blanket dumplings | www.iamafoodblog.com
chinese food easy

I Am... Blanket Dumplings

June 27, 2026 • 2 comments • Posted in: ,

These viral no fold blanket dumplings have arrived on the scene.

If you love siu mai or any chinese dumplings, you owe it to yourself to make these delicious and easy blanket dumplings. It’s a cute new viral way to make dumplings. It’s faster than folding regular dumplings and tastes just as good as the traditional way. Really, who ever says no to dumplings?

Just like any hot new trend, there are several variations. I love dumplings and I love trends. And most of all, I love head-to-head competitions so of course I conducted a blanket dumpling-off.

What are blanket dumplings?

Simply put, blanket dumplings are deconstructed dumplings. The dumpling filling is shaped into meatballs and dumpling wrappers and gently laid on top, just like little blankets, thus the name.

How to make no-fold blanket dumplings (two ways)

Blanket dumplings are super easy to make. Essentially, you’re scooping up the filling and blanketing the dumpling wrapper around it. You can either put the blanket/dumpling wrapper on top or on the bottom (more on that later).

Blankets on Top

  1. Make the dumpling filling by mixing together ground pork, finely chopped cabbage, aromatics, and seasonings.
  2. Heat up a bit of oil in a pan over medium heat, and when hot, spoon the filling directly into the pan, in 1.5 tbsp mounds.
  3. Top the mounds with dumpling wrappers, blanketing them.
  4. Add a bit of water to the pan, cover and steam until the dumplings are cooked through.
  5. Remove the lid, let the dumpling meat get hot and crispy, then enjoy!

Blankets underneath

  1. Make the dumpling filling by mixing together ground pork, finely chopped cabbage, aromatics, and seasonings.
  2. Heat up a bit of oil in a pan over medium heat. Grab a spoon and add about 1.5 tbsp to the middle of a dumpling wrapper.
  3. Squish the dumpling wrapper up the sides and place in the pan. Repeat until all of the dumpling filling is finished. The dumplings are perfectly okay close and squished together.
  4. Add a bit of water to the pan, cover and steam until the dumplings are cooked through.
  5. Remove the lid, let the dumpling wrappers get hot and crispy, then enjoy!

No-fold blanket dumpling ingredients

  • dumpling wrappers - they sell these at the grocery store, usually in the fridge department, near the tofu, but if they don’t have them you can make your own (recipe here). You’ll want to get dumpling/gyoza wrappers, not wonton wrappers, because they’re thicker.
  • ground pork - ground pork is the gold standard when it comes to dumplings, but you can use any ground meat you like.
  • cabbage - cabbage is what adds the juice. You can use any cabbage you like, just be sure to chop it finely and salt it before making the filling so it doesn’t make the filling too watery. If you’re in a hurry, you can skip out on salting and squeezing the cabbage, it’ll just mean your filling will be slightly looser.
  • ginger and garlic - fresh ginger and garlic add so much flavor to dumplings.
  • green onions - thinly sliced green onions add a bright freshness.
  • soy sauce, oyster sauce and toasted sesame oil - these are our main flavorings, along with a bit of salt and white pepper. If you don’t have oyster sauce, you can sub in a bit more soy sauce.
  • cornstarch - a little bit of cornstarch helps bind the dumpling filling and makes it silky smooth.

Blanket dumplings vs upside-down blanket dumplings

You might notice that I covered two ways to make blanket dumplings above. After blanket dumplings made their debut, some people came along to say, “what the heck, why are you making dumplings upside down?” And they weren't wrong. Ironically, the original blanket dumplings are upside down in the sense that Asians would never make a dumpling where all the fillings are spilling out, unconfined. Doing that is just asking for the dumpling meat to be overcooked and the juices to dry up. So, the upside down blanket dumpling came about: lay the blankets/dumpling wrappers out first, then put the meatballs on top, squishing the blankets around the balls. Upside-down blanket dumplings are kind of like siu mai, those delightful steamed pork and shrimp dumplings you get at dim sum.

Which is better?

All of that to say, there are two ways you can make these dumplings and they produce two different results. You get either crispy browned meatballs with the original version or a crispy dumpling skin with the upside down version. Of course, I made both and Mike and I both decided that the original was actually better than the upside down version, so that's the version I've put in the recipe. The original version has a crunch both from the seared meatball and the crisped bottom parts of the dumpling wrapper, while the top stays juicy.

Blanket dumpling sauce

Everyone has their own favorite kind of dumpling sauce. For me, I like a dipping sauce that is tangy, salty, sweet, and a bit spicy. This is my go to mix of ingredients. I usually eyeball it or adjust depending on mood, so feel free to play around with the proportions.
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp sweet soy sauce
  • 2 tsp rice vinegar or Chinese black vinegar
  • 1-2 tsp chili oil or chili crisp
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • thinly sliced green onions, to taste

What to serve with blanket dumplings

Blanket dumplings are a complete meal on their own, but if you’re feeling like you want a Chinese feast: Happy dumpling-ing! xoxo steph

Blanket Dumplings

It’s a cute new viral way to make dumplings.

Dumplings

  • 1 1/2 cups cabbage (finely chopped)
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 lb ground pork
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1/2 tbsp ginger (minced)
  • 1 green onions (thinly sliced)
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1/8 tsp white pepper
  • dumpling wrappers

Optional crispy bottoms

  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tsp flour
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  1. Add the cabbage to a bowl with a pinch of salt and mix well. Let rest while you’re prepping the other ingredients, then squeeze out and drain as much of the extra water as possible.

  2. In a bowl, mix 1 tbsp water with 1 tsp of cornstarch then add the pork. Mix until the pork becomes pasty.

  3. Add the garlic, ginger, green onions, soy sauce, oyster sauce, toasted sesame oil, salt, white pepper, and squeezed and drained cabbage. Mix until well combined.

  4. Scoop out about 1.5 tbsp of dumpling filling either directly into the pan and then cover with a dumpling wrapper.



  5. If desired, whisk together 1/4 cup water with 1 tsp flour and 1 tsp cornstarch. Add directly to the pan, cover and steam for 4-5 mins. After the time is up, remove the lid and let the bottoms crisp up, 1-3 minutes.

  6. When the bottoms are crispy (you can lift one up to see, serve, in the pan, topped with thinly slice green onions, dumpling sauce, and chili oil/crisp if desired. Enjoy!

Main Course
American, Chinese
dumplings, tiktok

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best nugget ice machine | www.iamafoodblog.com
buying guide drinks gadgets

I Am... The Best Nugget Ice Maker for Prime Day

June 23, 2026 • Leave a comment • Posted in: , , ,

Have you ever dreamed of a nugget ice machine at home but are wary of the lofty promises? We have one, and you can read all about the experience of owning your very own nugget ice maker below. Nugget ice makers are perfect for summer and they're all marked down for prime day. We have owned our nugget ice machine for years now and I still love crunching away all these years later. If you know, you know nugget ice. It’s the good ice. The adorable, chewable ice that is practically a snack in itself. I LOVE nugget ice with a passion and last year my dream came true when Mike gifted me a nugget ice machine for Christmas 2023. A nugget ice machine has been on my radar forever. I conveniently forgot about home nugget ice makers and I must say, my Christmas gift was both a surprise and an absolute win! Christmas day was full of nugget ice and everyday after we have enthusiastically used our nugget ice maker.

What is nugget ice?

If you’re not in the know, you might be wondering, what the heck is nugget ice? Yes, it’s just ice, but really, it’s special ice! Nugget ice has air pockets giving it layers and layers. Think of nugget ice as the croissant of the ice world. The layers create pockets of air, making nugget ice fluffy and not at all dense or hard. Nugget ice is fluffy and chewy.

Why is nugget ice special?

Nugget ice is not regular ice. It’s shaped, unsurprisingly, given its name, like a small nugget. Because it’s made in a machine that adds pockets of air, the nuggets are softer and chewier. The air pockets let liquid seep in, flavoring the ice so they become little chewable nuggies of whatever beverage you’re drinking. It has the ability to cool drinks fast while melting slow. The special part is the texture: crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside.

How is nugget ice made?

Nugget ice is a special process of flash freezing water while extruding it through tiny holes. Most nugget ice makers work like this:
  1. The water passes through an extruder that has small holes
  2. As the water pushes through under pressure, little droplets form
  3. The droplets flash freeze into nuggets with air pockets naturally forming during the freezing process.
  4. Boom, you have nugget ice!

Homemade nugget ice

It used to be that nugget ice at home was a dream, but now, there are so many counter top nugget ice machines out there. The only way to make nugget ice at home is with a nugget ice machine.

Best nugget ice machines

We absolutely love our Easyera/Euhomy nugget ice maker. It makes ice quickly, in about 20 minutes, it’s super easy to clean, and it’s pretty compact. Sure, it’s a little noisy, but the nature of nugget ice means that the extrusion and freezing process is always going to be a little loud. We’ve never had any issues with our nugget ice machine. There’s a self cleaning mode and it makes more than enough ice for the two of us. I love that it’s smaller than so many of the other nugget ice machines out there because it lives permanently on our countertop. The GE Profile Opal Ultra nugget ice maker has been floating around a lot lately but it’s HUGE and apparently it’s not very easy to clean. Plus, at $629 it’s double what we paid for our nugget ice maker. 2026 prime day update: it's still expensive but currently it's only $389. We haven’t tried the ice from the Opal, so I can’t comment on the ice quality, but for the countertop size and price, I definitely think the Easyera/Euhomy is the way to go. I think for nugget ice makers, the Amazon brands are better than established name brands like GE and Frigidaire. I spent a little time perusing amazon because let’s be honest, there’s nothing I love more than online shopping, and if I had to choose a different nugget ice machine, today 3 years later I would get the Govee. We've had good luck with the brand for our smart lights. Apparently it’s super quiet which is perfect for people who can constantly hear humming slash machine noises and it keeps the nugget ice frozen for a pretty long time. It does look a little big, but I love that it also has party lights and I'm betting it can join in our Turrell nighttime mode. Oh, and 3 year warranty, that's kinda unheard of in the nugget ice world.

Where do they have nugget ice?

Probably the best known place for nugget ice is Sonic Drive-In. People go to Sonic simply for their ice: both in drinks and to buy bags of nugget ice. Lots of other places have nugget ice too, if they have nugget ice machines. I’ve been to gas stations (Buc-ees) with nugget ice as well as independent soda shops. HTeaO in Texas has nugget ice (try a mix of sweet coconut and sweet almond green, it’s heaven!).

Other nugget ice machines

I haven't tried these ones but I've taken the hopefully helpful step of collating a few more bestselling machines on Amazon below, along with their iceage per day, in no particular order:

Nugget ice vs crushed ice

There’s no competition, it’s nugget ice every time. Crushed ice is regular ice that is crushed into small irregular chunks. It has the same consistency and hardness as regular ice. Because it’s regular ice, the melt rate of crushed ice tends to melt quickly, watering down drinks. Nugget ice minimizes dilution and has a better crunch/chew experience. Nugget ice forever and ever! xoxo steph

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hot honey cheese eggs | www.iamafoodblog.com
breakfast

I Am... Hot Honey Cheese Eggs

June 21, 2026 • 3 comments • Posted in: , ,

These hot honey cheese eggs are seriously so good that you’ll be making them on repeat. If you haven’t had mozzarella that’s been melted in a frying pan, you need to, immediately. It gets melty and stretchy and caramelizes in the most perfect way that hugs your sunny side up eggs in a cheesy blanket. The subtle kick of hot honey just takes it over the top. It's all I need for breakfast. I ended up making this two ways. The internet’s way: honey, then cheese, then egg. And then I did it the way that makes sense for me: cheese, then honey, then egg. They taste basically the same, but because I’m all about the #aesthetic vibes, I liked the way the hot honey eggs looked when the cheese was melted first. As gen Alpha would say, cheese first mogged honey first. Cheese first or honey first, it’s up to you.

Crispy cheese eggs

I have been in love with crispy cheese eggs ever since 2015. Mike and I have been blogging so long that the trends of yesterday are coming back. Who knew that plaid shirts would be making a comeback? I didn’t. Anyway, cheese eggs are amazing: a crispy, caramelized cheese skirt on top of a perfectly cooked egg? Protein on protein? Tell me more 😍 I love eggs and new ways of making eggs always makes me eggcited. (Sorry, not sorry, I had to) Bad puns aside, eggs are a great source of protein and when paired with stretchy, melty mozzarella and sweet and spicy honey, all three ingredients turn into something that is just so much more than the parts.

What are hot honey cheese eggs

Hot honey cheese eggs are kind of like an over easy egg on a hot honey and crispy cheese bed. Specifically, hot honey is drizzled in a pan, then shredded mozzarella is added, then eggs sunny side up. Cover and cook, fold in half and finish with more hot honey or even some chili crisp.

How to make hot honey cheese eggs

  1. Honey. Grab a non-stick pan. Over medium heat, add some drizzles of hot honey.
  2. Cheese. Add a generous layer of shredded mozzarella cheese.
  3. Eggs. Add two eggs directly on top of the cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Cover. Cover the pan and cook the eggs until the whites are set and the cheese is starting to brown and caramelize.
  5. Fold. Use a spatula to loosen the cheesy bottom and fold the eggs in half. If desired, let cook a bit more for the yolks to finish to your liking.
  6. Enjoy. Remove from the pan and enjoy your cheesy, sweet-n-spicy eggs immediately

Hot honey cheese egg ingredients

  • hot honey - hot honey is having a moment right now and I for one, am loving all the sweet-heat going on everywhere. Mike’s Hot Honey is the most well known brand of hot honey out there, but like all popular things, there’s a huge selection. Hmm…Mike and I should do a hot honey blind taste test
  • cheese - shredded mozzarella cheese is ideal here. The mildness and melty-ness of mozzarella lets the hot honey shine while caramelizing to a nice crisp.
  • eggs - yes please, eggs. If your budget allows, try a local free range or organic egg, the taste difference can be pretty dramatic.

Sweet and salty eggs

There’s a reason why so many addictive foods are sweet and salty. It’s because it hits two of our tastes and the play between the two makes it even more interesting to our taste buds. The sweetness of the honey with the savoriness of the cheese and eggs is complimentary in all the right ways. Add a tiny bit of spicy heat and your brain goes even more wild. These eggs are the perfect mix of sweet, salty and spicy. Plus they have the bonus of having contrasting textures too: the crisp of the caramelized cheese and the softness of the egg yolks.

My hot honey egg tips and tricks

Not too much honey - you might be tempted to coat the bottom of the pan with hot honey, but show some restraint. Too much will cause the cheese to not have enough adhesion to the pan and the cheese won’t caramelize. The pan matters - Absolutely use a non-stick pan. I think all eggs need a dedicated egg pan that is for eggs only. Non-stick will help the cheese and eggs release easily, even without oil. Bonus if your non-stick pan has a glass lid so you can see exactly how your eggs are cooking.

