A crispy and savory Korean garlic chive pancake served with a tangy dipping sauce! This quick and easy Buchujeon recipe is ready in 30 minutes with simple ingredients. A great appetizer, side or snack that is family-friendly and better-than-takeout!
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What is Buchujeon?
Buchujeon is a crispy pan-fried Korean pancake made of garlic chives, onions, flour, starch, seasoning and water, then fried in a generous amount of oil until golden and crispy.
In Korean, "buchu" means "garlic chives" and "jeon" means "pancake". You'll find this popular dish served at Korean restaurants with a tangy savory dipping sauce, which is a must!
There are a variety of savory pancakes in Korean cuisine, such as Kimchijeon (kimchi pancake), Pajeon (scallion pancake) and Haemul Pajeon (seafood pancake).
In Korean culture, savory pancakes are enjoyed with ice-cold beer and are so comforting on a rainy day.
I remember my first time having this dish. It was so delicious with the crispy edges and the charred garlic chives and onions. The charring amplifies the flavor!
I hope you enjoy my version of this iconic Korean dish.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to the below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Neutral Oil: Use a neutral oil like avocado, sunflower, grapeseed, peanut, vegetable, or canola oil. Avoid olive oil or any low-smoke point oil.
Pancake Batter
- Garlic Chives: These are not regular chives that are hollow in the center. They are flat, about 1-1.5 foot long, pointy at the ends and available at the Asian market. Or substitute with green onions.
- Small Onion
- All-Purpose flour: This is a general-use white wheat flour.
- Cornstarch: Or substitute with potato starch.
- Baking Powder: To make pancake super crispy.
- Salt
- Chicken bouillon powder: Do not substitute with chicken bouillon paste.
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Very Cold Water: Do not use room-temperature or warm water as it activates the gluten in the flour, resulting in less crispy pancakes.
Dipping Sauce
- Regular Soy Sauce: Or substitute with low-sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce.
- Rice Vinegar: Or substitute with white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- Sesame Oil: Or substitute with a dash of sesame seeds or neutral oil if you're allergic to sesame.
- Green Onion
Note: Asian ingredients are typically available at most Asian grocery stores or check online.
Expert Tips
- Wash and pat dry the garlic chives with paper towels to remove excess moisture or this can cause soggy pancakes.
- Evenly chop the garlic chives into 1.5 inch long pieces, so they can easily mix in the batter.
- Thinly slice onions so they incorporate evenly in the batter.
- Don't over mix the batter or it'll activate the gluten causing dense and less crispy pancakes.
- Use a large non-stick pan to prevent the pancake from sticking and easy cleanup!
- Don't skimp on the oil - a generous oil is needed for that crispy texture.
- Charring is recommended and it will add flavor to the pancake.
- Serve the pancake on parchment paper so it can soak up any excess oil or grease, which causes soggy pancakes.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make buchujeon:
- Prepare garlic chives: Wash garlic chives to remove any dirt. Pat them dry with paper towel. Chop them into 1.5-inch long pieces and transfer into a large mixing bowl.
- Make pancake batter: Add the remaining pancake batter ingredients into the mixing bowl with the garlic chives and mix just until combined - don't over mix!
- Heat oil: Heat 2 ½ tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan (11 to 12 inch wide) on medium-high heat.
- Fry pancake batter: Once hot, swirl the oil in the pan and add the pancake batter. Evenly and thinly spread the batter across the pan. Then scrape out any remaining batter in the bowl with a spatula to fill in any holes. Reduce to medium heat and fry until the bottom is crispy, golden, and slightly charred with small bubbles forming all over the pancake, about 3 minutes.
- Flip pancake: Once the bottom is crispy and golden, flip over with a large spatula. Pour remaining oil along the edges of the pan and swirl the pancake in the oil to prevent sticking. Fry until the other side is golden, crispy and charred, about 2-3 minutes. Press the pancake down a few times with the spatula to make the pancake crispy.
- Cut pancake: Transfer the pancake to a cutting board and slice into small squares or wedges and transfer to a parchment-lined serving plate.
- Make dipping sauce: In a small bowl, combine dipping sauce ingredients as listed above and serve with pancake. Enjoy!
Storage & Reheating
- Buchujeon can last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge once cooled. To enjoy, reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot throughout. The pancake will taste less crispy overtime.
- I don't recommend freezing buchujeon because the garlic chives will become mushy.
Pairing Suggestions
Buchujeon pairs well with:
- Kimchi
- Korean cucumber salad
- Beansprout salad
- Zucchini fritters
- Gamja jorim
- Korean spinach
- Japchae
- Gyeran mari
- Fish cake stir fry
- Korean Braised Tofu
- Korean Sausage Stir-Fry
- Chamchijeon (tuna pancakes)
FAQ
Buchujeon is best enjoyed fresh, but can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge once cooled. To enjoy, reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot throughout.
You can add chopped shrimp, calamari, or octopus to buchujeon as they cook quickly. Avoid adding meat to this pancake.
📖 Recipe
Easy Buchujeon (Korean Garlic Chive Pancakes)
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
Pancake Batter
- 1 cup garlic chives washed, dried, and chopped into 1.5-inch long pieces
- ¼ cup onion thinly sliced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch or potato starch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ cup water very cold
Dipping sauce
- 2 tablespoon regular soy sauce or light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar or white vinegar / apple cider vinegar
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon green onion finely chopped
Instructions
- Transfer the chopped garlic chives into a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining pancake batter ingredients and mix just until combined - don't over mix.
- Heat 2 ½ tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan (11 to 12-inch wide) on medium-high heat.
- Once hot, swirl the oil in the pan and add the pancake batter, evenly spreading it across the pan. Then scrape out any remaining batter and fill in any gaps. Reduce to medium heat and fry until the bottom is crispy, golden, and slightly charred, about 4-5 minutes.
- Flip over with a large spatula. Pour remaining oil along the edges of the pan and swirl the pancake in the oil to prevent sticking. Fry until the other side is golden, crispy and charred, about 2-3 minutes. Occasionally press down on the pancake to crisp it up.
- Transfer the pancake to a cutting board and slice into small squares or wedges and serve on a parchment-lined serving plate.
- In a small bowl, combine dipping sauce ingredients as listed above and serve with pancake. Enjoy!
Wendy
Made this yesterday and my boyfriend ate the whole entire pancake! Thanks for the recipe 🙂 I thought the apple cider vinegar was too strong in the sauce but the pancakes itself was very tasty~
christieathome
Thank you so much for these kind words and for making my recipe! I'm so glad you enjoyed the dish and note taken on the ACV 🙂 Have a lovely day!
Jennifer
I made this twice over the weekend, and it was delicious.
I used a tablespoon of regular chives instead of garlic chives, because I couldn't find fresh chives and good luck finding garlic chives on Maui.
For the sauce, I halved the amount of vinegar, and subbed unseasoned rice vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar. I also used twice as much gochujang in my dipping sauce.
Thanks for the recipe!
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe, Jennifer! So glad you enjoyed it with normal chives. Great substitution!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
What a fun party starter or late night binge watching snack! I'm just loving all of the savory flavors in this pancake, too... it's the perfect plant-based treat!