Easy Mini Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pancakes)

Making authentic okonomiyaki at home in America can be a bit of a challenge, but making MINI okonomiyaki is easy and just as delicious! These savory Japanese pancakes are typically grilled on a large iron griddle and can be found at restaurants or as street food during festivals in Japan. In my version, we just use a plain old skillet and spatula, but they still turn out great. With their mini size, these okonomiyaki are faster to cook, easier to flip, and way more convenient to pack for a lunch. Serve as the main dish, a snack, or an appetizer. Mini okonomiyaki also make great bentou!

What is Okonomiyaki?

I’ve heard okonomiyaki called in America as the Japanese savory pancake or pizza. But I don’t really think it’s that great of a comparison… if you’re familiar with Korean food, it’s the Japanese version of pajeon. Shredded cabbage and a protein of your choice, often pork, are mixed into a pancake-like batter and grilled on an iron griddle.

There are different styles of okonomiyaki depending on what region of Japan you’re in. Hiroshima and Osaka are two of the most famous okonomiyaki styles. They differ basically in whether ingredients are layered (Hiroshima) or mixed in together (Osaka). For me, my preference is Osaka. It’s easier to make.

Regardless of what style you make, you end up with a steaming hot, thick, round disc of savory goodness that you top with a special okonomiyaki sauce. And since it’s got veggies, carbs, and protein all mixed together, it can be your entire meal! High five for convenience!

Okonomiyaki Without Special Ingredients or Equipment

My mini okonomiyaki recipe is meant to be easy and a way to use up leftovers in your fridge. However, traditionally, authentic okonomiyaki uses some special ingredients. At the very minimum, it uses something called tenkasu, which are like the breaded parts of tempura. You can find tenkasu at Japanese markets, but to be honest, I almost never have it in my kitchen. I made these mini okonomiyaki to be convenient, so I feel like it’s not in the spirit of this dish to go and buy a special ingredient just for this. If you omit it, it’s fine.

Another ingredient that I’ve seen called for is nagaimo, or a special kind of Japanese yam. I’ve never used it to make okonomiyaki, actually, and it still tastes fine. Some Osaka type okonomiyaki recipes I’ve seen don’t even call for it. If you want to go the distance, though, by all means, go for it.

For the topping, I HIGHLY recommend getting okonomiyaki sauce and Japanese mayonnaise. For other recipes using Japanese mayonnaise, check out my tuna salad recipe here. Traditionally, okonomiyaki also uses bonito flakes and aonori on top. I didn’t have those ingredients on hand, so I skipped it. You can skip it too, but they do taste really good!

In terms of equipment, like I mentioned above, okonomiyaki is typically made on an iron griddle. I like to make mine on a cast iron skillet*, and it turns out wonderfully! But a frying pan will work just fine as well, especially since we are doing mini versions.

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Variations on Okonomiyaki Filling

Okonomiyaki is a great “clear the fridge” meal because you can do whatever mix-ins you like! I used regular cabbage and pork, which is pretty standard. However you can do…

• Bacon
• Squid
• Octopus
• Chicken
• Spinach
• Red Cabbage
• Chives
• Pork Belly
• Kale

Please note that I have not actually TRIED all these fillings, so experiment at your own risk.

Mini Okonomiyaki Video

For more visuals on how to make these mini okonomiyaki, check out my Instagram! I’ll be posting a Reel showing how I made these. Otherwise, check out my recipe below. Have fun!