If you like eggs, try these recipes

Happy hot honey egging! xoxo steph

Hot Honey Cheese Eggs

Melty and stretchy and caramelized mozzarella that hugs your sunny side up eggs in a hot honey cheesy blanket.

  • 1 tbsp hot honey
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)
  • 2 large eggs
  1. Heat up a non stick pan over medium heat and drizzle on the hot honey.

  2. Sprinkle on the mozzarella cheese.

  3. Add the eggs on top of the mozzarella and season with salt and pepper.

  4. Cover the pan and cook until the whites are set and the cheese is melted and caramelized at the edges.

  5. Use a silicone spatula to loosen the cheese and fold the eggs over, like an omelette. If desired,  continue to cook until the yolks are done to your liking, being sure not to burn the honey or cheese.

  6. Remove from the pan and enjoy immediately.

Breakfast
American
cheese, eggs, hot honey

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air fryer chicken wings | www.iamafoodblog.com
30 minutes or less air fryer recipes basics chicken recipes fried chicken recipes

I Am... Air Fryer Chicken Wings

June 19, 2026 • 13 comments • Posted in: , , , , , ,

Air fryer chicken wings coming in hot! Do you love chicken wings? Do you love your air fryer? To me, chicken wings and the air fryer are a match made in heaven. These air fryer chicken wings are faster than going to the bar, ordering, and waiting for them to fry your wings. Even better, they’re super juicy, taste amazing and only take 20 minutes in the air fryer. And they’re not deep fried!

Chicken wings in air fryer, a match made in heaven

To me, the air fryer is the best option for juicy crispy chicken wings. Air fryers circulate hot air and oil all around the wings to get a perfectly crisp shell while keeping the insides extra juicy. Baking wings in the oven takes an hour, but air fryer chicken wings only take 20 minutes from start to finish which means your wings don’t have a chance to dry out.

How to make air fryer chicken wings

  1. Lightly pat your chicken dry. Moisture is not your friend when you want a crispy chicken wing, so be sure to pat your wings dry with a paper towel.
  2. Lightly oil. Lightly oil the chicken by tossing it with oil or spraying it with spray oil. This will promote even browning.
  3. Coat the chicken. This is where the magic happens. Toss the wings in a large bowl with a bit of baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
  4. Air fry. Lightly spray (or brush) the air fryer basket with oil. Arrange the wings in a single layer, with some space in between each wing.
  5. Flip. Flip the wings and fry again.
  6. Toss. Enjoy the wings as is or toss with sauce!

How long to cook chicken wings in air fryer:

It takes 20 minutes to cook wings in the air fryer. Cook your wings for 15 minutes at 400°F, flip them and cook them for another 5 minutes at 400°F. If you want extra crispy wings, let them rest for 5 minutes then give them another 5 minute blast at 400ºF to get them extra crunchy. Wings cook based on wing size and how packed your air fryer is, if your wings are extra big, add an extra 5 minutes to the cook time.

Basic air fryer chicken wings recipe

The key to really tasty air fryer chicken wings is a well seasoned base. You know how wings taste super good and flavorful at restaurants in way that never seems achievable at home? The secret is seasoning your wings before you sauce them. It’s layers on layers of flavor, all the way down! For these wings, I coated them in a bit of baking powder, along with some salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper. The result was unbelievably juicy, crisp, and flavorful. This basic seasoning mix of salt, garlic, onion, and pepper is the perfect base layer for all other sauces. It will make your wings extra: extra flavorful, extra saucy (because the sauce will have something to cling to), and extra delicious.

Extra crispy air fryer chicken wings

The secret to extra crispy air fryer chicken wings is baking powder (not baking soda) and salt. Basically, the pH of the baking powder makes the surface of the wings brown more easily. A bit of salt draws out any extra moisture off the surface of the skin and your air fried chicken wings end up crispy and golden.

Buffalo wings vs other sauces

These wings are 100% good enough to eat naked, on their own. But variety is the spice of life too, amirite?! Air fryer chicken wings make the best ever buffalo wings. Buffalo wings are super simple: equal parts Frank’s Red Hot and melted butter. We like to mix it up and use other hot sauces too, like sriracha buffalo or Crystal buffalo. Truth is, we almost always reduce the amount of butter or leave it out entirely for a healthier twist. We made these specific wings with just Secret Aardvark Habanero Sauce (the best hot sauce ever) and they were phenomenal. You can also make these wings:
  • Korean wings - in small pan, heat up 1 tablespoon each of ketchup, gochujang, honey, and brown sugar, 1/2 tablespoon of soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and grated ginger, along with 2 cloves crushed garlic. Read more about Korean Fried Chicken here.
  • Pok Pok fish sauce wings - combine 1 tablespoon each of lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar, along with 1 clove crushed garlic and 1/2 sliced Thai bird’s eye chili. Let sit for 10 minutes for the flavors to meld before tossing. Read more about Pok Pok Style Fish Sauce Chicken Wings here.
  • Honey garlic wings - Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small pan over medium heat and add 8 cloves of crushed garlic and cook until soft but not brown. Stir in 2 tablespoons honey, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon water, bring to a simmer, then toss with the wings.
  • Ranch Wings - Ranch is a must for dipping and let me tell you, tossing wings in ranch powder is a pro move. For the recipe, check out this whole post on ranch wings.
  • Vietnamese wings - this is a dry toss that is out of this world, believe me. It's the ultimate umami wings. I could eat pounds and pounds of these wings and never get tired of them. For more information, check out this post on Vietnamese air fryer wings.

Frozen chicken wings in the air fryer

Can you make frozen chicken wings in the air fryer? Surprisingly, you can! You’ll need to cook the wings a bit longer and they won’t come out as crispy, but if you’re in hurry, it’s a pretty amazing party trick.

To make air fryer frozen chicken wings:

  1. Toss the wings in the baking powder spice mix and lay the wings out in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
  2. Set the air fryer to 400°F for 15 minutes, flip, and cook for another 10 minutes.
  3. Flip them again, give them a spray with some oil, and cook for 5 minutes.
  4. Give them one final flip, spray, and cook for a final 5 minutes.
In total, air fryer frozen wings will take about 35 minutes depending on how crispy you want them.

How many wings can I make at once?

You can make about 1 pound of wings at once, depending on how big the wings are. If you’re a wing lover, look into getting a rack for your air fryer because you can triple your wing making abilities. If you're buying a rack, whether online or offline, don't forget to check the diameter so you can be sure it fits in your air fryer!

Which air fryer do you have?

We've used a lot of air fryers and this one is our new daily driver and it's been awesome. The window is more than just fun (though it is too!) it's also great to see your food frying so you can make sure everything is A-OK.

Can I make these in an oven?

Yes, you can bake them in the oven, it takes 45 minutes @ 400ºF. Stick them on a wire rack on a foil lined baking sheet and flip them half way through. If you have convection mode, it means you have a giant air fryer! Just follow the same instructions as with an air fryer, maybe with an extra 5 minutes in case the oven temp is not as accurate.

Tips for the best air fryer chicken wings:

  • Season your chicken
  • Dry the chicken as much as possible, the drier the chicken, the crispier
  • Don’t crowd the air fryer
  • Use tongs to flip your wings instead of shaking the basket
  • For ultimate crisp ones, double fry: let the chicken rest after frying, the pop it back into the air fryer for an extra 5 minutes

More Air Fryer Recipes!

Air Fryer Chicken Wings

The best way to make chicken wings, period.

  • air fryer
  • 1 lb chicken wings
  • 1 tsp baking powder (not baking soda)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp freshly cracked pepper
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt (or to taste)

Optional Buffalo Wing Sauce

  • 1.5 tbsp hot sauce (optional, see notes)
  • 1.5 tbsp butter (melted, optional, see notes)

  1. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. In a bowl, toss the wings in oil. 



  2. Mix the baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and salt together in a small bowl. Add to the wings and toss to coat evenly.



  3. Spray the air fryer basket with oil or lightly brush with a thin coat of oil. Arrange the chicken in a single layer and air fry at 400°F for 15 mins. When the 15 minutes is up, flip the chicken and air fry for another 5 minutes.



  4. Remove the chicken immediately. Enjoy as is or toss with your sauce of choice!



Check out the post for more sauce ideas than just basic Buffalo!

Nutrition facts are for wings only and don't include sauce.

Main Course
American
air fryer, chicken wings

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How to make Cheesy Potato Balls | www.iamafoodblog.com
10 ingredients or less easy entertaining how to korean food

I Am... How to Make Cheesy Potato Balls

June 17, 2026 • 26 comments • Posted in: , , , , ,

Hello crispy, crunchy, creamy, cheesy potato balls! If you love cheese and cheese pulls, this is cheese pull heaven. It’s everything you never knew you wanted, in one portable, pick-up-able, potato-y package. I love me some cheese pulls. Give me ALL the cheese, especially when it’s melted and especially when it gets gooey and pull-able. There’s something so visceral about stringy melted cheese. Cheese makes everything better and these smooth and fluffy mashed potato balls stuffed with mozzarella cheese is no exception. They are essentially a take on croquettes.

What are croquettes?

Croquettes are little stuffed balls or cylinders that are coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried. They’re usually made with béchamel or potatoes and can have a multitude of fillings. Croquettes are originally from France but nowadays they’re eaten almost everywhere. I love croquettes! There’s nothing better than mashed potatoes coated in crispy panko then deep fried to a satisfying golden crunch.

What are cheesy potato balls?

These little cheesy potato balls are essentially a croquette stuffed with cheese. A deep fried cheese stuffed mashed potato ball, that melts in your mouth. The outsides are crispy-crunchy and the insides are filled with creamy mashed potatoes and a molten core of cheesy goodness. These cheesy potato balls were inspired by two different things: LA’s famous Porto’s potato balls and those Korean cheese balls you see in mukbang. If you’ve been to LA then I’m sure you know about Porto’s Bakery, the Cuban bakery famous for their papas rellenas potato balls. They’re stuffed with picadillo (a Cuban meat dish) and are SO good. Mike and I always make a stop when we’re in the area to stuff our faces on potato balls and cubanos. The other inspiration for this cheesy potato ball is the Korean mozzarella cheese ball. Korean cheese balls are chewy, crispy doughnut-type deep fried cheese balls that are super popular with mukbangers (those youtubers who eat INSANE amounts of food). Cheese balls are usually sold alongside Korean fried chicken. They’re really cheesy and melty and are great for cheese pulls. I combined the deliciousness of a mashed potato ball with the gloriousness of a cheese ball and here were are: cheesy potato balls! They hit all the right notes and even though we’re in the middle of a heat wave right now, I made the commitment to deep fry these guys at night so we could have a decadent after dinner snack, just because.

How to make cheesy potato balls

1. Peel and boil the potatoes

Start by peeling your potatoes and then cutting them into large, even chunks. After your potatoes are peeled, place them in a large pot and cover with COLD water. Starting with cold water ensures that your potatoes cook evenly. If you add potatoes to boiling water, the outsides will cook faster than the insides. Add a generous amount of salt and turn the heat up to medium high. When the potatoes and water come to a simmer, set a timer for 15 minutes. The potatoes are done when fork tender. Poke a fork into a chunk. If it slides through easily, it’s done. Drain the potatoes well.

2. Mash the potatoes and cool them

I usually like to push my potatoes through a sieve so they’re extra light and fluffy but for these potato balls it doesn’t matter so much, so just give them a light mash making sure they don’t have any lumps. Stir in just 1 tablespoon of cream - you want a stiff potato so it’s easier to shape - and season with salt to taste. Spread the potatoes out to cool. You can make the potatoes the day before and keep them in the fridge overnight if you want to make the potato balls in two steps. Just make sure to take the potatoes out of the fridge and let them come to room temp because they will be easier to shape.

3. Shape and fill the potato balls

Use a ice cream/cookie scoop to scoop out about 2 tablespoons of potato then pat into a round patty. Cup your hand and place a cube of cheese inside and bring the potatoes up and around the cheese to cover making sure that potato surrounds all of the cheese. You want the cheese to be totally encased in potato otherwise the cheese will leak out while you’re frying. Lightly roll the potato ball between your hands.

4. Coat the potato balls

Prep a breading station with three bowls: flour, whisked egg, and panko. Use your right hand to pick up a ball and roll it in flour, then put it in the bowl with the egg. Use your left hand to roll it around in the egg until it’s coated. Place it into the panko and use your right hand to roll it around until it’s completely covered in panko. Using different hands for the wet and dry ingredients will keep your hands from clumping up.

5. Deep fry the potato balls

After all the balls are coated, heat up the oil on medium high heat. You want the oil temperature to be between 350°F and 375°F. When you add your potato balls, the oil temp will drop, so aim for 375°F to start with. I use an instant read thermometer to make sure I’m in the right range. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can check if your oil is ready with an uncoated wooden spoon or uncoated chopsticks. Just put the spoon/chopstick into the oil. If:
  • Nothing happens, the oil isn’t hot enough
  • The oil starts bubbling around the chopstick/spoon steadily, you’re ready to fry.
  • If there are too many bubbles and it looks like it’s boiling around your chopstick, your oil is too hot
When the oil is ready, gently lower in a couple of potato balls being sure not to crowd the pan and lower the temperature of the oil too much. Move around gently and fry until the outside turns golden brown. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and let drain on a wire rack.

So satisfying to make and eat

These cheesy potato balls look impressive but they are actually really easy to make and even easier to eat. If you have leftover mashed potatoes, this recipe becomes even quicker, but I recommend making mashed potatoes just for this purpose - more on that later.

Ingredients for cheesy potato balls

Potatoes

The best potatoes to use for potato balls are Yukon golds. Yukon gold potatoes are a dense, rich, and fluffy potato that will hold up to boiling without getting too water-logged. Waxy potatoes like red or white potatoes end up being gummy so avoid those. If they don’t sell Yukon golds at your grocery store, russet/Idaho potatoes will work too. You can use leftover mashed potatoes too - I’ve done that for croquettes in the past but in this case a stiff potato works best for containing the cheese when deep-frying. If your mashed potatoes have too much butter and cream/milk, the cheese will tend to ooze out while you’re deep-frying.

Cream

There’s a very small amount of full fat cream in the potatoes – adding too much extra liquid will make the potatoes too loose to shape into balls. The cream adds body, flavor, and creaminess. If you don’t have cream, you can use milk.

Salt

It’s important to salt both the water you cook the potatoes in as well as salting the mashed potatoes. Taste them and salt according to taste. We like to use sea salt or kosher salt instead of table salt because it’s easier to pinch and add to dishes.

