Korean Potato Cheese Pancakes - Jaja Bakes - jajabakes.com (2024)

These Korean Potato Cheese Pancakes are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside with a molten cheese center. They are easy to make with only 4 ingredients only. Perfect for munching on while binge-watching K-dramas.

I happened to find this recipe when I was looking for the Hotteok recipe. There is just something about that beautiful cheese pull with each one that makes this completely irresistible. Potato and cheese pull sound like a great combination, so I thought to give this recipe a try. Moreover, this dish has the simplest ingredients: potatoes, sugar, rice flour, and mozzarella cheese which are available on my pantry.

Eat these when still fresh and warm from frying. Just keep in mind to cool them down a little as to not burn your fingers. You can also make ahead and refrigerate the raw pancakes for munching anytime you want. These pancakes taste straightforward like sweetened potatoes with a soft and milky taste of mozzarella cheese. I had so much fun eating and that cheese pulls were so satisfying.

How To Make These Pancakes

These Korean Potato Cheese Pancakes are very easy to make. They are just like making a sweet version of croquettes. If you are unfamiliar with potato croquettes, we are talking about mashed potatoes, usually mixed with beef, and then fried to a crispy golden brown.

To get started, make some mashed potatoes. I did this by steaming the potato chunks until tender, then mash them until smooth. Then, mix mashed potatoes with rice flour and sugar. Instead of flour, this recipe calls for rice flour which adds a nice crispy exterior. The sugar also plays an important part to get that caramelization going on and makes the exterior crispier with nice golden brown color.

After the potato mixture is well-combined e you will notice that they are easier to handle and do not fall apart easily. Divide it into 8 and roll them into balls, flatten, put mozzarella cheese on the center, and seal the edges until the filling is covered. Roll them again until round and flatten again. They should not be too thick or the inside will remain raw after frying.

Finally, fry these pancakes with a shallow frying oil on a non-stick frying pan until they are golden brown and crispy on the outside. After they are perfectly brown, transfer to a towel-lined dish to remove the excess oil. Best eaten when still warm to get the molten cheese.

Tips for Making The Best Potato Cheese Pancakes

1. Use the right potatoes

Use starchy potatoes, like Russets or Yukon Golds because these varieties have a lot of starch content. Therefore, they break down easily and absorb dairy better than the one with low starch content.

2. Mash the potatoes while still hot

Just like making mashed potatoes, the key to mash the potatoes is to do it when they are as hot as possible. When still hot, the potatoes are easier to handle, have a creamier texture, and absorb the dry ingredients better.

3. Flatten the pancakes

The key to making sure the inside and outside of your pancakes are cooked perfectly is to flatten the pancakes. When they are too thick, the inside will remain raw and you will notice a subtle flavor of rice flour. But when they are perfectly cooked, they should taste potatoey with no hint of rice flour flavor.

4. Use a non-stick frying pan

Please use a good quality non-stick frying pan these pancakes as they can get sticky during frying. My first batch of frying ended up as a failure as the skin of the pancakes sticks to the pan so badly and the sticky parts are very hard to remove unless you scrub them during dish-washing.

More Korean Recipes

• Korean Sausage Bread
• Fig Cream Cheese Financiers
• Rice Cake Churros
• Cheese Hotteok
• Korean Rice Cake with Honey