I’m always excited to release my new recipe and get the chance to share it with all of you. Today’s recipe is baked kimchi pork buns, called kimchi-ppang!

Kimchi-ppang are jumbo, white, fluffy buns baked with a generous kimchi and pork filling inside which is spicy, savory, crispy, and meaty. They have a golden crunchy crust outside and a fluffy bread inside. One large bun with a drink will be a simple and quick light meal or snack.

How many of you make kimchi at home? I’m sure so many of you do, and you probably found that you are making bigger and bigger batches as time goes on. You’ll need some nice, well-fermented, aged kimchi for this recipe.

I have to tell you where I got the idea for this recipe. One day last year, on my way to a Korean grocery store in Flushing, New York, I found a small no-name restaurant run by Koreans. Their accent sounded like North Koreans. What drew me in there were the huge racks of steamed buns I could see through the window.

I went inside and ordered their fluffy steamed kimchi pork buns. They were delicious! The texture of the kimchi inside was still crispy, and I had never seen such a huge bun with such a generous amount of filling sold in a restaurant! So I decided to make it at home for myself.

It took me many many tries to get the ratio perfect. After much trial and error I eventually got a perfect recipe. One of the biggest problems was figuring out how to wrap such a plump bun. I first tried to wrap the dough in my hand, but it was impossible to handle it on my palm. So I put the dough on my cutting board and add the filling in the center.

In my recipe, I bake the buns instead of steaming them, and I add a higher quality pork than they use, minced with my kitchen knife. When I finally made a bun that was better than the ones I tasted in Flushing, I couldn’t wait to share this recipe with you!

You can make a lot of them and freeze the extras, so anytime you want one, you can thaw it out and put it back in the oven or the microwave. My freezer is actually full of frozen kimchi-ppang experiments right now, but I will eventually eat them all!

Enjoy the recipe, and make some kimchi-ppang!

Ingredients

For the dough

  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar
  • 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
  • 2½ cups all purpose flour (plus 2 tablespoons for dusting, when shaping the buns)
  • 1 egg (for the egg wash)

For the filling

(total a little more than 3 cups)

Directions (for 6 buns)

Make the dough:

  1. Mix warm water and sugar in a large bowl. Add the active dry yeast. Let it sit for a few minutes until the yeast floats.yeast rising
  2. Stir with salt and vegetable oil until the salt is dissolved.
  3. Mix in 2½ cups flour and then knead it by hand for about 2 minutes, until the dough gets smooth.mixing
  4. Cover and let it sit on the kitchen counter for about 1 hour until it doubles in size.
  5. Deflate the dough and knead it again for a few minutes.dough
  6. Cover and let it sit for another hour.

Make the fillings:

  1. Bring 5 to 7 cups of water to a boil over medium high heat. Add the noodles and cook for 7 minutes. Strain and rinse them in cold running water. Strain and chop the noodles into small pieces. Set aside.chop noodles
  2. Heat a pan over medium high heat. Add the pork, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and ground black pepper.
  3. Stir with a wooden spoon and cook until the pork is no longer pink and is cooked thoroughly.
  4. Add garlic, green onion, and onion and stir for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat. Stir in the noodles.cook fillings
  5. Add kimchi, sugar, and hot pepper flakes. Mix well.kimchi filling

Make and shape the buns:

  1. Deflate the dough and fold it over on itself for a minute, until it becomes a smooth, soft ball.
  2. Dust a large cutting board (or any workspace) with a little flour. Put the dough ball on the cutting board and divide it into 6 equal-sized pieces. Form each of them into smooth balls, weighing about 3 ounces each.dough balls
  3. Cover the 6 balls with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.dough
  4. Take out a ball and roll it out with a rolling pin into a round circle about 6 inches in diameter. The thickness of the dough at the edges should be thinner than at the middle.
  5. Place ½ cup of filling in the center of the dough disk.add filling
  6. Lift the edges of the disk up around the filling, and pinch them together to seal tightly.wrap bunshaped bun
  7. Put it on the cutting board with the sealed side down. Turn it and shape it with your hands into a small mountain. It should have height because it will flatten when it bakes, and we don’t want it too flat. Move the bun and rub the seal on the cutting board to smooth it out. Pinch shut any holes or weak spots.smooth bun
  8. Put the ball on to a baking pan lined with parchment paper.
  9. Repeat with the remaining dough balls and filling. Space them 1 inch apart on the pan so they have room to expand. Let them rise for another hour, or until they are about 6 inches wide.kimchippang rise

