Kimchi Grilled Cheese Recipe (2024)

By Ali Slagle

Kimchi Grilled Cheese Recipe (1)

Total Time
15 minutes
Rating
4(1,892)
Notes
Read community notes

Spicy heat plays well with melty cheese (think: queso dip, stuffed jalapeños, Buffalo wings and blue cheese). Here, kimchi and mozzarella cheese come together for a twist on the classic grilled cheese. Mildly flavored mozzarella is an especially good choice in this recipe because it lets the kimchi shine, but you could also add ¼ cup of grated Cheddar, Monterey Jack or even pepper Jack for more kick. If you have grilled steak, roasted vegetables or practically any other savory leftover in your fridge, chop it up and add about ¼ cup to your sandwich along with the kimchi. Smearing mayonnaise on the bread, instead of butter, might sound weird, but it won’t burn as quickly as butter, allowing the cheese ample time to melt, and the bread to toast up to golden perfection. (Watch the video of Ali Slagle making kimchi grilled cheese here.)

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Ingredients

Yield:1 serving

  • 2slices bread, either soft sandwich bread or large rustic slices, not more than ½-inch thick
  • 1tablespoon mayonnaise
  • ½cup grated mozzarella, Cheddar or other mild, semifirm cheese
  • ¼cup drained and coarsely chopped kimchi

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (1 servings)

536 calories; 36 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 32 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 22 grams protein; 892 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Kimchi Grilled Cheese Recipe (2)

Preparation

Make the recipe with us

  1. Heat a heavy skillet over medium-low. Thinly spread 1 side of each slice of bread with ½ tablespoon mayonnaise. Place the bread, mayonnaise side down, in the skillet and divide the mozzarella evenly over the slices.

  2. Step

    2

    When the cheese has just melted (no individual shreds of cheese remain), 6 to 10 minutes, add the kimchi to one side. Use a spatula to top with the other slice of bread, cheese side down. Press with the spatula to meld, then let cook, covered, flipping as needed to prevent burning, until the bread is crusty-brown and the sandwich is warmed through, 2 to 4 minutes.

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1,892

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Mark

I make this frequently on sourdough. Any good melting cheese works. Tips: gently toast and warm the bread dry on the skilllet, then flip the pieces over and add cheese. That will kick start the melting process, especially if you’re using refrigerated kimchi. You can also warm the kimchi a bit but I find that the tip above plus very low heat and patience works well even with cold kimchi. And I use butter or oil, never mayonnaise.

Kingfisher

I use sauerkraut instead of kimchi.

Tim

It has to be real full fat mayo or it won't work. Light mayo or mayo alternatives will stick. Hellman's original works for me every time. I never use butter now.

Randy Jones

I made mine with gouda from the Union Star cheese factory in Zittau, Wisconsin. My face melted along with the cheese.

Dahye

A great recipe with a simple change/addition- Instead of draining your kimchi (the older the better) try frying it with butter and sprinkling with some brown sugar. Add pan fried spam to the mix and you’ve got yourself a melt with sweet, savory, salty, gooey goodness straight from a Korean American childhood.

Richard

I have been eating Kimchi for over sixty years but never thought to use it in a grilled cheese sandwich. I use well-aged kimchi (two-three months). Today with butter, Jewish Rye produced an excellent lunch. Will try other variations. Soon.

Alierias

fry the egg first, let the yolk barely set, set aside, then add to sandwich with the kimchee

me

I used mild Mexicana blend cheese and it turned out really well! Definitely squeeze the kimchi to get liquid out.

AB

I recommend grilling the kimchi along with the slices of bread before adding it to the sandwich. It creates a wonderful Unami flavour and takes some of the heat out of the kimchi for those who like it milder. I also serve it with pickles - perfection.

WK

I've been using mayonnaise instead of butter for grilled cheese sandwiches for years. I find it adds a little extra flavor to the bread, and it's easier to spread than cold butter.

Jennifer Basye Sander

A now defunct cafe in Washington’s Skagit Valley had a tuna and kimchi sandwich called The Writer’s Sandwich named after a local fellow… Tom Robbins. I’m not a huge kimchi fan but it was a great combination.

P

This is fire. I used sourdough bread and sharp cheddar cheese with good ol’ Costco kimchi. I subscribe to mayo on the outside and a little schmear of butter on the inside. This really hits the spot when you’re craving a grilled cheese but also need a little more substance and spice.

