Bacon Okonomiyaki – Japanese Cabbage Pancakes

japanese bacon okonomiyaki drizzled with mayo and sprinkled with green onions.

4.60 from 5 votes

Bacon Okonomiyaki – Japanese Cabbage Pancakes

Bacon okonomiyaki is a savory Japanese cabbage pancake served with homemade okonomiyaki sauce and Japanese mayonnaise. Try our simplified version; it's delicious!

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Asian and Indian Recipes

Cuisine: Japanese

Servings: pancakes

Calories: 440kcal

Author: Adina

Equipment

Large non-stick pan or cast-iron skillet, Note 1
Box grater
Large knife or mandoline slicer (optional), Note 2

Ingredients

Japanese Mayonnaise:

4 tablespoons regular mayonnaise
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
½ teaspoon sugar

Okonomiyaki Sauce:

1 ½ tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
4 tablespoons ketchup
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Okonomiyaki:

1 lb cabbage shredded, 450 g, about 5 cups
1 cup carrots shredded, 50 g
4 spring onions divided
2 large eggs
½ cup dashi or water, 125 ml
2 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ teaspoon fine salt
1 cup all-purpose flour 120 g
7 oz thinly sliced bacon halved, 200 g, Note 3
2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil or as needed
sesame seeds

Instructions

Japanese mayonnaise:

Mix mayonnaise ingredients. Set aside.
4 tablespoons regular mayonnaise + 2 teaspoons rice vinegar + ½ teaspoon sugar

Okonomiyaki sauce:

Whisk sauce ingredients. Set aside.
1 ½ tablespoons sugar + 2 tablespoons oyster sauce + 4 tablespoons ketchup + 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Japanese cabbage pancakes:

Prepare vegetables: Shred the cabbage with a mandoline slicer or large chef's knife and grate the carrots on the large whole of the box grater. Set aside. Thinly slice the green onions. Set aside about ¼ of the green onions, preferably more green parts, for sprinkling over the okonomiyaki later.
1 lb cabbage/ 450 g + 1 cup carrots + 4 spring onions
Okonomiyaki batter: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, dashi or water, soy sauce, and salt together. Slowly add the flour and whisk to obtain a thick, smooth batter.
2 large eggs + ½ cup dashi / 125 ml + 2 tablespoons soy sauce + ¼ teaspoon fine salt + 1 cup all-purpose flour/ 120 g
Stir in the vegetables.

Make Japanese pancakes:

Add batter to pan: Heat about ½ tablespoon of the oil in the skillet. Add about 1 cup of batter to the pan and press with a spoon to form a circle about 6 inches/ 15 cm in diameter and about ½ inch/ 1.2 cm thick.
½ tablespoon oil from 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil , use it in batches
Cover the pancake with some bacon slices, as much as needed to cover the okonomiyaki, depends on the size of the bacon slices.
7 oz thinly sliced bacon/ 200 g
Cooking temperature: Cover the pan with a lid, this will help the cabbage get soft. Turn the heat a bit down so that the underside of the pancake doesn't get too dark. If you notice that after you have turned the first pancake, adjust the temperature again. The pancakes should be golden brown and not too dark.
Cook the pancake on the first side for 5 minutes until the bottom is golden brown. Flip with a spatula and cook, covered, for another 3-5 minutes or until golden brown (Note 1). Place the cooked okonomiyaki on a plate and keep warm in the oven while you cook the rest.
Cook the next pancake: Add a little more oil to the pan before starting with each okonomiyaki.
Serve okonomiyaki: When all the Japanese cabbage pancakes are cooked, brush them with okonomiyaki sauce. Drizzle with the Japanese mayonnaise. Sprinkle with the remaining green onions and sesame seeds, and serve.
sesame seeds

Notes

Batches and pans: It is preferable to use two pans when cooking okonomiyaki, you can only cook one at a time, and cooking 6 of them will take quite a while. Using two pans will halve the cooking time.
Using a mandoline slicer for shredding the cabbage is optional, but it makes life easier. Otherwise, a large chef's knife works just as well.
Bacon: I needed about 18 very thin and narrow bacon slices (2 packs, each weighing 3.5 oz/ 100 g) for the okonomiyaki. Use as much thinly sliced bacon to cover the pancake as needed.

Nutrition