Japanese Okonomiyaki with Crispy Pork Belly and Cabbage
Okonomiyaki is the Osaka street-food favorite that tastes like it took far more effort than it does: a thick, savory cabbage pancake with a crisp golden crust, ribbons of pork belly fried until shatteringly crisp on top, and a glossy sweet-tangy sauce zigzagged with creamy mayo. Finished with smoky bonito flakes that wave in the heat, it is pure fun to make and on the table in 35 minutes.
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Nutrition (per serving)
Okonomiyaki is the Osaka street-food favorite that tastes like it took far more effort than it does: a thick, savory cabbage pancake with a crisp golden crust, ribbons of pork belly fried until shatteringly crisp on top, and a glossy sweet-tangy sauce zigzagged with creamy mayo. Finished with smoky bonito flakes that wave in the heat, it is pure fun to make and on the table in 35 minutes.
The name means "grilled however you like", and the secret is the ratio: this is mostly cabbage held together with just enough batter, so it steams tender inside while the outside crisps. Shred the cabbage as finely as you can, because thin strands cook through in the time it takes the crust to brown. Kewpie mayonnaise, aonori and bonito flakes are in most big supermarkets now, and the homemade okonomi sauce is just four pantry staples stirred together.
Step-by-step instructions
Stir the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp of the soy sauce and the honey together in a small bowl until smooth and glossy. This is your okonomi sauce; set it aside.
Whisk the flour, dashi, eggs and remaining 1 tsp soy sauce into a smooth batter, then fold in the shredded cabbage and the white parts of the scallions until every strand is coated. It should look like far more cabbage than batter.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spoon in the batter as two rounds about 7 inches wide and 3/4 inch thick, gently flatten the tops, and lay the pork belly slices across them in a single layer.
Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the undersides are deep golden, then flip with a wide spatula so the pork is underneath and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes until the pork is crisp and rendered. Flip back so the pork is on top.
Brush the tops generously with the okonomi sauce, zigzag over the mayonnaise, and finish with the scallion greens, aonori and a big pinch of bonito flakes. Slice into wedges and eat straight away, while the flakes are still dancing.
Leftover okonomiyaki reheats well in a dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes per side, which brings the crust right back. Hold the sauce and toppings until just before serving. Once you have the base down, swap the pork for shrimp, squid or crispy tofu, or fold in a handful of corn or kimchi.
Ingredients
- 1/2 small green cabbage (about 10 oz / 300 g), very finely shredded
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts kept separate
- 2/3 cup (85 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) dashi stock or water
- 4 large eggs
- 3 1/2 oz (100 g) thinly sliced pork belly or thick-cut bacon, cut into 4-inch lengths
- 2 tsp soy sauce, divided
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 1/2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise (such as Kewpie)
- 1 tsp aonori (dried green seaweed flakes), optional
- 1 big pinch bonito flakes, optional
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Step-by-Step
- 1
Stir the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp of the soy sauce and the honey together in a small bowl until smooth and glossy. This is your okonomi sauce; set it aside.
- 2
Whisk the flour, dashi, eggs and remaining 1 tsp soy sauce into a smooth batter, then fold in the shredded cabbage and the white parts of the scallions until every strand is coated. It should look like far more cabbage than batter.
- 3
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spoon in the batter as two rounds about 7 inches wide and 3/4 inch thick, gently flatten the tops, and lay the pork belly slices across them in a single layer.
- 4
Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the undersides are deep golden, then flip with a wide spatula so the pork is underneath and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes until the pork is crisp and rendered. Flip back so the pork is on top.
- 5
Brush the tops generously with the okonomi sauce, zigzag over the mayonnaise, and finish with the scallion greens, aonori and a big pinch of bonito flakes. Slice into wedges and eat straight away, while the flakes are still dancing.
Recipe
Japanese Okonomiyaki with Crispy Pork Belly and Cabbage
Ingredients
- 1/2 small green cabbage (about 10 oz / 300 g), very finely shredded
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts kept separate
- 2/3 cup (85 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) dashi stock or water
- 4 large eggs
- 3 1/2 oz (100 g) thinly sliced pork belly or thick-cut bacon, cut into 4-inch lengths
- 2 tsp soy sauce, divided
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 1/2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise (such as Kewpie)
- 1 tsp aonori (dried green seaweed flakes), optional
- 1 big pinch bonito flakes, optional
Instructions
- 1
Stir the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp of the soy sauce and the honey together in a small bowl until smooth and glossy. This is your okonomi sauce; set it aside.
- 2
Whisk the flour, dashi, eggs and remaining 1 tsp soy sauce into a smooth batter, then fold in the shredded cabbage and the white parts of the scallions until every strand is coated. It should look like far more cabbage than batter.
- 3
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spoon in the batter as two rounds about 7 inches wide and 3/4 inch thick, gently flatten the tops, and lay the pork belly slices across them in a single layer.
- 4
Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the undersides are deep golden, then flip with a wide spatula so the pork is underneath and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes until the pork is crisp and rendered. Flip back so the pork is on top.
- 5
Brush the tops generously with the okonomi sauce, zigzag over the mayonnaise, and finish with the scallion greens, aonori and a big pinch of bonito flakes. Slice into wedges and eat straight away, while the flakes are still dancing.
Nutrition Facts
* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.