Cheese

The best cheese for cheesy potato balls is mozzarella, hands down. Mozzarella is the best for meltability and stretch. It adds a delicious mild creamy flavor and pairs well with potatoes. You can use mozzarella string cheese cut into small cubes or shredded mozzarella cheese, which is what I used. I recommend using cut up string cheese because it’s easier to wrap into the potato balls. If you use shredded mozzarella, squish up the mozzarella into little balls before wrapping with potato. Other cheeses will work as well, but cheese pulls will vary.

Flour

Flour is the first step in a three-step battering process. All-purpose flour is the gold standard for this.

Eggs

You need a whisked egg for the egg wash portion – you could get away with using one but whisking up two eggs gives you more room to coat your potato balls. Make sure you give your eggs a really good whisk so you don’t end up with goopy bits stuck to your potato balls. Pro-tip, don’t throw away your eggs after you’re done, you can scramble them up for a quick snack.

Panko

The secret to light and crispy breaded things. Panko is what makes Japanese pork tonkatsu so good. You might think a breadcrumb is a breadcrumb is a breadcrumb, but panko isn’t just breadcrumbs, they’re better! Panko, also known as Japanese breadcrumbs, are fluffier and larger than regular breadcrumbs because they’re made from crustless white bread. They and are dryer and flakier which makes deep-fried panko crusted things airy and extra-crispy. It’s worth it to buy a bag of panko, especially if you love crunch. Panko is sold in most grocery stores in the Asian aisle but it’s cheaper to buy it at an Asian grocery store.

Oil

You need about 1-2 cups of oil to deep fry your potato balls. Go for a high smoke point oil as you want the oil temperature to be between 350°-375°F. The best oils for frying are, in order of highest to lowest smoke point: safflower, rice bran, soybean, corn, sunflower, canola, or grapeseed. You want a neutral oil that has no flavor. We usually buy safflower because I think it’s cute, but go for what’s affordable.

Tips for making cheesy potato balls

  • Room temp mashed potatoes: Cooled down mashed potatoes won’t burn your hands, they’re easier to mold, and they hold their shape better. I made the mash the day before (okay, actually several days before because I forgot about them) and then just popped them out on the counter to bring them up to room temp. Bringing the potatoes up to room temp is also key because you don’t want to deep-fry cold balls as the outside will color but the cheese inside won’t melt.
  • Same sized balls: Using a cookie scoop or a measuring spoon will keep your potato balls the same size meaning they’ll all finish cook at the same time. Plus your potato balls will look nice and professional. Maybe you can start a cheesy potato ball food truck!
  • Consistent heat: It’s inevitable that your oil temp will rise and fall when you’re adding stuff to the oil. Try to keep it at the same consistent temperature. I use an instant read thermometer to check obsessively because I’m type-A like that.

Time to eat!

Now that you’ve fried up your balls it’s time to eat! Be careful because the cheese can be really hot. We like to eat these as is, pulling them apart so you get the cheese pull effect. You can have them plain or with ketchup or hot sauce. They’re essentially a snack food but if you like, serve them up with some Korean fried chicken! PS - Do you have extra panko? Here are some other recipes that use it too! Easy oven-fried tonkatsu, air fryer chicken strips, cheddar cheese broccoli tots, and quail scotch eggs.

Cheesy Potato Balls

  • 2 large russet potatoes (peeled and cubed)
  • 1 tbsp cream or milk
  • salt (to taste)
  • 40 cubes mozzarella cheese (1/2" cubes)
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1-2 large eggs (lightly beaten)
  • 1.5 cups panko
  • High heat oil for deep frying (such as grapeseed)

  1. Add the potatoes to a large pot and cover with cold water. Add a generous pinch of salt to the pot. Bring to a boil and cook potatoes on medium high, uncovered, until the potatoes are fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well and mash. Stir in the cream and salt to taste. Set aside to cool.



  2. When the potatoes are cool (you can make them the day before then take them out of the fridge to come to room temperature for 1-3 hours) use a ice cream scoop or measuring scoop to scoop out 2 tablespoons of potato. Shape into a ball and then flatten slightly and place a cube of cheese in the middle. Bring the mashed potato up around the cube of cheese, enclosing it. Roll gently into a ball shape. Repeat as needed.



  3. Set up a breading station with three shallow dishes. One with flour, one with lightly beaten egg, and one with panko. Working gently, with one ball at a time, dip the ball into flour, shaking off excess, then coat in egg wash. Roll in panko to coat completely. Set aside on a plate or tray and continue to coat all of the balls in panko.



  4. In a deep sided, heavy bottomed pot, heat up 2 inches of oil over medium heat until it reaches 375°F. Gently place the potato cheese balls in the hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd, turning occasionally and maintaining oil temperature of 350°F, until the breading is golden brown and crisp, 2-3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to paper towels to drain. Let cool slightly and enjoy hot while the cheese is still stretchy.



Variations: Add garlic powder, onion powder, bacon, or green onions to the mashed potatoes. Change up the cheese.

I used shredded cheese because it’s what I had in the fridge but it’s a lot easier to just cube up mozzarella or string cheese and wrap that.

Recipe makes about 40 balls

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mexican food tacos

I Am... Walking Taco

June 16, 2026 • 5 comments • Posted in: , , ,

A walking taco is just what you need this summer. They’re super easy to make and are always a crowd pleaser at parties, game day, camping, or even when you just need a little pick me up. They’re all the deliciousness of a hard taco in a portable, easy-to-eat form factor. The crunchy corniness of the Fritos, the savory saucy meat, the fresh toppings. It’s just the perfect nostalgic comfort food bite.

What are walking tacos?

Fritos, seasoned ground beef, shredded cheddar, tomatoes, cilantro, green onions, and sour cream all in a convenient bag served with a fork. A walking taco is all the components of a Mexican American crunchy hard shell taco served up in a bag. You might know them as Frito pies – they’re essentially the same thing – but in a bag. Like most popular food items, the origins are somewhat murky. Origins aside, they are childhood comfort food, bringing back memories of when everything was all right.

How to make walking tacos

If you’ve ever made hard shell tacos, you’ve got this!
  1. Make the seasoned ground taco meat. Cook some diced onions until soft, but not brown, then add ground meat of choice and sauté, stirring, until brown and cooked through. Season with taco seasoning and stir in a can of fire roasted tomatoes. Bring everything up to a simmer and reduce slightly.
  2. Prep the toppings. While the taco meat sauce is reducing, wash and chop the lettuce, dice the tomatoes, shred the cheese, and slice the green onions.
  3. Assemble. Open up a bag of Fritos, fold down the sides (so you can reach into the bag more easily while you’re eating) and top with the taco meat, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, and green onions. Repeat as needed.
  4. Enjoy. You can close up the bag and shake everything up then scoop it out with a fork or you can just dig around and scoop out as desired. Everyone eats walking tacos in their own personal way.

Walking taco ingredients

  • Fritos - the oldest brand of corn chips in the United States. Crispy, crunchy corn chips in the classic scoop shape. Fritos are super similar to tortillas chips as they’re both made of corn. Fritos are thick, rigid, and super crunchy with a roasted corn flavor.
  • onions - a diced onion adds sweetness and depth to or taco meat sauce ground meat of choice - I like using lean ground beef, but you can go with any ground meat of choice: pork, chicken, turkey. If you’re vegetarian, you can substitute crumbled firm tofu or beans.
  • taco seasoning - I usually make a super simple homemade taco seasoning (chili powder, granulated onion powder, granulated garlic powder, cumin, and oregano) because I have all the spices in my pantry, but I’ve also used store bought taco seasoning too. When going with store bought, I always get low sodium so I can adjust the saltiness as needed.
  • fire roasted tomatoes - a small can of fire roasted tomatoes gives our taco meat some umami, sauciness, and heft. Lots of times walking tacos just have seasoned ground meat, but I like adding fire roasted tomatoes for the smokiness and liquid.
  • lettuce - chopped or shredded lettuce adds freshness and crunch. Plus, if there’s lettuce, it’s practically a salad right? You can use green leaf, iceberg, romaine, or anything that’s crunchy.
  • cheese - a taco blend of shredded chesse is pretty classic when you think of hard shell tacos, but you can also go for shredded cheddar, mozzarella, colby jack, or even an authentic Mexican cheese like queso fresco or cojita.
  • tomatoes - diced fresh tomatoes add a welcome bit of acidity and freshness. There’s tomato in the taco meat as well, but I find that fresh diced tomatoes add a huge amount of contrast.
  • sour cream - a dollop of sour cream adds richness and tang.
  • green onions/cilantro - a sprinkle of freshly chopped green onions or cilantro is the finishing touch.

What are Fritos?

Fritos (frito means fried in Spanish) are the original brand of corn chips created way back in 1932. The creator of Fritos, Charles Elmer Doolin wanted a corn snack for his confectionary store, but didn’t want tortilla chips because they got stale. He discovered extruded corn chips made by a Mexican man at a gas station, paid the man for the patent, and went on to fry and bag Fritos as we know them today. They’re made with just three ingredients: corn, corn oil, and salt.

Corn chips vs tortilla chips

Corn chips tend to be saltier, sturdier, and harder than tortilla chips. They're also extruded in a scoop shape and made from whole cornmeal (dried, ground corn). Corn chips have a stronger roasted corn flavor. Tortilla chips are usually triangles made from tortillas, which are made with ground masa (cooked, ground corn). They’re larger, thinner, and tend to be more delicate than corn chips.

What to do if you can’t find Fritos

You can substitute in any other brand of corn chips, or if you can’t find corn chips, you can use Doritos or other brands of tortilla chips. You can usually also find them online.

Walking taco variations

Vegetarian walking tacos

Skip out on the seasoned beef and use beans instead. Simply drain and rinse two 14 ounce cans of black beans or beans of choice and use them in place of the ground beef.

Doritos

Instead of Fritos, you can use Doritos in your favorite flavor: cool ranch, nacho, flaming hot, you name it. Give the bag a slight crush before assembling so the chips aren’t too large and unwieldy when scooping up with a fork.

Upscale

If you want to get a little bit more authentic, crush up some homemade tortilla chips, place them in a bowl, add taco meats (barbacoa, birria, tinga, carnitas, al pastor) and top with pico de gallo, salsa, and crumble queso fresco or cojita.

Meal prep walking tacos

Walking tacos are perfect for meal prep or school lunches. Just pack a bag of Fritos along with a sectioned lunch box that has all the toppings: the beef in a warm thermos and the lettuce, cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, and green onions in a cold thermos. Open the bag, add everything in, shake it up, and eat. Happy walking and taco-ing! xoxo steph  

Walking Taco

All the deliciousness of a hard taco in a portable, easy-to-eat and easy-to-make form factor.

  • 1 tbsp neutral oil
  • 1 small onion (chopped)
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 2 tbsp taco seasoning
  • 14 oz fire roasted tomatoes (~1 can)
  • 4 bags Fritos (individual sized)
  • 2 cup chopped lettuce
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheese
  • 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 tbsp green onions (sliced)

  1. In a large pan, add the oil and cook the onion over medium high heat, stirring, until soft, but not brown.



  2. Add in the beef and cook, breaking up, until browned and cooked through. Drain off any excess fat. Stir in the taco seasoning and the fire roasted tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Turn to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thick.



  3. Meanwhile, prep the toppings: chop the lettuce, shred the cheese, dice the tomatoes, and slice the green onions or chop cilantro.



  4. Assemble the walking tacos by opening up the bags of Fritos and rolling down the top of bag.



  5. Scoop in some saucy meat and top with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, and sliced green onions or cilantro. Enjoy!



Homemade Taco Seasoning
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp granulated onion
1 tsp granulated garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano

Mix together all the seasoning ingredients and use with 1 lb of ground beef. Taste and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Snack
American, Mexican
tacos

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Dot Cakes | www.iamafoodblog.com
cakes

I Am... The Viral Dot Cake, but homemade and no line ups

June 13, 2026 • 2 comments • Posted in: ,

If you’re a sprinkles lover, you will absolutely love dot cake. Crunchy, colorful sprinkles, creamy frosting, and tender cake all in a portable cup, perfect for spooning. As soon as I saw dot cake, I was sold. I love little single-serving size desserts and I love sprinkles. I immediately thought: meal prep sprinkle cake? I’m in! For simplicity, I started with a boxed cake mix (with a couple of add-ins to make it even better) and topped off the dot cakes with homemade cream cheese frosting and loads of nonpareils, aka, round rainbow sprinkles.

Dot cake is so viral right now

Dot cake is experiencing a viral moment and there are people in NYC lining up for hours to buy cups from The Dot Cakes from Butterfield Markets. The naysayers say it’s just cake in a cup, the dot cake lovers are making dot cake TikToks, and whether you like it or not, people have feels about dot cake.

Dot cake feels

I, too, have feels about dot cake. I am deeply in love with cake and frosting and sprinkles and will take any excuse to make and eat it, especially if it’s boxed cake mix. There’s something about boxed cake mix that has childhood nostalgia baked right in. Add sprinkles to the cake batter and on the frosting and I’m cheesin’, as the kids like to say. While I won’t say that you need to make this, I think it’s a super fun and easy dessert that’s portable and great for sharing. Imagine meeting up with a friend and pulling out a dot cake cup and spoon for them out of your bag, so cute.

What is dot cake

Dot cake is, as The New York Times put it, is “cake in a cup.” That’s it: cake in a cup topped with frosting and dipped in round sprinkles. Some people say dot cake tastes suspiciously like box mix. I think that's part of the charm: a lot of other people are saying it tastes either like childhood or like a simpler time before the weird future we all live in now.

How to make dot cake

I like to keep things easy by starting with box mix.
  1. Mix. Make the cake according to the instructions on the back of the box, subbing the water for whole milk and adding an extra egg. Stir in 1 tsp of vanilla and if desired, 1/2 cup sprinkles (jimmies, the kind for inside sprinkle cakes).
  2. Bake. Pour the batter into a parchment-lined cake pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean and the top springs back when you gently press it.
  3. Cool. When the cake is done, remove from the oven and let cool completely.
  4. Make. While the cake is cooling make the cream cheese frosting. Whip together (either by hand or with a stand mixer) softened butter and cream cheese. When smooth, gradually add in icing sugar. Finish by stirring in a bit of vanilla.
  5. Cut. Now that the cake is cool and the frosting is ready, it’s time to pop the cake into the cup. You can either use the cup to cut directly into the cake or use a cookie cutter that’s the same size as your cup. I like to use a cookie cutter because it’s a little less messy. Either way, you want the cake to fit snuggly into your cup of choice, about 1/3 inch from the top. If you need to do two layers, you can frost between the layers for extra decadence, or not, of course.
  6. Frost. Once that cake is in the cups, add frosting and use the back of a butter knife to smooth the frosting across the top of the cup to create an even layer of frosting.
  7. Sprinkle. Carefully pour your sprinkles into a shallow dish, one that’s wider than your frosted cup. Dip into the sprinkles or spoon on, making sure to get an even, crunchy layer of sprinkles. I recommend dipping, because these sprinkles can get everywhere.
  8. Enjoy. Enjoy immediately with a spoon or cover and pop into the fridge for when the cake cravings strike.

