Pickled Korean Perilla Leaves (Kkaennip Jangajji)

a plate of picked perilla leaves on a white plate topped with sesame seeds and chopsticks resting on the top..

Pickled Korean Perilla Leaves (Kkaennip Jangajji)

A popular side dish, these pickled Korean perilla leaves pack a salty, sweet, garlicky punch that’s irresistably delicious! Wrap them with white rice and garnish with sesame seeds, and enjoy this popular Asian dish.

Prep Time10

Pickling time8

Total Time8 10

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Korean

Keyword: Korean perilla leaves

Servings: servings

Ingredients

3 oz perilla leaves about 30 leaves
1/2 cup tamari sauce or soy sauce. For soy free, use 1/2 cup coconut aminos + 1/4 tsp sea salt instead
2 tbsp coconut sugar or brown sugar
2 tbsp green onions finely sliced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tsp gochugaru or Korean chili flakes
2 tbsp Korean green chili pepper or jalapeño finely minced
Sesame seeds for serving

Instructions

Rinse the perilla leaves under cold running water, then let it dry on a colander.
Make the sauce by stirring together tamari sauce, coconut sugar, green onions, garlic, gochugaru, and chili pepper in a bowl.
In a glass container that's big enough for the leaves, stack and lay down 3 leaves then spoon 1 tablespoon of the sauce over the leaves. Repeat until all the leaves are stacked in the container. If you run out of sauce, spoon it from the bottom of the container. Pour any remaining sauce over the leaves.
Cover, and refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours.
Serve cold sprinkled with sesame seeds, alongside a warm bowl of rice.

Video

Notes

Expert Tips

Prepping the leaves: After rinsing the perilla leaves with cold water, let them dry in the colander, then pat the excess water off the leaves with a paper towel.
Spice level: Make more or less spicy by increasing or decreasing the gochugaru pepper flakes.
Pickling process: Make sure to leave the leaves in the sauce for at least 8 hours before serving. Overnight is best, but if eaten sooner than 8 hours, they will not have as much flavor.

Serving Tips

Serve cold sprinkled with sesame seeds, alongside a warm bowl of rice.
Take a single leaf, wrap it around warm white rice, and eat in one bite!

Storage Tips

Leftover Korean perilla leaves can be stored in the fridge for 10 days.
These do not freeze well. I do not recommend freezing them.

Nutrition