Hi everybody! I’m introducing “mak-kimchi” to you today! It’s made with napa cabbage (baechu in Korean), pre-cut into bite-sized pieces, so you can serve it without cutting. This way of making kimchi is really time saving compared to making whole cabbage kimchi. It has the familiar spicy, savory flavor of napa cabbage kimchi, with an easier way to prepare and serve it. So I am translating “mak-kimchi” into “easy kimchi.” I hope this recipe makes your life easier!
Over the years, so many of my readers have made kimchi using this recipe. Some have even told me they make it to sell! Every time I hear stories like these, I feel so proud and happy.
Want to make a smaller batch? A small-batch easy kimchi recipe, made with just one 3-pound head of napa cabbage, is coming soon. The recipe below is my original version, made with 10 pounds of cabbage.
If you prefer kimchi made with cabbage quarters instead of bite-sized pieces, try my traditional napa cabbage kimchi recipe.
Ingredients
A large batch made with 10 pounds of napa cabbage
- 10 pounds baechu (napa cabbage)
- 1 cup kosher salt for the cabbage, plus 3 tablespoons if preparing the optional squid
- ½ cup sweet rice flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 3 cups water for the porridge, plus more for soaking and rinsing
- 1 cup crushed garlic
- 1 to 2 tablespoons ginger, minced
- 1 cup onion, minced
- 1 cup fish sauce
- Salted, fermented squid (optional; see “Prepare the salted squid” below)
- 2½ cups Korean hot pepper flakes (gochugaru) (to taste)
- 2 cups leek or Asian chives, chopped
- 10 green onions (diagonally sliced)
- ¼ cup carrot, cut into matchsticks
- 12 ounces of peeled Korean radish, cut into matchsticks, about 2 cups
Directions
Prepare the salted squid (optional; 1 week ahead)
- Clean 300 grams (⅔ pound) of very fresh squid by removing the guts and backbone, then rinse well.
- Add 3 tablespoons kosher salt and mix with a spoon.
- Transfer to a container or glass jar, cover, and refrigerate for 1 week.
- Rinse thoroughly until no longer slippery, then drain. Remove the skin if you like.
- Pat dry with paper towels or a clean cotton cloth, chop, and add to the kimchi paste.
Prepare the cabbage
- Trim the discolored outer leaves of the napa cabbage.
- Cut the cabbage lengthwise into quarters and remove the cores. Chop it into bite-sized pieces.
- Soak the pieces of cabbage in cold water, then transfer the wet cabbage to a large basin. Sprinkle the 1 cup kosher salt evenly over the cabbage and toss well.
- Every 30 minutes, turn the cabbage over to salt evenly (total salting time will be 2 hours).
- 2 hours later, rinse the cabbage in cold water 3 times to clean it thoroughly.
- Drain the cabbage and set aside.
Make porridge
- Put 3 cups of water and sweet rice flour in a pot and mix it well and bring to a boil. Keep stirring until the porridge makes bubbles (about 5 minutes).
- Add ¼ cup sugar. Stir and cook for a few more minutes until it’s translucent.
- Let it cool completely.
Make kimchi paste
- Place the cooled porridge into a large bowl. Now you will add all your ingredients one by one.
- Add fish sauce, hot pepper flakes, crushed garlic, minced ginger, and minced onion.
*tip: it’s much easier to use a food processor!
- If using the salted squid, rinse and drain it, then chop it and add it to the kimchi paste. The squid is optional, so you can leave it out.
- Add green onions, chopped leek or Asian chives, Korean radish, and carrot.
- Mix all ingredients well and your kimchi paste is done.
Action! Mix the cabbage with the kimchi paste!
- Add the cabbage to the kimchi paste and mix well by hand.
*tip: If your basin is not large enough to mix all the ingredients at once, do it bit by bit.
- Transfer the kimchi to a clean, food-safe container or glass jar. Press it down firmly to remove air pockets. Leave some space at the top so the juices have room to rise during fermentation, then cover.
You can eat it fresh right after making or wait until it’s fermented.
You can eat it fresh right after making or wait until it’s fermented.
