Korean Green Onion Pancake, also known as Pajeon or Pa Jun ํ์ , is one of the most popular Korean side dishes (banchan.) Luckily, it's easy to make at home! Much simpler than the Chinese version- it's more similar to American pancakes- and on the table in 15 minutes! (No kneading or stand mixer required.)

Jump to:
โญ Why This Recipe is a Star
- Easy Korean restaurant food at home: Korean Scallion Pancake, or Pajeon, is 1 of the most popular side dishes at Korean restaurants but really easy to make at home! (Unlike Chinese scallion pancake, you don't have to roll hot water dough on a floured surface with a rolling pin, you just scoop the pancake batter into the skillet and fry!) Crispy on the outside and fluffy inside, it's a type of Anju, or small Korean dishes that go well with alcohol or barley tea, if you don't drink. Once you know how to control the heat- which I'll talk more about below- the hardest thing about making them will be waiting for the batter to crisp up!
- Versatile: Once you know how to make the batter, you can make dozens of recipes. Use seafood instead of scallions, or kimchi (kimchi pancakes), or mixed vegetables (Yachae Jeon) etc etc! (Don't use ingredients that release a lot of water when cooked, such as tofu, or your jeon will go soggy.)
Note: this is one of the few non-spicy Korean foods you can get from street vendors, so you can serve it a party where not everyone can take spicy food.
If it is the Chinese pancakes with scallions that you're after, click here for a recipe that's better than what you get at a Chinese restaurant!
What is Pajeon?
Jeon ์ is loosely translated as pancakes (it actually refers to any food that has been coated in batter and fried) and Pa ํ is the Korean word for Scallions.
So Pajeon ํ์ is simply a Korean Green Onion pancake!
If you like Korean food, you'll love this green onion recipe!
๐ฅ Ingredients
You will only need a few simple ingredients for this spring onion pancakes Korean side dish:
- fresh scallions: (also known as green onions and spring onions) Korean scallions are quite thick and round. Cut them into lengths that can fit into your pan. To make the pancake healthier, you can add some sliced carrots to the mix too. You can also use garlic chives or some of these spring onions substitutes.
- vegetable oil: Like with Vietnamese Banh Xeo, the oil is critical for crisping up the pancakes when we pan fry! Do not skimp! We're pretty much shallow-frying the pancakes. I have used olive oil for this too.
- all-purpose flour: You can also find commercial Jeon flour mix in Korean supermarkets, such as H-mart. The Korean pancake mix is called buchimgaru ๋ถ์นจ๊ฐ๋ฃจ. Homemade is healthier though!
- corn starch: this is the secret ingredient for crispy pancakes. You can also substitute with potato starch or rice flour. (Do NOT use glutinous rice flour.)
- cold water: room temperature works too but cold water makes it crispier. For best results, use cold soda water. We want a runny batter- you can add 1 to 3 more Tablespoons of water if needed.
- gochujang: I like spice so I added Korean chili paste but doenjang (Korean soybean paste) is more traditional. This gives the pancakes more flavor. You can omit it if you don't have it on hand- just make sure you have the dipping sauce!
- white sugar: I don't recommend brown sugar as we don't want the pancakes tasting of molasses!
- salt
- sesame oil
Note: you can also add baking powder for a slight leavening effect if you like. Use ยผ teaspoon.
For the ESSENTIAL dipping sauce that goes so well with spring onions pancakes, you will need:
- onion: cut chunkily. This is more used for Korean binttaedeok dipping sauce, but I like onions, so I add them here too. (Do not use onion powder, just omit if you don't have it.)
- garlic cloves: do not use garlic powder. Just omit if you don't have it.
- soy sauce: regular soy, do not use dark soy or sweet soy
- white rice vinegar: apple cider vinegar and white vinegar can substitute for white rice vinegar. (Do not use black vinegar.)
- sesame oil: amp up the flavor with lightly toasted sesame seeds if you have them.
- optional, if you like spice: gochugaru flakes and sliced red chili
Note: if for some reason you can't make the dipping sauce, make your pancakes more flavorful by using extra doenjang and using chicken stock or seafood stock (instead of water)
๐ Variations & Substitutes
- Haemul Pajeon ํด๋ฌผํ์ (Seafood Green Onion Pancake): Add seafood to your batter! If doing so, you will dip the green onions and seafood in the batter. (Usually prawns, oysters and squid.) Next, place the green onions on the hot pan, followed by the seafood, an egg (optional) and lastly the batter!
๐ช Step-by-Step Instructions
1a. Whisk the dry ingredients together (all purpose flour, corn flour, salt and sugar) in a large mixing bowl. (Use a fork if you don't have a whisk.)
1b. Pour the water, Korean gochujang and sesame oil into the large bowl, whisking simultaneously till you get a runny batter.
2. Over medium-high heat, heat 2.5 Tablespoons of oil in a frying pan till the oil is rippling but not smoking. Do not reduce the oil or the pancake won't get as crisp!
Note: To test if hot enough, drip a bit of batter in, it should sizzle. I also recommend using a non-stick pan to prevent the pancakes from sticking.
3a. Add all the batter to the large skillet- the oil will surround the batter (it'll look like you're shallow frying the pancake)- then immediately reduce to medium heat. If the fire is too high, the pancake will stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.
3b. Press the scallions into the top of the pancake.
Note: some people like to char the scallions first (place them on the pan parallel to each other) before adding the batter, but I don't like mine so charred, so I do it this way. (If you just mix the scallions in the batter then fry, the scallions don't develop that distinctive char that Korean pancakes have.)
