Kimchi Grilled Cheese Sandwich is an easy, cheesy, spicy, and tangy sandwich that’s perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It’s made with kimchi, mozzarella cheese, and bread slices grilled to get a crispy crust.
What is Kimchi Grilled Cheese?
Kimchi is a popular Korean dish prepared using napa cabbage. It is marinated with spices and fermented to achieve a distinct taste. Kimchi has a spicy, tangy, and slightly sour taste. Once you finish eating it, you can sense the unique umami flavor that comes from the fermentation process.
Kimchi Grilled cheese is a delicious fusion sandwich that is a wonderful collaboration of Korean kimchi and Western-style cheese which is a perfect fit to eat it any time of the day. I came to know about it when my kid wanted it for her lunchbox and she even explained how to make it. I first started it with cold kimchi and then used butter to saute it a bit to use it in the grilled cheese.
Ingredients
I usually keep the recipe easy and simple and try to ensure almost all ingredients are from pantry stapes except one or two.
Kimchi: I used store-bought vegan kimchi from a local Korean restaurant because traditional kimchi uses fish sauce, which is an ingredient that we are not accustomed to. Always read the ingredients before you buy kimchi from the nearby store. If you are making kimchi sandwich for the first time, I suggest using store-bought kimchi first to get used to the taste. Once you are familiar with the taste, you can try making your own kimchi at home.
Cheese: I used grated mozzarella cheese in this recipe, but you can substitute cheddar or American cheese slices. All of them work great.
BreadSlices: Use your favorite bread. Sourdough, regular plain, whole wheat or multigrain work great.
Other Ingredients: I used butter for sauteing kimchi and mayonnaise for coating the bread slices.
Other Grilled Cheese recipes that you may like
How to make Kimchi Cheese Sandwich – Step by Step Instructions to make Kimchi Grilled Cheese
Preparation
As a first step, taste the kimchi and make sure it is spicy. The addition of cheese slightly reduces the spicy taste of kimchi. So if you need to, feel free to adjust the spicy taste as you choose, like by adding gochujang (Korean fermented chilli paste) or a hint of ground pepper while sauteing it. Drain the juice from the kimchi if any. If the kimchi has big chunks, roughly chop it into small pieces to get a better feel while eating.
If you use a cheese block, grate or slice it before using it.
Step by Step
- Heat a pan and melt butter in it.
- Once the butter melts well, add roughly chopped kimchi to it.
- Saute it for 3 to 5 minutes. If you like the raw cold kimchi, directly use it in this recipe by skipping the sauteing process. I personally like to saute it to slightly caramelize it. Turn off the flame and cool down a bit.
- Meanwhile, coat one side of all the bread slices with mayonnaise. Apply mayo generously. you can substitute it with butter but mayo gives a perfect crispy crust. You can use any type of bread that you like. I have tried it with plain bread, whole wheat, sour-dough and multigrain and I liked both plain and sour dough bread.
- Place the bread slices on the hot griddle by facing the mayo-coated side down. Top it with sauteed kimchi. I used two bread slices at a time.
- Further more, spread the grated cheese on top of it. You can also use a combination of both cheddar and mozzarella cheese or simply use couple of american cheese slices.
- Place the remaining bread slices on top of it, mayo coated side facing the top. Press it gently using a spatula. Cook it in low to medium flame. Moderate flame helps to melt the cheese nicely and at the same time, we get a crispy golden crust on each bread sandwiches.
- When one side becomes golden brown(about 3-4 minutes), flip gently to cook the other side. if needed, coat generously with mayo on both sides as you cook. When both sides becomes nice golden brown and the cheese melts down, transfer it to a chopping board, slice it and serve warm.
Storage & Serving Suggestions
Storage
Kimchi grilled cheese tastes better when served hot.
My kid likes it so much, so I packed it a couple of times for her lunchbox. To pack it for your lunchbox, first slice the grilled cheese sandwich. Then keep the sandwich in a standing position or place it on top of the cooling rack to bring it to room temperature. Wrap it in the parchment paper and pack it in the lunchbox. This way you can maintain the crispy texture to some extent.
Store leftovers in a clean dry airtight box. Reheat the sandwich on both sides on the griddle until it becomes crisp and serve warm. Leftovers should be used within a day or two and stored in the refrigerator. Do not microwave the leftovers.
Serving Suggestions
Kimchi Cheese Sandwich or kimchi grilled cheese can be enjoyed during any time of the day. This itself serves a meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can pair it with the soup or salad of your choice.
Tips & Notes
- Always cook the sandwich on low to medium flame. It gives enough time to melt the cheese perfectly without burning the bread slices. Low flame is the key for a perfect melted cheese and perfect golden crust.
- Apply butter or mayo generously to get perfect crispy and tasty bread.
- Make sure the cheese is at room temperature for uniform melting. If you find it difficult to handle the shredded cheese, use cheese slices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Kimichi is a popular Korean dish prepared using napa cabbage. It is marinated with spices and fermented to achieve a distinct taste.
Mild Cheddar works best. but one can use mozzarella cheese, cheddar or American cheese slice or a combination of both mozzarella and mild chedder.
I suggest trying it with traditional kimchi made with napa cabbage. Once you get familiar with the taste, play around with other flavours.
Recipe Card
Kimchi Cheese Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1/2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup kimchi chopped
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese grated
- 1/4 cup plain mayonnaise
- 4 bread slices
Instructions
- Melt butter in a pan. Add roughly chopped kimchi to it. Drain the juice if any. Saute it for 3-5 minutes. Turn off the flame and cool down.
- Meanwhile, coat one side of each bread slice with mayo generously. Instead of mayo, you can also use butter.
- Place two slices of bread on the griddle, facing the mayo-coated side down. Spread the sauteed kimchi on top of it evenly. Then spread the cheese. Top it with another slice of bread, facing the mayo-coated side top. Press it gently.
- Cook it in a low-medium flame. Low flame melts the cheese nice and uniform without burning the bread slices. Turn to cook other side.
- Apply a coat of mayo while cooking. Once the cheese melts down completely and bread has become golden brown on both the side, transfer the sandwich to a chopping board.
- Slice and serve warm.
Video
Notes
- Always cook the sandwich on low to medium flame. It gives enough time to melt the cheese perfectly without burning the bread slices. Low flame is the key for a perfect melted cheese and perfect golden crust.
- Apply butter or mayo generously to get perfect crispy and tasty bread.
- Make sure the cheese is at room temperature for uniform melting. If you find it difficult to handle the shredded cheese, use cheese slices.
If you have tried this recipe or have any questions, don’t forget to comment below. I would love to hear your feedback and glad to answer your queries. You can also Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Youtube for other updates from my kitchen about Office Lunchbox, Kid’s Lunchbox and simple meal plate ideas.