I usually put all my kimchi in the fridge except for a little bit in a small container. I like fresh kimchi, so this way the kimchi in the fridge ferments slowly and stays fresh, while the smaller container ferments faster and gets sour. I use this sour kimchi for making dishes like kimchi jjigae where sour kimchi should be used. Then, when the small container is empty, I fill it up again with kimchi from the big container. It takes a little management, but experiment and you’ll get the hang of it!
Serve, ferment, and store
You can eat kimchi fresh or let it ferment in the refrigerator. It will gradually become more sour. The time this takes depends on the temperature and your taste.
For faster fermentation of a batch made without the optional squid, leave the covered container at room temperature for about a couple of days, depending on the warmth of your kitchen. Set it on a tray to catch any overflowing juices. When it tastes pleasantly sour, refrigerate it. If you use a tightly sealed jar or a container, open the lid occasionally to release any built-up gas.
The story behind this recipe
I first shared my whole cabbage kimchi and radish kimchi recipe in 2007. In that early video, I used cabbage and radishes of different sizes without giving precise weights. Readers soon began asking for more exact measurements, especially when they wanted to make just cabbage kimchi. Their questions inspired me to share this step-by-step easy kimchi recipe in 2010, using 10 pounds of napa cabbage. It’s based on the kimchi I’ve been making for decades, and it’s popular with my Korean friends, too.
Take a look at these mouthwatering kimchi photos shared by my readers!
Buy this recipe's ingredients online
I really like Weee! they deliver quality packaged and fresh Korean ingredients to the continental USA. Cheaper and better than Amazon! Check them out!
Hi Maangchi,
I have a question regarding salting the cabbage.
After salting the cabbage for 1 1/2 hours, rinse the cabbage in cold water 3 times to clean it thoroughly. After this process is done, how salty is the cabbage? Is it less salty, normal or very salty?
what’s the normal range for kimchi making?
thanks for your guidance.
Hi Maangchi!
I just made my first batch of kimchi today! I tried the fresh kimchi and it was amazing!! I cannot wait to taste it after it starts to ferment!! Thank you so much for this!!!!!!!!
Good news! Thank you for your update!
Hi Maangchi,
I am really interested in your cooking, I want to make kimchi but I cant find the red pepper powder. Do you have any suggestion to online shopping this product?
Can I use another type of chilly powder instead such as Indian one ?
Thank you very much,
정말 감사합니다
You are from England, check this out please,
https://www.maangchi.com/shopping#United Kingdom
Hi Maangchi,
I’ve made kimchi for several times already using a recipe from a korean friend of mine and my friend said they were good. But when I made using your recipe, they told me that my kimchi is getting better and they really love it! So thanks to you, I’ll be making again this weekend and will give it away as present to a famous Korean superstar who will be visiting our country soon ! :)
“they told me that my kimchi is getting better and they really love it!” yay! congratulations!
BTW a famous Korean superstar? My other readers will be interested who he or she is.
he is Kim Hyun Joong of SS501. He will be here as spokesperson for korean beauty products The Faceshop ^^/
I accidentally came upon this website and after reading your instructions on making kimchi, I really think I could give it a try!
Just one little question. With the sweet rice flour, can I replace it with the Chinese rice flour?
Many thanks
yes, you can. : )
Just to let you know that I’ve successfully made the kimchi following your recipe!
I’ve tried it fresh, like you suggested with toasted sesame seed and sesame oil and it tasted really nice! I’ve also taken small box of kimchi out of the fridge to ferment. I can’t wait to taste it when it’s fermented! If it turned out to be a success, then I’ll make another batch, this time with Korean radish. Korean radishes are not readily available here and it was sooooooooooooooo expensive!
Thank you for your recipe and I’m gonna try your hot and spicy squid next!
Hi Maangchi,
Can I use both asian pear and the sweet flour too?? Would it be more tastier?? Thanks Maangchi! :)
Pear contains lots of water, so if you use both, your kimchi paste will be too watery. For best results, follow the recipe exactly please.
Okay Maangchi!! Thank you for replying so quickly :) Keep up the good work!!
For the squid is it 3 Table Spoon or 3 teaspoon of salt? And I can use frozen squid right maangchi?? After 7 days I can put in kimchi right?
yes 3 TBS salt is needed and you can use frozen squid, too.