Bake and serve:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350° F.
  2. To make a clear, even egg wash, beat and egg mixed with 1 teaspoon of water and strain it through a fine strainer. Brush it over the buns.strain eggegg brush
  3. Bake for 25 minutes until shiny and golden brown.kimchi-ppang
  4. Serve as a snack or a meal.

Posted on Thursday, April 20th, 2017. Last updated on June 25, 2023.
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55 Comments:

  1. beckaf Utah, USA joined 2/23 & has 1 comment
    Posted February 20th, 2023 at 11:12 pm | or create a profile.

    These were amazing! All the instructions were so easy to follow too. I gave them to friends and they loved them.
    After I filled the dough and made the buns, I left them for an hour but they didn’t rise any more. Did I pinch them too much when folding and take the air out? Or maybe it was just too cold in the kitchen?


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  2. Kelseehobbit Portland Oregon joined 11/22 & has 1 comment
    Posted November 11th, 2022 at 10:28 pm | or create a profile.

    My family loves this recipe! My three year old son loves to knead the dough and shape the buns, we make a double batch about once a month now and share with my Korean mother in law who thinks they are amazing! 감사합니다!

  3. Sarah78 Australia - Canberra joined 1/21 & has 3 comments
    Posted June 3rd, 2022 at 1:42 am | or create a profile.

    This was delish. Com. Bom I loved making this was fluffy chewy and kimchi porky will definitely make again. Xxxx


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  4. Arniceous Reno, NV joined 2/22 & has 1 comment
    Posted February 7th, 2022 at 8:48 pm | or create a profile.

    I am humbled by any comment I am trying to expand outside of my Euro cooking and I’m glad I found you and your site. The grocery store video was a real treat. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise.

    Best Regards ~ Arno


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  5. Elli14 Norway joined 11/21 & has 2 comments
    Posted November 11th, 2021 at 12:48 pm | or create a profile.

    I just made these today. Substituted the pork belly with beef. Really happy with my first try!


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  6. jennlogy Singapore joined 11/18 & has 2 comments
    Posted April 2nd, 2021 at 8:23 am | or create a profile.

    although my bun grew too big and stick together when baking, it’s still delicious! Thank you Maangchi!


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  7. Win4_san NSW joined 2/21 & has 2 comments
    Posted February 18th, 2021 at 4:31 am | or create a profile.

    Hi Maangchi! I made this today and they turned out great. Thank you ☺️


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  8. jonah36 4231 rundlehorn drive ne,Calgary joined 1/18 & has 4 comments
    Posted May 14th, 2020 at 12:21 am | or create a profile.

    Thank you for this recipe maangchi,so yummy and they are giant pork bun…


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  9. jonah36 4231 rundlehorn drive ne,Calgary joined 1/18 & has 4 comments
    Posted May 14th, 2020 at 12:18 am | or create a profile.

    Hi Maangchi,just want to thank for inspiring me of making your bread recipe…they are so good and yummy.and all turn big…

  10. AshSlaney Shelburne, Ontario joined 3/20 & has 1 comment
    Posted March 26th, 2020 at 6:25 am | or create a profile.

    These turned out amazing! The house still smells wonderful. Thank you Maangchi

  11. CheeseFudge Washington State joined 10/19 & has 2 comments
    Posted November 6th, 2019 at 10:35 am | or create a profile.

    These are so delicious! Fluffy soft buns and yummy savory, sweet and sour middle. I added some buchu I had to use up.

    If anyone uses instant yeast instead of active dry, the conversion is .66 tsp. I just used a scant 3/4 tsp into my dry mixture.


