Korean Pancake Recipe
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Sep 25, 2026 
For me, the best Korean Pancakes (Pajeon) are all about those crispy, golden edges! I load my easy version made with julienned vegetables, green onions, and hash browns for plenty of texture and flavor, then pan-fry the pancakes until beautifully crisp. I love serving them hot with a spicy soy dipping sauce for dunking.
I got the inspiration for this recipe from my favorite Korean restaurant in Asheville, NC and I absolutely cannot visit without ordering the Pajeon Korean pancakes. They might be the best things on the menu! Korean Pancakes are crispy on the outside, soft and moist in the middle, and chock-full of fresh lightly-cooked vegetables. Now, I know we don’t always think of vegetables as kid-friendly, but my two babies beg for these Korean pancakes (AKA Pajun or Pajeon). I also took a little friend, who is extremely picky and has a delicate palate, to eat these savory pancakes with us and she was crazy over them as well. They are the perfect complement to other Korean favorites like my Bulgogi Korean BBQ recipe!
Jill – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Delicious! Thank you for this amazing recipe. It was difficult not to eat every last pancake in one sitting between 2 people. I used mushrooms, basil leaves, chives, carrots, and sautéed onion. The sauce is incredible!! Already can’t wait to make these again.
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Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Packed with veggies – I love how many vegetables I can pack into these Korean pancakes! They’re loaded with colorful, fresh veggies, yet everything gets tucked inside a crispy, savory pancake. It’s one of my favorite sneaky ways to get kids (ahem, or picky adults) to happily eat more vegetables. (I also do this with my savory Irish boxty potato pancake recipe.)
The BEST texture – For me, the texture is what makes these pancakes so irresistible. The edges get beautifully golden and crispy while the centers stay tender, savory, and loaded with veggies. That contrast between the crunchy exterior and soft center makes every bite satisfying… Especially once you dunk it into the dipping sauce!
Simple, budget-friendly ingredients – There’s no need to hunt down a long list of specialty ingredients to make fantastic Korean pancakes at home. I make these with inexpensive, easy-to-find ingredients you can pick up at practically any grocery store. They’re simple, economical, and so delicious they might just become your new favorite appetizer!
Key Ingredients and Tips
- All-purpose flour – I use classic all-purpose flour to create the simple batter that holds all those shredded vegetables together. You don’t need anything fancy here!
- Frozen hash browns – Frozen hash browns are my favorite shortcut because they’re already shredded and ready to go. However, freshly grated potatoes work beautifully, too. If you grate your own, I recommend squeezing out any excess moisture so the pancakes can get nice and crispy.
- Vegetables – I pack these pancakes with a colorful combination of shredded carrots, bell peppers, zucchini, and green onions (scallions). I like to cut everything into thin, similar-sized pieces so the vegetables cook quickly and you get a little bit of everything in each bite.
- Vegetable oil – Don’t be shy with the oil here! I use enough vegetable oil to create a crisp, golden crust on the pancakes. A neutral, high-heat oil works best because it lets all those savory vegetable flavors shine.
- Soy sauce – I use a good-quality soy sauce to give the dipping sauce its salty, savory flavor. Low-sodium soy sauce is a great option if you want more control over the saltiness.
- Sugar – Just a little granulated sugar balances the salty soy sauce and tangy vinegar. It doesn’t make the dipping sauce overly sweet, it simply rounds out all the flavors.
- Sesame oil – A small amount of good-quality sesame oil adds wonderful toasted, nutty flavor. It’s potent, so you don’t need much to make a big impact.
- Rice vinegar – Rice vinegar adds the bright, tangy element that keeps the dipping sauce tasting fresh and balanced rather than overly salty or heavy.
Recipe Variations and Dietary Swaps
- Gluten-free – Use a gluten-free flour and coconut aminos.
- White wine vinegar – If you don’t have rice vinegar on hand, you can use white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar.
- Kimchi – Fold chopped kimchi into the pancake batter for a spicy twist.
- Seafood – Add shrimp, squid or crab to these to make a Korean seafood pancake.
- Veggies – Mix in julienned yellow squash or mushrooms if you have them.
How To Make
Find the full recipe with detailed instructions and storage tips in the printable form at the bottom of the post!
Make the dipping sauce – First, I add all of the dipping sauce ingredients to a microwave-safe bowl and whisk them together. Then I microwave the sauce for 1–2 minutes, just long enough to help the sugar completely dissolve. I give it another good whisk and set it aside while I make the pancakes. Making the sauce first also gives those sweet, salty, tangy flavors a little time to mingle.
Make the batter – In a large mixing bowl, I whisk together the flour, water, egg, and salt until smooth. Then I fold in the thawed hash browns and let the batter rest while I prep all the vegetables using my mandolin slicer. (Watch your knuckles!) This little resting period gives the flour time to hydrate and helps everything hold together once it hits the skillet.
Add the veggies – Next, I preheat two nonstick skillets over medium-high heat. While they’re heating, I julienne the vegetables into long, thin strips and fold them into the batter. I add black pepper to taste. The batter should be thick enough to hold all those veggies together, but still spreadable. If it seems too thick after adding the vegetables, I stir in 2–3 tablespoons of water to loosen it up.
Fry until REALLY crispy – I add a little vegetable oil to each hot skillet and swirl it around to coat the bottom. Then I ladle in enough veggie batter to completely cover the bottom of each pan, spreading it into an even layer. I cook the pancakes for about 4-5 minutes per side, until deeply golden and crispy. Here’s the important part: don’t flip too soon! I let the first side develop a good crust before turning it, and I try to flip each pancake only once. If they’re not crisping properly, I add a little more oil.
