Everything You Can Do with a Jar of Kimchi

We love to whip up a big batch of kimchi. Though delicious right from the jar — or as part of a banchan spread — kimchi is also a phenomenal ingredient to work with. From savory pancakes to amazing burgers, here are 16 ways to incorporate kimchi into your cooking.

Fried Rice

When chef Rachel Yang finishes a long shift at her Seattle restaurant Joule, this fried rice is her go-to quick snack. It's a great use for all of that leftover takeout rice and relies mostly on pantry staples.

Hot Dogs

Kimchi is the perfect, spicy-tart counterpoint to sausages and hot dogs. San Diego-based chef Claudette Zepeda created this dish as an homage to the Sonoran hot dog.

Stews

Grab some kimchi, pork belly, and tofu on the way home from work, and you can have this soothing, vibrant dish on the table in 30 minutes.

Pancakes

One of chef Rachel Yang's favorite ways to use kimchi is in this irresistible pancake: the tangy, spicy ferment is balanced with plenty of creamy mozzarella and cheddar cheese.

Braises

Cookbook author Julia Turshen uses only five main ingredients — chicken, kimchi, garlic, scallions, and oil — to make one of the tastiest and simplest braises.

Stir-Fries

New York's now-shuttered Izakaya Ten would rely on kimchi to temper the richness of stir-fried pork belly slices.

French Fries (and Tots)

Jae Kim, chef-owner of Austin's Chi'Lantro, tops fries with caramelized kimchi, grilled Korean-style beef, and a sriracha-spiked mayonnaise.

Congee

Kimchi is a great addition to a comforting bowl of this classic Chinese rice porridge.

Sauces and Glazes

For this Hawaiian-inspired summer cookout showstopper, 2016 BNC member Ravi Kapur combines kimchi with pineapple juice, ketchup, and brown sugar to glaze grilled hanger steaks.

Lasagna

For this creative take on lasagna, chewy, tender Korean rice cakes are coated with a spicy sauce of sweet Italian sausage, fennel seeds, crushed red pepper flakes, gochujang, ssamjang, and kimchi. A caramelized, bubbly, stringy provolone topping helps temper the heat.

Bloody Marys

This clever bloody Mary variation gets its heat and flavor from pureed kimchi, along with a dash of Sriracha chile sauce.

Polenta

Creamy polenta is the perfect base for the bright and spicy flavors of kimchi.

Collard Greens

In 2018, Food & Wine named this recipe from chef Hugh Acheson as one of our 40 best. This savory side dish of collards simmered with onion, bacon, chicken stock, vinegar, and sorghum, is laced with a spicy kimchi cream sauce that gives the dish a funky kick.

Dumplings

Kimchi is a fantastic addition to the rich pork filling of these dumplings. San Francisco chef Corey Lee likes to add a batter at the end of pan-frying the dumplings, turning them into one round, crisp pancake.

Burgers

Korean American chef Edward Lee, of Whiskey Dry in Louisville, was inspired by the classic Korean pairing of pork and spicy fermented kimchi when he created this crunchy, pork-rind-topped burger. "The buttermilk sauce brings it all together and cools down the heat," he says.

Micheladas

Try a fun twist on the refreshing Mexican beverage using kimchi juice and kimchi skewers for a garnish.