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  12. ChristinaMoody Florida, USA joined 2/19 & has 1 comment
    Posted February 24th, 2019 at 7:49 pm | or create a profile.

    Made this for a date day picnic and they were wonderful! Can’t wait to make batch 2!!!!!


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  13. Conina NJ joined 2/19 & has 1 comment
    Posted February 14th, 2019 at 6:58 am | or create a profile.

    Delicious, my dough appeared to be not as sticky as yours, maybe I did something wrong, but came delicious anyway. Love the recipe and my hubby love to heard you talking in the background. Lol.


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  14. Poutysquid8 San Diego, CA joined 1/19 & has 3 comments
    Posted January 28th, 2019 at 8:17 pm | or create a profile.

    How can we make the bun sweeter if we want?

    • Ada.S England joined 9/19 & has 1 comment
      Posted September 11th, 2019 at 3:07 pm | or create a profile.

      Tried it for the first time today and it was brilliant! It was my day off so trying this was a perfect way to relax and the smell from kitchen is heavenly so another bonus. I don’t eat meat so I substituted the pork with fake meat but I think next time I might try Portobello or shiitake mushrooms instead. Thank you for this amazing recipe!

  15. MaangchiFanKO California joined 7/18 & has 1 comment
    Posted July 14th, 2018 at 8:13 pm | or create a profile.

    Awesome recipe and fun to make. Tahnk you Maangchi!!


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  16. raspberryJ joined 6/15 & has 1 comment
    Posted November 9th, 2017 at 7:23 am | or create a profile.

    Maangchi! Can I use some other noodles than the sweet potato ones? Would vermicelli work? Or soba? Please let me know! :)

  17. ViolaTAH01 Hilliard, Ohio joined 7/17 & has 2 comments
    Posted July 12th, 2017 at 4:17 pm | or create a profile.

    Great Recipe! Thank you Maangchi!


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  18. alaina.a Camarillo California joined 7/17 & has 1 comment
    Posted July 7th, 2017 at 1:56 pm | or create a profile.

    Hi Maangchi, I am a huge fan and I was wondering what kind of noodles can I use instead of Dangmyeon or where I can find any because I can not find them anywhere.

  19. Unorthodoxpeach Georgia, usa joined 7/17 & has 2 comments
    Posted July 2nd, 2017 at 11:14 pm | or create a profile.

    I made these for the first time today and I was so happy with how they came out. I was so excited when my house smelled like fresh baked bread.


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  20. sanbrinasmith Sequim, WA, USA joined 6/17 & has 1 comment
    Posted June 8th, 2017 at 8:27 pm | or create a profile.

    I am doing a test run of these so I can bring them to the potluck at our 도장 10 year anniversary. Could I omit pork and add something else because we keep kosher and don’t eat pork, could I use beef or possibly chicken?

    • Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments
      Posted June 9th, 2017 at 12:07 am | or create a profile.

      Yes, chicken sounds good to me. Good luck with potluck party!

    • bonejelly MS joined 6/17 & has 1 comment
      Posted June 20th, 2017 at 4:55 am | or create a profile.

      Hi San! I JUST finished eating some of these delicious kimchi buns. Tonight was the first time I tried to make them, and I had to substitute the pork belly as well. I wanted to tell you that I bought beef short ribs (cut crosswise for easier de-boning) and chopped them instead. It turned out wonderful! The fat to meat ratio between the short ribs and pork belly is very similar. You could also try large ox tails; they were my original choice for a substitute, but the market was out. Best wishes!

      Thank you for a wonderful recipe, Maangchi!

  21. Khmermom Columbus, Ohio joined 5/17 & has 3 comments
    Posted May 29th, 2017 at 5:12 pm | or create a profile.

    Thanks so much for your great recipes and videos. My husband is Cambodian and althought I have no experience cooking khmer food the recipes I have learned for Korean dishes has been wonderful. My husband and I both love them.


