Cheese Hotteok

Cheese Hotteok is a popular Korean pancake with molten cheese inside. Eat these when still fresh and warm from frying to get that irresistible cheese pull.

I have been making lots of these pancakes recently after publishing my previous Hotteok recipe. They are good eaten hot or cold, for breakfast, snack, or dessert. Besides, they are very versatile and all you need is to be creative with the filling as to not get bored with the classic brown sugar-nuts filling. In fact, it can be stuffed with just about anything such as red bean, cheese, vegetables, bulgogi, kimchi, japchae, etc. I love pancakes and I love cheese, so it was only a matter of time before I put the two together for the ultimate food mash-up. Anything that is stuffed with cheese is an immediate win in my book.

About Hotteok

Hotteok (호떡) is a type of Korean stuffed pancake. It is about the size of the palm of your hand and they are served piping hot. It is one of the most popular Korean street food and extremely popular during winter. When the weather starts to get cold, this yummy handheld snack is popular for people of all ages because it is hot enough to warm you up.

The traditional version is chewy, but you can find crispy variations in food stalls throughout different neighborhoods in South Korea. The pancake dough is made from a mixture of flour, water or milk, salt, sugar, and yeast. Then, the dough is allowed to rise, filled with filling, placed on a greased griddle, and pressed flat into a large circle with a special tool as it cooks.

Hotteok Dough

This time, I actually substituted some all-purpose flour with glutinous rice flour from the previous Hotteok recipe. It makes these pancakes chewier with little crispiness on the outside. While you can make the dough with only all-purpose flour, but the glutinous rice flour makes hotteok chewier. However, I have to confess that I love the ones made with only all-purpose flour more. I heard that people who have tried hotteok before said that the dough made with only all-purpose flour does not taste that authentic. Nonetheless, I think it all depends on your preference thought which one you like.

Cheese Filling

There is just something about that beautiful cheese pull with each one that makes this completely irresistible. To get that pull, mozzarella cheese is a must, but sometimes using only mozzarella cheese tastes mild. Therefore, if you prefer the more cheesy flavor, I recommend mixing some cheddar or parmesan cheese to the mozzarella cheese filling.

More Korean Snacks Recipes

Do you love Korean food? If you don’t know, I have several recipes that you will love.

• Korean Potato Cheese Pancakes
• Korean Rice Cake with Honey
• Rice Cake Churros
• Kimchi Kimbap
• Kimchi Pancake

Yield: 8 servings

Cheese Hotteok

Print

Cheese Hotteok is popular Korean pancakes with molten cheese inside. Best eaten when still warm to get that irresistible cheese pull.

Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm milk (240 ml)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 1/2 cup glutinous rice flour (65 gr)
• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (185 gr)
• 3/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese (165 gr)
• vegetable oil, for frying

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine together milk, salt, sugar, oil, and instant yeast. Add the sifted glutinous rice flour and all-purpose flour into the mixture and mix with a wooden spatula until well combined.
2. Cover the bowl and rest the dough for 1 hour at warm temperature or until doubled.
3. Mix the dough with a wooden spatula until the gas is released. Cover the bowl and rest the dough again for 20 minutes at a warm temperature.
4. Grease your hands lightly with vegetable oil. Take a handful of dough with your hands. Flatten and spread the dough. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of cheese filling onto it. Gather the edges and seal the dough. Repeat with the remaining dough.
5. Preheat a non-stick frying pan on medium heat and add a thin layer of vegetable oil.
6. Once the oil is heated, place one dough onto the frying pan, the sealed part down. Cook for 25-30 seconds or until the bottom is light golden brown. Flip and press the dough with a spatula or hotteok presser until flat and thin. Cook until the bottom is golden brown for about 1 minute. Flip the dough again and cook for about 1 more minute to let the cheese filling fully melted.
7. Transfer the cooked hotteok to the paper-lined plate to remove the excess oil. Serve hot.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a star rating or review on the comment section and tag @jacintahalim on Instagram. This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers. Happy cooking!