Haemul pajeon (Korean seafood scallion pancake) is a must-make for anyone who loves Korean dishes that use seafood! The pancakes (jeon) are crispy, savory, spicy, and packed with delicious flavors. They are also super easy to prepare, making them perfect for a quick dinner on weekdays!
If you've taken a look at some of my other recipes, you may have noticed that I absolutely love Korean cuisine! It's flavorful, spicy, and uses a variety of tasty and nourishing ingredients. Dishes like doenjang jjigae (Korean soybean paste stew), tteokbokki (spicy Korean rice cakes), dubu jorim (Korean braised tofu), and dakbokkeumtang (spicy Korean chicken stew) are constantly part of my dinner routine.
This haemul pajeon (Korean seafood scallion pancake) recipe is one that I also love to make at home! It uses a variety of seafood, lots of green onions, and red chili pepper for some spice.
If you've tried Korean jeon (pancakes) before, then you'll know how delicious they are! They are savory pancakes that are usually served with a dipping sauce that makes them taste extra delicious. I already posted my favorite kimchi jeon recipe (be sure to check it out!), so it's time to show you how to make the most delicious haemul pajeon at home!
Haemul Pajeon Ingredients
To make haemul pajeon you'll need the following ingredients:
- Seafood: Haemul pajeon is usually made using different kinds of seafood. You can use shrimp, clams, squid, mussels, and other variations of these types of seafood. As fresh seafood can be a bit harder to find where I live, I like to use a frozen seafood mix, which is absolutely fine to use! If you prefer buying fresh seafood, that's also a great option. Just use the type of seafood that's available to you, though I'd recommend using more than one type if possible!
- Flour: For the jeon batter, you'll need regular all-purpose flour. If you prefer a pancake mix for jeon (they are available in many Asian grocery stores) you can use it. In that case, replace the flour and potato starch with the pancake mix. I just prefer to make the batter myself as flour and potato starch are inexpensive ingredients that are available in most grocery stores. Both options work well and are used by many people!
- Potato starch: As mentioned, you'll need potato starch for the batter. Potato starch makes the pancake extra crispy. If you can't find potato starch, you can use only flour. Just make sure to adjust the recipe so that the batter has the right consistency. It should be quite runny and not thick like American pancake batter.
- Egg: Eggs are another typical ingredient for making Korean jeon. They are either mixed into the batter or they are poured over the pancake once it is in the pan.
- Green onion: You can't make pajeon without its key ingredient: green onions! So make sure to buy plenty of green onion for this recipe.
- Chili pepper: I think chili pepper is what takes haemul pajeon to the next level! It tastes super delicious when pan-fried and adds just the right amount of spice. If you are sensitive to heat, please feel free to skip the chili pepper or use a mild kind. But if you don't mind the heat, make sure to use red chili pepper for this recipe!
- Dipping sauce: For the dipping sauce, you'll need soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes), and green onion. It's a classic dipping sauce that perfectly complements Korean seafood pancakes!
How to make haemul pajeon
Prepare the dipping sauce. First, whisk together all dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Then set the sauce aside.
Prepare the batter. Next, add the flour, potato starch, salt, and cold water to a bowl. Whisk until combined.
Stir in the other ingredients. Now add the chopped seafood, green onions, and beaten egg to the bowl. Gently stir until the ingredients are covered in batter.
Pan-fry the pancakes. Next, preheat some vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat. Pour either all of the batter into the pan to make one large pancake (only recommended if your pan is large enough!) or make two smaller pancakes. Add the chili pepper slices on top. Let the pancake cook until it's golden brown
Flip and pan-fry again. When the pancake has browned, flip and pan-fry it from the other side. Add more oil to the pan if needed and lift the pancake to evenly spread the oil.
Serve. When the pancake has browned from both sides and the seafood is cooked through, remove the seafood scallion pancake from the pan. Cut it into pieces and serve it with the dipping sauce!
Tips & Notes
- Make sure to use ice-cold water for the batter. Using cold water is important for making the pancake crisp up nicely. So make sure to use water that's as cold as possible.
- Use medium heat so that the seafood gets a chance to cook through. If you use high heat, the pancake will be browned too quickly, not giving the seafood enough time to cook. So start with medium heat and then adjust as needed.
- If your pan isn't large enough or you are unsure, make smaller pancakes and don't pour all of the batter into the pan. The pancake needs to be thin enough to make it cook properly. I like to make two smaller pancakes when using the recipe for four servings. It's a real bummer when the pancake ends up too thick (I've been there 🥲).
- Skip the sliced chili pepper if you are sensitive to heat. The red chili pepper definitely adds spice, especially because it's pan-fried. So make sure to either skip it if you really don't like spicy food or use a type of green chili pepper as they are usually milder. If you like spicy food, definitely make sure to add the red chili pepper as it makes the pancake taste super delicious!