Dot cake ingredients

  • box cake mix - I like standard white or vanilla cake mix. If you have a favorite brand, go with that.
  • whole milk - instead of water, we’re going to use whole milk to add a bit of fat back into the cake, giving it a richer texture.
  • eggs - typically most box mixes call for 3 eggs. By adding an extra egg, you introduce more fat and liquid, making your boxed cake extra moist and rich. It’s an easy hack to making your cake taste homemade.
  • oil - I like oil in cakes more than butter even though substituting butter is a common hack. Butter tends to solidify at room temp and especially in the fridge, so if you want your dot cake to stay soft and tender, use oil.
  • vanilla - a lil extra bit of vanilla in the cake mix will give off bakery vibes and add a nice layer of flavor in the cream cheese frosting.
  • butter - no butter in the cake batter, but definitely butter in the frosting. Make sure your butter is at room temp so it’s easy to whip.
  • cream cheese - cream cheese frosting is the best frosting because it has a nice balance of sweetness and tang. In my opinion, it pairs well with all cake and I especially like it here, when you’re spooning it out of a cup.
  • icing sugar - icing needs icing sugar because the light and fine texture icing sugar mixes into frosting without it being grainy.
  • sprinkles - the dots on dot cakes are nonpareil sprinkles, the round, hard, rainbow sprinkles that are crunchy and have the special ability to bounce around and get lost in corners of your kitchen. Typically, they’re a rainbow mix, but they come in all different colors so you can have fun with it.

Dot cake supplies

If you want the look of store bought dot cakes, you can get 8 ounce ice cream cups off amazon but they are absolutely not necessary. All you need is a straight sided cup or a ramekin. For the nonpareils, they’re readily available in the baking aisle at the grocery store, or of course, online as well. I made mini ones with some tiny glass ramekins I have.

Dot cake controversy

There is a bit of dot cake controversy though: people are saying dot cakes are problematic because the sprinkles on top resemble cortadillo, a classic Mexican cake. Cortadillo is an iconic pink-frosted sheet cake with nonpareils on top. I have to admit I see the resemblance, but I think cake with sprinkles belongs to all of humanity. We should share the sprinkle wealth.

Dot cake tips and tricks

  • Cake scraps - use any cake scraps you have and just break them up and pop them into a cup. You won’t be able to tell the difference once you frost and sprinkle.
  • Freestyle it - speaking of cake scraps, you can straight up use your hand to break up your cake and put it into the cups, the cake doesn’t need to be perfect or flush, especially if you’re using paper cups where you can’t see the sides.
  • Perfect it - if you’re not the kind to freestyle and want perfectly shaped dot cakes, pop your cake into the freezer for 10-15 minutes so it hardens and becomes more stable. It will be less crumbly when you cut it out. To ensure a perfect fit, use your container and a knife to score the cake, then cut along the line.
  • Freeze - if you want to freeze your dot cakes, I recommend making them up to the iced part, then freezing. When you want to enjoy, let the cake thaw to room temp, then add the sprinkles. This way, the sprinkles will stay fresh and crunchy.
  • Offset spatula - I love offset spatulas so much and having one while you’re frosting will make you feel like a pro, so I say get one.
Don’t forget to run your spoon over the surface of the sprinkles, tapping on them to create that AMSR moment before digging in. Alright, I’m off to eat cake in a cup! Chat soon and happy dot-caking xoxo steph PS If you love sprinkles, you’ll love these soft and chewy sprinkle cookies. And if you’re looking for more cake in a cup, try this 2 minute mug cake too!

Dot Cake Recipe

If you’re a sprinkles lover, you will absolutely love dot cake.

  • 1 box cake mix (of choice)
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/4 cup neutral oil
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles (optional)
  • 1/2 cup butter (room temp)
  • 8 oz cream cheese (~1 box, room temp)
  • 2 cups icing sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup nonpareil sprinkles

  1. Heat the oven to 350 F and line a 13 x 9 baking pan (or pan/pans that holds 14-15 cups) with parchment paper.

  2. Add the cake mix, milk, oil, and eggs to a large bowl and either mix on medium speed or beat by hand vigorously for 2 minutes. Stir in the rainbow sprinkles, if using.



  3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 24-30 minutes, checking at the 25 minute mark with a toothpick inserted into the center. When the toothpick comes out clean, remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

  4. While the cake is baking, make the frosting. Add the butter and cream cheese to a bowl and either whisk on medium speed or by hand, until the butter and cream cheese are light and creamy.

  5. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, mixing on low. Stir in the vanilla.

  6. When the cake is completely cool, either use a round cookie cutter or your dot cake cup of choice to cut out rounds of cake, making sure the cake comes to about 1/3 inch from the top of the container.

  7. Add frosting to the cups and use an offset spatula or back of a butter knife to smooth the frosting so it’s even and flush with the top of the cup. Wipe off any excess cake or frosting off the sides.

  8. Grab a large dish to catch any stray sprinkles and use a spoon to spoon the sprinkles on top, making sure it has complete coverage. Alternatively, you can put the sprinkles in a bowl and dip the tops.



  9. Repeat as needed and enjoy!



Dessert
American
cake, viral

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banh cuon recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com
ground pork recipes restaurant recipes vietnamese food

I Am... Banh Cuon/Bánh Cuốn

June 6, 2026 • Leave a comment • Posted in: ,

I've been obsessed with banh cuon for over 20, maybe 30, years. The soft and tender rice noodles wrapped around a fragrant, super umami pork and mushroom filling are what my dreams are made of. A very, very long time ago, someone told me that I would love Vietnamese crepes. For some reason, that stuck in my head and when Mike (who is Vietnamese) and I started dating, I always asked him about them. He had no idea what I was talking about, and to be honest, neither did I. He introduced me to banh xeo, which I absolutely love, but it wasn’t what I pictured as a Vietnamese crepe. After a long and delicious search, we figured out I was talking about bánh cuốn, aka rolled cake.

My obsession with banh cuon

If I thought I was obsessed with discovering what “Vietnamese crepes” were, it was nothing compared to how obsessed I became after finally tasting bánh cuốn. Soft and tender, slippery rice noodles wrapped around a fragrant, super savory ground pork and wood ear mushroom filling all doused in fish sauce? Sign me up, forever. I LOVE steamed rice rolls. Their chewy texture, their softness, their ability to transfer sauce to my mouth, I just can’t get over it. Every time we drive by store fronts with the words BÁNH CUỐN on the awning, I’m begging Mike to stop even if we’ve just eaten. To be honest, there aren’t many places in our city that make it from scratch. It’s more of a street food back in Vietnam and not something that’s insanely popular here, like pho. It should be, but I understand why it isn’t. The rice flour sheets need a delicate, talented hand and I guess a market for banh cuon doesn't really exist here. It’s a true travesty because no available freshly made rolls equals me needing to make them at home to satisfy my obsession.

Perfecting homemade banh cuon

To be honest, even though I cook (a lot) I’m not good at that things that are finicky and therefore I am not particularly good at making rice rolls. I am a sucker for punishment though, so like any rice roll obsessed person, I have a trusty rice roll steamer. Vietnamese rice rolls have a different texture than Chinese rice rolls — they’re more chewy and foldable. With my bare minimum knowledge of Chinese rice rolls and the power of the internet, I went to work trying to figure out the right ratios for banh cuon. Ideally, Vietnamese rice rolls are soft and tender, with a bit of chew. You need them to be flexible but not mushy. When I figured out my ideal ratio for Chinese rice rolls, I found that rice flour is the main foundational structure with tapioca flour or cornstarch adding softness and stretch. Recipes often include tapioca powder (also known as tapioca starch) in recipes with rice flour because rice flour is naturally gluten-free, meaning if you make the batter with only rice flour, your rolls will fall apart because there are no stretchy gluten structures to hold it together. Adding tapioca flour to the batter gives it both flexibility and chew, like the texture of boba or mochi. It’s also what gives the rolls translucency. According to Mike, the translucency and chew are the key differences between Chinese rice rolls and Vietnamese rice rolls.

How to make homemade banh cuon

1. Make the batter

In a large bowl or large liquid measuring cup, whisk together rice flour, tapioca starch, and room temp water until it comes together in a slurry. Whisk in a bit of neutral oil, then water just off the boil. The just boiling water cooks the rice and tapioca flour, making it easier to make the rolls. Whisk in some salt to finish.

2. Let it rest

Let the batter rest for as long as you can, overnight is best. Before using it, mix it up so everything is homogenous.

3. Make fish sauce

Make the dipping sauce for the banh cuon. If you have a favorite nuoc cham recipe, go ahead and make that, and if not, this is Mike’s famous nuoc cham.

4. Make the filling

Soak dehydrated sliced wood ear mushrooms in hot tap water until soft, about 10 minutes. Drain well and chop. Peel and dice a shallot. Heat up a bit of oil in a pan and when hot, sweat the shallots. Add ground pork and cook, breaking it up into pieces. Stir in the wood ear mushrooms, as well as oyster sauce, fish sauce, a touch of sugar, and white pepper. Remove the filling from the heat once it’s cooked. Taste and season if needed. Set aside while you make the rolls.

5. Prep

Set up a station with a some neutral oil and a brush, a large cutting board, and a serving plate. Lightly brush the cutting board and serving plate with oil.

6. Make the rolls

Whisk up the batter to make sure everything is evenly distributed. You’ll want to do this with every roll you make. Heat up your chosen pan over medium-low heat and brush with a bit of oil. Add just enough batter to the bottom of the pan, swirling to coat. Cover and steam for at least 2 minutes or until the edges start to lift and the rice noodle looks translucent and set. If you’re not sure if it’s cooked or not, just go for an extra minute.

7. Roll the filling

When the rice noodle sheet is cooked, tip it out onto the prepared cutting board. Add some filling in the middle and roll up. Place the filled roll on the prepared serving plate and brush lightly with oil to prevent the rolls from sticking to each other. Repeat for the remaining filling and batter.

8. Enjoy!

Enjoy the fruits of your labor with fish sauce and herbs. Congrats, you did it!

Do I need specialty equipment to make banh cuon?

The short answer is no and the long answer is, depends. The easiest thing to do is to use a non-stick pan with a lid. Technically, you’ll be frying and not completely steaming, but frying pans are easy to come by. For me, I already have a rice roll steamer so that’s what I used. In Vietnam they use cloth tightly pulled over a pot of steaming water. If you’re handy, you can make this at home using a pot, unbleached cotton, and a stainless steel clamp or you can buy a set on amazon. I can’t speak to how well made that one is because we didn’t try it. But I will tell you that using a cloth steamer to make banh cuon is harder than it is when you use a frying pan or rice roll steamer. Oh, also, if you happen to have a tamagoyaki pan (a classic Japanese square nonstick frying pan) that would be the best pan to use.

How to make crispy shallots and shallot oil

You don’t need to make crispy shallots and shallot oil, but I think they add an immense amount of flavor. Here’s how to do it: Thinly slice 2 shallots and place them in a bowl with cold water and a pinch of salt. Let rest for 5 minutes, then rinse and drain well. Use clean kitchen towels or paper towels to pat the shallots very dry. Heat up about 1/3 cup of neutral oil in a small pot over medium heat and add the shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots turn lightly golden brown and crispy. Remove the pot from the heat and place a sieve over a heat proof container. Pour the shallots and oil through the sieve. Dry the crispy shallots on clean paper towels and reserve the oil for making the banh cuon.

Tips for the best homemade banh cuon

Rehydrate the rice flour

This is an extraneous step, but if you’re a stickler for being extra like me, it’s something I don’t skip. Just like how you wash rice, you want to “wash” your rice flour. The easiest way to do this is to use a large liquid measuring cup with a spout. Mix together the rice flour, tapioca starch, and water in the measuring cup then let it sit for 1-2. The rice flour and tapioca starch will settle to the bottom and the water will float to the top. Note on the measuring cup where the water level comes up to then carefully pour out the water that’s floating on top without pouring out any of the flour-starch mix. Add fresh water to the measuring cup, up to where you noted. Doing this step will make your rolls softer and more pliable.

Let the batter rest

The longer the better — traditionally people make banh cuon with overnight fermented batter. This helps the flours rehydrate and the resulting roll will be softer and chewier. Make sure you whisk it up before cooking, the rice flour and tapioca starch will sink to the bottom, so you need to stir it so that everything is smooth and evenly distributed.

Not too much batter or filling

You need just enough batter to coat the steamer or pan. It helps if your pan or steamer is hot before you add the batter because the batter will start to cling to it immediately. Less is better in the case of batter. As for filling, I have a tendency to overfill things but the key to really good banh cuon is a light hand — you want the rice noodles to shine. The pork and mushroom filling is there for flavor and a textural accent. It’s kind of like a sprinkle, not so much a roll with meat inside. That being said, fill your rolls however you like. If you want to go protein-heavy, go for it, there are no banh cuon police watching you make your rolls.

Make sure you cook the banh cuon throughly

I find that a lot of the recipes on the internet say you only need to cook banh cuon for a short amount of time, like 30 seconds to 1 minute, but I found that steaming them for longer makes them better. I think that I’m sensitive to the taste of raw rice flour/tapioca starch so I like to err on the side of overcooked rather than have starchy, raw banh cuon. You’ll know the banh cuon is ready when it turns translucent, glossy, and shiny. The edges will start to pull away and the sheet will bubble up and away from the cooking surface. There’s really no drawback to cooking the sheets longer - they don’t fall apart, if anything, they become slightly more easy to work with.

What to serve with banh cuon

  • fish sauce - this is what gives banh cuon that sweet and tangy, savory, eat-it-all-up vibe. Pour it on, as much or as little as you like.
  • crispy shallots - for me, crispy shallots are absolutely necessary to this dish, but for Mike, he can take them or leave them. I love the sweet onion-y aroma and crunch they add.
  • herbs - would it be Vietnamese food if there weren’t herbs? I say no. Thai basil, cilantro, and mint are the three that I go for every time.
  • cucumbers - I like a little pile of cucumbers with banh cuon, they add freshness and crunch. You can cut them into matchsticks, slices, or half-moon slices.
  • ham - Vietnamese ham, or chả lụa is often served with banh cuon to add some extra protein. You can find it, in uncut rolls at Vietnamese delis and grocery stores.

