How to Make Korean Pan-Fried Skewers (Kkochi Jeon 꺼치전)

Kkochi jeon, 꼬치전, or whatever you want to call it. The name does not change how delicious and beautifully savory this dish is. Shoutout to my mom for suggesting we make this. My mom used to eat it during special events when she was living in Korea. It reminds her of her home country and was a nostalgic dish for her. Regardless of its origins, I would recommend you give this dish a try. It is fairly easy to make as well so don’t worry if you aren’t the best in the kitchen!

Supplies

Ingredients:

- 2 tsp masul 맛술 (the bottle says it’s a marinade with ginger and plum)

- 2 tsp soy sauce

- 1 crushed garlic clove

- 1/4 tsp black pepper

- 8 oz beef (any cut works but I used ribeye)

- Handful of imitation crab sticks (or regular crab if you want to be fancy)

- 4 Stalks of green onion

- 1 King oyster mushroom

- 1 cup of korean pancake mix

- 3 Eggs

- Cooking oil (Used olive oil but canola would work fine.)

Materials:

- Skewer sticks

- Frying pan/skillet

- 2 Containers

- A few plates

Step 1: Substitute Your Ingredients [Optional]

Feel free to switch some of the ingredients up for a different flare, you don’t have some items, or just take some out because of dietary choices like veganism. I thought of some substitutes you could potentially try. I have not tested these out but it should work. Feel free to experiment! Let us know how it goes in the comments below if you do use any of these.

Masul 맛술 - Any other marinade sauce Beef - Pork, spam, commercial meat substitute, tofu. Imitation crab - Real crab or another fish you enjoy like salmon Korean pancake mix - Normal pancake mix or a combination of flour, sugar, salt and a dash of other seasonings like garlic powder. Eggs - Just egg

Step 2: Gather Your Ingredients

Make sure you have everything you need to complete this recipe.

Step 3: Prep Your Ingredients

You are going to need to wash the ingredients that need to be washed, like the vegetables, and cut everything to the same size. We used the crab stick as a guide for cutting everything else. If not using crab sticks, cut one vegetable piece and use it with the rest to cut everything to the same size. Other than that, portion out everything else, whisk the eggs together, and crush the garlic to use in the marinade.

Step 4: Make Your Marinade

For the marinade all you need to do is mix the crushed garlic, soy sauce, masul and black pepper together. Doesn’t get any easier than that.

Step 5: Marinate Your Meat (or Substitute)

After making your marinade you need to put your meat in it. Toss it around some and make sure the marinade is evenly distributed.

Step 6: Assemble Everything

You have cut vegetables and marinated meat. Now it's assembly time. Start to put the ingredients on the skewer sticks. The way you assemble your stick is up to you. We made ours multiple different ways and it worked every time.

Step 7: Toss in Pancake Mix

After your sticks are assembled your next job is to lightly toss them in the pancake mix. Don’t be too rough as you don’t want any of your ingredients to come off the stick. It’s happened to me so avoid my mistake! Additionally, if you are having trouble getting the mix on it, you can grab a spoon and use it to pour some of it on the skewer.

Step 8: Dip in Eggs

Generously coat each side with some of the beaten eggs. Thanks to the flour it, the eggs should stick well to it.

Step 9: Heat Up the Oil

Grab a clean pan, put it on the stove, turn the stove on medium heat and pour some oil on the pan. You’ll know it’s ready when it starts to bubble and sizzle a bit.

Step 10: Cook It

Once the oil is hot you are ready to put the kkochi jeon onto the pan. You can hear the oil sizzle as it works its magic. We used the color of the meat as a signal of when to turn it over since everything else could be eaten raw. If using beef as well, wait until the red meat turns brown so you can ensure you aren’t eating it raw. Otherwise, turn it over when the other side has solidified and browned a bit.

Step 11: Eat It!

Once you’re done cooking it, it is ready to be eaten. Plate it and eat it by itself or with a bit of soy sauce on the side. Either is great. Enjoy your meal!

If you have any questions, please let me know in the comment section. I’d be more than happy to answer them.