Bobby

Mayo gives you a little extra sweetness that goes great on grilled cheese.

Doris

I had fontina cheese and homemade bread. The recipe worked very well. I grilled the bread slowly until the cheese melted, and turned it up after adding the kimchee. I flipped it until adequately browned on both sides. From now on I probably will use mayonnaise for all of my toasted cheese because it did not get overly brown before the cheese melts.​

Rajeev

Respectfully, the sandwich described in this recipe is not a grilled cheese sandwich. It is a melt. https://www.reddit.com/r/grilledcheese/comments/2or1p3/_/Otherwise, this looks delicious! Mayo is probably a good call to up the crunch when you have a looser filling.

Bar Not Kitchen

Holy Cow!!! This was delicious. I used Monterey Jack freshly grated on a mix of the small and big holes of my box grater. I’ll admit after the 4 minute mark I started to have my doubts that all that cheese would melt before the bread burned, but low and behold at the 9 minute mark I had beautiful melty cheesy bread to top with kimchi. Sealed up the sandwich, covered it, and set a timer for 3 minutes, flipped at 1:30 and had a gorgeous golden brown crispy gooey sandwich.

Greta

My Korean son-in-law gave me a great tip. Before adding the kimchi to the sandwich, saute it on medium heat in some olive oil until it cooks way down and turns a caramel color (like you would caramelize onions - it takes 15 minutes ). Then add that to the sandwich and grill as stated. The kimchi ends up a little sweet and caramelly as well as spicy.

Betsy T

This is a brilliant sandwich, but after 4 burned attempts, I’ve now put the open faced cheese under the broiler, then moved the pan to the burner once I added the kimchi. Seems to be working.

Lisa

Adding kimchi makes this a more wholesome, flavorful meal than plain grilled cheese.

Judy

Super good. I added two slices of black forest ham to white cheddar and took the kimchi out of the fridge to room temp. Delish

Joe

Cover while cheese is melting

Jane

For a very low carb version (no bread), try a mound of cottage cheese in a bowl, topped with kimchi, diced cucumbers, and crispy bacon bits. It's a nice combination of creaminess, heat, salt, and a little crunch. It is one of my favorite things to have for lunch. If you use good quality prepackaged bacon bits, it comes together in 2 minutes.

Josh

Made this with a chinese tomatoe egg drop soup. Might be a little derivative but it was amazingly delicious

Ed

Just made this recipe using Harvarti slices I had to use up. I also used ghee instead of mayo or butter and added red onions and tomato. I missed the step of chopping the kimchi which would have helped when eating. Otherwise, it tasted delicious!

Statistically Insignificant

Delicious, but note that heating the kimchi will kill the wonderful probiotics it contains.

Brian

I mix my kimchi with salmon and natural yeast. Then I make my toasted cheese with that mixture

VFWQ

I love all the variations listed in the comments for this… I too make grilled Kimchi sandwiches… but add beets… and Gruyère cheese… SOOOOO good. I make my own kimchi taught to me by my S. Korean friends… I added beets here as that little bit of sweet on. Abed of kimchi is all around fabulous explosion of flavors in your mouth… I use Kewpie mayo. On the sourdough bread and grill with olive oil. Just the best.

Ellen Oliver

Mayo is absolutely better than butter for grilled cheese sandwiches. I discovered this about 5 years ago & will never go back.

JBG

Maybe without the mayo.

AEC in the Kitchen

An all season umami meal. Used shredded Gruyere with a dash of shredded Parmesan on thick cut sourdough in a pan because I do not have my panini press. Instead of mayo, I browned with a creamy mayo-like seasoned sauce from a local restaurant. I am going to try the suggestions and ideas from other note makers including adding an egg and chili crisp for a savory breakfast.

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Kimchi Grilled Cheese Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What kind of cheese goes with kimchi? ›

Mildly flavored mozzarella is an especially good choice in this recipe because it lets the kimchi shine, but you could also add ¼ cup of grated Cheddar, Monterey Jack or even pepper Jack for more kick.

Is kimchi good on a sandwich? ›

If you love a simple grilled cheese sandwich with crispy toast that's stuffed with gooey melted cheese, you might think there's no possible way to improve upon that. But you'd be wrong! Kimchi Grilled Cheese is an easy way to take a sandwich from good to great.

