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Side dishes · Korean home cooking

Korean egg-coated skewers (kkochi jeon)

Colourful strips of cooked ham, imitation crab, yellow pickled radish and spring onion held flat on short skewers, lightly coated in flour and egg, then gently pan-fried. Makes eight small skewers.

40 min4 servings6 stepsDifficulty: Intermediate
Korean egg-coated skewers (kkochi jeon)

AI-generated cooking illustrations. Follow the written quantities and instructions.

01 / Before you start

Ingredients

4 servings

Get your ingredients ready
Get your ingredients ready

Everyday kitchen measurements

For 4 servings. Use a small 180 ml paper cup, a level eating spoon (about 15 ml) and a small teaspoon (about 5 ml).

How to fill the cup and spoons

Use the same cup and spoons throughout. Their sizes vary, so these amounts are approximate. Spoon flour in loosely and level the top without pressing. Measure vegetables after chopping, without packing them down. The amounts in g/ml are the original reference quantities. For part of a pack, use the specified pack weight and divide the contents evenly.

King Arthur Baking

Essential, optional and substitute ingredients

Keep essential ingredients. For a replacement, use its listed amount and cooking changes instead of that ingredient’s original amount. Skip optional ingredients and their preparation if omitted. Photos show the original recipe.

  • Substitute available

    If Ready-to-eat cooked ham is unavailable

    Use instead
    Fully cooked boneless chicken
    Substitute quantity
    8 firm strips, each about 5 cm longReference quantity: 80 g

    Use cooked chicken, never raw chicken. Cut across a thick cooked piece so the strips stay together, and keep chilled until assembling.

  • Substitute available

    If Ready-to-eat imitation crab sticks is unavailable

    Use instead
    Firm tofu
    Substitute quantity
    ⅖ of a 300 g packReference quantity: 120 g

    Pat dry, cut into 8 strips and pan-fry separately in a little extra oil for 3 minutes per side. Cool enough to handle before threading. The skewers will be more delicate.

  • Substitute available

    If Yellow pickled radish, drained is unavailable

    Use instead
    Carrot
    Substitute quantity
    8 thin strips, each about 5 cm longReference quantity: 80 g

    Blanch in boiling water for 1–2 minutes until flexible, then cool and pat dry. This changes the tangy flavour to a mild sweetness.

  • Substitute available

    If Spring onions is unavailable

    Use instead
    Green bell pepper
    Substitute quantity
    8 thin strips, each about 5 cm longReference quantity: 40 g

    Use sweet pepper, not hot chilli. Blanch for 1 minute, then cool and pat dry before threading.

  • Essential

    A thin dusting helps the egg stick. Shake off loose flour before dipping.

  • Essential

    Beat well in a shallow dish wide enough for a whole skewer. Cook the coating until fully set on both sides.

  • Substitute available

    If Neutral cooking oil is unavailable

    Use instead
    Mild olive oil
    Substitute quantity
    2 level eating spoonsReference quantity: 30 ml

    Use half for each batch; cook over medium-low heat so the egg does not scorch.

  • Optional

    The ham, imitation crab and pickled radish already contain salt. Taste a cooked skewer before deciding to add any.

  • Essential

    Choose intact cooking skewers without splinters. Remove every skewer before giving the food to children; never serve them the sharp sticks.

Tap each ingredient as you prepare it. Check product labels for egg, soy, sesame, wheat, fish or shellfish where relevant.

02 / You’re ready to cook

Step-by-step cooking

  1. Step 1

    Step 1: Check that the ham and imitation crab are ready to eat; do not use raw meat or raw seafood in this quick recipe. Cut the ham, crab sticks and drained pickled radish into 8 pieces each, about 5 cm long and no thicker than 7 mm. Trim the spring onions into 8 matching lengths. Keep the pieces flat rather than making cubes.

    Check that the ham and imitation crab are ready to eat; do not use raw meat or raw seafood in this quick recipe. Cut the ham, crab sticks and drained pickled radish into 8 pieces each, about 5 cm long and no thicker than 7 mm. Trim the spring onions into 8 matching lengths. Keep the pieces flat rather than making cubes.

