My Korean street toast layers a vegetable-packed omelet loaded with cabbage and carrots with melted cheddar and sweet-spicy gochujang mayo between slices of buttery toasted bread. I had my first one at a street stall in Seoul and have been making them at home ever since!
My Korean egg sandwich works for breakfast or dinner
Gilgeori toast is everywhere in Seoul. Vendors cook omelets on flat griddles, stack them on buttered white bread with cheese and sauce, and hand them over wrapped in paper. It’s fast, cheap, and surprisingly satisfying. The version I make at home is close to what I remember, with a few tweaks for an American kitchen.
The omelet is more vegetable than egg. Shredded cabbage, julienned carrot, onion, and green onions get mixed directly into the raw eggs, then cooked as one cohesive piece. Shaping it into a rough square that matches your bread takes a little practice, but it doesn’t need to be perfect — the sandwich hides any imperfections.
Gochujang mayo is the sauce that makes this taste Korean. Two ingredients, 30 seconds to make, and it keeps in the fridge for a week. My gochujang glazed tofu uses the same fermented chili paste if you want to buy a jar and use it up. The cheese is optional but adds richness — a quick press in the skillet melts it just enough to get gooey.
Soft bread matters here. Milk bread or brioche have the pillowy texture that works best. Sturdy sandwich bread is fine, but the softer the bread, the closer you get to the street food version.
Key ingredients and why they matter
You’ll need cabbage, carrots, onion, green onions, eggs, salt, black pepper, and gochugaru (or red pepper flakes) to make the savory vegetable egg omelet. For the sandwiches, you’ll also need soft white bread, butter, cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, and gochujang to make a quick spicy mayo.
Full ingredient list and detailed instructions in the recipe card.
- Eggs bind the vegetables into a cohesive omelet. Eight eggs for four sandwiches means two per omelet — enough to hold everything together without overwhelming the vegetables.
- Cabbage, carrot, and onion make up the bulk of the filling. Shred and chop everything fine so it cooks through in the same time as the eggs. The vegetables should be evenly distributed, not clumped.
- Gochugaru adds mild heat and a subtle smokiness. Regular red pepper flakes work if you can’t find it, but the flavor is slightly different.
- Soft white bread is traditional. Milk bread, brioche, or soft sandwich bread all work. Avoid anything crusty or dense — the texture should be pillowy.
- Gochujang is fermented Korean chili paste — sweet, spicy, and funky. Mixed with mayo, it becomes a creamy sauce that ties the sandwich together. Find it in the international aisle or Asian grocery stores.
- Cheddar cheese isn’t traditional but adds richness. American cheese melts better if you want maximum gooeyness.
TIPS & TRICKS
Shruthi’s top tips
- Don’t overfill the omelet with vegetables. Too much and it won’t hold together when you flip. The ratio in this recipe is tested — trust it.
- Shape the omelet to match your bread. Use your spatula to push the edges into a rough square or rectangle while it sets. Doesn’t need to be perfect.
- Use soft bread. Crusty bread fights against the soft omelet. Milk bread or brioche is ideal.
- Press the assembled sandwich gently. Thirty seconds per side with light spatula pressure melts the cheese without flattening everything.
- Make spicy mayo ahead. It keeps a week refrigerated — one less thing to do at breakfast time.
How to make this Korean egg toast
- In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise and gochujang until smooth. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine shredded cabbage, carrot, onion, green onions, salt, pepper, and gochugaru. Toss well. Crack eggs into the bowl and mix until vegetables are evenly coated.
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat with a little butter. Pour in some of the egg mixture and shape it to roughly match your bread. Cook until set and golden, flip, then transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
- Wipe out the skillet if needed. Butter one side of each slice of bread and toast in the skillet until golden on both sides.
- Place a slice of cheese on one piece of toast and top with a vegetable egg omelet. Spread the spicy mayo over the omelet, then close with another slice of toast.
- Return the sandwiches to the skillet over low heat. Press gently and cook briefly on both sides until the cheese softens. Slice diagonally and serve hot.
How to serve Korean street food sandwich
Serve with vegan kimchi on the side for a full Korean breakfast experience, or alongside miso soup for an Asian-inspired brunch.
