A crispy, savory Korean scallion pancake served with a delicious dipping sauce. This quick and easy pajeon recipe is made with simple ingredients - ready in 15-minutes! A great snack, side dish, or appetizer that's restaurant-quality!
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What is Pajeon?
Pajeon (pronounced 'pa-jun') is a popular Korean green onion pancake served at Korean restaurants with a salty tangy dipping sauce.
It's made with a mix of starch, flour, scallions, and seasoning then pan-fried until crispy and golden on the outside, while a bit chewy on the inside.
It's so delicious and one of my favorite Korean foods! I often make it at home or order it at the restaurant.
In Korean cuisine, there are all sorts of savory pancakes, like Korean Seafood Pancake, Kimchi Pancakes, Korean Tuna Pancakes, Kimchi Potato Pancakes and more!
Koreans love to enjoy this dish with Makgeolli (a Korean milky rice wine), especially on rainy days as it's cozy and comforting.
Why you'll love this recipe:
- Easy to make!
- Made with simple ingredients.
- Ready in 15-minutes!
- Perfect for busy weeknights as a side dish.
- Family-friendly.
- Better-than-takeout!
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Neutral Oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil. Avoid olive oil or any low-smoke point oil.
Pancake Batter
- Green Onions (aka scallions): make sure these are fresh and vibrant as they're the main ingredient.
- All-purpose flour: or substitute with gluten-free baking flour.
- Potato Starch: or substitute with cornstarch.
- Baking Powder: to make the pancake crispy.
- Salt
- Chicken Bouillon Powder: for extra flavor! Omit if you're vegan or vegetarian.
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Very Cold Water
Dipping sauce
- Regular Soy Sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce, light soy sauce, tamari sauce, or coconut aminos.
- Rice vinegar: or substitute with white vinegar.
- Sesame Oil: or substitute with sesame seeds.
- Green Onions
Note: Asian ingredients are typically available at most Asian grocery stores or check online.
Expert Tips
- Pat dry washed scallions with paper towel to remove moisture.
- Split the green onions down the middle for a crispier texture.
- Use a large non-stick pan to spread out the batter thinly.
- Use enough oil for a crispy texture.
- Swirl the oil in the pan before adding batter to create a golden crust.
- Occasionally swirl and press down on the pancake to crisp it up.
- Use a large spatula to flip the pancake when the bottom has formed a crust.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make Pajeon:
- Prepare green onions: Wash green onions and pat dry with paper towels. Trim off the roots, split it vertically and chop into 2-inch-long pieces. Transfer into a large mixing bowl.
- Make the batter: Add the remaining batter ingredients into the bowl and mix just until combined. Do not over mix.
- Fry the batter: Heat 2.5 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan on medium-high heat and give it a swirl. Add green onions from the batter first and evenly spread across the pan. Then scrape out the remaining batter to fill in any holes. Reduce to medium heat and fry until the bottom is crispy, golden brown with slight charring, about 4-5 minutes.
- Flip pancake over: Flip over with a large spatula and pour remaining oil around the pancake. Occasionally swirl the pancake around and press down on it.
- Slice pancake: Transfer the pancake to a cutting board and slice with a sharp knife into small pieces.
- Make dipping sauce: In a small bowl, combine the dipping sauce ingredients and enjoy with the pancake.
Storage & Reheating
- Pajeon will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge, once cooled. To enjoy, reheat on the stovetop or in the air fryer at 350 degrees F until hot throughout.
- Pajeon can be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe bag, once cooled. To enjoy, reheat on the stovetop or in the air fryer at 350 degrees F until hot throughout.
Pairing Suggestions
Pajeon serves well on its own or with Korean side dishes, like:
- kimchi
- Korean cucumber salad
- beansprout salad
- zucchini fritters
- gamja jorim
- Korean spinach
- japchae
- gyeran mari
- fish cake stir fry
FAQ
Pajeon is is best enjoyed fresh or same day for that crispy texture, but you can make it up to 4 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge, once cooled. To enjoy, reheat on the stovetop or air fryer at 350 F until hot throughout.
I don't recommend air frying pajeon as the runny batter will slip through the air fryer basket.
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📖 Recipe
Easy 15-min. Pajeon (Korean Scallion Pancake)
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
Pancake Batter:
- 1 cup green onions packed
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup potato starch or cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ 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
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon green onion finely chopped
Instructions
- Wash green onions and pat dry with paper towels. Trim off the roots, split it vertically and chop into 2-inch-long pieces. Transfer into a large mixing bowl.
- Add the remaining batter ingredients into the bowl and mix just until combined. Do not over mix.
- Heat 2.5 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan on medium-high heat and give it a swirl. Add green onions from the batter first and evenly spread across the pan. Then scrape out the remaining batter to fill in any holes.
- Reduce to medium heat and fry until the bottom is crispy and golden, with slight charring on the onions, about 4-5 minutes.
- Flip over with a large spatula and pour remaining oil around the pancake. Occasionally swirl the pancake around and press down on it.
- Transfer the pancake to a cutting board and slice with a sharp knife into small pieces.
