Sure, these are Kimchi Fries – and oh – my – the place have you ever been all my life!
In the event you’re from the Austin, TX space – you KNOW they seem to be a factor! Fortunately now I could make these at dwelling anytime I need which I assure – can be a LOT!

This inspiration for this recipe got here after I heard the story of entrepreneur Jae Kim and his now-famous restaurant chain, Chi’Lantros.
He was so determined to make his meals truck profitable, and hated the thought of throwing out a lot meals each day – he threw all of it into one basket as a substitute – fries, Korean BBQ beef, kimchi, no matter he had – and put it on the menu.
His loaded Kimchi Fries are actually well-known, touchdown him a $600k win on Shark Tank, and a complete fleet of meals vehicles and seven Chi’Lantros eating places all through Austin.
I by no means thought to mix french fries with kimchi!
I imply it sounds form of odd – proper? However I LOVE Kimchi a lot – I truly made it myself – and it was AWESOME! Recipe here.
After which I discovered Joanne Molinaro, aka The Korean Vegan. She places her personal spin on the recipe in this video here, and I believed, “Man, that appears SO good!. Hey, wait! I’ve a cheese sauce! I’ve some Korean Chile Flakes! I can DO this!“
And the remaining – as they are saying – is historical past. So thanks, Jae & Joanne, for the inspiration, and right here is MY model of the notorious Kimchi Fries – and fully oil-free.
Oil-Free Kimchi Fries

That is actually a simple recipe – promise – however you have to a couple of issues that could be a little bit onerous to search out. Verify your space for Asian Markets – that can be your greatest wager, particularly Korean Markets. Or test Complete Meals you probably have one domestically.
- Kimchi – most shops have it now however watch the substances to verify there is no fish merchandise or oil. The model you see within the photograph is 100% vegan and oil-free and I discovered it at Kroger (Fred Meyer).
- Gochugaru – These are Korean Chile Flakes and no, no different chile powder wil work. However for those who can solely discover the paste model – Gochujang….. go along with that.
- Gochujang – is a paste made out of Gochugaru. It is available in a bathtub, like miso. Ensure you will not be shopping for the sauce – however the PASTE. The sauce can be thinner and have additional substances you don’t need.
- Amazon hyperlinks to observe – and as an affiliate I do earn a little bit however at no additional price to you.
Step one is to make my cheese sauce.
That is my unique recipe with a couple of modifications. I used much less carrot because the Kimchi and Chile Paste will add their very own shade. And naturally, I added some Korean spice within the type of kimchi, gochujang, and 1 Tbs of gochugaru. As I mentioned earlier, for those who skip any ingredient – skip the flakes however do attempt to get the paste.
I used my Instantaneous Pot to cook dinner the potatoes and carrot for the cheese sauce – 7 min on handbook with a ten min pure launch. Then all of it goes right into a blender and is mixed till easy and creamy.
In the event you already have a few of my cheese sauce within the freezer – strive including a little bit of kimchi, and a few chile paste to it and reblending it.
Subsequent, I made the Kimchi Topping.
Right into a skillet I added the chopped onion, the white components of the scallions, and the garlic together with 2-3 Tbs of veggie broth. Once they have softened, add the remaining substances and simmer till it thickens and caramelizes.
Lastly, I made the fries.
I used Yukon Golds as they appear to carry collectively higher after boiling than russets do. However, use what you bought. I minimize them into ½” or so strips and tossed them right into a pot of chilly water that I added a couple of teaspoons of salt. On the subject of a boil, set the timer for 10 min then rigorously drain.
I then positioned the (sizzling) fries onto my air fryer basket. I do not use oil or parchment paper in my air fryer however you do what works greatest for you. Set it to 450° F for about 10-12 min, flipping or shaking often.
If you wish to bake them as a substitute: Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and bake at 450° F for about 10-15 min or till browned. Verify and flip ceaselessly.
To plate:
I piled my now crispy fries on a plate, lined them with a few of that spicy cheese sauce, adopted by that Kimchi topping, then extra cheese sauce.
To garnish I used these inexperienced onion tops, sesame seeds, diced white onion, cilantro, and some shakes of sriracha.
There are sufficient fries and kimchi for two servings….however you’ll have additional cheese sauce. No worries – it could go on veggies, bakes potatoes, rice, no matter you need. It will not go to waste and sure, it does freeze properly too.
That is it for this week and I do know all you kimchi lovers will devour this. If you have not tried Kimchi – it is principally simply fermented napa cabbage, form of like sauerkraut, with a kick. The probiotics in kimchi are actually good for you and I for one, love the flavour. Hopefully, you’ll too.
See you quickly and make sure you inform me what you suppose within the feedback.
Seeya!



Oil-Free Kimchi Fries
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook dinner Time: 30 min
Whole Time: 1 hour
Yield: 2 Servings 1x
Class: Appetizer
Methodology: Stovetop, Air-Fryer, Blender
Delicacies: Korean Fusion
Weight loss plan: Vegan
Description
These are Kimchi Fries and oh my – the place have you ever been all my life! Kimchi topped fries smothered with a spicy cheese sauce… simply say sure!
Cheese Sauce
Fries
Kimchi Topping
Garnish
Directions
- Put together cheese sauce by cooking the potatoes and carrot till softened. Right away pot, I used 1 cup of water and set it to 7 min on handbook with a ten min NPR.
- Add the contents of the IP to a blender with all of the remaining cheese sauce substances. Mix till easy and creamy.
- To make the Kimchi topping – add the diced onion, white components of the scallions, and garlic to a skillet together with 2-3 Tbs of veggie broth. Saute till softened, about 2 -3 min.
- Then add the remaining topping substances and simmer till thickened and caramelized – about 3-4 minutes.
- To make the fries – minimize fries into ½” large by ¼” thick strips. Add to a big pot of chilly water with 2 teaspoons of salt. Carry to a boil and cook dinner 10 minutes. Fastidiously drain.
- If utilizing an air fryer – prepare the (sizzling) fries in a single layer on the tray and cook dinner at 450° F for 10-12 minutes – flipping or shaking often.
- If baking the fries – prepare on a parchment-lined sheet pan as a substitute. Identical temp and time however control them and do flip them often.
- To plate – pile your fries onto a plate, add cheese sauce, then add the kimchi, then extra cheese sauce, and no matter garnishes you want. I used scallion tops, sesame seeds, cilantro, diced white onion, and some shakes of Sriracha