  2. Step 2

    Step 2: Blanch the spring onion lengths in boiling water for 20–30 seconds, then cool in cold water and drain. Pat the spring onion and pickled radish dry with clean kitchen paper. Prepare any substitutes as described in the ingredient list before assembling. Wet ingredients make the egg coating slide off.

    Blanch the spring onion lengths in boiling water for 20–30 seconds, then cool in cold water and drain. Pat the spring onion and pickled radish dry with clean kitchen paper. Prepare any substitutes as described in the ingredient list before assembling. Wet ingredients make the egg coating slide off.

  3. Step 3

    Step 3: For each skewer, lay one ham strip, one spring onion length, one crab strip and one radish strip parallel, with their ends aligned. Pass one short bamboo skewer sideways through their centres to join them into a flat rectangle. Repeat to make 8 flat skewers. Leave a short handle and keep fingers away from the pointed end.

    For each skewer, lay one ham strip, one spring onion length, one crab strip and one radish strip parallel, with their ends aligned. Pass one short bamboo skewer sideways through their centres to join them into a flat rectangle. Repeat to make 8 flat skewers. Leave a short handle and keep fingers away from the pointed end.

  4. Step 4

    Step 4: Spread the flour on a plate and beat the 2 eggs in a shallow dish. Add the optional tiny pinch of salt to the eggs only if desired. Lightly dust both sides of one assembled skewer with flour and shake off excess, then dip into egg so both faces are thinly coated. Coat each skewer just before it goes into the pan.

    Spread the flour on a plate and beat the 2 eggs in a shallow dish. Add the optional tiny pinch of salt to the eggs only if desired. Lightly dust both sides of one assembled skewer with flour and shake off excess, then dip into egg so both faces are thinly coated. Coat each skewer just before it goes into the pan.

  5. Step 5

    Step 5: Heat 1 level eating spoon of oil in a nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Add 4 coated skewers in a single layer. Cook for 2–3 minutes on the first side until the egg is set and pale golden. Slide a wide spatula under each whole skewer, turn carefully and cook the second side for 2–3 minutes. Reduce the heat if the egg browns too quickly.

    Heat 1 level eating spoon of oil in a nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Add 4 coated skewers in a single layer. Cook for 2–3 minutes on the first side until the egg is set and pale golden. Slide a wide spatula under each whole skewer, turn carefully and cook the second side for 2–3 minutes. Reduce the heat if the egg browns too quickly.

  6. Step 6

    Step 6: Check that the egg coating is fully set, with no wet egg around the joins, and the filling is hot through. Transfer to a clean plate and cook the remaining 4 skewers with the remaining 1 level eating spoon of oil. Let them cool slightly. Pull out every bamboo skewer before serving to children, then cut the food into suitable bite-size pieces.

    Check that the egg coating is fully set, with no wet egg around the joins, and the filling is hot through. Transfer to a clean plate and cook the remaining 4 skewers with the remaining 1 level eating spoon of oil. Let them cool slightly. Pull out every bamboo skewer before serving to children, then cut the food into suitable bite-size pieces.

03 / Enjoy your meal

Finished dish

Finished dish: Korean egg-coated skewers (kkochi jeon)
Korean egg-coated skewers (kkochi jeon)
Helpful tips

Makes eight small skewers, two per serving as a side dish. Equipment: a nonstick pan, a wide spatula and eight short food-safe bamboo skewers. Keep all strips similar in thickness so both faces touch the pan. This holiday-style jeon uses convenient cooked ham and imitation crab; imitation crab is a processed fish product, not fresh crab meat. Check labels for fish, shellfish, egg, wheat, soy or other allergens; changing one ingredient does not automatically make the whole dish allergen-free. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if the room is hotter than 32°C. Keep at 4°C or below, use within 3–4 days and reheat to 74°C.

Enjoy every bite

How to enjoy it

Serve as a small side dish with rice and soup. The fillings already provide seasoning, so try one before adding a dip. Adults should remove every bamboo skewer, let the food cool and cut it before serving to children.

Serve it with