This post contains affiliate links.
Are you a kimchi lover who’s wondered how to make kimchi at home? I’m walking you through my easy process for making your own kimchi! As a lover of all things fermentation, I’ve perfected this beginner’s kimchi over the years. It has easy-to-find ingredients, step-by-step photo instructions, and dozens of five-star reviews. Let’s ferment!
save this recipe!At its core, kimchi is fermented cabbage. But it’s so much more. It’s spicy and umami and sour and perfect for adding zing to everything from fried rice to tacos!
But making kimchi is anything but a mystery. It’s truly so easy! After years of making it for our family, I’ve developed a method for making kimchi that’s straight-forward, using ingredients that can be found in most Western grocery stores.
Reader rating
“We have tried so many kimchee recipes, and this one is definitely the best! Thank you!!” —Wendy
Kimchi 101
Kimchi is made by lacto-fermentation of napa cabbage, which is fermentation by Lactobacillus bacteria (the same kind of fermentation that gives us tangy fermented yogurt and dill pickles!). Basically, bacteria are converting sugars into lactic acid!
Kimchi origins and benefits
Kimchi has been a staple of Korean cuisine for over a thousand years, originally developed as a way to preserve vegetables through the cold winter months when fresh produce wasn’t available. What started as a practical necessity became a defining part of Korean food culture, with regional and seasonal variations passed down through generations.
Beyond its cultural significance, kimchi is a fermented food, which means it naturally develops beneficial bacteria during the fermentation process! The tangy, slightly funky flavor is a byproduct of the same fermentation that makes it good for gut health.
Kimchi…but make it vegan
Traditional kimchi isn’t vegetarian. Most authentic kimchi recipes include fish sauce, which adds umami taste.
To make this kimchi plant-based, I tried two variations without fish sauce: in the first, I simply omitted it, and in the second, I used miso paste instead. Both vegan kimchi variations were delicious, and the recipes are included below!
Key Ingredients
This is just an overview–jump to the recipe for full instructions!
- Napa Cabbage: Otherwise known as Chinese cabbage, this will form the base of the kimchi.
- Non-Iodized Salt: Aim for iodine-free or kosher salt (iodized salt may prevent fermentation and can lead to a metallic taste).
- Korean Pepper Flakes: Otherwise known as gochugaru. Find it online or check out your nearest Asian supermarket. If you’ve looked everywhere and can’t find gochugaru, you can sub hot paprika powder (but I recommend giving gochugaru a try if possible).
- Garlic, Ginger, Green Onions: Our flavor makers! You only have to be in the general vicinity of kimchi to know it contains garlic. That smell 😅
- Sugar: Just a dash of sugar is enough to kickstart the fermentation, giving the bacteria something to “feed” on.
- Carrot or Daikon Radish: Traditional kimchi uses daikon radish for added crunch, though carrot works just as well (use whichever you have access to).
How to make kimchi
The short version: brine napa cabbage in salt for about two hours, rinse it well, then mix it with a blended pepper paste of gochugaru, garlic, ginger, and a few aromatics. Pack everything into a jar, let it ferment at room temperature for a few days, then move it to the fridge once it hits the level of tang you like.
For the full step-by-step instructions, jump down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
Tips for How to Make Kimchi
Rinse the cabbage thoroughly. Under-rinsed cabbage will make your finished kimchi too salty. Taste a piece before moving on, it shouldn’t taste overtly salty, just well seasoned.
Use gloves when mixing. Gochugaru stains and lingers on skin. A pair of food-safe gloves saves your hands the cleanup and the smell.
How to serve kimchi
Kimchi is endlessly versatile once it’s ready. Stir it into kimchi fried rice for a quick weeknight meal, or use it as the base for a comforting bowl of Korean kimchi soup. It also works folded into cauliflower fried rice for a lower-carb spin, or served simply as a side dish alongside any rice-based meal, the way it’s traditionally enjoyed in Korean cuisine.
How to Make Kimchi
Ingredients
- 1 large head napa cabbage, 3 to 5 lbs, 1.3 to 2.2 kg
- ¼ cup non-iodized salt, 60 g
- ¼ to ½ cup gochugaru, Korean pepper flakes, depending on your spice tolerance, 30 to 60 g
- 7 to 10 cloves garlic
- 3 to 4 inches ginger, 7½ to 10 cm
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 to 4 Tbsp water, 45 to 60 mL
- Optional: 3 Tbsp miso paste
- 2 carrots, cut into strips, or 8 oz daikon radish
- 4 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
Instructions
- Sterilize: Wash your hands well before every time you touch the ingredients. Wash all supplies with hot water.