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  22. fan hk joined 4/17 & has 1 comment
    Posted May 22nd, 2017 at 12:40 pm | or create a profile.

    hello maangchi, i really enjoy your video and recipe :)
    just made the kimchi pork buns but i pan fried it instead of bake it, it’s delicious too~~
    thank you so much for your sharing


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  23. Andres WA joined 5/17 & has 1 comment
    Posted May 10th, 2017 at 11:32 pm | or create a profile.

    The last time the buns rise, once you have filled them, do you cover them or not?
    Thanks for sharing your great recipes!

  24. Tleeaf Boston MA joined 5/17 & has 1 comment
    Posted May 8th, 2017 at 7:44 pm | or create a profile.

    Maangchi,
    Thank you so much for another great recipe! These were so delicious! I will definitely make them again as they are great for my husbands lunch.


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  25. bunnytang Singapore joined 9/13 & has 2 comments
    Posted May 7th, 2017 at 9:35 pm | or create a profile.

    안녕하세요 maangchi,

    I tried you recipe and it was the first time i am working with yeast and ppang dough, the filling turned out really delicious however my bun was not fluffy )=

    It was flat and chewy. Are you able to tell me what went wrong? Is it because i didnt knead enough or was it over knead? Or i did not let the dough proof enough?

    감사합니다.

  26. aTrueRedHead Germany joined 8/14 & has 17 comments
    Posted May 2nd, 2017 at 12:42 pm | or create a profile.

    Dear Manngchi

    You did it again by posting this recipe. Another “adiction food” :-).
    I made Kimchi pan this week-end..I wll make it again because my friends and I loved it.

    Thank you for your great recipes and this website.

  27. Divatastic U.K. joined 5/17 & has 1 comment
    Posted May 1st, 2017 at 4:15 pm | or create a profile.

    Hi Maangchi!

    Thank you for this gorgeous recipe! My husband & I loved it so much – it’s not as pretty as yours but it tasted amazing and practice will make perfect! As you can see my dog Dolby was drooling over these delicious buns! ❤️


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  28. Ejc Sydney joined 4/17 & has 1 comment
    Posted April 29th, 2017 at 12:29 am | or create a profile.

    Hi Maangchi, baked this for my family today.
    My son loves it. Thanks for the recipe


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  29. klotinel Idaho joined 4/17 & has 1 comment
    Posted April 25th, 2017 at 3:47 pm | or create a profile.

    Oh my goodness! While I was watching your video I thought I could smell them and my mouth was watering like I was going to taste one! Can’t wait to try this recipe.

  30. XiaoKeAi Dallas joined 4/17 & has 1 comment
    Posted April 22nd, 2017 at 10:52 pm | or create a profile.

    I always make your recipes. This is my first time posting on your website! My family loves the kimchi pork buns!!! Thank you!


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  31. thanhthuyyeh Canada joined 3/17 & has 1 comment
    Posted April 21st, 2017 at 10:01 pm | or create a profile.

    Hi Maangchi! I and my family love you and your recipes so much. Today afternoon i made kimchi pork buns for dinner. So yummy !!! Thank you for your recipe.


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  32. sanne Munich joined 8/14 & has 299 comments
    Posted April 21st, 2017 at 3:43 pm | or create a profile.

    That’s ideal for yesterday’s leftovers from a party with a very dear Korean friend!
    I’ll prepare the filling beforehand and freeze it.

    A suggestion for your recipe, dear Maangchi:
    8 ounces equal exactly 1 cup…
    1/4 cup, on the other hand,…

    Bye, Sanne.

  33. jnewport Kansas City joined 4/17 & has 3 comments
    Posted April 21st, 2017 at 11:11 am | or create a profile.

    Hi Maangchi! My husband and I are huge fans of yours – we often make your soft tofu stew, spicy stir fried pork, and a bunch of other things you’ve taught us about. We even have your cookbook and I gifted a copy to my mom.

    I’d love to try making this recipe, but it looks as if it makes too much for two people to eat at once. Would it be possible to freeze the buns after forming them?

    Thanks so much for all you do!

  34. stonefly Olympia WA joined 11/11 & has 61 comments
    Posted April 20th, 2017 at 10:40 pm | or create a profile.

    Wow! Maangchi has such nice buns! I would love to eat them!

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