I told my mom to do this because I’m away from home for college and we have no kitchen in dorms :(, so when I go home for break I can make it and she put 12 TBS of sea salt for 6 squids. Will that be Ok? She did it on Thursday afternoon and I can use it on Thursday morning of next week? Thanks Maangchi…
One more question Maangchi.. Can I make the kimchi first and then put squid in next day?
Maangchi-
I want to make kimchi with some turnip bulbs. Will this similar recipe work well, or is it better to use method like your recipe for stuffed cucumbers?
I don’t know the answer because I have never made kimchi with turnip bulbs. http://www.featurepics.com/online/Turnip-Bulb-589848.aspx
Please leave your question here on the forum. My other readers might give you good advice.
https://www.maangchi.com/talk/forum/general-discussion
I made this yesterday along with starting my fermenting squid. I cannot wait to get started making dinner. I made a smaller batch of cabbage, but made the full amount of paste. I am thinking I will stop by the market and see what else I can use. Thank you so much.
Did you see this blog? It’s a very popular one and you are mentioned with your kimchi recipe!! Very cool!
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/keeps-well/my-first-kimchimaking-experience-116042
Thank you for letting me know about the website. haha it’s fun to read her blog! Yes, I remember her question. : ) “I emailed Maangchi and asked her what I should do, and she said, “No problem, just make it without the squid.” I just posted on my Facebook to share her experience with more people. http://www.facebook.com/maangchi
Hi Maangchi
I just want to say a big THANK YOU for this recipe. Where I live it’s almost impossible (and expensive!) to buy kimchi, so I made it according to this recipe. Granted I halved the ingredients and it took me 3 hours (not like your 2!) but it was worth it!
At the moment it’s still a bit sweet but it is slowly fermenting away…for me it’s not a problem to eat small amounts of fermenting kimchi, so I have been making bu-dae chi-gae with it! I can’t wait for it to ‘mature’. Thanks again I am soooo happy! :)
I hope your budaejjigae turns out great! : ) Congratulations on your successful kimchi making.
Hi Maangchi,
I am your faithful follower, and have tried some of your recipes, which turns out well, but recently my kimchi taste a bit bitter, what is the cause and can it still be eaten.
Your advise will be greatly appreciated.
Helen
Check this out Helen,
https://www.maangchi.com/talk/topic/what-made-my-kim-chi-base-have-a-bitter-after-taste
https://www.maangchi.com/talk/topic/slightly-bitter-kimchi
dear Maangchi :)
I’ve been making kimchi since some time, and most of time it was really good and spicy :) This time I’ve made it the same as usuall, but somehow it’s really sour :( HAve you any idea what could go wrong?
Fresh kimchi is not sour as you know. It must have fermented too much.
Hey Maangchi,
I am going to make kimchi for the second time but I wanted to added the raw squid but I’m a bit afraid getting sick from it. Is it ok to use frozen squid because I can not find fresh squid around where I am from?
I wouldn’t use raw or frozen squid directly to my kimchi paste. Just as I said in the recipe, salt it and keep in in the fridge for at least 1 week before using it.
Maangchi!
I think I can finally taste kimchi again, if I use pear juice and leave out the fish sauce and hot pepper flakes (It’ll be baek kimchi, right?) – diet constraints…
Wondering how much pear juice (just the juice and no pulp?) would be the equivalent of the paste?
Also, approx. how much more salt is needed to replace the fish sauce?
Thank you!
Anna
Anna, I don’t know the answer unless I really make it. Do some experiments.
Well the thought of having kimchi with rice spurred me on to experiment, as you suggested and I just made it and it tastes good!
Halving the recipe, I replaced the flour paste and sugar with 1.5 cups of grated Korean pear with its juice and used 40 mL of salt to replace the fish sauce (internet source says that the ratio of fish sauce to salt is 3 to 1).
I used red pepper flakes after all, as red pepper was the only ingredient in it.
It tastes good, but I don’t think I’m used to salty food, so next time I’m going to use 30 mL.
Thanks!
“I replaced the flour paste and sugar with 1.5 cups of grated Korean pear with its juice and used 40 mL of salt to replace the fish sauce..”You are genius!” : )
aaaah delicious, but i will have to say i think 1 cup of fish sauce was a little too much, i myself dont like salty taste, but everything else was great, i added fruits into my kimchi i am a fruity fanatic….love the taste of ginger too…it is alot of work, but all worth it, next time i make kimchi i will have to try the sweet rice flour and pepper flakes, i had chili that was grown in my garden a few years back and grind them for storage and used them, well its not at all like yours Maangchi but the taste is delicious
Thanks im starting to take a liking in Korean food
That’s good! You can modify the recipe to adjust your taste!