What goes well with kimchi? ›

10 dishes to eat with kimchi
  • By itself. Kimchi is the star of the show here. ...
  • Fried rice. Kimchi fried rice (kimchi bokkeumbap) is one of the most popular ways to eat kimchi in Korea. ...
  • Kimchi stews. ...
  • Tofu. ...
  • Udon noodles. ...
  • Kimchi dumplings. ...
  • Korean BBQ. ...
  • Eggs.

Is kimchi good for your gut? ›

Along with fiber, vitamins, and minerals, kimchi contains natural probiotic bacteria. If you eat them regularly, the probiotics in fermented foods can be beneficial to your gut microbiome. Studies suggest that eating kimchi on a daily basis could help to improve some digestive problems.

Can I eat kimchi every day? ›

Participants who ate more than five servings of kimchi per day were more likely to be at a risk for obesity. That is because kimchi contains a high level of sodium, Jaelin said. “If you're eating three meals a day — maybe you're having kimchi on the side — that's great.

What is the world's most expensive grilled cheese? ›

But some Guinness World Records just require a lot of cheese, a lot of butter and a little bit of gold. Since 2014, New York City's Serendipity3 has laid claim to the Guinness World Record for the world's most expensive sandwich: a grilled cheese that costs a whopping $214.

What cheese melts the best for grilled cheese? ›

With both meltability and flavor in mind, here are the five best cheeses to use for your next grilled cheese.
  • Mozzarella. From pizza to mozzarella sticks, we already know what mozzarella is capable of when it comes to epic cheese pulls. ...
  • Brie/Bloomy Rind. ...
  • Comté/Raclette/Gruyère. ...
  • Young Gouda. ...
  • American Cheese.
Sep 1, 2023

Who is the only chef to make Gordon Ramsay cry? ›

the time when Marco Pierre White made Gordon Ramsay cry .

Is it better to eat kimchi hot or cold? ›

Kimchi can be eaten basically however you want. You can eat it cold straight from the container. You can use it as an ingredient in soups, noodles, Korean pancakes, and fried rice. You can even chop it up small, sautee it in butter and add it to things like hotdogs, quesadillas, or grilled cheese.

Is snacking on kimchi healthy? ›

With only 23 calories per cup, kimchi is a low-calorie food. It also contains fiber, which can help you feel full and ward off hunger. One small study found that eating kimchi as part of a monthlong diet helped people with overweight or obesity shed weight and body fat. Eating kimchi may also prevent weight gain.

What makes kimchi taste better? ›

The use of bold seasonings like gochugaru and, in some regions, salted seafood, offer additional layers of complexity to the overall taste of the kimchi.

What do Asians eat kimchi with? ›

As the national dish of South Korea, kimchi is a staple in kitchens around the world. This fermented cabbage dish can be served as a side dish, over a bed of rice, folded into scrambled eggs, whirred into tomato sauce, or even just eaten as is.

What meat tastes good with kimchi? ›

Kimchi and pork-based fried dishes like Schnitzel or Don-katsu is really good combination. Try to chew it in same time. Overall, pork meat dish with bland taste is fit to kimchi well.

How long does kimchi last in the fridge? ›

If you have store-bought kimchi that's been opened, it will be good for 3-4 days at room temperature and up to 6 months when refrigerated. Signs of your kimchi going bad include mold growth, an alcoholic smell, and an extremely sour taste.

What is kimchi traditionally eaten with? ›

This fermented cabbage dish can be served as a side dish, over a bed of rice, folded into scrambled eggs, whirred into tomato sauce, or even just eaten as is. Here's what to know about kimchi, how to make kimchi, and some of our favorite recipes using it as a deeply flavorful ingredient.

Do Korean dishes use cheese? ›

From spicy baby back ribs and dakgalbi (grilled chicken) to ramyeon, a wide range of dishes are now available with melted cheese on top, adding a new dimension of flavor and texture.

Is cheese good in kimchi ramen? ›

Instant ramen ranks highly among comfort foods because it can be quickly prepared and those little seasoning packets provide lots of flavor with minimal effort. No packets are used in this recipe, but the addition of gooey, melted Cheddar and funky fermented kimchi makes the dish even more satisfying.

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