It’s a fusion of comfort food and Korean flavors that we cannot get enough of.
Kimchi Grilled Cheese Recipe
Give your go-to lunch a spicy, fermented spin
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Published Apr 30, 2025
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America’s Test Kitchen (ATK)/Kritsada Panichgul
Butter, bread and fromage is a timeless combination—with good reason. But if the standard is leaving you feeling bored come lunch, you need to try the kimchi grilled cheese from Sarah and Nam Soon Ahn’s new cookbook, Umma.
This handheld was inspired by the authors’ family tradition of pairing leftover macaroni and cheese with kimchi. “The spicy kick of the kimchi elevates the creamy richness of the mac and cheese to a whole new level,” Sarah writes. “It’s now a ritual in our household to enjoy them together after every Thanksgiving—a fusion of comfort food and Korean flavors that we cannot get enough of.”
Two ingredients are particularly crucial. “A sturdy bread, such as sourdough, is ideal here to prevent the sandwich from becoming soggy,” Nam Soon explains. “[Kimchi] labels will not always specify ‘fresh’ or ‘well-fermented,’ so here are some clues to help figure it out: The jar should contain wilted-looking vegetables with muted, darkened color, surrounded by a thin juice. The texture will appear softer than fresh kimchi, and when you taste it, there will be a pronounced, tangy sourness that comes from the longer fermentation.”
Excerpted from Umma by Sarah Ahn & Nam Soon Ahn. Copyright © 2025. Courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen, All Rights Reserved. Photo by Kritsada Panichgul.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons salted butter, divided
½ cup well-fermented cabbage kimchi, finely chopped
2 teaspoons sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
½ teaspoon fish sauce
½ teaspoon gochugaru (Korean red chile flakes)
¼ teaspoon Dasida beef stock powder
Two ½‑inch-thick slices sourdough bread
3 slices Muenster cheese, halved
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 scallions, finely chopped
Directions
1. In a 12‑inch, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, melt ½ tablespoon butter. Add the kimchi and cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s heated through and begins to sizzle, about 2 minutes. Stir in the sugar, fish sauce, gochugaru and beef stock powder. Cook until the liquid has just evaporated, about 1 minute. (Don’t let the kimchi dry out.) Transfer the seasoned kimchi to a small plate and set aside. Wipe the skillet clean with paper towels.
2. In the same skillet over medium-high heat, melt half of the remaining butter. Add the bread slices and swirl them around the skillet to coat them in butter on the first side; transfer the bread to a separate plate. Repeat melting the remaining butter and coating the second sides of the bread slices. Continue to toast the bread on the second sides until just golden brown and crisp, about 1 minute.
3. Reduce the heat to low and flip the bread slices. Arrange the cheese evenly on top of the bread slices, then sprinkle them with the garlic powder, onion powder and pepper. Sprinkle one slice of the bread with the scallions, then neatly arrange the seasoned kimchi on top. Place the second slice of bread over the kimchi, cheese-side down. Using a spatula, gently press down on the sandwich to help seal it. Cover and cook until the cheese is fully melted, about 2 minutes, flipping the sandwich halfway through cooking. Transfer the sandwich to a wire rack and sprinkle with sugar on both sides to taste. Garnish the sandwich with any scallions that fell out into the skillet. Slice and serve.
Nutrition Facts
1,344 calories
55g fat
163g carbs
52g protein
24g sugars
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Note: The information shown is Edamam's estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.