- Brine: Cut 1 large head napa cabbage into large chunks, then rinse well. Place in a large bowl and cover completely with ¼ cup non-iodized salt, working the salt between all the leaves. Let sit for about 2 hours, massaging and turning the cabbage every 30 minutes, until cabbage has wilted down. When finished, drain and rinse the cabbage very well (until a torn-off piece no longer tastes overly salty). Squeeze out excess water.
- Flavor: While cabbage is in the brine, add the ¼ to ½ cup gochugaru, 7 to 10 cloves garlic, 3 to 4 inches ginger, 1 tsp sugar, and 3 to 4 Tbsp water* to a clean food processor. If desired, add miso paste as well (for umami taste). Blitz until smooth.
- Mix: Combine the well-rinsed cabbage, pepper paste, 2 carrots (or daikon radish), and 4 green onions in a large bowl, mixing well with clean hands (you may choose to use gloves here to prevent your hands from smelling).
- Ferment: Pack the mixture into clean glass jar(s), pressing down so that it’s submerged by the juices and there are as few air pockets as possible. Leave at least an inch of free space at the top of the jar, then seal shut with a lid. Set the sealed jar on a plate or bowl (to catch possible spills), and place somewhere room temperature and out of direct sunlight, letting it ferment for 2 to 5 days.
- Upkeep and storage: Check on the kimchi everyday, pushing the cabbage down with clean fingers or a spoon to release gasses and prevent leaks. It's done when the taste is slightly sour and cabbage is a bit soft (depends on your taste – longer fermentation will result in a more sour, less crunchy kimchi). When finished, store in the fridge to stop the fermentation process.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!More Favorites from Live Eat Learn
Serving ideas
Kimchi is great served on its own as a side dish of sorts, but you can also use it as a condiment or topping on a bunch of recipes! Here are our favorite ways to use kimchi, from Korean cooking to unique twists:
Kimchi Tempeh Tacos
20 minutes
Loaded Kimchi Fries
15 minutes
Kimchi Soup Recipe | Kimchi-Jjigae
30 minutes
15-Minute Kimchi Fried Rice
15 minutes
Questions?
Hi, friends! Sarah here, food scientist, nutritionist, and creator if this easy kimchi recipe! If you have any questions, just leave a comment below. I personally answer comments and questions every weekday!
Hello, I love this recipe, I use it often. Thank you!
So happy to hear it, Valentina! 😀
I made this recipe pretty much as you present it, though during this week of lockdown I had to use what I have on hand; I substituted savoy for the napa cabbage, and used dried hot red pepper flakes instead of the Korean hot seasoning. Other than that, I followed it as is, and it came out perfectly — as good or better than any kimchi I’ve bought in a jar. So easy! Also, I’m so wary of raw garlic, but after fermenting, it doesn’t linger on the palate at all — you just know that garlic goodness is in there. Thanks for a great recipe, Sarah! I’ll be making this regularly.
So happy to hear it, Nava! Kimchi is actually quite flexible, so you can throw all sorts of veggies in there that you might have on hand 🙂 Happy fermenting!
How would I substitute gochujang since that is what I have or would dried red chili flakes be better
You can substitute hot paprika powder! With that said, the results will be a bit different, and I definitely recommend ordering some gochujang if you can.
Hey! Can you put it directly in the fridge without letting it to ferment? I don’t really like that fermented kimchi taste.
I haven’t tried this, but I don’t see why it would be a problem! 😀
Hello..can I use cayenne pepper instead?
While I haven’t tried it I’ve read that you can use it, but you will need much less than of the gochugaru. I’d start with 1 Tbsp or so.
I know this was posted a long time ago so I hope you see this. I have been using New Mexico red chile b/c I have so much of it. It comes out delicious. Use what you have.
I love kimchi. I saw gochujang hot pepper paste and I was wondering is this to make kimchi?
It could probably be used! We obviously use the flakes here, but I don’t see why the paste couldn’t be subbed in if that’s what you have on hand.
Hi Sarah,
This is very interesting and sounds easy to make. I have bough Kimchi from Asian stores and I love the taste.
Which ingredient supplies lactobacillus bacteria?
Lactobacillus is naturally occurring on the cabbage, and that’s what will fuel the fermentation! 😀
Hi Sarah,
I didn’t think you would see and answer my question about the source of the bacteria. Now I know and I’m ready to make some delicious kimchi.
Thank you very much.
I mixed up the amount of salt with another recipe and used 4 tablespoons of kosher salt instead of 1/4c for the brine. All the ingredients I kept the same. Is this a safe amount still to ferment with?
It should be fine! 😀
I know this is an old comment, but 4T is the same as 1/4 cup! 🙂
Hi.
Thank you for the Kimchi recipe, it looks delicious.
Is it possible to seal the jar and store it on the shelf, like other pickled goods?
Thank you
No, kimchi needs air and a way to let out excess carbonation. You can seal it before placing in the fridge, though! 😀