Okonomiyaki
Thick, savoury Japanese cabbage pancakes with crisp chicken, brushed with a tangy-sweet sauce and drizzled with mayonnaise. A filling weeknight dinner from one pan and pantry basics.
Published 1 Oct 2026Tested by Hina Ikram
Ingredients
Equipment: Large non-stick frying pan with a lid, wide spatula, mixing bowl, sharp knife
Method
Stir the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce and sugar in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Set aside. Spoon the mayonnaise into a bag or bottle for drizzling.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and dashi water into a smooth, thick batter. Rest it for 10 minutes so the flour hydrates and the pancakes hold together.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in the frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the chicken slices for about 4 minutes until golden and cooked through with no pink inside. Remove to a plate and wipe the pan.
Add the cabbage, spring onions and pickled ginger to the batter. Beat in the eggs and fold gently until every shred is coated. The mix should look more like wet cabbage than a pourable batter.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in the pan over medium heat. Mound a quarter of the mixture into a round about 15 cm wide and 2 cm thick, pressing lightly. Lay a quarter of the chicken on top.
Cover and cook for 5 minutes until the underside is deep golden and the edges look set. Slide a wide spatula under it and flip in one confident motion.
Press gently, cover again and cook for 4 minutes more until the centre feels firm and springy, and a skewer comes out clean. Move to a plate.
Brush the top with the sauce, drizzle with mayonnaise in a zigzag and scatter over the nori. Wipe the pan, add a little oil and repeat for the remaining three pancakes, keeping the cooked ones warm in a low oven.
Cooking tips
- Shred the cabbage finely and evenly. Thick chunks make the pancake fall apart and cook unevenly.
- Keep the heat at medium. Too hot and the outside burns before the thick middle sets.
- Do not overmix once the cabbage is in, or the pancakes turn dense instead of light.
- Flip over a plate if you are nervous: slide the pancake onto it, invert the pan over it and turn both together.
Substitutions
- Swap the chicken for peeled prawns, chopped, or thin slices of beef.
- For a vegetarian version, use extra cabbage, corn kernels and cubed firm tofu, and swap the dashi for plain water with a pinch of salt.
- If you have no Worcestershire sauce, use 1 tbsp extra ketchup, 1 tsp vinegar and 1 tsp soy sauce.
- Use light mayonnaise or thick whisked yogurt with a pinch of sugar in place of regular mayonnaise.
Serve with
Serve hot, cut into wedges, with extra sauce and mayonnaise on the side. A bowl of miso soup or a cucumber salad with rice vinegar goes well, as does cold green tea.
Storage
Refrigerate cooked pancakes, undressed, in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Freeze between sheets of baking paper for up to 1 month.
Reheating
Reheat in a dry non-stick pan over medium-low heat, covered, for 3–4 minutes per side until hot in the centre, then add the sauce and mayonnaise.
Nutrition per serving, estimated
Estimated from the ingredient list. Values vary with brands and portion size.
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