Banh cuon rice paper hack

There’s a rice paper hack floating around the socials where you use rice paper to make banh cuon instead of steaming your own rice rolls. I tried it to see how it compared and while it’s pretty damn delicious, it’s not banh cuon. But, if you have a craving and need your fix immediately, it definitely hits. All you need to do is make the banh cuon pork filling and get rolling. Soak your rice paper for slightly longer than you would when making summer/salad rolls and simply fill and roll up loosely. Douse in fish sauce and enjoy. This was the longest, wordiest post ever and if you read the whole thing, you must love banh cuon as much as I do and you’re invited over for dinner! banh cuon and fish sauce forever, xoxo steph  

Banh Cuon

Soft and tender Vietnamese rice noodles wrapped around a fragrant, super umami pork and mushroom filling and covered with fish sauce.

Batter

  • 3/4 cup rice flour
  • 1 cup tapioca starch
  • 1 2/3 cups water
  • 2 1/2 tsp neutral oil (or shallot oil (see post))
  • 1 1/4 cups boiling water
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Filling

  • 1 tsp neutral oil (or shallot oil (see post))
  • 1 tbsp shallot (finely minced, about 1/2 a small shallot)
  • 1/2 lb ground pork
  • 3 tbsp wood ear mushrooms (soaked for 15-20 minutes in hot tap water, then drained and chopped)
  • 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1/2 tsp fish sauce
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper

Garnishes

  • fresh mint
  • green leaf lettuce (shredded)
  • cha lua ((Vietnamese ham))
  • nuoc cham (see notes)

  1. Prepare the batter: in a large bowl, hydrate the starches by whisking together the rice flour and tapioca starch with the room temp water (see ingredients list for amount). Once hydrated, whisk in the neutral oil (or shallot oil if using). Complete the batter by adding the boiling water and salt, mix well and rest for as long as you can, overnight is best.



  2. Prepare the filling: in a frying pan, heat up a bit of oil over medium high heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, about 1-2 minutes.



  3. Brown the ground pork, breaking into pieces as it cooks. When the pork is cooked, stir in the wood ear mushrooms.

  4. Add the oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and white pepper. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes, then remove from the heat and let cool.

  5. Prep your station: have a large cutting board for the rolling surface, neutral oil or shallot oil in a cup with a brush, a serving plate to put your finished rolls on, and the prepared filling. Lightly brush a layer of oil onto the cutting board and serving plate.



  6. Make your rolls: Heat up a bit of oil in a non-stick 8 inch frying pan or square tamagoyaki frying pan over medium-low heat. Stir the batter well with your ladle and then pour a thin layer of batter (about 2 tbsp) onto the pan. Cover and cook for 2-4 minutes. When you lift the cover off, the rice paper should be translucent and puffing up from the bottom of the pan.



  7. Finish your rolls: Tip the rice sheet onto the prepared cutting board and spoon in some of the filling. Carefully roll up the rice noodle sheet up and over the filling. Place the completed banh cuon on the prepared serving plate, and lightly brush with oil.

  8. Repeat until all the banh cuon are made. Top the prepared fish sauce and toppings or side as desired.

You can eat banh cuon both hot and at room temperature. If you want to heat them up, simply steam them for 1-2 minutes until they are heated through.

For nuoc cham, combine 2 crushed/minced cloves of garlic with 2 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp fresh lime juice, 2 tbsp fish sauce, and 1-2 sliced Thai chilies. Mix well and dilute with 2/3 cups of water, then rest for 2-3 hours in the fridge before enjoying. For more information, see https://weightloss-update.fit/fish-sauce/%3C/p%3E

Main Course
Vietnamese
ground pork

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I Am... Korean BBQ at Home

June 4, 2026 • 25 comments • Posted in: , ,

Summer's almost here and a Korean BBQ at home is the best kind of summer dinner party. It's easy, it's quick, and it's fun. This is a little 101 on all things Korean BBQ at home. What it is, what you should buy, how you should set the table, and how you do it. Bonus, if you have a Korean grocer nearby like H-mart it's the easiest 'fancy' dinner you could ever have.

Why you should throw yourself a Korean BBQ party

Korean barbecue is all about balance and contrast between flavors and textures. It’s completely customizable so that everyone at the table can eat exactly what they want. Here’s what happens when you go out for KBBQ: You sit down and a bunch of tiny plates that you haven’t ordered come out. These are banchan: little side dishes that go with Korean BBQ. You order your meats and they come to the table, raw. You grill them, wrap them up in lettuce, dip/top them, then eat them up. Everything is smoky, meaty, savory, and delicious. Eat meat, drink copious amounts of alcohol, and repeat! Sounds fun right?! Mike and I LOVE going for Korean barbecue. It’s one of our things – late night grilling and chatting the night away. I like the interactive part of it and Mike likes the meat and alcohol. We both love the food. We’ve eaten at countless Korean barbecue restaurants and earlier this year, when everyone was in lockdown, we were really, really missing Korean barbecue. It was an itch we just had to scratch. So we did the thing: the ultimate way to KBBQ, right at home.

Table of Contents

What is Korean BBQ

Korean BBQ is the popular method of grilling meat right at the dining table. Korean BBQ restaurants have gas, charcoal, or portable stove grills built into the tables. Marinated meats like bulgogi and kalbi are grilled and eaten along with various small Korean side dishes called banchan.

This is a really long post, but the gist of it is: grill meat at the table, pop it into a leafy vegetable, top it off with sauce and enjoy.

At the very minimum you’ll need:
  1. A grill/hot plate.
  2. Marinated meats.
  3. Vegetables + sauce.
  4. Banchan or side dishes. This is optional, I guess, but it’s not really Korean BBQ with out it.
  5. Drinks. A key part of KBBQ.

How to make Korean BBQ

  1. A few hours before you want to eat, or the day before, marinate the meats, prep the vegetables, buy the banchan, and make the sauces in this post. Buy the liquor you need and refrigerate because no one should drink warm soju if they can avoid it.
  2. When you are ready to eat, make the rice and the noodles and set the table up with banchan, dipping sauces, rice, and noodles.
  3. Heat up your grill or hot plate. Make sure the windows are open if you’re inside.
  4. Brush some oil on the grill.
  5. When it’s hot, add some slices of meat. Flip as needed.
  6. As the pieces are cooked, take them off the grill, wrap it up, top it, sauce it, and eat it. See below for details. You can also take the cooked pieces off the grill and place them on a plate. Cook, eat, and repeat.

How to eat KBBQ

Korean BBQ is traditionally eaten in ssam form. Ssam just means wrap, but the implication is a one-bite-sized wrap of fresh cold lettuce with a small piece of grilled meat and topped with sauce (ssamjang).
  1. Grill some meat (above). If it is too large to eat as one bite (as in the case of short ribs) use a pair of kitchen shears to cut it down. This is traditional.
  2. Wrap it up in lettuce and perilla.
  3. Top or dip it in sauce.
  4. One bite it.
  5. Savor and repeat!

What should I buy for Korean BBQ at home

To be honest, you can probably buy everything you need at H-Mart or a local Korean grocery store. They’ll even have marinated meats for you. If you don’t live near a Korean grocery store, you can buy meat and marinate it yourself. Don’t sweat it if you don’t have any banchan. At its core, Korean barbecue is about wrapping delicious meat in lettuce and dipping it in ssamjang.

What kind of grill do you need?

The most important thing you’ll need for Korean BBQ is a grill or hot plate. A korean BBQ grill is specifically designed to let the fat safely run off without flaring up so that you can cook indoors, and also not let any thinly sliced or tiny pieces of meat fall through. They sell a bunch of different ones online and they also sell them at Asian grocery stores. Besides the grill, you need a heat source. Your options are:
  • Charcoal - best tasting but you can't use charcoal indoors or on balconies and it's the biggest pain to get charcoal lit, let it cool down after, and dispose of properly. If you have a backyard and want to take things to the next level, you should give it a try though!
  • Induction - induction is nice because it's safe and easy to clean, but it doesn't get as hot as Korean BBQ should get, and you have to use induction specific metal that can be hard to find in Korean BBQ grill pan shapes. We have an induction cooktop but we don't use it because the next option is the best.
  • Portable Butane Stove - these can be used indoors (with proper ventilation) and get plenty hot. They have combo grills too where the grill is attached to the element. The best thing to do though is to buy a separate stove and grill from the same company so that its a tight fit but you can just throw the grill pan into the sink or dishwasher later. We have this Iwatani butune stove and this Iwatani Korean BBQ grill pan and we love them. If you mix and match, sometimes the grill and the stove won't be a good fit and the grill can slide right off. The difference between a $20 grill and a $50 grill is immense, by the way.

Pro tip

You’ll want to keep a window open during your KBBQ party no matter what grill you use because it will get smoky. If you have a backyard, you can do a backyard KBBQ party but if you don’t, you can do it at home too, just keep your hood fan on and know that you’ll need ventilation. Maybe keep a stick around to press the hush button on your smoke detector if you have crazy tall ceilings. Read more in the smoke section below. Aside from the grill/hot plate, you’ll need a bunch of tiny dishes for your banchan, small individual dipping dishes for sauces, tongs, scissors (for cutting the meat into smaller pieces) and plates and bowls for eating. And the food, of course!

Where to buy the best korean bbq meats?

If you have access to H-Mart, a nation-wide Korean grocery store, it’s going to be the absolute best place to buy the best KBBQ meats. They will have all the right cuts and they even sell the meats marinated, if you want a super easy chill vibes BBQ night: After H-Mart, most Asian grocery stores will have a selection of pre-sliced meats in the frozen section that are probably meant for hot pot but will work great for KBBQ. And, finally, you can hit up the regular grocery store or a butcher. You can buy a rib-eye, pop it in the freezer and thinly slice it. Instead of Korean flanken-cut short ribs, get some boneless short ribs and slice those thin as well. Most grocery stores carry pork belly slices (sometimes called side pork) and chicken is always a good choice too, especially when you marinate it in the spicy bulgogi marinade.

The best cuts of meat for KBBQ

Beef

  • Kalbi/Short Ribs: These ribs are cut specifically for KBBQ, which are flanken cut short ribs, where the ribs are cut thin across the bone. You can also do boneless short ribs too, which are usually cut a bit thicker.
  • Bulgogi: Bulgogi actually refers to the sweet and savory marinade/sauce, not the cut of meat, but most commonly used are thinly cut slices of sirloin, ribeye, or brisket.

Bulgogi vs Kalbi

Even though they’re both beef, they’re not the same. The biggest difference is the cut of meat used. Bulgogi is made with thinly sliced meat and kalbi are short ribs. The marinade is essentially the same.

Pork

  • Samgyeopsal/Pork Belly: Samgyeopsal is probably the most popular pork item because pork belly. It comes either marinated or plain and can be thick cut or thin.
  • Hanjungsal/Pork Jowl: This might be my favorite cut of pork ever. Pork jowl is chewy, juicy, and perfectly marbled. It doesn’t flare up on the grill up as much as pork belly because the fat is more marbled throughout the meat. If you see it at the store, buy some, you won’t regret it! I recommend keeping hanjungsal unmarinated/plain.

Chicken

  • Cheese Buldak: Chicken is not as popular at KBBQ, but they do have it, usually prepared cheese buldak style: chicken thighs marinated in a spicy gochujang fiery sauce. The thighs are grilled then, smothered in melty mozzarella cheese. I love this dish! It’s usually brought to the table in it’s own little skillet, already cooked.
  • Chicken Bulgogi: If you do want to grill chicken at the table, it’s usually thighs marinated in bulgogi sauce.

Banchan for Korean Barbecue

If you've ever been to a Korean restaurant you know Banchan. They are absolutely a key part of Korean barbecue. Banchan, or side dishes, are placed around the grill for everyone to share. I always judge Korean barbecue restaurants for their banchan because you know if they’re taking care with their banchan, they’re taking care with everything else. You can make your own banchan (please check out Maangchi for some great recipes!), but if you’re lucky enough to have an H-Mart in your town or close by, it’s worth it to go there because they have a whole HUGE refrigerated section of prepared banchan. Plus you can get some Melona ice cream bars and roasted seaweed snacks that are 10 times cheaper than the seaweed snacks at Whole Foods.

Some common banchan are:

  • Kimchi: This comes in several varieties and most Korean bbq places will give you more than one kind. Buy a couple of different kimchi varieties at a local Korean grocery store. Otherwise, most large supermarkets have the standard baechu kimchi (napa cabbage). Kkakdugi, or cubed radish/daikon is super popular and oi sobagi, or cucumber is always a good choice.
  • Kongnamul: These are soy bean sprouts that are seasoned with sesame oil, soy, scallions and garlic.
  • Danmuji: These iconic picked yellow daikon are the kind that you find in kimbap! Crunchy, sweet and sour, and so addictive.
  • Gim/Seaweed: There are a bunch of different seaweed banchan you can get: seasoned seaweed salads made with roasted seaweed (doljaban muchim), seaweed stems (miyeok julgi bokkeum), wakame (miyeok muchim).
  • Gamja/Potatoes: This is my FAVORITE banchan umbrella - all the potato side dishes. There’s potato salad (gamja saelleodeu), sweet and savory braised potatoes (gamja jorim), and sticky soy glazed potatoes (gamja bokkeum). Give me ALL the gamja!
  • Eggs: Gyeran jangjorim, or soy marinated eggs (either regular or quail) make for a cute and tasty side dish. Rolled omelette (gyeran mari) is what I consider a premium banchan because who doesn’t love a rolled omelette studded with vegetable confetti?! I also love gyeranjjim, which are steamed eggs that come in a little stoneware pot.
  • Jeon/Pancakes: Again, this is a premium banchan! If you want to go ALL out, break out the jeon, which are savory pancakes/battered pan-fried deliciousness. The classic is pajeon (green onion pancake) or kimchijeon (kimchi pancake), but there are haemuljeon (seafood), and even gamjajeon (potato ?)

My favorite banchan to make at home: gyeran mari

Rolled omelette/gyeran mari is the best banchan because they’re pretty and taste amazing too! How could you not love rolled eggs with tiny vegetable confetti?! Here’s how you make it:
  1. Finely chop some scallions and carrots, you want about 1 and a half tablespoons of each.
  2. Lightly whisk together 4 eggs and season with salt, making sure they’re evenly mixed.
  3. Stir in the finely chopped vegetables.
  4. Use a small nonstick frying pan and heat up a bit of oil over medium low heat.
  5. Add about 1/3 of the egg mix and swirl to coat the pan.
  6. Cook until the egg just starts to set then use a spatula to fold the egg over about 2 inches. Continue to fold and roll it, then push it to one side of the pan.
  7. In the empty spot in the pan, add some more of the egg mix, letting it cook until it is just about set but still runny on top. Roll the egg up and push it to one side of the pan.
  8. Repeat until you finish the egg mix.
  9. Remove from the pan, let cool slightly, and slice into thick slices.
  10. Enjoy along with your KBBQ!