Thank you for the video, very helpful!
I only have brown rice flour. Would that make the paste too gritty? Maybe I should wait to make kimchi until I can pick up some sweet rice flour?
I think it will be ok. Why not. How about using plain flour! I sometimes use plain flour when run out of sweet rice flour.
Maangchi! I really enjoy your site and your youtube channel. I’m eager to make kimchi but do you by any chance have a smaller amount recipe. How do I make the conversion for may be 1 or two cabbages. Please advice.
Thanks…
This is the recipe for 10 pounds of napa cabbage. Get your cabbage first and weight it, then divide each ingredient proportionally.
hi Maangchi
i am ready to make kimchi and i have everything except sweet rice flour and i am no where near an asian grocery store, but you said i can substitute sweet rice flour with pear juice, sorry but do i make porridge at all or what is the next step, sorry for the silly question.
thanks, great videos!!!
Hi
You could make porridge for kimchi paste using either sweet rice flour or plain flour. I would make porridge with plain flour if sweet rice flour is not available.
hello Maangchi! :)
I really love your kimchi, I tried it a couple of times and every time it was delicious!
But last time I wanted to make smaller amount of it and I think I made too little porridge and used too little salt… After 1,5h of satling the cabbage was still very fresh and crunchy. When I mixed it with the porridge it was really dry – looked almost like fresh cabbage with little paste, well… Anyway, I put it into a container, but now I regret it. It got really sour after a week or so, although it’s dry and crunchy. I’m afraid it might have gone off :( do you think it’s possible?
Hi Maangchi!
I made this last night and since I did not have sea salt or sugar on hand, I used table salt and splenda…I thought it would be fine until this morning when I read that you cannot use iodized salt for fermentation and that sugar is what helps promote healthy bacteria growth! Ack!
Will this be okay or should I throw it out when it starts to turn. I know it will be fine for a week or so, but I would really hate to throw out the entire batch (it came out so tasty!!).
The cabbage was extremly salty, but I rinsed it like 10-15 times and it tasted fine.
Anyone have experience with this? Does my kimchi have a chance of fermenting properly?
I’m not sure, cause I’m not Korean, but I made this kimchi a couple of times, every time with iodized salt – didn’t know you cannot use it in kimchi…:/
But each time it turned out really great! and I kept it and ate it for couple of weeks, and I was perfectly fine :)
Hi maangchi! I want to make this kimchi using pear instead of porridge. How do I do this? Do I just take a ripe pear and blend it to pulp, and then I have my porridge? Do I still need to put in sugar or can I skip it?
I know that I should actually use asian pear, but what I have on hand right now are delicious ripe normal pears so I hope I can use that?
Thank you in advance for your reply because I really want to try this pear variation… it sounds delicious.
Yes, use pureed pears to make kimchi paste. You don’t need to make porridge then and you could skip sugar. You can use bosc pear, too. But you will get the best results if you make porridge.
hey maangchi i really want to make this kimchi tonight but i was wondering i dont like fish sauce what can i use instead of fish sauce someone told me i could use the small shrimp in the salty brine if so how much would i use for the kimchi also is there any other things i can use? if i cant find leeks what else can i use? thank u maangchi i love ur site and i think what u r doing is amazing u help so many people learn to cook korean food. if it wasnt for ur site i still wouldnt know how to cook my favorite food.
Thank you so much for your nice message and question.
Skip fish sauce if you don’t like it and use salt. To make your kimchi paste more tasty if you are not a vegetarian, you could add chicken or beef broth to the paste. My vegan readers have let me know they have been making delicious kimchi without using fish sauce.
HI,Maangchi. i actually wanted to ask you what is Sweet rice flour? what is the use of putting the porridge while making kimchi?
Thank you.
Check this out. https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/sweet-rice-flour
May I use round cabbages (greens, reds or savoys) in making “mak” kimchi recipe?