- Don't mix the egg into the batter if you'd prefer to add it later. There are two options: you can add the beaten egg to the batter or skip this step and then later pour the beaten egg over the pancake once you've spread the batter in the pan and added the red chili pepper. Both versions make the haemul pajeon taste slightly different, so just pick the one you like and go with it!
How to serve Korean seafood scallion pancake
- Serve it alongside the dipping sauce. The dipping sauce is the perfect combination of umami, acidity, and spice. It really elevates the flavor of haemul pajeon and complements it perfectly, so make sure to prepare it!
- Prepare more side dishes for a variety of food. Haemul pajeon is already quite satiating and you don't necessarily need other (side) dishes to turn it into a meal. But you can always whip up other Korean dishes or banchan (Korean side dishes) if you feel like it. I sometimes make kongnamul muchim (Korean bean sprout side dish) or oi muchim (Korean cucumber salad) to add extra vegetables to my meal. Both are super easy to make and taste really good!
Frequently Asked Questions
Haemul pajeon is a type of savory Korean pancake (jeon) that is made with seafood and green onion. There are many different types of jeon. Another well-known kind of jeon is kimchi jeon (kimchi pancake).
The ingredients may look very simple but they are super flavorful and aromatic! The seafood scallion pancakes are also spicy thanks to the chili pepper that is added. So if you love seafood and bold flavors, you are probably going to love this dish!
It is spicy due to the red chili pepper that is used. On a scale of 1-10, I'd give it a 7. It's really enjoyable and the kind of spice that is super delicious! If you are sensitive to heat, feel free to skip the red chili pepper or use green chili pepper as a mild alternative.
Jeon can be translated to pancake (keep in mind that they are savory) while pajeon means scallion pancake. So pajeon is a type of Korean jeon. Haemul pajeon uses seafood in addition to scallions, hence the name.
Both options work well! I just prefer flour and potato starch as they are readily available, inexpensive, and always in my pantry. You can try both options and decide which one you like more, it's totally up to you. Either way, I'm sure you'll love the haemul pajeon that you prepare at home!
The key to making crispy pancakes is using ice-cold water and potato starch for the batter. There really isn't anything else that you need to do or buy to make delicious and crispy Korean jeon!
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 2-3 days. The best way to reheat them is actually the air fryer as the final result will be crispier. If you don't have an air fryer, just use a microwave to reheat the jeon.
More simple and delicious Korean recipes
If you love Korean cuisine and you are looking for more recipes to try at home, I recommend checking out the following recipes. They are easy to make and super delicious!
- Kimchi Pancake (Kimchi Jeon)
- Doenjang Jjigae (Korean Soybean Paste Stew)
- Dubu Jorim (Korean Braised Tofu)
- Tteokbokki (Spicy Korean Rice Cakes)
- Ground Beef Bulgogi
Haemul Pajeon (Korean Seafood Scallion Pancake)
Ingredients
Dipping Sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon sesame seeds
- ¼ teaspoon gochugaru
- ½ green onion cut into slices
Haemul Pajeon (Seafood Scallion Pancake)
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup potato starch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cold water or seafood stock
- 1 egg beaten
- 2 cups chopped seafood like shrimp, squid, clams
- 4 green onions cut into thirds and cut open lengthwise
- 1 red chili pepper cut into slices
- 2-4 tablespoons vegetable oil for pan-frying the pancakes
Instructions
- First, whisk together all dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set the sauce aside.1 tablespoon soy sauce, ½ tablespoon rice vinegar, ½ teaspoon sesame oil, ½ teaspoon sesame seeds, ¼ teaspoon gochugaru, ½ green onion
- Next, add all-purpose flour, potato starch, salt, and cold water to a bowl. Then whisk until combined.¾ cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 cup cold water or seafood stock, ¼ cup potato starch
- Add the chopped seafood, beaten egg, and green onions. Stir until just combined.1 egg, 2 cups chopped seafood, 4 green onions
- Preheat some vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat. Then pour all of the batter (to make one large pancake) or half of the batter (to make two small pancakes, recommended) into the pan. Add the chili slices on top and let the pancake brown.1 red chili pepper, 2-4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Flip the pancake and let it brown from the other side. Add more vegetable oil if needed and slightly lift the pancake to distribute the oil underneath it.
- Serve the pancake with other (side) dishes of your choice and enjoy it with the dipping sauce!
Notes
- This recipe can be used to make one large pancake or two smaller pancakes. If your pan isn't large, make multiple smaller pancakes as the pancakes won't cook well when they are too thick.
- The dough should be on the runny side and not like American breakfast pancake batter. If it's too thick, add a few more tablespoons of water.
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