Korean BBQ Sauces

It isn’t a KBBQ party without sauces! The table needs sauces and seasoning so everyone can customize to their hearts content.
  • Ssamjang: This translates to wrap sauce and that’s exactly what it is, sauce to put on your ssam/wrap. It’s made up of soybean paste/doenjang, hot pepper paste/gochujang, sugar, green onions, garlic, toasted sesame oil, and toasted sesame seeds. Every one has their own recipe so don’t be afraid to riff and adjust to what you like. Ssamjang is savory and sweet and touch spicy and really, really good.
  • Toasted sesame oil: A little dipping bowl of toasted sesame oil is a pro-move. Use this, with a bit of salt sprinkled on top when you want to really taste the pure flavors of the meat. I love it with pork, especially pork that hasn’t been marinated.
  • Salt: Just a little dish of salt for sprinkling onto the un-marinated meats to bring out their meaty flavors. Flakey sea salt is extra luxe.
  • Toasted sesame seeds: A sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds can add an extra hit of savory nuttiness to your ssam.

Here are three KBBQ dipping sauce recipes to get you started

Sesame oil, salt, and pepper

A super savory sauce that lets the flavors of the ingredient that you’re grilling shine through. 2 tsp toasted sesame oil plus 1 small pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Ssamjang

This is a thick sauce that works best when you scoop it in your ssam! 1 teaspoon each doenjang, gochujang, toasted sesame oil, honey, toasted sesame seeds and 1 clove garlic, minced.

Sweet and spicy gochujang

This is a basic sweet and spicy sauce that goes well with everything. 1 tablespoon each of gochujang, sugar or honey, and rice vinegar, plus a squeeze of fresh lemon and thinly sliced green onions or toasted sesame seeds.

Vegetables

  • Lettuce: You’ll need lots of lettuce and perilla to wrap up your grilled meats in little bites. I like providing a bunch of different lettuces. Lettuces for for Korean barbecue to try: red leaf, green leaf, butter, romaine, iceberg, really, any lettuce you enjoy can be used as a wrap.
  • Perilla: Pick up some perilla when you’re at the Korean market. It's a flat wide leaf that is sometimes labeled as sesame leaves. Perilla are in the mint family but they don’t quite taste like mint, more like Japanese shiso (if you’ve had that) or a fresh herby flavor with a hint of anise.
  • Chili: It wouldn’t be Korean food without a bit of spice. Most Korean restaurants will have sliced Korean green chilis, but you can sub sliced jalapeños or serranos.
  • Green onions: A huge pile of slivered or shredded green onions adds freshness and flavor. Usually the green onions are tossed in a bit of soy, toasted sesame oil, sugar, and sesame seeds for a quick green onion slaw that tastes amazing with pork.
  • Crunchy vegetables: You can also add some vegetable sticks or slices like cucumbers and carrots.
  • Garlic: Raw garlic slices for those garlic lovers out there - just pop a slice on top of the meat in your ssam

Rice or noodles

You’ll probably be full after all the meat, but most KBBQ places offer rice and noodles at the end, just as an ending to the meal. Mike actually loves putting rice into his ssam, so if you like, serve up some bowls of rice with your KBBQ. As for noodles, well, who doesn’t love noodles? Super popular is naengmyeon, or cold noodles, because after all the heat, you’ll want to cool down with a bowl of slippery, savory icy cold noodles.

How much food/meat do you need?

  • Meat Plan on 1/2 to 3/4 pound of meat per person. If you have big meat eaters, plan on 1 pound of meat per person. If you’re having bone-in short ribs, double the amount of short ribs, because of bones.
  • Vegetables Get at least 1 head of lettuce and 1 pack/bunch of perilla leaves between two people.
  • Banchan Plan on 1-2 ounces of each kind of banchan and aim for 4 (or many more) varieties.
  • Rice Make 1/2 cup of uncooked rice per person, which will give you about 1.5 cups cooked.

Do you really need to marinate?

You don’t have to! Lots of times Korean BBQ actually comes naked so you can appreciate the pure flavors of the meats. This is actually how Japanese people like to do Korean BBQ at yakiniku. We kept some of the meats plain so we could enjoy them with salt and sauce.

What about smoke?

Not going to lie, if you’re grilling meat, there is going to be smoke, especially if your meat is marinated. KBBQ restaurants have very powerful hood fans that suck up the smoke so you don’t notice it when you’re eating there. To keep smoke at a healthy level at home, make sure your windows are open and your hood fan is on. Better yet, now that it is summer, have your KBBQ feast outside! Heck, even in the winter it’s fun to grill outside, underneath blankets. In Seoul, they have outdoor places where there are heaters and blankets for a cozy experience. To minimize smoke, always cook unmarinated meats first, then move on to marinated meats. If it starts to get extremely smoky, take a break and change or clean the grill plate. If your smoke detector goes off, there's often a button you can use to tell it that everything is fine. It's all part of the experience!

How to set the table

Aside from the grill and the ingredients, there are a couple of things that will make your KBBQ night go smoothly.

Table

  • This is pretty obvious, but it goes without saying that KBBQ takes up a lot of room so a big table is optimal. If you have a smaller table, keep some of the meats and banchan near by on the countertop and replenish as needed. The table will get oily due to some splatter so you might way to lay down something to protect the surface.

Utensils

  • Tongs - These are for both grabbing meats to put on the grill and using them to grill the meats on the grill. Usually you’ll only get one or two sets of tongs at the restaurant and someone will take care of the grilling while everyone else relaxes and eats. Two pairs ensures that you use one for raw meat and one for meat that is cooked.
  • Chopsticks - Metal chopsticks are traditionally Korean but a lot of people have a hard time using them because they’re flat instead of round or squared off. I recommend wooden chopsticks!
  • Scissors - These are for cutting pieces of meat into smaller pieces either for them to cook faster or to cut cooked pieces of meat into more manageable pieces. Use them copiously!

Dishes

  • Small bowls - small round bowls are perfect for rice and banchan and don’t take up too much premium table space.
  • Small plates - mini plates mean you can fit more banchan on the table.
  • Dipping bowls - you’ll need dipping bowls for the sauces, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and salt.

What to drink with KBBQ

Most people like drinking beer and soju. Of course makgeolli, a sweet milky rice wine, is super popular too. You can also do mixed drinks like Yakut and soju, Melona and soju, or soda and soju. If you’re going non-alcoholic, iced teas are perfect. I hope this post has inspired you to do Korean barbecue at home. Really, it’s a ton of fun and SO delicious.  

Korean BBQ at Home

A complete guide to Korean BBQ at home featuring Kalbi short ribs, bulgogi brisket and spicy bulgogi pork belly, as well as all the fixings needed for a night of celebration, fun, and meat.

Kalbi/Bulgogi Marinade

  • 1 medium onion (chopped, roughly 2 cups)
  • 1 pear (cored, Asian pear preferred, roughly 1 cup)
  • 8 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 tbsp ginger (crushed)
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce (low sodium preferred)
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)

Meats

  • 2 lb bone-in short ribs (Korean cut (thinly sliced), use 1/2 the amount if boneless)
  • 1 lb brisket (thinly sliced, sirloin or ribeye ok as well)
  • 1 lb pork belly (thinly sliced)

Ssamjang (dipping sauce)

  • 1 cup doenjang (Korean fermented soy bean paste)
  • 1/2 cup gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
  • 8 green onions (thinly sliced)
  • 8 cloves garlic (crushed)
  • 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Pajeori (Green Onion Slaw)

  • 6 green onions
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
  • 1 tsp gochugaru (Korean hot pepper flakes, optional)

Assembly

  • 4-8 oz Banchan (at least 4 kinds, see post)
  • 2 heads lettuce (mix/match of red leaf, green leaf, butter, romaine, iceberg)
  • 2 packs perilla leaves
  • 1 cup crunchy vegetables (julienned)
  • 6-8 cloves garlic (raw, sliced)
  • 2-3 jalapeños (sliced)
  • 6 cups cooked rice
  • 16 oz naengmyeon (Korean cold noodles, prepared, optional)
  • 4 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 4 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
  • 4 tsp flaky sea salt

  1. Well before you want to eat, make the marinade: In a blender, blend the onion, pear, garlic, and ginger with 1/4 cup water, then combine the onion-pear mix with the soy sauce, brown sugar, toasted sesame oil, and black pepper. Marinate your meats for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight: 

    Kalbi short ribs: use 1/3 of the marinade with the Korean cut short ribs

    Bulgogi brisket: use 1/3 of the marinade with your thinly sliced brisket (or sirloin or ribeye)

    Spicy Bulgogi pork belly: finally, add 1 tbsp gochujang (or more, if you want it spicier) to the remaining marinade and combine with the pork belly.



  2. Combine the ssamjang ingredients to make the ssamjang. Set aside, covered, in the refrigerator so the flavors can meld.



  3. Make the green onion slaw: Trim the green onions then cut into 3 inch lengths. Slice each piece longways so you get shredded green onions. Soak in cold water for 5 minutes, drain well, then toss the remaining ingredients. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.



  4. When you are ready to eat, lay out the banchan on small plates, cook your rice, and divide your ssamjang and other seasonings up among the table.



  5. Cook the meat on the hot plate/grill pan, flipping as needed. Enjoy as ssam!



Makes about 3 cups marinade.

You aren’t restricted to these meats, feel free to buy whatever strikes your fancy or is easy/comfortable! For chicken, try chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces. For pork, try pork jowl if you can find it!

This is probably actually enough food for 6 but it's better to have leftovers vs. running out of food at a Korean BBQ.

Estimated nutrition doesn’t include side dishes, sauces…or alcohol.

Main Course
korean
Korean BBQ

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Lori Jayne Steak Frites | www.iamafoodblog.com
restaurant recipes steak recipes

I Am... Lori Jayne Steak Frites

June 2, 2026 • Leave a comment • Posted in: ,

Mike and I were recently checking out youtube when his algorithm showed us the steak frites at Lori Jayne. Even before he clicked the preview, I was obsessed. A paper boat full of straight-cut, deeply fried fries, gorgeous slices of steak, a healthy ladle of sauce, and a sprinkle of chives is the stuff of dreams. After watching the video multiple times, we made it at home. We haven’t been to NYC in a minute, but why, when we have NYC at home? Jokes aside, this is a great steak frites recipe and it’s been on repeat as of late.

Steak frites

The very first time I ever had steak frites, it was a revelation. It was my first time in Paris, with my somewhat new-ish boyfriend (now husband) and I felt a combination of so grown up and so, so, young. We went to Relais de l’Entrecote, because that’s what you do when you’re in Paris, and I was blown away by the juicy, meaty steak slathered in their secret sauce served with crispy, golden fries. After that, I was hooked. Steak frites became a way of life. There’s really nothing better than a perfectly cooked steak, shatteringly crisp fries, and a rich savory so-good-you-want-to-drink-it sauce.

Lori Jayne steak frites

Lori Jayne is the brainchild of Sam Braverman, an affable chef’s chef kind of guy from what I can tell on youtube. The restaurant (named after Braverman’s mother) started out serving fried chicken, but the steak frites special is what caught the heart and stomach of New Yorkers. Served in a paper boat, with chopsticks as the perfect utensil to grab a composed bite, the French-Asian-American influenced dish is a cult favorite. It’s so perfect looking, it’s almost obscene. Bright ruby red in the middle, with a hard seared crust on the outside, not-too-thinly sliced pieces gently laying on top of a bed of golden brown fries, with an inspired au poivre sauce that has toasted peppercorns, both regular and Sichuan.

How to make the ultimate steak sauce

Even though it has so many ingredients, the sauce that comes with the Lori Jayne steak frites is one of the best steak sauces I’ve had. Creamy and peppery, balanced yet bold. I think it’s so good that I made a double batch so I could ladle it all over fries, no steak needed. Here’s how you make it.
  1. Melt. Start off by making the base of the sauce, the steak butter. Melt butter, along with beef fat trimmings over very, very low heat. Add some rosemary and thyme into the pot and continue to cook, until the beef fat renders and your house smells like a steak house. When it’s ready (after an hour of driving you nuts), remove it from the heat and stir in some minced garlic.
  2. Chop. While the garlic is infusing, chop up some shallots. Strain the steak butter.
  3. Caramelize. Add the steak butter to a sauce pan, along with some olive oil. Caramelize the chopped shallots, stirring occasionally, over low heat, until the shallots are jammy and soft. Stir in some minced garlic.
  4. Deglaze. Add cognac to the pan, to deglaze, scraping and stirring up all the flavor. Add some white wine too and bring to a gentle simmer.
  5. Season. Stir in fish sauce, sweet soy sauce, and rice vinegar.
  6. Reduce. Add some chicken stock, bring to a boil and let the sauce reduce by a third, concentrating all the flavors.
  7. Cream. Stir in some heavy cream and let the sauce come to a simmer, then pull from the heat.
  8. Infuse. Off the heat, infuse the sauce with thyme and rosemary.
  9. Toast. While the sauce is getting herby, toast mixed and Sichuan peppercorns in a dry pan until toasty and fragrant. Let cool, then either grind, crush, or pulse in a food processor.
  10. Finish. Strain the sauce into a pot, discarding the solids. Stir in the crushed peppercorns and keep warm over a very low flame. Try not to “taste” all of the sauce before serving up the steak frites.

Why this recipe works

The true star of this recipe is twofold: the steak butter and the sauce. Steak butter, as its name implies, is butter with a healthy dose of flavor thanks to beef fat, herbs, and garlic. The steak butter is used both to baste the steak as it cooks, and as the base for the steak sauce. Truly, if there’s one thing to take away from this recipe, it’s the steak butter. The steak sauce is equally amazing. Yes, the recipe list is crazy long and multiple steps, but really, it’s worth it. The mix of regular and Sichuan peppercorns just takes it over the top. You get the fragrance of black peppercorns and the tongue-numbing mala features of Sichuan peppercorns. Combined with cream and umami-forward fish sauce and kecap manis (thick sweet soy sauce), you get a balanced yet bombastic sauce that is just begging to licked up.

Lori Jayne steak frites at home

The first time I made this dish, I faithfully recreated the recipe as gleaned from the youtube video. From then, I took out what I felt were extraneous ingredients and steps. Here’s what I did.
  • Fries at home? That’s gonna be a hard no. I have tried to make amazing fries many, many times, and I bow down to the professionals. Either buy your favorite fast food fries (McDonalds looks just like the fries from the Lori Jayne steak frites) or get frozen from the grocery store and air-fry. Cutting out the fries makes this recipe way more approachable.
  • Extraneous ingredients. I love esoteric ingredients as much as I love making fries at home. Kidding, I actually love esoteric ingredients, but for ease I cut out a bunch of the things that they use in the Lori Jayne steak frites: kecap manis, lemon juice, sherry vinegar, parsley, and thinly sliced chives. I subbed the kecap manis with a bit of sweet soy sauce because we always have it in the pantry. For the lemon juice and sherry vinegar, rice vinegar acted as the acid. As for parsley and thinly sliced chives, well, I get that when you’re spending $25, you want some garnish. At home, I’d rather spend the herb money on more fries. Fries over frills.

