Pajeon (Korean Scallion Pancakes)
Pajeon is a big, flat pancake made mostly of long green onions, with just enough batter to hold them together; pa means green onion and jeon is anything pan-fried in a thin batter. Ice-cold water and a little potato starch keep the batter light, and 2-3 tbsp of hot oil per pancake gives it lacy, crunchy edges. Platters of jeon are fried for Seollal, the Korean Lunar New Year, and pajeon is one of the simplest to make. Cut it into wedges and dip each piece in tangy soy and vinegar sauce.
By Mei Lin Tan
Published
- Prep Time
- 15 mins
- Cook Time
- 22 mins
- Total Time
- 37 mins
- Servings
- 2 large pancakes
How do you make Pajeon (Korean Scallion Pancakes)?
Whisk 120 g flour, 30 g potato starch and 1/2 tsp salt with 240 ml ice-cold water and 1 egg. Lay half of 200 g green onions, cut into 10-12 cm lengths, in 2 tbsp hot oil, pour over half the batter and press flat. Fry 4-5 minutes a side until crisp and golden with no wet batter in the centre. Repeat, then serve with soy-vinegar dipping sauce.
- Total time
- 37 mins
- Calories
- 310 per serving
- Protein
- 7 g
- Yield
- 2 large pancakes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Method
- Pan-frying
Ingredients
Dipping sauce
Batter
Pancakes
Equipment
Large nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, 28-30 cm · Large mixing bowl · Whisk · Wide spatula · Wire rack · Small bowl · Kitchen scissors or a sharp knife
Quick Directions
Make the dipping sauce
Stir the dipping sauce together and set it aside.
Prepare the green onions
Dry the green onions, cut them into 10-12 cm lengths and split the thick ends.
Mix the batter
Whisk the dry ingredients with the egg and ice-cold water until just combined.
Fry the first side
Lay half the onions in 2 tbsp hot oil, pour over half the batter and fry for 4-5 minutes.
Flip and finish
Flip, add up to 1 tbsp oil, fry 4-5 minutes until cooked through, then repeat.
Cut and serve
Cut into wedges and serve hot with the dipping sauce.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Every step for making pajeon (korean scallion pancakes), written out in full.
Make the dipping sauce
Stir the soy sauce, rice vinegar, water, sugar, gochugaru and sesame seeds together in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Set it aside so the chili flakes have time to soften.
Prepare the green onions
Wash the green onions, trim off the roots and dry them well with a tea towel, since wet onions make the oil spit and thin the batter. Cut them into 10-12 cm lengths and halve the thick white ends lengthwise so they cook as fast as the green tops. Slice the chili, if using.
Mix the batter
Whisk the flour, potato starch and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the egg into the ice-cold water, pour it into the flour and whisk for about 15 seconds, just until no dry flour is left. A few small lumps are fine. The batter should be thin and pourable, like heavy cream. Overmixing makes it stretchy, and the pancake turns chewy instead of crisp.
Fry the first side
Heat 2 tbsp oil in the skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Lay half the green onions and half the chili in the pan in a single layer, all pointing the same way, in a round about 22 cm across, filling the flat base of the pan. Stir the batter and pour half of it evenly over the onions, using a spoon to fill any gaps. It should sizzle hard as it lands. Press the pancake flat with the spatula and fry for 4-5 minutes, until the underside is deep golden and the edges look lacy and crisp. Turn the heat down to medium if it browns faster than that.
Flip and finish
Slide the spatula underneath and flip the pancake in one quick move, or slide it onto a plate, cover with a second plate, turn it over and slide it back in. Drizzle up to 1 tbsp oil around the edge, press down firmly so the onions touch the pan, and fry for 4-5 minutes more, until both sides are crisp and golden and the batter is cooked through: press the middle with the spatula and no wet batter should seep out. Move it to the wire rack, then fry the second pancake the same way with the remaining oil, onions and batter.
Cut and serve
Cut each pancake into 6-8 wedges or squares with kitchen scissors or a sharp knife. Serve hot, with the dipping sauce on the side.
Recipe Tips
- Keep the water as cold as you can. Drop 2-3 ice cubes into it while you prepare the onions and lift them out before mixing. Cold batter fries up lighter and crisper.
- Be generous with the oil and heat it properly first. If the batter doesn't sizzle when it hits the pan, the pancake soaks up oil and turns pale and soft.
- Keep the pancake thin, with just enough batter to bind the onions. A thick pancake is still doughy in the middle by the time the outside is brown.
- Cool the pancakes on a wire rack, not a plate, so the bottom stays crisp. To keep the first one warm, set the rack on a baking sheet in a 95°C (200°F) oven while you fry the second.
Variations
- Haemul pajeon (seafood pancake): scatter 150 g peeled raw shrimp, chopped, and 150 g squid cut into thin rings over the green onions before you pour on the batter, half for each pancake. Fry for 5-6 minutes a side, until the shrimp are pink and opaque throughout and the squid is white and opaque. It is no longer vegetarian.
- Yachae jeon (mixed vegetable pancake): swap half the green onions for 1 carrot and 1 small zucchini, both cut into thin matchsticks.
- Egg-free: leave out the egg and add 2 tbsp more ice-cold water. The pancake is a little less tender but just as crisp, and the recipe is then vegan.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Calories | 310 |
|---|---|
| Protein | 7 g |
| Carbs | 36 g |
| Fat | 16 g |
| Saturated fat | 1.5 g |
| Fibre | 2 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Sodium | 990 mg |
Estimated from the listed ingredients; values vary by brand.
Related Recipes
Storing & Reheating
- Fridge
- Pajeon is crispest straight from the pan. Refrigerate leftover pancakes in an airtight container within 2 hours and eat them within 2 days. The dipping sauce keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freezer
- Freeze cooled pancakes with parchment between them for up to 1 month.
- Reheat
- Reheat in a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes a side, until crisp and hot all the way through. From frozen, cover the pan while the first side cooks. The microwave leaves them soft.
Pajeon (Korean Scallion Pancakes) FAQs
What does pajeon mean?
Pa is Korean for green onion, and jeon means a dish pan-fried in a thin batter. Pajeon is a large, flat green onion pancake, crisp at the edges and soft in the middle, cut into wedges and dipped in a soy and vinegar sauce.
How do I make pajeon crispy?
Use ice-cold water and some potato starch or cornstarch in the batter, mix it only briefly and keep the pancake thin. Fry it in 2-3 tbsp hot oil per pancake, pressing it flat so the green onions touch the pan, and cool it on a wire rack rather than a plate.
Can I use Korean pancake mix for pajeon?
Yes. Korean pancake mix, labelled buchimgaru, already contains flour, starch, salt and seasoning. Use 150 g in place of the flour, starch and salt, then add the egg and ice-cold water as written. Some mixes need a little less water, so check the packet.
Is pajeon vegetarian?
This version is: the batter is flour, starch, egg and water, and the dipping sauce contains no fish sauce. Seafood pajeon (haemul pajeon) adds shrimp and squid, so it is not. If you use a pancake mix, read the ingredients list to be sure.
Disclaimer
- Nutrition information is an estimate based on the listed ingredients. It changes with the brands, portion sizes and swaps you use.
- Read ingredient labels for allergens and for diet claims such as gluten-free or vegan. Products and their ingredients can change.
- Cooking times are a guide, since ovens, air fryers and slow cookers all run differently. Use a food thermometer and cook meat, poultry and fish to the safe internal temperatures in government food safety guidance.
- This recipe is general information, not medical or nutrition advice. If you have an allergy, a health condition or a special diet, check with a qualified health professional.