- In a small bowl, combine the dipping sauce ingredients and enjoy with the pancake.
Nonna
Great presentation! Easy to cook recipes! Thank you!!!!!
Christie Lai
The pleasure is all mine! Thank you so much for making my recipe and for leaving this positive review, Nonna!
Thanh Nguyen
Good recipeson asian foods
Christie Lai
Thank you so much!
T
This was so straightforward to prep and make and very tasty. Thanks for the recipe.
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe! So glad you enjoyed it!
Yjchoi
Excellent my parents in their 80s love this and I appreciate the minimal ingredients and no egg needed!
Christie Lai
So glad to hear that your parents enjoyed it! Thank you for making my recipe and for this kind review!
Nj
I like how you add different ingredients in the batter because some Korean bloggers didn’t but you did. Your version is yummier I think.
Thank you.
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe and for sharing your positive experience with us! So glad you enjoyed it!
RBS
Delicious! Will definitely make again.
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe! Glad you enjoyed it!
Ken Huggins
Tasty and simple. New staple recipe
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe! Glad you enjoyed it!
suzanne
This was so easy to make and was delicious. I didn't have enough of the scallions (only 1/2 c.), so I substituted sliced onions and chives (both cut 1 1/2 in.) Used cornstarch, as I didn't have potato starch. Next time I will make sure to have enough scallions, but it still turned perfectly. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe, Suzanne! I am so glad it worked out well and happy you enjoyed it 🙂
Miranda
I made this recipe twice already. I tried with potato starch the first time, and corn starch the second time. Both turned out soggy, not crispy. What went wrong? Please advise, thx.
Christie Lai
There are several possible reasons for this:
1) the green onions were not dried off with paper towel and went into the batter wet
2) the pan wasn't hot enough before the batter went in - different stove tops have different heat settings unfortunately so feel free to raise the heat
3) the batter wasn't evenly spread across the pan - the ideal thickness of the pancake should be 0.75 cm thick
4) not enough oil was used, feel free to add more
5) swirling the pancake around in the oil helps to make it crispy
6) not pressing the pancake down with a spatula so the heat can really sear the pancake.
Also try transferring the cooked pancake to a wired rack or a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess oil as this will make anything crispy soggy.
Hope this helps!
Katie
I’m really excited to try this out! What do you suggest serving these with for a dinner?
Christie Lai
Thanks so much! I suggest serving these with other Korean side dishes or even with any Korean BBQ meats like bulgogi or Jeyuk Bokkeum. Some Korean sides include: Korean cucumber salad, Korean beansprout salad, Korean braised potatoes, Japchae, Gyeran Mari, or Korean corn cheese.
Hope this helps! Enjoy!
Christine
Hi, thank you for sharing this amazing recipe! I tried making pajeon ages ago using a different recipe and failed. But I actually pulled it off with yours! I added chopped squid and it was so delicious 😋
Christie Lai
Amazing! Thank you so much for making my recipe and glad it worked out well with the squid too!
miriam
can you make these in advance and freeze? Then how would you reheat...I hate to use more oil.
Christie Lai
Yes, you can make these in advance and freeze them in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months or until you see freezer burn. To reheat, you can reheat in a pan on the stove top until crispy again or air fry at 350 F for 5-6 minutes or until hot.
Coco
Hi! This recipe looks delicious. I live in a place where it’s difficult to find scallions at the grocery store. What are some options of veggies I can substitute instead? Thanks so much in advance!
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for the kind words! I would suggest substituting green onions with garlic chives, normal onions, carrots, or red bell peppers. Hope this helps!
kris
super easy and tasty! thank youuu
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for the kind review! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Judith
I really like this recipe. However, even though I follow all of the instructions, the pancakes come out salty. Should I eliminate the 1/2 teaspoon of salt since I have already added a 1/2 teaspoon of chicken bouillon? How do I eliminate the saltiness? Please and thank you.
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for the positive review! The pancakes should come out salty but if you prefer it less salty, remove the salt completely or reduce the amount by half.
Trisha Gupta
It’s easy and I jazzed mine up with sliced mushrooms and chopped up pre-cooked prawns. What I would feedback - I’d probably put half the amount of baking powder in? It leaves a very specific kind of bitterness otherwise. Second time I’ve made this, so I think next time I’ll try just half of the baking powder
Jo
This looks delicious, but can you recommend an alternative dipping sauce because I’m allergic to soy and sesame. Thank you!
Christie Lai
Thanks for inquiring! For the dipping sauce, feel free to replace the soy sauce with a soy-less soy sauce like coconut aminos and omit the sesame but replace with chili oil or a neutral oil of your choice.
David Stackable
I made this with gluton free flour and it's is amazing. Thank you.
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for the kind review, David! So glad it worked out well with gluten-free flour. Appreciate you sharing your experience so others who are gluten-free can also enjoy my recipe 🙂
Trisha E Pierce
Delicious, quick and easy lunch. I added some finely grated carrot too.
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe and for leaving a kind review, Trisha! I love the addition of the carrots and glad you enjoyed it.