaki Sauce:

  • 2 Tbsp Oyster sauce (or Hoisin sauce)

  • 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 Tbsp honey

  • 1/4 cup ketchup (or seafood cocktail sauce) 

  • Okonomiyaki (Japanese Savory Pancakes):

  • 1/2 cabbage head (~1-1.5 pounds worth), chopped

  • 1.5 cups all-purpose flour

  • 3/4 cup dashi (see Udon recipe, or sub broth of choice)

  • 1/3 cup milk or soy/almond milk

  • 1/2 tsp baking powder

  • 1/4 tsp salt (optional)

  • 2 Tbsp canola (or other vegetable oil)

  • 4 eggs

  • 6 oz of shrimp, shelled, precooked & coarsely chopped

  • 4 scallions, chopped

  • handful of cilantro, chopped

  • 1-2 Tbsp of Piquant Post Furikake blend

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder & salt. Then add dashi / broth and milk and whisk until batter is smooth. Set bowl aside for minimum 15 mins (up to 3 hours) while you continue to prep.

  2. Slice cabbage head in half, remove core, then coarsely chop 1/2 cabbage head. Gather and prep any remaining pancake ingredients. In a separate small bowl whisk together ingredients listed to make the Okonomiyaki sauce and set aside.

  3. Heat a large pan, skillet, or griddle on Med-High. Add cabbage, scallions, shrimp and any other desired ingredients to the mixing bowl with batter. Crack 4 eggs on top. Using a large mixing spoon or spatula, toss all ingredients with batter to thoroughly mix. The mixture will look like cabbage with a thick coating of batter (note: it will not look like traditional pancake batter!).

  4. Add 1/2 tbsp oil to pan (before making each pancake separately). Using both hands or 2 large spoons, add cabbage/batter to make a 6" diameter / 2" high pancake. Place a pan lid over the top and cook for 5 mins. Using 2 spatulas, carefully flip the pancake, cover and cook for ~5 mins. Remove and repeat until all pancakes are done. Garnish each with cilantro, Furikake, and drizzle with sauce.

Notes

  • See our udon recipe to make the Dashi broth.

  • We recommend using about 1/2 a cabbage head. We originally used 1 whole head of cabbage, but found it was too big (and hence too much cabbage). A good rule of thumb is 1-1.5lbs of cabbage for this recipe.

  • In Japan, Okonomiyaki restaurants typically offer a range of different sauces to top the pancakes. We provide you 1 recipe that will get you close to a sweet-savory sauce that is typical. If you don't have (or don't like oyster sauce or hoisin sauce), try adding a little bit of the dashi to the ketchup or cocktail sauce to infuse some umami.

  • Optional ingredients add a little character and flavor but don't sweat it if you don't have them.

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