Japanese savory okonomiyaki (Printable Version)

Savory Japanese pancakes packed with shredded cabbage, seafood, and topped with tangy sauce and mayo.

# Components:

→ 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 & Add-ins

06 - 3 cups finely shredded green cabbage
07 - 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
08 - 1/2 cup julienned carrot (optional)
09 - 1/2 cup cooked shrimp, chopped, or cooked bacon slices (optional)

→ Toppings

10 - 1/4 cup okonomiyaki sauce
11 - 1/4 cup Japanese mayonnaise
12 - 1/4 cup bonito flakes
13 - 2 tablespoons aonori (dried seaweed flakes)
14 - 2 tablespoons pickled ginger (optional)

→ For Cooking

15 - 2 tablespoons neutral oil (vegetable or canola)

# Directions:

01 - Whisk together flour, dashi stock, eggs, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl until the mixture is smooth.
02 - Gently fold in shredded cabbage, green onions, carrot, and your choice of shrimp or bacon until evenly combined.
03 - Heat half a tablespoon of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
04 - Spoon approximately 1 cup of batter onto the skillet, shaping it into a thick roughly 6-inch diameter round pancakes.
05 - Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the bottom turns golden brown.
06 - Flip carefully and cook for an additional 4 to 5 minutes until fully cooked.
07 - Continue cooking remaining pancakes, adding more oil to the skillet as needed.
08 - Transfer pancakes to serving plates; drizzle generously with okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise in a zigzag pattern, then sprinkle with bonito flakes, aonori, and pickled ginger. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's crispy on the outside, tender and loaded with vegetables inside—basically a better pancake for grown-ups.
  • The toppings create this addictive sweet-tangy-savory layer that keeps you reaching for another bite.
  • You can make it vegetarian, add seafood, stuff it with bacon—it adapts to whatever you have on hand.
  • It feels impressive to serve but genuinely takes less time than ordering takeout.
02 -
  • Don't skip letting the batter rest in the bowl for 5 minutes before cooking; it helps the baking powder activate and makes the pancakes fluffier.
  • The bonito flakes need heat to dance—if your pancake sits too long, add a drizzle of warm sauce right before serving to bring them back to life.
  • Don't overstir the vegetable mixture or you'll crush the cabbage; a few gentle folds is enough to combine everything.
03 -
  • The difference between good okonomiyaki and great okonomiyaki is patience—don't rush the cook time on each side or your center stays raw and your exterior burns.
  • Squeeze bottles of sauce and mayo from Asian markets cost about a dollar and make you look like you know what you're doing, which somehow makes the whole thing taste better.
  • If your pancake sticks even slightly to the pan, you don't have enough oil or your heat is too high—adjust before your next one.
Return