Kimchi Mac and Cheese Bites

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Kimchi Mac and Cheese Bites

These crispy, gooey Kimchi Mac and Cheese Bites are so delicious and perfect for a party! The kimchi and gochujang adds so much depth of flavor to a traditional mac and cheese and are fried to perfection!

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Resting Time4

Total Time5 30

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Korean

Servings: balls

Author: Chris Joe

Ingredients

Macaroni and Kimchi Cheese Sauce

1 lb elbow pasta
¼ cup butter
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tbsp gochujang
1 cup kimchi roughly chopped
¼ cup kimchi juice
3 cups half and half
½ tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 lb white cheddar cheese shredded
½ lb medium cheddar cheese shredded
1 lb mozzarella cheese shredded

Dredging and Frying

1 cup all-purpose flour for dredging
2 large eggs beaten
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 quart vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F
Bring 3 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add pasta, then cook until al dente (2 minutes less than package directions).
In a deep nonstick skillet or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the kimchi, gochujang and kimchi juice and mix. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the flour and cook for an additional 2 minutes, whisking to remove any lumps.
Add the half and half, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium high and cook for 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened, whisking occasionally to make sure there are no lumps.
Turn off the heat and let the sauce cool for 5 minutes. Reserve 2 cups of the mixed cheese (white cheddar, yellow cheddar, and mozarella) as a topping, then add the remaining cheese a few handfuls at a time, whisking so that the cheese fully melts before adding the remaining cheese. Add the pasta and stir to combine with the cheese sauce.
To a greased 9x13 baking dish, add the pasta and top with the reserved cheese. Bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden. Once cooled, place the mac and cheese in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight to cool.
Once the mac and cheese has cooled, scoop the mac and cheese into 4-ounce balls and pack tightly with your hands. Dredge the balls in flour, then beaten egg, and then panko breadcrumbs.
Heat a large pot of oil to 350°F and fry the balls in batches for 4-5 minutes until crispy. Let cool and enjoy!

Notes

Tips

I like the kimchi to be roughly chopped, to add texture to the dish. You can chop it as rough or as fine as you prefer - this is totally up to you.
Cook the pasta until al dente (2 minutes less than package directions), as the pasta will continue to cook when the mac and cheese is baked.
When making the cheese sauce, turn off the heat and let the sauce cool for 5 minutes BEFORE adding the cheese. Cooling the sauce will help ensure it doesn't turn grainy when you add the cheese.
Add the cheese into the sauce a few handfuls at a time. Do not dump all of the cheese into the sauce at once! You will get a clumpy sauce. Whisk until the cheese fully melts before you add more cheese.
Once you've made the Kimchi Mac and Cheese, you will need to let it chill for at least 4 hours (ideally up to overnight) in the refrigerator BEFORE you scoop and shape into balls to be fried. Chilling the mac and cheese allows it to firm up, which will make it significantly easier for you to shape into balls without them falling part.

Storage, Reheating, and Make Ahead:

Store any leftover Kimchi Mac and Cheese Bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. They will lose their crispiness when refrigerated.
You can reheat any leftovers in the air fryer at 350F for 8-10 minutes to crisp them up again. If you don't care about getting the Kimchi Mac and Cheese Bites crispy again, you can also quickly microwave them until they're warmed through.
If you are planning to make this ahead of time, I recommend you follow the recipe until step #6 (bake the mac and cheese) and then cover with aluminum foil in the refrigerator until you are ready to shape and fry the Kimchi Mac and Cheese Bites. I do not recommend frying the bites ahead of time, as they'll lose their crispy texture when stored in the refrigerator.

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