Variations:
- Single serving: 2 eggs, ½ cup cabbage, ¼ carrot, 2 tablespoons onion, 1 green onion — scale everything down proportionally.
- Spicier: Increase gochugaru to 1 teaspoon, or add a drizzle of sriracha to the finished sandwich.
- Add protein: Layer in a slice of ham or spam for a heartier version.
- No gochujang: Substitute sriracha mayo (1 tablespoon mayo + 1 teaspoon sriracha) in a pinch.
- Different cheese: American melts better; pepper jack adds heat.
Storage and reheating suggestions
These gilgeori toasts are best eaten fresh, since assembled sandwiches can get soggy. If you want to prep ahead, the vegetable egg omelets can be refrigerated for up to 2 days and reheated in a skillet before assembling. The spicy gochujang mayo keeps well in the fridge for up to a week, making weekday assembly extra quick.
More Korean recipes
If you’re craving more Korean comfort food, try one of these next.
Sheet Pan Bibimbap
Korean Corn Cheese
Korean Tofu Soup
Korean Street Toast
Ingredients
For the spicy mayo:
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons gochujang
For the Korean egg omelet:
- 1 medium head green cabbage, ~2 cups, shredded
- 1 large carrot, julienned
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon gochugaru, Korean red pepper flakes or regular red pepper flakes
- 8 large eggs
For the sandwiches:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 8 slices soft white bread, milk bread, brioche, or sandwich bread
- 4 slices cheddar cheese, medium
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise and gochujang until smooth. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine shredded cabbage, carrot, onion, green onions, salt, pepper, and gochugaru. Toss well. Crack eggs into the bowl and mix until vegetables are evenly coated.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add ½ tablespoon butter.
- Pour one quarter of the vegetable-egg mixture into the skillet. Use a spatula to shape into a rough square or rectangle, approximately the size of your bread slice. Cook 2-3 minutes until bottom is golden brown and set.
- Flip carefully and cook another 2-3 minutes until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining mixture to make 4 omelets, adding ½ tablespoon butter before each.
- Wipe out skillet if needed. Spread remaining butter on one side of each bread slice. Working in batches, place bread slices buttered-side down in skillet. Toast over medium heat until golden, about 1-2 minutes. Flip and toast other side.
- On 4 bread slices, place one slice of cheddar cheese. Top with one vegetable-egg omelet. Spread spicy mayo on the omelet. Top with remaining bread slices.
- Return assembled sandwiches to skillet over medium-low heat. Press gently with spatula and cook 30 seconds per side until cheese melts slightly.
- Slice diagonally and serve immediately.
Notes
- For one sandwich, use 2 eggs, about ½ cup shredded cabbage, a small portion of carrot and onion, 1 green onion, a pinch of salt, pepper, and gochugaru, 2 slices of bread, 1 slice of cheese, butter for toasting, mayonnaise, and gochujang
- Use soft, sturdy bread such as milk bread or brioche for best results
- Shape the omelet to closely match the size of your bread for even coverage
- Avoid overfilling the omelet, or it may be difficult to flip cleanly
- Press the sandwich gently while toasting so the cheese melts without pushing out the filling
- Assembled sandwiches are best eaten immediately, as the bread can become soggy
- Cooked omelets can be refrigerated for up to 2 days and reheated in a skillet before assembling
- Spicy mayo can be refrigerated for up to 1 week
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve always loved Korean street toast and have made many versions over the years.
My go to is essentially very near to this.
I often use sliced sprouted grain bread (Ezekiel) or similar, egg whites and then substitute Greek yogurt in place of the mayo.
Extra saucy plzz lol. Great recipe, thanks for sharing…
This sounds AMAZING.
Really tasty, filling and simple. My kind of recipe. Also I did have the gochujang which really added to the flavor profile. Will definitely make again.
Gochujang definitely helps take this recipe up a notch! So glad you loved it.
OMG I just made this substituting Siraca for the Korean spices and I’m in absolute heaven! So very simple and so delicious!
Sriracha is a great idea! Glad you liked it! This is definitely a staple around my house 🙂