Okonomiyaki
Savoury cabbage pancake with sauce and mayo.
Ingredients
- ½ head Cabbage
- 150 g All-purpose flour
- 3 Egg
- 150 g Pork belly
- 4 tbsp Okonomiyaki sauce
- 3 tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp Neutral oil
- 2 Scallions (optional)
- 5 g Katsuobushi (bonito flakes) (optional)
Method
- Finely shred the cabbage into thin, even ribbons — it's the bulk of the pancake.
- Whisk the flour, eggs, and about 120 ml water into a smooth, thick batter, then fold in the shredded cabbage until evenly coated.
- Thinly slice the scallions and set them aside with the okonomiyaki sauce, Kewpie mayo, and bonito flakes so the toppings are ready the moment the pancake comes off the pan.
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Pour in the batter and shape it into a round about 2 cm thick, then lay the thin slices of pork belly flat over the top while the underside is still wet. Cook undisturbed until the underside is set and golden, about 6 minutes.
- Confidently flip the pancake in one motion (slide it onto a plate and invert it back if unsure) so the pork side is down. Cook until the pork is crisp and browned and the pancake is cooked through, about 4 minutes.
- Slide the pancake onto a plate pork-side up. Brush generously with okonomiyaki sauce, drizzle the Kewpie mayo over in a zigzag, then scatter over the sliced scallions and bonito flakes. Serve straight away.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Okonomiyaki
This is a streamlined take on okonomiyaki, the Osaka-style savory cabbage pancake, built to come together in about half an hour rather than the full dashi-from-scratch production. Finely shredded cabbage is the bulk of the thing — it makes up far more of the pancake than the batter does — and a quick mix of flour, eggs, and water binds it just enough to hold a thick round together on the griddle. The result is the same essential pleasure: a crisp, browned exterior giving way to a soft, cabbage-sweet middle that almost steams itself inside the crust.
The technique that matters here is laying thin slices of pork belly flat over the wet top of the pancake before the first flip, so the fat renders straight into the surface and crisps as it cooks. Off the pan, it gets the classic quartet of finishes — a zigzag of tangy-sweet okonomiyaki sauce, creamy Kewpie mayonnaise, sliced scallions, and bonito flakes that dance in the heat. Because the toppings are prepped and waiting, the pancake goes from griddle to plate hot and immediate. It's an easy, filling lunch or dinner and a good introduction to the dish if you've never made it from scratch.
Okonomiyaki: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Okonomiyaki?
A serving has about 1141 calories — 28.1g protein, 84.4g carbs, 77.4g fat, 6g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 28.1g of protein, roughly 10% of its calories.
Is Okonomiyaki gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains All-purpose flour, Okonomiyaki sauce. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for those ingredients to make it gluten-free.
How long does Okonomiyaki take to make?
About 30 minutes start to finish, but only around 23 of those are hands-on — the rest is cooking time. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Okonomiyaki?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out scallions, katsuobushi (bonito flakes) — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Okonomiyaki make?
This recipe makes 2 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.