4a. Leave for 4-5 minutes, till you see the edges start to crisp up. If you turn the pancakes too soon, they won't be as browned, but don't worry we can just flip them and crisp them up.
4b. The next step is to gently slip your spatula under the bottom of the pancake and turn it over. (Be careful with the hot oil!)
4c. Cook for 2-3 minutes on the other side. If you see no more oil, add ยฝ to 1 more tablespoons around the edges. The pancake is done when it's golden brown and crispy. (If not, turn the heat up, flip again and cook for 1-3 more minutes.)
Note: once the pancake has cooked enough to slip easily off the pan, you can turn the heat up to get it crispy.
Make the Dipping Sauce
You just need to mix all the ingredients in a small bowl, after cutting the onions, garlic and chili if using.
๐ฅก How to Store
Extra batter can be kept in the fridge overnight and cooked the next day.
Extra can be frozen. (Separate each cooked pancake with parchment paper or plastic wrap and stack them up!)
Reheat the frozen pancakes in a pan to get them crispy again.
๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ณ Expert Tips
Tip #1: Do not omit the dipping sauce! It gives the Korean pancakes SO much flavor. You can also make the Korean dipping sauce in advance and store it in the fridge. (If you want to keep the sauce for more than 2-3 days, do not add the fresh onions, garlic and chilies till you plan on using the same.) Also, remember to prepare the sauce first so that you can eat your pancakes once they're cooked!
Tip #2: For an extra Korea touch, use a pair of scissors to cut the pancake into squares. (This will also help mitigate the fact that we don't cut the scallions before pan-frying.)
Tip #3: Pop the root ends of the scallions into water, change the water every other day, and you'll soon find yourself with new bunches of scallions!
๐ญ Recipe FAQs
Yes you can. The egg is a leavener, so the homemade scallion pancakes are even softer and fluffier than if you had added baking powder! (I omitted it to make a vegan/ vegetarian version.) You can mix it into the batter or swirl the beaten egg over the pancake when you're crisping up the first side.

๐ฅ Other Korean Recipes
Serve with these dishes to make a full Korean meal:
Enjoyed this easy vegan Korean Scallion Pancakes Recipe? Please leave a 5-star ๐๐๐๐๐rating in the recipe card below! If you REALLY liked this Korean banchan dish, please consider supporting it by buying me a bottle of soy sauce! ๐ (No obligation though!) Thank you and have a great day!
Korean Green Onion Pancake (Pajeon)
Equipment
- Non-stick pan
- Thin heatproof spatula
Ingredients
- 3 sprigs scallions Use the thicker ones, and cut them into pieces slightly shorter than the width of your frying pan.
- 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil I have also made it with olive oil.
- ยฝ Cup all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch Substitute: rice flour or potato starch
- ยฝ teaspoon white sugar Do not use brown sugar
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- ยฝ Cup cold water Preferably cold soda water for optimal fluffiness, but cold water works too. So does room temperature water- the pancake just won't be as fluffy. For best results, useย cold soda water. We want a runny batter- you can add 1 to 3 more Tablespoons of water if needed.
- 1 teaspoon doenjang Or gochujang if you want a bit more spice. I have used my homemade gochujang for this and it was delicious.
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
For the pancake dipping sauce (Make this first)
- ยผ onion cut in chunks, as they do in Korea! Any color onion works but they usually use white or yellow onions in Korea,
- 1 cloves garlic peel and mince
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon white rice vinegar Substitute: apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- ยผ Tablespoon sesame oil
- ยฝ teaspoon Korean gochugaru flakes Optional. Omit if you don't like spice.
- 1 red chili sliced, optional. I add them because I like the heat!
Instructions
- Mix all the dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
For the pancakes
- Whisk the dry ingredients together (all purpose flour, corn flour, salt and sugar) in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the water, Korean gochujang and sesame oil.
- Over medium-high heat, heat 2ยฝ Tablespoons of oil in a frying pan till the oil is rippling but not smoking. (To test if hot enough, drip a bit of batter in, it should sizzle.) Note: Do not reduce the oil or the pancake won't get as crisp! (I also recommend using a non-stick pan to prevent the pancakes from sticking.)
- Add all the batter- the oil will surround the batter (it'll look like you're shallow frying the pancake)- then immediately reduce to medium heat. If the fire is too high, the pancake will stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.Press the scallions into the top of the pancake. Note: some people like to char the scallions first (place them on the pan parallel to each other) before adding the batter, but I don't like mine so charred, so I do it this way. (If you just mix the scallions in the batter then fry, the scallions don't develop that distinctive char that Korean pancakes have.)
- Leave for 4-5 minutes, till you see the edges start to crisp up. (If you turn the pancakes too soon, they won't be as browned, but don't worry we can just flip them and crisp them up.)
- Gently slip your spatula under the bottom of the pancake and turn it over. (Be careful with the hot oil!)
- Cook for 3 minutes on the other side. If you see no more oil, add ยฝ to 1 more tablespoons around the edges. The pancake is done when it's golden brown and crispy. (If not, turn the heat up, flip again and cook for 1-3 more minutes.) Note: once the pancake has cooked enough to slip easily off the pan, you can turn the heat up to get it crispy.
Notes
Note: the nutritional information is an estimate automatically calculated using the WPRM recipe maker and I am not responsible for its veracity.
Nutrition
If this Korean green onion pancakes recipe was helpful, maybe you'd like to sign up for my newsletter?
Comments
No Comments