These Korean scallion pancakes with seafood (pajeon) originated from Busan. The mixture of two different types of flour makes these pancakes very crispy. Serve with tangy soy dipping sauce. Delicious!

crispy Korean scallion pancakes with mixed seafood are cut to bite size.

The month of July in Korea is known for the rainy season. When it rains, these Korean seafood scallion pancakes (haemul pajeon, 파전), also known as green onion pancakes, are the most sought-out food in Korea.

There’s something about the rain and pan-fried food that creates magic. The monsoon climate dwells in the entire Korean peninsula in the summer. It is wet, humid, and somewhat unpleasant.

I remember my mother often heated our floor (we had one of those traditional Korean floors that heats up) in the month of July just to cut off the humidity.

Koreans enjoy greasy savory pancakes when the weather is rainy. It must be something in our body that craves greasy-fatty food when the weather turns bad.

One of the most popular savory pancakes has to be these Korean scallion pancakes with dipping sauce. They are often made with a variety of seafood.

Today I will share the most popular version. It comes from the Donglae (동래) area in Busan (부산), where the pancake is popular among the locals and tourists.

These pancakes are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. I use a mixture of store-bought pan-frying mix with rice flour. The combination makes the pancake batter very crisp and delicious. With a salty and tangy dipping sauce, you will taste the best Korean savory pancakes.

A torn piece of Korean seafood green onion pancakes are being dipped with chopsticks in a dipping sauce.

Pair with salty and tangy soy chili dipping sauce. These will give you a great comfort when the weather drags you down. Your daily stress will be washed away as you savor these pancakes.

Soy dipping sauce

A soy dipping sauce with green onion and toasted sesame seeds are made in a small green bowl with a measuring spoon.

Make your dipping sauce first. Just mix all the ingredients named in the recipe below; set aside.

Pancake batter

Korean pancake mix and rice flour are used making Korean seafood pancakes.

To make the pancake batter, you will need these two types of flour: Korean savory pancake mix and the rice flour.

Korean pancake batter is mixed with a whisk in a bowl.

Combine the pancake mix and rice flour and add ice water. Make sure to use ice water to ensure a crisp texture. The ratio is hard to nail down but as long as it has a consistency of western pancake batter, you are good to go.

Tips: Do not over mix the pancake batter. Doing so will allow the gluten in the flour to develop, and it makes your pancake tougher. Mix until just combined.

How to make Korean scallion pancakes

Trimmed scallions are arranged and filled in a skillet.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over med-low heat, lay your scallions (They are cut to fit in the skillet). Fill the sides with shorter pieces.

Pancake batter is drizzled over scallions in a skillet.

Drizzle the pancake batter just to barely cover. Shake a little so the batter can sip thorough the cracks to stabilize the pancakes.

seafood is scattered over scallion pancake batter.

Seafood is optional. If you want to make this pancakes without seafood, you can skip them. But I like mine with seafood, which is the traditional way of enjoying the pajeon.

If using seafood, scatter the seafood mixture. Fresh seafood would be the best but I also use frozen seafood mixtures that have been thawed. They worked great!

Beaten egg is drizzled over Korean seafood scallion pancake batter in a skillet.

Drizzle a slightly beaten egg over the top, and let it cook for 3-4 minutes. When the edges of the pancake seem slightly golden and dry, you will flip this pancake!

A spatula is getting ready to flip the savory scallion and seafood pancake to the other side in a skillet.

Good luck on the flipping!

Crisp browned texture is showing through scallion pancakes in a skillet.

Let this cook another 3-4 minutes. Drizzle a little more oil around the edges of pancake to create a crisp texture on the crust. The more grease, the crispier the texture!

Did I ever say this is the ultimate healthy food? Nope!

Korean seafood scallion pancake is sliced with a pizza cutter.

Cut the pancake with a pizza cutter to your desired size and serve when it is hot. Korean pancakes have to be eaten when they are sizzling hot. Enjoy!

More Korean pancakes

Korean seafood scallion pancakes has crispy texture on the outside.
Korean scallion pancakes with dipping sauce

Korean Scallion Pancakes with Seafood (Pajeon)

This Korean scallion pancake originated from Busan. Traditionally this pancake is made with mixed seafood, but that is optional. Using two different types of flours makes the pancakes very crisp on the outside.
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Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup Korean pancake mix (buchim garu)
  • 1 cup + 2-3 tbsp rice flour
  • 3/4 cup ice water
  • 3 bunches scallion, cut to fit in the skillet
  • 2 handful mixed seafood; shrimp, squid, and mussel, cut into pieces, optional
  • 3 egg, slightly beaten
  • 4 tbsp oil , for pan-frying

Soy dipping sauce

Equipment

  • 10-inch carbon steel pan or cast iron skillet

Instructions 

  • Combine pancake mix and rice flour in a mixing bowl, and add ice water. Mix just until the batter is moistened. Adjust the amount of water to mimic the consistency of western pancake batter.
  • Heat a tablespoon of oil in skillet over medium-low heat. Place scallions to fit in the skillet. If the skillet is bigger than 9-10 inch, try to make the pancakes only 9 to 10-inch in diameter.
  • Drizzle the pancake batter over the scallion to just barely cover. Shake the pan gently so the pancake batter can sip though the bottom of the skillet to stabilize the green onion.
  • If using seafood, scatter the seafood pieces on top of scallion, and drizzle 1/3 of the beaten eggs on top.
  • Pan-fry the pancake for 3-4 minutes over medium heat. Flip to the other side and continue to cook for another 3 minutes. Add a little more oil if the skillet seems dry. You will want the crust to be deep golden brown in color and crisp. Adjust the heat so that you don't burn the scallions.
  • Transfer the pancakes onto a cutting board and cut into big bite size pieces. Serve the pancakes immediately with the soy dipping sauce
  • To make the soy dipping sauce, combine all the ingredients and mix well.
Did you make this recipe?Tag @beyondkimchee on Instagram. I love to see your masterpiece.