The best kind of steak to make at home

Is it just me, or does your fire alarm go off every time you make steak? It’s so bad that I've forbidden me to make steak at home. I’m easily embarrassed and I don’t want the fire department to know me more than they already do. For this post I decided to give it another go. Mike always makes the steaks in our house and it's effortless and problem free. He even managed to make a great steak in an air fryer. So of course I asked him what to do:
  • Mike: You just sear the steak 3 minutes per side in a cast iron pan.
  • Me: But how do you stop the smoke alarm from going off?
  • Mike: I don’t think you'll have a problem at 3 minutes per side.
Reader, the smoke alarm went off. So anyway, for me, the best kind of steak to make at home is the kind that doesn’t cause the smoke alarm to go off. The second best kind of steak at home, and the best kind for the Lori Jayne steak frites, is boneless short rib. Essentially, short ribs are rich, meaty, and nicely marbled, making them perfect for searing. Typically, in Western cuisine short ribs are braised, but in the East, it’s often sliced thin and then quick-cooked, a la Korean kalbi. For this recipe, find some nice, thick pieces and trim off any noticeable fat/sinew pieces for the steak butter. Bonus points if you cut your piece so it’s a perfect rectangular prism. If you’re not into short ribs, chuck eye/shoulder steak is great too. It’s super flavorful and tender and way less expensive than rib-eye, which is kind of the whole point of steak frites.

An easier steak frites experience (sorry Lori Jayne)

If you’re looking for steak sauce that doesn’t take a million ingredients and hours of your life, might I recommend our amazing post about 8(!) different steak sauces that are all super quick and easy to make? steak and fries forever, xoxo steph

Lori Jayne Steak Frites

The sauce is so good that I make a double batch to ladle all over fries, no steak needed.

Steak Butter

  • beef fat trimmings (as much as your steaks provide)
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 2 tbsp garlic (minced)

Sauce

  • 1 cup shallots (chopped)
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp garlic (minced)
  • 1 tbsp cognac
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp sweet soy sauce
  • 2 tsp rice vinegar
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 1/2 tbsp mixed whole peppercorns
  • 1/2 tbsp sichuan peppercorns (whole preferred)

Steak Frites

  • 4 servings fries of choice
  • 4 medium steaks of choice (short ribs preferred, about 6oz each)

  1. Make the steak butter: add your steak trimmings to a small sauce pot, along with the unsalted butter, rosemary, and thyme. Heat on the smallest burner you have, on the lowest heat, for 1 hour minimum. When the hour is up, stir in the garlic and remove from the heat, letting the steak butter infuse.



  2. Make the au poivre sauce: Add 4 tbsp steak butter, along with 2 tsp olive oil to a wide bottomed sauce pan. Gently cook the shallots over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until they start to turn jammy and translucent.



  3. Add 1 tbsp of garlic to the shallots and continue to cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant. Deglaze with 1 tbsp cognac, scraping the bottom of the pan to incorporate the fond. Add the wine.



  4. When the sauce is gently bubbling, stir in the fish sauce, sweet soy sauce, and rice vinegar, then add the chicken stock and reduce by a third.



  5. Stir in the cream and bring to a gentle boil, then remove from the heat. Add the rosemary and thyme and let sit, off the heat.



  6. Meanwhile: toast the whole peppercorns in a dry pan over low heat, tossing until they smell toasty and fragrant. Let cool, then crush with a blender or food processor.



  7. Strain the sauce and add the crushed peppercorns. Keep the sauce warm over very low heat.



  8. Make the steaks to your liking or: Generously season all sides of the steaks with salt and pepper. If you have some, heat up a little leftover steak fat in a cast iron pan over high heat. When hot and smokey, add the steaks to the pan and cook without moving for 3 minutes. Flip the steaks and continue cooking for 3 more minutes, then remove the pan from the heat.

    Baste generously with the steak butter on both sides and let rest for 5-10 minutes while you cook or obtain your favorite fries.



  9. Enjoy: Slice the rested steak into about 1/4 inch slices. Make a bed of frites and fan the steak out on top. Generously ladle on the warm au poivre sauce. Enjoy immediately, with chopsticks.



Estimated nutrition is for sauce only. 

Main Course
American, French
fries, steak

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Chicken Pho Recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com
chicken recipes noodles vietnamese food

I Am... Easy Authentic Chicken Pho

May 31, 2026 • 1 comment • Posted in: , ,

I'm Vietnamese and this is my comfort food: a super flavorful, very authentic chicken pho that takes about 3 hours to make. This is my personal chicken pho recipe that I've been refining for the past 10 years. It's different (and less accessible) than the easier one in our cookbook. I'm finally putting it up because Steph wanted to be able to make it rather than ask me to do so every time she craved chicken pho. It's aromatic, refreshing, light, and deeply satisfying. It takes a little bit of effort but I think it's worth it. You might even skip the restaurants after this one.

A personal recipe

This is going to be an old school blog post. Back in the early 2010s when blogging was a bigger thing, before tiktok, everyone seemed to be doing over-the-top giant multi-hour project recipes. Blogging went from headlines like 72-hour Slow Roasted Beef Rib Pho with Homemade Rice Noodles to Easy Best 15 Minute Pho. Steph and I are no less guilty of this, but I feel like we lost something along the way. This post is definitely not designed to rank high on search. Instead, it's the most delicious pho recipe that I know how to make.

What is chicken pho (phở gà)

Chicken pho is a less well known though no less authentic version of pho. It has roughly the same flavor profile, but is lighter, healthier, and faster and cheaper to make. If you love pho, you owe it to yourself to try a great chicken pho. It's like steak vs fried chicken, both are equally delicious.

Equipment

For this recipe the following equipment isn't strictly needed but guarantees an easy experience:
  • A large stockpot. You'll need a pot that's large enough to hold a whole broken down chicken plus an onion and ginger. Most of the stockpots that come in those 7 piece sets are just large enough, but the bigger the better.
  • A kitchen torch. I use a full-on blowtorch. You can toast the spices some other way (like in a cast iron pan) but it won't be as smoky and delicious.
  • Tongs. We'll be moving a lot of chicken around, and tongs are the best cooking utensils for this. If you have metal tipped ones, you can use them to debone the chicken after it's been cooked rather than a knife and fork.
  • 2 large mixing bowls. I use these to transfer the chicken, debone the chicken, weigh the noodles, etc.
  • Sieve and 4qt container. To strain the soup. We own and love these 4qt cambros (shown below) that you can get from any restaurant supply store or online. They're useful for soup making, of course, but also storing large amounts of leftovers and general storage. Steph uses a larger 10qt one just for her instant noodle library.
  • Noodle Bowls and Chopsticks. To serve and eat, more on that below.

How to make chicken pho

Although I'm talking up how difficult this recipe is, it's not really that complicated. Here's how you make chicken pho:
  1. Char your aromatics. Char your onion and ginger for about 10 seconds. I use a blowtorch, but a small kitchen torch will work too. Transfer to your large stockpot. Pro tip: leave the hood fan off because this process creates some ash and the hood fan sucks it right into the filter if you have it on.
  2. Briefly char your spices. Just about a second is enough. Then transfer to a tea bag if you have one and add to the stockpot
  3. Add chicken and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Note the time that the soup has come to a boil.
  4. Remove the chicken and cool. About 25 minutes after the soup boils, remove the chicken and allow to cool. Keep the soup at a low simmer and add water if needed.
  5. Debone the chicken. About 15 minutes later the chicken will have cooled enough to handle. Roughly remove the meat from the bones. You don't need to work too hard on this, any meat left over just helps flavor the soup. Transfer the meat to a container, cover, and refrigerate.
  6. Simmer the soup. Add the bones back to the soup and simmer for 30 mins to 2 hours. The longer the better, obviously.
  7. Strain the soup. I've found that removing the bones and larger pieces makes straining easier.
  8. Season the soup. This is a pretty personal thing but I've included my suggestions in the recipe.
  9. Build your bowls and enjoy. Instructions below.

How to serve chicken pho

Serving any noodle soup so that everything is hot and ready at the same time (and not soggy) is an art form. Pho is one of the easiest noodles in this respect because the noodles are better the longer they sit out, and the soup goes in last. This is my method:
  1. Optional: warm the bowls
  2. Bring the soup to a low simmer in one pot and bring up a large amount of boiling water in another large pot.
  3. Blanch the noodles according to the instructions on the package. For fresh noodles you dip it in boiling water for 1-2 seconds and drain immediately. For dry noodles it can be as long as 5 minutes depending on the thickness of the noodles, but usually 1-2 minutes.
  4. Drain and rinse the noodles in a mesh sieve. Unlike pasta, rinsing the noodles removes the residual starch and gives you a cleaner end product.
  5. Divide the noodles. If you are making more than 2 bowls at a time, it's worth it to weigh and divide the noodles in a (tared) large mixing bowl. Let the noodles rest in the bowls. They'll dry out a bit and when you add the soup they absorb a little bit of the soup and become tastier.
  6. Warm the chicken in the soup and divide between the bowls.
  7. Set up your garnishes, dips, chopsticks, spoons, drinks etc at the table.
  8. When everyone is ready to eat, add enough soup to the bowls to cover and carefully bring them to the table. You can optionally bring the whole pot to the table and ladle it there, which is useful in case extra soup is needed.

Chicken pho ingredients

  • Chicken. This recipe was originally made to use up exactly one whole chicken. Back in the day, I would break down a whole chicken. These days, I'd rather spend a few extra dollars and buy chicken parts. My current perfect mix is 4 drumsticks, 4 thighs, and a bone-in skin-on chicken breast.
  • Spices. You need about 6 spices to make this recipe, more on that below.
  • Aromatics. I whittled the list down to just 1 onion and some ginger. A lot of other people will add shallots, the whites of green onions, even carrots and celery. I don't personally feel like this is necessary but you could, if you like.
  • Seasoning. For Vietnamese recipes, this is sugar, fish sauce, salt, and MSG. The MSG is optional but I personally love it for authenticity reasons. Much has been said lately about MSG and racism (all true) but I make the MSG is optional for another reason: if you don't already use it, it's hard to find it in a small amount. If you run into the cute MSG panda though, I'd recommend getting that.
  • Noodles. More on pho noodles below.
  • Garnishes. Skippable but recommended. You can omit the traditional sriracha and hoisin for this one as well.

Discarding the chicken

This recipe specifies removing the chicken 30 minutes in, harvesting the meat, and then transferring the bones back in. This is admittedly a labor-intensive step. If you are super lazy and rich, you could in theory just leave all the chicken in, and then in the last 30 minutes drop in a few boneless skinless chicken breasts for serving, and discard the rest. For me, that's a bit too much of a waste to consider doing. A good middle ground would be buying chicken carcasses, which you can sometimes get from an Asian grocery store and definitely from any decent butcher. Then afterwards, drop in the chicken breasts as above. Some chefs like Thomas Keller and Ivan Ramen straight up tell you in their cookbooks to boil a whole chicken for a couple of hours and discard. My Vietnamese sensibilities could never, though.

The spice pack

Getting the spices are generally the hardest part of making pho at home. Pho spices are intensely personal. In some cities there are (or were) pho masters who went around to all the different pho restaurants selling custom spice mixes so that the restauranteurs could guarantee quality and uniqueness. The spices are what makes pho special for me. A lot of pho recipes online seem to skip the spices entirely, I wouldn't trust those recipes. On the other hand, many pho recipes can contain up to a dozen spices. Over the years I've whittled down my spice pack to just 6 spices: star anise, cinnamon, coriander, white pepper, cloves, and cardamom. All of these spices are ideally whole, not ground. Whole star anise in particular can be hard to find outside of Asian grocery stores and online.

Charring

The word pho is often said to come from the French phrase pot au feu and the reason was the charring of the aromatics and spices. If you don't have a flame source, you can skip this step but it worth chasing down at least a cheap kitchen torch. These butane toppers are also usually about $10 and the butane gas itself is about $1.50 a can. For me, I pair the classic bernzomatic TS-8000 that's found in restaurant kitchens across the world with a green coleman propane can for a less industrial/plumbing look. They don't take up much room when stored separately. We use it more often than you'd think, including when camping to easily start a campfire. The bernzomatic brand is an industry standard and priced as such, but there are identical looking clones online for cheap, though I can't vouch for how good they are.

Garnishes

Of anything in this recipe that you can skip, I'd say the garnishes are the most optional. Pho is traditionally served with lime, cilantro, thai basil, and chilies. It's up to you if you want to go with these or not, when we're lazy we often skip them all. The soup is great as is.

Fish sauce

If you don't intend to make the dipping sauce and you don't want to buy fish sauce, this recipe works without it. Fish sauce adds a depth of flavor that you can't get with just salt. However, many a Vietnamese household makes pho with just salt for a cleaner, more chicken forward taste. If you want to skip the fish sauce, just add the equivalent amount of salt to replace it (or as much/as little as your taste prefers). For this recipe (and all seasoning purposes) I prefer a cheaper brand like Golden Boy over something like Red Boat. Unless you have it already, a high end fish sauce here would be a waste of money, like using high end olive oil to fry.

Dipping sauce

This recipe comes with a ginger fish sauce-based dipping sauce. I think it really makes the dish. Even though we traditionally only use ginger fish sauce with poultry, I love it so much we use it anywhere a fish sauce dipping sauce is called for. The ginger isn't an exact measurement because who weighs ginger? Generally speaking, err on the side of more ginger than you'd expect. How much I use is illustrated in these two before/after photos. If grating ginger and chopping garlic is not your thing (it's not mine), you can blend the ginger and garlic together, then add to sugar, fish sauce, and chilies. I find doing it this way creates more dishwashing but makes it much faster and easier.

Pho noodles

The best kind of pho noodles you can buy are fresh rice noodles. They're usually stored in the fridge at your local Asian grocery store near the tofu. These noodles are what your local pho restaurant uses and their texture is great. You can also get dried rice stick noodles in the Asian aisle at any major grocery store. Sometimes it's called pad thai noodles. Their texture isn't as good but it works. We've used fettuccine in a pinch before.

Noodle bowls

The hardest thing about making pho in a non Asian household/kitchen is that most people don't have noodle bowls. The ideal noodle bowl is at least 6" wide and 5" high. Our collection has bowls from East Fork, Kinto, and Farmhouse Pottery, as well as tons of other random ones we picked up over the years. You can also get some great basic bowls from your local Asian grocery store or online. Bonus, they make great cereal bowls (and are often what they're marketed as). When I was younger and couldn't afford noodle bowls, I ate out of mixing bowls. That's what we still do when we eat pho in airbnbs, and it works.