I am your follower since 2008..Im from Phil & i love kimchi. I had no idea how to make kimchi before so i searched kimchi recipes on internet, but i always failed so i deiced not to make kimchi anymore… its really hot here & i thought its the weather why i always fail when making kimchi .. When i saw your video on youtube i was so impress on how you make kimchi so i decided to try again and i really want to thank you coz my kimchi now is very delicous and everybody loves it, they said better than kimchi that we buy in supermarket… I thank you coz im earning money by making kimchi for those who are asking me to make kimchi for them…
I only have 1 question.,just curious…. why is that other kimchi recipes i saw on internet use lots of water when salting cabbage.. i have no problem with your recipe, im just curious.. is there any difference with the result between “soaking cabbage with plain salt” and “using lots of water for brining”..
Wow! atlast i was able to make my very own kimchi…thanks to you Maangchi! from now on i’ll never be out of kimchi! I’m not korean but i’ve stayed in korea for a year and I LOVE KIMCHI!!!
yay, you can make your own kimchi anytime you want!
The last time I tried to make kimchi was over 10 years ago. My family called it “saltchi” because I added too much salt and I was reluctant to try it again. This recipe looked so easy and simple I had to try again. My kimchi came out great. Finally no more saltchi!
haha, saltchi? I love the word! very creative! : ) I’m glad your kimchi turned out good. You made kimchi instead of saltchi.
lol
hi,if i do not have the korean radish will it still taste good??and i use rice flour instead or sweet rice flour and how long can the kimchi be kept??
Yes, it will still be delicious without using radish, and rice flour could be used for porridge making. You can keep your kimchi in the fridge for a few months or even more until it runs out. It will continue to ferment in the refrigerator, so it gets more sour as time goes by.
Hi Maangchi! Can you use powdered ginger instead of the fresh ginger? (I have a HUGE jar of powdered that I wanted to use up). Also, Can you use red radishes instead of daikon? (Again, my garden is filled with these!) THANKS!
yes, red radishes are very good. They are juicy and crunchy. You could make red radish kimchi. Fresh ginger is better but using a little bit of powdered ginger will be ok? “my garden is filled with these!” I envy you! : )
Hi Maangchi,
I am Vivienne from Singapore. I made kimchi on Saturday and I did it! It is fermenting very well in the kitchen. Thanks for the recipe. This Wednesday, I am going to let my brother-in-law who is a Korean, to try it. He is very picky with his food so hopefully he will like it.
Thanks,
viv
How did he like your kimchi! I hope you got some compliments on your kimchi!
Hello,
My brother-in-law and sister said it is too sour. So I add 3 tbsp of sugar. I think it is better. I wonder is it because of the Thai fish sauce that I used. Should I use specifically Korean fish sauce?
Cheers,
viv
Bubbles means it’s being fermented? I thought it was turning bad! Haha.
The Kimchi I make is quite sour. I do I lessen the sourness?
I think you made good kimchi! Congratulations! You will have to keep your kimchi in the fridge once it starts fermenting instead of keeping it outside of fridge too long.
Thank you for this recipe Maangchi! The first time I tried Kimchi was 6-7 years ago and never tried it again! The one I tasted was horrible. Your recipe is the best I’ve ever had! I’ve made a 5lb batch twice now. Yummy yummy! =)
awesome! 5 pounds of kimchi? I’m not surprised! If you make kimchi pancake, kimchi stew, or kimchi bokkeumbap with your kimchi, it will be gone so fast.
Well, maybe I should say I half your recipe. I usually buy about 5lbs of napa cabbage.
Maanchi! Thank you for this easy to follow recipe! I’ve made kimchi twice and they were both yummy. I am going to try making 20-30lbs. Wish me luck!
Yay! oops 20-30 pounds! It sounds like you are a Korean housewife with many family members. : )
Hi Maangchi –
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you! I just recently learned about your site an am now a devoted follower. I learned to love Korean food years ago during the Vietnam conflict. I was stationed with a ROK Unit.
This Kimchee recipe is the BEST that I have ever found. I made a batch last week and am overjoyed with the flavors & texture. Heck, I have to make another batch as this one is almost gone.
Keep up the great work!
awesome! I’m very happy now! yay!
Hi Maangchi :)
my kimchi taste is really sour!can i add more sugar?
It’s up to you. I never add sugar to my kimchi after making.