Kimchi Cheese Toastie

By toastiemaker.com · Updated 16 Oct 2026

A kimchi cheese toastie works when you treat the kimchi as a seasoning, not a filling: squeeze it hard, chop it small and lock it between two layers of cheese. Do that and a standard sealed toastie maker gives you a crisp, tangy, chilli-warm toastie in about 4 minutes, with no soggy bread and no brine dripping out of the hinge.

Why this method works

Kimchi is roughly 85–90% water and full of salty, acidic brine. Straight from the jar it steams the bread from the inside, and the brine finds the cut edge of the seal and runs out onto the plates. Squeezing removes most of that liquid while keeping the flavour, and chopping stops long cabbage strands dragging through the seal when the lid closes.

The cheese sandwich around the kimchi is the real trick. The bottom layer melts first and forms a waterproof barrier against the lower slice; the top layer glues the kimchi in place so it can't slide to the edges. Mozzarella brings stretch and cheddar brings the sharpness that stands up to fermented chilli. If you want to experiment, our guide to the best cheese for toasties explains why low-moisture cheeses melt more cleanly.

Older, sourer kimchi is better here than fresh. Fermentation softens the cabbage and concentrates the tang, and a short spell in a hot toastie maker mellows the acidity into something closer to caramelised.

Timings for other machines and methods

Deep fill and panini presses

In a deep fill toastie maker you can go up to 90g kimchi and 80g cheese; add about a minute, so 5 minutes total. In a panini press or contact grill, the toastie isn't sealed, so keep the kimchi to 50g and expect 4–5 minutes with the floating hinge resting on top.

Frying pan, air fryer and microwave toastie makers

In a pan, cook over medium-low heat for 3 minutes a side with a saucepan pressing down; see our frying pan toastie method. In an air fryer, 180°C for 8–9 minutes, flipping halfway and pinning the top slice (the air fryer toastie page covers the rack trick). In a microwave toastie maker, cut the kimchi to 40g because the plates can't drive off moisture as well.

Variations

• Kimchi and ham: add one thin slice of ham between the kimchi and top cheese layer. Keep the kimchi at 50g.
• Kimchi tuna melt: 40g drained tuna mixed with 1 tsp mayo, under the kimchi. Our tuna melt toastie has the base ratios.
• Fried kimchi: fry the squeezed kimchi in 1 tsp oil for 2 minutes before filling. It loses its crunch but gains a sweeter, deeper flavour.
• American cheese slice: swap the mozzarella for one processed cheese slice for an ultra-smooth melt, as in Korean street toast.
• Gochujang butter: beat ½ tsp gochujang into the outside butter. Watch it closely: the sugar in the paste browns faster, so check at 3 minutes.

Mistakes to avoid

• Using the juice: kimchi brine is delicious but belongs in a dressing, not the toastie. Even a tablespoon will leak.
• Overfilling a standard machine: more than about 60g kimchi plus 60g cheese prevents a clean seal. Read how to stop toasties leaking if your edges keep bursting.
• Sugary outside spreads on worn plates: gochujang butter and mayo both brown quickly. If your coating is tired, use plain butter and see why toasties stick.
• Cutting immediately: give it a minute. Molten cheese and hot kimchi juices settle and stop running when you slice.

Want more ideas once you've nailed this one? Browse the full toastie recipes collection, or start from the reference classic cheese toastie. If your current machine struggles to seal, our guide to the best toastie maker compares models with tighter edges.