Asian supermarkets

Throughout this post I mentioned the Asian supermarket a lot, and that's because the best place to stock up on supplies for pho is here. You'll get cheaper meat, reasonably priced whole spices, a wider selection of fish sauce, and fresh noodles quickly and easily. You can still cobble this recipe together if the only place in your town is a Ralphs or Kroger. However, if you have a 99 ranch or T&T or similar near you, the experience is just so much better.

Other Vietnamese recipes to try

Enjoy and ăn đi! -Mike

Authentic Chicken Pho

It takes 3 hours and a whole chicken and it's 100% worth it.

  • 1 onion (halved)
  • 3" ginger (sliced)
  • 5 lbs chicken (4 drumsticks, 4 thighs, 1 whole breast, bone-in, skin on)
  • 2 lbs fresh pho noodles (or dried)

Spice Pack

  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • 2-3 whole star anise
  • 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper
  • 1/2 tsp cloves
  • 1/2 tsp cardamom (about 8 pods)

Seasoning

  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp coarse sea salt
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce (optional but replace with equivalent salt if omitting)
  • 1 tbsp msg (optional)

Garnishes (all optional)

  • 1 lime
  • 1 bunch Thai basil
  • 1 bunch cilantro
  • 2-3 Thai chilies (sliced)

  1. Carefully char your aromatics with a blowtorch or over a gas hob. Set aside. In a small pan, char your spices and add to a tea bag if you have on. If you don’t have a blowtorch or flame source, you can toast your aromatics in a cast iron pan as well. 



  2. Add the chicken, onion, ginger, and spices, and cover with water. Bring up to a boil on high heat. Once boiling, reduce to a low boil and set a timer for 25 minutes.



  3. At the end of the 25 minutes, transfer your chicken to a large bowl and let cool. Continue cooking the soup, adding water if needed. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, roughly remove the meat from the bones, transfer to a container and refrigerate. 



  4. Add the bones back to soup and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes to 2 hours. More time will make a better soup.



  5. Let the soup cool to a safe temperature (add 1qt water to help it cool), then strain (remember to put a container under your sieve). Ensure the soup has about 3 quarts of liquid, adding water if necessary. 



  6. Give the pot a quick rinse, then return the soup to the pot. Heat up the soup again, then season to your liking with sugar, fish sauce, salt, and msg as desired (my recommendations are up top).



  7. To serve: quickly blanch your pho noodles according to the directions on the package, then transfer to large noodle soup bowls. Warm the chicken in the soup, then evenly divide the chicken between the bowls. Just before you're ready to eat, top with soup, thai basil, chilies, and cilantro, if using. Serve with ginger fish sauce to dip. (see below)



Serves 6 as smaller bowls, or 4 as larger bowls. Estimated nutrition assumes about 5oz of noodles per person, 1/4lb of chicken, and consuming all/most of the soup. 

Ginger Fish Sauce Recipe

2" grated ginger
3 tbsp sugar
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp fish sauce
1-2 thai chilis (optional)
1/2 cup water

Combine all ingredients in jar, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes before using.

Main Course
Vietnamese
chicken, pho

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paella recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com
one pot wonders dinner mediterranean food restaurant recipes

I Am... This easy Paella recipe is a perfect weekend project

May 30, 2026 • 144 comments • Posted in: , , , , , ,

Paella has bits of everything I love: rice, seafood, and most importantly socarrat: crispy crunchy toasted rice bits. Have you ever been obsessed with a dish even though you’ve never eaten it? For me, that dish was paella. It was one of those food bucket list items – I don’t remember how or why I became so obsessed with having paella from its birthplace of Valencia, but I’m pretty sure it has something to do with the fact that paella is so pretty and such an iconic dish. It’s so iconic that people around the world think of it as the quintessential Spanish dish, even though it’s actually more Valencian. I mean, Valencia is ultimately in Spain, so it’s all good to me. Many years ago, Mike and I went to Valencia and the first thing we ate was paella. We literally got off the train and went to a paella restaurant. On the way there, there were a bunch of Valencian orange trees that had some pretty tempting looking oranges but apparently the orange trees that line the streets of Valencia are not the same sweet ones that they use for juice. Anyway, the paella in Spain was as good as I imagined. So good that all of our meals in Valencia were either paella or Spanish churros dipped in chocolate. We actually ate 3 different paellas that day. The paella was all things good: juicy seasoned meats, tender-crisp beans, and the best part, saffron scented rice with crispy toasty rice bits. It was a dream come true.

What is paella?

Paella, pronounced pay-EH-yah! is a rice dish made in a shallow, wide pan over an open fire. Paella means “frying pan” in Valencian. Traditionally, paella includes short grain rice, beans, rabbit, chicken, and saffron, but nowadays there are a huge number of variations, from seafood to vegetarian. I made a mixta paella here, which is essentially a mixed paella that has meat, seafood, and vegetables.

How to make paella

  1. Soak the saffron. This will release both color and aroma. Pop some saffron into a small bowl with hot water and set aside.
  2. Sear the proteins. Heat up some olive oil in your paella pan over medium high heat and give your proteins a quick sear: the chicken goes in skin side down and the chorizo gets browned. Shrimp gets a quick toss in before being removed so it doesn’t over cook.
  3. Sweat the aromatics. Add the onions, garlic, tomatoes, and paprika and cook, stirring, until soft and fragrant.
  4. Add the liquids. Carefully add chicken stock and the saffron water and bring everything to a boil. Flip the chicken skin side up so it’s pretty.
  5. Add the rice. Time to sprinkle in the rice! Try to add it in a thin, even layer and use a spoon to spread it out if you need to. Let everything come to a simmer and cook, uncovered until the rice absorbs almost all the liquid.
  6. Add the seafood. Nestle in the clams and add the shrimp back on top.
  7. Cook on low until the clams open up and the rice is al denote.
  8. Socarrat time! Turn the heat up to high for 1-2 minutes to create a crispy toasty crunchy rice crust.
  9. Rest and enjoy. Cover the paella with some foil and let rest for 5 minutes before enjoying.

Paella Ingredients

Rice

Because paella is truly all about the rice, the rice is the most important ingredient. Bomba rice, from Spain, is the best choice. It absorbs 3 times as much liquid than regular rice giving it 3 times as much flavor when all the liquid is absorbed. Plus cooked right, it stays firm and al dente. You can usually find bomba rice at Whole Foods or online.

Smoked Spanish Paprika

Smoked paprika comes in sweet and bittersweet, go for sweet smoked Spanish paprika. It adds smokiness, aroma, and color.

Protein

There’s a lot of controversy about what kind of protein goes into paella. If you’re not super concerned about authenticity you can customize your paella and put anything you want it. If you’re going with chorizo try to get a Spanish chorizo, which is dried and cured. But if you only have Mexican chorizo available, I think that’s okay too. Purists say that chorizo will overwhelm the other flavors, but we’ve had multiple paella in Valencia with (and without) chorizo, so it’s a personal choice. Other proteins you can use include chicken, pork, seafood, or really, anything you can dream of.

Vegetables

Most paella has vegetables in it, especially the paella we had while we were in Valencia. Usually it’s some sort of green bean, a variety that isn’t so common here in North America. You can sub in other green beans, add peppers, asparagus, artichokes, peas, olives, beans, chickpeas, really, it’s like the proteins, go wild!

Stock

A nicely seasoned stock as this is what’s going to add flavor to the insides of your bomba rice. That being said, if you’re salt adverse, I would do low sodium stock and then season afterwards. If you have the time, make a homemade seafood/shellfish or chicken stock, which makes it even easier to control the seasoning and flavor.

Saffron

Saffron is what gives paella its gorgeous golden hue. The orange-red threads are earthy, floral, and add a distinct flavor. Saffron is one of the most expensive spices in the world. You only need about 1/2 teaspoon but it definitely adds to the overall flavor, so don’t skip out on it. Look for saffron threads that are deep red-orange and evenly colored. Saffron is sold in most large grocery stores and specialty food stores and of course, online.

Paella pan

If you want the all important toasty rice bits, or socarrat, you’re going to need a paella pan. The width of a paella pan helps with rice distribution, ensuring that the rice cooks in a thin layer. A pan that feeds two is generally about 10-12 inches and a pan that serves eight is about 18 inches. The most popular pan sizes are 14 and 16 inches, which feed 4-6. Which size pan you get depends on how many people you plan to feed. The wider the pan, the more people it feeds. They even have pans that are 4 feet wide! Years ago, around Christmas, Mike and I were in London and we saw two giant paella pans at Covent Garden. The saffron deliciousness wafting through the chilly air was so tempting so we decided to join the huge queue for a taste. I’m sure Hola Paella (now closed forever) wasn't the most authentic paella in London, but it attracted a lot of attention and was a perfect snack to warm us up on a cold day.

What if I don’t have a paella pan?

If you’re wondering, can I use a cast iron skillet to make paella, the answer is yes! As long as you’re using the right rice, you can definitely use a cast iron skillet. Cast iron skillets are somewhat wide and conduct heat well, making them great for making paella. Use the biggest and widest cast iron pan you have so you can spread your rice out.

Paella in a frying pan

If you have a craving for paella and you don’t have a paella pan or a cast iron pan you can make it in a frying pan. Spanish people might look down on you, but hey, you do you! I’ve definitely made paella in a frying pan in a pinch and it tastes good. You can use a non-stick or regular frying pan but if you’re using non-stick, make sure you don’t go too high on the heat. It really shouldn’t be a problem, especially with paella since you don’t use a huge amount of high heat anyway - keep it to medium high. If you’re looking for socarrat in a regular frying pan, my tip is keep it on low heat for a long time, until the moisture cooks out and you get crispy bottoms. If you are going to try this in a frying pan, I recommend halving it because the recipe as per below will not fit in your standard 12 inch frying pan.

What rice should I use?

Paella should be made with Bomba or Calasparra rice, medium grain rices grown in Spain. Spanish rice is chubby and round, ideal for absorbing large amounts of liquid while still staying somewhat firm. You want your rice kernels stay separate and not creamy or mushy. The rice really is the best part of a paella. I can eat loads and loads of that smoky, saffron flavoured rice and I have. I made a giant pan for Mike, myself and a good friend thinking there would definitely be leftovers (I used a pan that serves 6-8), but the three of us polished it off in one sitting. We totally fell into simultaneous food comas afterwards, but it was worth it. The best part was that there was more than enough socarrat to go around.

What is socarrat?

Socarrat is the essential layer of crispy crunchy toasted rice at the bottom of the pan when you cook your paella just right. Most people consider it the best parts. It’s caramelized and toasty and nutty and has all the flavors of paella concentrated.

Paella FAQ

What are the different kinds of paella?

  • Valencian: The classic Valencia version with rabbit, chicken, lima beans, long beans, snails, and rosemary.
  • Seafood/paella de marisco: A seafood version with no meat. It tends to be a bit more liquidy because seafood releases a lot of delicious juices. It usually has prawns, mussels, calamari, and clams.
  • Mixed/mixta paella: A mix between Valencian and marisco with meat and seafood. It’s the most popular of all.
  • Paella negra: Immediately recognizable with it’s inky black rice. It’s made with squid ink and is a Spanish favorite.
  • Vegetarian/paella vegetariana: Loads of vegetables like artichokes, lima beans, and red and greens peppers. Sometimes you’ll find chickpeas and potatoes too.

Should you presoak the rice?

There’s no reason to soak the rice. Soaking the rice will make it more likely to be overcooked and mushy.

Do you stir while cooking?

Nope, no stirring required. Paella is not risotto and stirring will give your rice a creamy texture instead of the crispy socarrat you’re looking for.

Do you cover the pan when cooking?

Unlike other rice dishes, you don't need to cover the pan. The rice can only reach its signature al dente texture if the moisture can escape. This also makes the best the crispy socarrat.

What is paella sauce?

In Valencia, no paella is complete without a side of paella sauce or garlic aioli. The creamy, garlicky sauce is reminiscent of mayo and goes perfectly with the smoky, flavorful rice. To make garlic aioli, place 1 cup neutral oil, 1 egg yolk, 1 tbsp dijon, 2 tsp lemon juice, and 1 clove garlic into an immersion blender cup. Use an immersion blender and blend until combined and thick. Season with salt to taste.

How to reheat

The best way to reheat paella is in a pan on the stove top. Take the leftovers out of the fridge and let it come to room temp for about 30 minutes before you reheat. Heat a bit of oil in a frying pan over medium heat, then spread out the paella. Let it crisp, stirring occasionally until it is heated through. You can also heat it up in the microwave, stirring and heating as needed, about 1-2 minute on high.

What else can I use a paella pan for?

You can use it for cooking anything that will do well with a wide, flat cooking surface. It’s perfect for searing meats, using as a roasting pan, or even stir-fry. I hope you guys give this recipe a try. smoky saffron rice and crispy bits forever, xoxo steph

Paella Recipe

Paella even has its own emoji!

  • medium-sized paella pan
  • 30 threads saffron (lightly crushed, about 1/2 tsp)
  • 1/4 cup neutral oil (high heat such as grapeseed preferred)
  • 2 links Spanish chorizo (sliced)
  • 4 bone in skin on chicken thighs
  • 10-12 large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
  • 1 small onion (minced, about 1 cup)
  • 3 cloves garlic (crushed)
  • 3 medium tomatoes (diced or grated, about 2 cups, see notes)
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 6 cups chicken broth (no sodium preferred)
  • 2.5 cups bomba rice
  • 1 red or orange pepper (sliced into 1" strips)
  • 12 clams

  1. Stir the saffron into 1⁄4 cup hot water in a small bowl and let bloom for 15 minutes.



  2. In a 16″–18″ paella pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and the chicken, skin side down. Add the the shrimp and cook, flipping occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes, then transfer the shrimp to a plate, leaving the meats to sear in the pan.



  3. Add the onions, garlic, tomatoes, and paprika and cook, stirring often, until the onions soften, about 6 minutes. Add the saffron and 4 cups of chicken stock. Flip the chicken so it’s skin side up and bring everything to a boil over high heat.



  4. Sprinkle in the rice, distributing evenly, then add the peppers on top. Cook, uncovered, without stirring, until rice has absorbed most of the liquid, about 12-15 minutes. If the pan is larger than the burner, rotate it every two minutes to evenly distribute the heat. Once the stock is low enough, add the remaining 2 cups chicken stock.



  5. Reduce heat to low, and top with the cooked shrimp. Nestle in the clams, hinge side down. Continue to cook, without covering or stirring, until the clams opened and the rice absorbs the liquid and is al dente, 5–10 minutes more. Turn heat to high for 1-2 minutes to create the socarrat. Remove pan from heat, cover with aluminum foil, and let sit for 5 minutes before enjoying.



Paella is totally customizable so feel free to make this dish vegetarian, all seafood, or all meats.

You also can grate the tomatoes on the largest holes of a box grater. Be careful and discard the skin afterwards.

Main Course
spanish
fried rice, paella

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