Slice and serve – I repeat with the remaining batter, adding more oil to the skillets as needed. Then I cut the hot Korean pancakes into wedges and serve them warm with plenty of dipping sauce on the side. I especially love them straight out of the skillet when those edges are at their absolute crispiest!
Expert Tips
A mandolin slicers makes the prep work much quicker. Just be careful when using it! I also used pre-shredded carrots and hash browns to cut down the work.
CRISPY is the goal! I let each pancake develop a deeply golden, crispy crust on the first side before I even think about flipping it. Be patient and resist the urge to keep turning them! The fewer flips, the better the crust. If the pancakes aren’t getting as crisp as you’d like, add a little more oil to the pan.
Storage Notes
- Storing Leftovers – Place leftovers into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezing Leftovers – Wrap the pancakes in parchment paper and freeze in a ziploc bag for up to 2 months.
- Reheating Leftovers – Reheat leftover pancakes in a skillet and avoid warming them in a microwave.
Serving Suggestions
Vegetable pancakes are usually served as a side dish or appetizer with a Korean meal. Consider serving them with…
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, of course, you can! Follow the directions all of the way through. Then seal the pancakes in an airtight container and store them in the fridge. They should be able to last for a couple of days before starting to get soggy. Alternatively, you can freeze them and reheat them in the air fryer later! This is a great make-ahead that can be warmed up in the oven or air fryer. Pajeon pancakes are also really good as leftovers!
No, but a nonstick skillet definitely helps make flipping easier! It’s an easier way to get that golden crust.
Make sure your skillet is hot enough and don’t use too much batter!
Korean Pancake Recipe
Video
Ingredients
For the Pajun (Pajeon):
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 cups frozen hash browns, completely thawed
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced julienne
- 1 small zucchini, sliced julienne
- 1 bunch green onions, cut in 1-inch sections
- Pepper to taste
- Vegetable oil for cooking
For the Dipping Sauce:
- 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Instructions
- Place all the dipping sauce ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. Whisk and warm in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, just long enough for the sugar to dissolve. Whisk again and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together the flour, water, egg and salt. Mix in the thawed hash browns, then set the batter aside to rest.
- Preheat two non-stick skillets to medium high heat. Slice all the veggies julienne (long thin strips) and mix into the batter. Pepper to taste. If the batter still seems very thick after the veggies are mixed in, add 2-3 tablespoons of water and mix well.
- Now add a little oil to each skillet and swirl around. Ladle enough veggie batter into each skillet to completely cover the bottom. Fry for 4-5 minutes, per side. Repeat with remaining batter. Cut the Korean pancakes into wedges and serve warm with the dipping sauce.
I don’t know how I found you, but I am sure glad I did!!! I have been collecting Thai recipes ever since my step-daughter introduced me to Thai food in Chicago!! Oh. My. Goodness. Fell in love!! Bonus…I don’t like vegetables but I’ll eat them in Thai food!! I also spent 2 weeks in South Korea when my daughter was deployed there and fell in love with many of their foods as well (just not kimchi). Thank you for bringing these recipes to all of us so I can try to re-create them in my kitchen!!
Absolutely delicious. I’ve raved about it to everyone I talk to!
Is there no longer an option to switch between U.S. and metric measurements? I do use U.S. measurements primarily, but I much prefer having weights when measuring flour etc, not just for accuracy but also because I have to substitute a grain-free flour blend and it is replaced by weight not by cups.
Hi Allison,
It’s still there! We just updated our site so maybe it looks a bit different… It’s right under the ingredients title. :)
Oh my made the Korean pancake and it was amazing. I was a little skeptical mixing the raw veggies with the flour but everything got cooked. Really easy and yummy.
Looks absolutely delicious. I am vegan so I will do a vegan version (without the egg). Can’t wait to try this.
Hi, Did your children enjoy your Pajun pancakes??
Can they be made without the flour and then maybe eliminate the water. I cant eat wheat flour.
Can you use gluten free flour? She mentioned in a reply to a comment that she had used different flours, even coconut flour.
These were delicious! I had to substitute finely chopped broccoli for zucchini and green onion. I also didn’t have any hash browns, but a (pre-cooked) baked potato, finely chopped, worked well. Now if I could just get my kids and husband to try it…sigh…
The little pancakes they give us at the Korean restaurant are what I look forward to. I made these last night, and they were even better than the ones I get at the restaurant! I got around 7 huge pancakes but could have gotten even more if I made them smaller. Like another commenter suggested, I used Chinese cabbage because I couldn’t find zucchini at the store. I probably added a little bit more carrot and potato and only half of the red pepper. It was delicious… And the sauce, oh yum!! This recipe is so adaptable to what you have on hand too, which is great. The Korean restaurant I go to serves a giant one of these pancakes with seafood in it (mainly shrimp) as an entree. I think I may try to add some shrimp next time! Thanks for this awesome recipe.
These are amazing! LOTS AND LOTS of prep work (even with my KitechenAid) but so totally worth it! Thanks for sharing!
I made these on Monday as part of our meal prep for the week. They are DELICIOUS! They were even more delicious the 2nd day after I toasted them in the toaster oven.
I used whole wheat flour and followed the directions just as stated. The only thing was that I needed way more liquid to be able to “ladel” the batter into my pans but I just eyeballed it so it was no big deal. I think the batter just needed more liquid since I was using ALL whole wheat flour.
These made our list of meatless meals! YAY! Thanks for sharing.
Looks fantastic! Looks very similar to adai, a South Indian pancake which is made with lentils. Gonna try this soon!