Kimchi Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe

I thought Korean kimchi and cheese would be a weird combination, but when I kept seeing people talk about making kimchi grilled cheese sandwiches, I figured I should try it myself. It turns out to be a really interesting combination of flavors and textures. You can also be a bit flexible with the type of cheese, which makes things easier. Here’s my kimchi grilled cheese sandwich recipe, let me know what you think!

Get good kimchi

Let’s be clear, I do not make my own kimchi. I’ve dabbled in fermenting pickles, sauerkraut, and even a few other things, but so far I am definitely an amateur. I’d love to be able to make my own fermented kimchi at some point, but I haven’t even attempted it yet.

For this recipe, I got some kimchi from a local restaurant. I think it’s important to get really good kimchi, and one that is solidly spicy. The cheese will mellow the spice a bit, so if your kimchi isn’t very spicy, that flavor won’t come through as well.

Another thing to consider is how big the chunks are. I don’t like bit solid chunks of stuff in my grilled cheese sandwiches, so since my kimchi had somewhat large chunks of cabbage, I chopped them up a bit first. Kimchi varies widely from one person to another, and those big chunks might not bother you in a sandwich. It’s a personal preference.

Are you vegan or vegetarian? Make sure you check the ingredients on the kimchi you buy. Some are made with fish sauce but others aren’t. The one I bought was vegan, so it did not use fish sauce in the recipe.

My biggest tip here: Make sure you’re using high quality, tasty, spicy kimchi for your kimchi grilled cheese sandwich!

>>For another fun idea, try the pepperoni pizza grilled cheese sandwich recipe.

How to make a kimchi grilled cheese sandwich

If you have kimchi on hand, this is a really easy sandwich to make. As I mentioned above, use a really flavorful kimchi, and combine it with a mild cheese so the kimchi can really shine. I used 1/4 cup of shredded mild cheddar and 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese for this recipe, but I’ve also tried gouda, which was nice.

Sprinkle half of the shredded cheese onto one slice of bread. Then put the kimchi on top of the cheese. Lastly, top it all off with the rest of your cheese.

You could also mix the kimchi with the cheese so everything becomes one unit, but I also like to make sure I have a good amount of cheese directly on the bread.

Grill your sandwich in a buttered pan for 3-4 minutes on each side. If this isn’t quite long enough for that golden brown crispy goodness, cook for another minute or so on each side.

I hope you enjoy this kimchi grilled cheese sandwich recipe!

Yield: 1 sandwich

Kimchi Grilled Cheese Sandwich

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The Kimchi Grilled Cheese Sandwich is the perfect combination of gooey cheese and crunchy kimchi. It's an unexpected flavor combo, but this Korean spicy fermented cabbage goes well with the warm melted cheese.

Prep Time 2 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 12 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 slices of bread
• 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup of kimchi
• butter

Instructions

1. Heat the pan on medium.
2. Add a slab of butter to the pan and let it melt completely.
3. Sprinkle half of the cheese onto one slice of bread, spread on the kimchi, and top with the remaining shredded cheese. Then close up your sandwith with the other slice of bread.
4. Once the butter is completely melted, coats the whole pan, and starts bubbling a little, put the sandwich into the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes on one side, checking to make sure it isn't burning.
5. Once the first side is golden brown, flip and cook the other side. Add a sliver of butter to the pan if needed.
6. When both sides are a crispy golden brown and the cheese is melty, your kimchi grilled cheese sandwich is done and ready to eat.

Notes

Make this gluten free with your favorite gluten free bread.

The type of cheese you use for this sandwich is flexible, but stick to a mild cheese so the kimchi flavors can really shine through.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

1

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 452Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 913mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 18g

Nutritional information is an estimate provided by a third party app and should not be used in place of the advice of a professional nutritionist.