Okonomiyaki: Osaka-Style Japanese Pancakes

By Setsuko Yoshizuka

Updated 06/18/19

Okonomiyaki on a griddle
Gary Conner/Stockbyte/Getty Images
  • Total: 60 mins
  • Prep: 30 mins
  • Cook: 30 mins
  • Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Okonomiyaki is a Japanese savory pancake containing a variety of ingredients. The name is derived from the word okonomi, meaning "how you like" or "what you like" or "favorite," and yaki meaning "grill." 

The dish can vary depending upon which region of Japan it’s made, but it can be found almost anywhere. Perhaps the most common version is Osaka-style okonomiyaki, which is also known as the Kansai-style. Osaka is known for an inexpensive and abundant food culture. The other most widely-known version is the Hiroshima-style, which is layered.

Ingredients

  • For the Okonomiyaki (pancakes):
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 cup dashi soup stock (or water)
  • 1 to 1 1/2 pounds cabbage (finely chopped, divided)
  • 4 to 6 tablespoons green onion (chopped, divided)
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup tenkasu (tempura flakes, divided)
  • 4 to 6 eggs (divided)
  • 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil
  • 12 to 18 strips thinly sliced pork or beef 
  • For Toppings
  • Dash of Okonomiyaki sauce
  • Mayonnaise
  • Pinch of Ao-nori (dried seaweed powder)
  • Optional: handful of katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) 
  • Optional: beni-shoga (pickled red ginger)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Put flour in a large bowl.

  3. Add dashi to the bowl and mix to make batter.

  4. Rest the batter for about an hour in the refrigerator.

  5. To make one okonimiyaki pancake, take out about 1/2 cup of the batter and place into another bowl.

  6. Mix about 1/4 pound of chopped cabbage, about 1 tablespoon of chopped green onion, and about 2 tablespoons of tempura flakes in the batter.

  7. Add 1 egg ​into the batter and stir.

  8. Heat an electric pan, griddle, or skillet and oil lightly.

  9. Pour the batter into the pan and make a round shape. It will take a few minutes to cook, keep an eye on it.

  10. Meanwhile, fry a couple slices of meat on the side in another saucepan and place the meat on top of the okonomiyaki.

  11. Flip the okonomiyaki and cook until cooked through.

  12. Flip the okonomiyaki again and spread okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise on top.

  13. Sprinkle ao-nori over the sauce.

  14. Sprinkle katsuobushi and beni-shoga, if you would like.

  15. Repeat steps 5 through 14 until you have used up all of the batter.

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