My family loves Korean food and when we go out to Korean restaurants, we always fight over the last piece of our favorite Korean pancake or pajeon. These crispy green onion pancakes are seriously quite addicting! We like to eat pajeon as a side dish or afternoon snack, but it could make a delicious main dish as well. I sometimes make them for the kids before we head out to their after-school activities. They love hanging out in the kitchen to watch how I make these pancakes. Today, I’ll share the version that I make at home in my crispy and savory Korean Pancake recipe.
What is Korean Pancake (Pajeon)?
Pajeon (파전) or pa jun is a type of savory Korean pancake that features scallion as the prominent ingredient. For the main protein, it often has shellfish and seafood like shrimp, squid, oysters, clam, and/or mussels, or a combination for a Korean seafood pancake. Beef, pork, and/or kimchi are other possible toppings. A vegetarian version could include vegetables like shredded carrots and zucchini. The pancake is bound by a light batter and drizzled with beaten egg, then pan-fried until golden brown on both sides. It’s cut into bite-size squares and dipped in a Korean pancake sauce of soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar. You can customize the sauce with minced garlic, sesame oil, sesame seeds, fresh chili or dried chili flakes, and chopped green onions. What is jeon? Korean pancake or jeon (pan-fried battered food in Korean) uses a cooking method where the vegetables and protein are placed in the frying pan one at a time. They may be dipped in the batter beforehand or drizzled with batter once they are in the pan. Jeon is a very popular food in Japan, and it goes by a different name called chijimi (チヂミ).
The Secret To Pajeon’s Unique Texture
For this green onion pancake, I used cake flour (薄力粉) instead of all-purpose flour. Cake flour is wheat flour that has a lower viscosity and protein content. My Korean friend suggested using it instead of plain flour, and the result was just like a restaurant pajeon! The texture is crispier and lighter than using all-purpose flour. Cake flour is available in the bakery section of supermarkets. You can also make cake flour at home by mixing all-purpose flour and cornstarch. It’s super easy! I explain how in the Notes at the end of the recipe card. My mom recently shared another recipe with me that uses all-purpose flour and rice flour, and she said it’s pretty amazing. I’ll be testing her recipe next time. You can also make a gluten-free version, like my Gluten-Free Korean Veggie Pancake.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Pancake
green onions/scallions large egg – beaten; use half an egg per pancake shrimp – omit for vegetarian and use mushrooms cake flour – weigh your flour with a kitchen scale or use the “fluff and sprinkle“ method and level it off; you can make homemade cake flour kosher salt – I use Diamond Crystal brand cold water or sparkling water neutral oil – for frying
For the Spicy Dipping Sauce
soy sauce rice vinegar (unseasoned) green onions/scallions gochugaru (Korean pepper flakes) toasted white and black sesame seeds sugar – it’s optional, to counter the vinegar‘s acidity
How to Make Korean Pancake (Pajeon)
You can make these pancakes in a total time of just 15 minutes! Keep any leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It’s so delicious, there probably won’t be any leftovers! Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
