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Korean meat tofu patties are served on a bamboo bastket with perilla leaves

Korean Meat Tofu Patties (Wanja-jeon)

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Korean meat tofu patties (wanja-jeon) are a traditional Korean Chuseok dish, but they are also great for a lunchbox as well. You can use ground pork, beef, chicken, or mixture of any. Makes 3 dozen mini patties.
Cuisine Korean
Diet Low Lactose
Keyword chuseok, chuseok food, ground pork, meat patties, meat tofu patties, tofu patties, wanja-jeon
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 8 people
Author Holly Ford

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground pork, beef, or chicken
  • 1/2 lb (1/2 pkg) firm tofu
  • 1/2 medium onion
  • 1 carrot
  • 2-3 mushroom (I used shiitake mushroom)
  • 1/2 leek or 2 green onion
  • 1 fresh green chili, seeded (optional)
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp ginger paste
  • 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 3 eggs divided
  • 1 cup flour for coating
  • 4 tbsp oil

For dipping sauce

Instructions

  • Mince onion, carrot, mushroom, leek (or green onion) super finely with a knife or use a mini food chopper. Leeks (or green onion), however, won't mince very well in a food chopper, so I recommend mincing them with a knife as finely as you can. You will need to collect 1/4 cup of each minced vegetable and mushroom. Set them aside.
  • Place tofu in a fine kitchen cloth and twist it to squeeze the water out. Unfold the cloth and crumble the tofu.
  • Mix ground meat, tofu, minced vegetables, mushroom, garlic, ginger, oyster sauce, egg, salt, pepper, and 1 egg in a mixing bowl. Knead the mixture for 2-3 minutes. Form them into meatballs using a small cookie scoop (1 1/2 tbsp). It will make about 3 dozen meatballs.
  • Put flour in one shallow bowl (I used a pie dish) and the remaining eggs in another; beat the eggs. Flatten each meatball a little to make a disk shape. Coat them lightly with flour, followed by beaten eggs.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium low heat. Add a few patties (without crowding the skillet too much) and cook until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Flip to the other side and cook another 3 minutes or until fully cooked. Adjust the heat to low if the patties brown too quickly.
  • After the first batch has been pan-fried, wipe the skillet with a paper towel to remove any residue in the skillet. This will help the next batch look clean, without burnt pieces sticking on the surface. Start pan-frying the second batch and repeat the steps.
  • Serve meat tofu patties warm or at room temperature with a dipping sauce.
  • To make the dipping sauce, mix soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar in a small mixing bowl.
  • * Storage Tips: Store leftover meat tofu patties in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. They also freeze beautifully. Just put them in a zipper bag and freeze them up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw the patties first and fry them again in a bare skillet (no oil needed) over medium-low heat, or microwave them until hot.