Pajeon: More Scallion Than Batter, Golden on Both Sides
Keep the scallions in the lead, spread the batter thin, and let the underside turn golden and crisp before you flip.
A thin layer of batter spreads across a hot pan, the green of the scallions showing through as the edges begin to set. Once both sides are golden, a piece of the hot pancake goes into a small dish of soy sauce sharpened with rice vinegar. That is the picture to aim for with pajeon (파전), known in English as green onion pancake or scallion pancake.
The name points to the main ingredient, and this version takes it seriously: about 350g of scallions in a light batter, enough for 4 large pancakes. The hard part is restraint. Don't let the batter go on thick, and don't turn the pancake until the bottom has set.
This recipe follows a single formula published by King Arthur Baking, a US baking company. It's a home recipe, not the one standard pajeon for all of Korea. We have not kitchen-tested this recipe, so the yield and times are King Arthur Baking's figures, not our own measurements. Your pan and burner will change the timing, so go by color and crispness as well as the clock.
For more dishes from the same country, browse our Korean recipes.
Ingredients: 4 Large Pancakes, with Scallions in the Lead
This recipe contains wheat. Soy sauce may contain soy and wheat, so check the label. Sesame oil contains sesame. We can't guarantee that any substitute is safe for a particular allergy, so check each product you use.
Equipment
- Knife and cutting board
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk and flexible spatula
- 1/2-cup measure or ladle
- Nonstick skillet
- Wide spatula or turner
- Wire rack lined with paper towels, or a plate
- Small bowl and spoon for the sauce
Choosing and Swapping: What Changes the Result
Scallions are the easiest ingredient to get right. Ordinary grocery-store green onions work, and thicker types can be used if you slice them thinly on the diagonal. Thickness, moisture and sweetness vary, so expect some difference in flavor.
The other swaps change the formula, so treat them as your own variations rather than the same recipe:
| Ingredient | If you change it | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | Cake flour | It can make this pancake, but it departs from the formula above |
| Cornstarch | Potato starch | Don't treat the two as the same; try it as a separate experiment |
| Cold sparkling water | Water | The texture will differ, and the pancake may not cook up as light |
| Soy sauce | Another style of soy sauce, such as Japanese dark soy sauce | This is a matter of preference, and the sauce will taste different |
| Gochugaru | Leave it out | The sauce gets milder and loses its red color and chili heat |
Any ordinary rice vinegar is fine for the sauce. Gochugaru is only worth seeking out if you want its color and heat in the dipping sauce.
Soft, Broken, Heavy: Spotting the Problem
These notes are reasoned from the method, not results from a test kitchen.
| What you see | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The center stays soft even after the full time | The batter went on too thick | Spread the next pancake thin right away, to 6 to 8 inches across |
| The pancake breaks when you flip it | The bottom hadn't set yet | Slide the spatula under and check that the edge is firm and the bottom has browned before turning |
| It looks like a pancake with a few scallions in it | Too much batter for the scallions | Stick to the about 350g of scallions and the batter amounts in the table |
| The batter feels sticky | The scallions went in wet | Pat them dry before folding them in next time |
| The color isn't there when the time is up | Pans and burners vary | Let the color guide you, and raise the heat a little at the very end if needed |
The oil is divided because each pancake needs its own fresh oil in the pan. The about 75g is the amount that goes into the pan, not the amount the pancakes absorb.
Serving and Storing
Pajeon is best fresh. King Arthur Baking serves it with the soy dipping sauce, which is one recipe's way of serving it rather than a rule for all of Korea.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat them in an oven or toaster oven, on a rack set over a baking sheet. We don't have a reheating temperature or time to give you, so keep an eye on them as they warm.
Variations: Related Pancakes, Not Small Tweaks
Each of these is a separate approach. Don't mix their amounts into the recipe above.
| Variation | What changes | How to treat it |
|---|---|---|
| Dongnae style | Rice flour, glutinous rice flour and stock, with ingredients and batter layered in the pan | A regional type, described below |
| Laid-out scallions | Scallions are lined up in the pan and batter is poured over them | Maangchi's method. That recipe uses 10 stalks of green onion, 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup water, 1 tsp soybean paste, 1/2 tsp sugar and 3 tbsp oil for one 6×7 inch rectangular pancake |
| With seafood | Seafood is added to the pancake | A separate version, with no amounts given here |
| Plain water | Water replaces the sparkling water | An untested idea; expect a difference in lightness |
| No gochugaru | The chili is left out of the sauce | A way to lower the heat; the sauce also loses its red color |
Pajeon and Dongnae Pajeon: One Word, Different Pancakes
The Maangchi site gives the Korean name 파전 and the English name green onion pancake. King Arthur Baking's recipe is a thin batter with a lot of scallions in it, and that's the style used here. It isn't the only way to make pajeon.
The clearest contrast is Dongnae pajeon. Dongnae-gu, a district of Busan, describes its local version as a regional type made with rice flour, glutinous rice flour and stock. Ingredients and batter are layered on a thick griddle, and a lid is used to finish it.
| This recipe | Dongnae pajeon, as Dongnae-gu describes it | |
|---|---|---|
| Batter | Wheat flour, cornstarch and cold sparkling water | Rice flour, glutinous rice flour and stock |
| Assembly | Scallions folded into the batter | Ingredients and batter layered |
| Cooking | Nonstick skillet, thin round, flipped | Thick griddle, finished with a lid |
The district's page also tells origin stories, including one about the pancake being offered to a king and one connected to the year 1707. It presents these as oral tradition, and we have not confirmed them against older records, so they shouldn't be read as established history. The district also says that from the late Joseon period onward, Dongnae pajeon became a commercial local dish, eaten with alcohol at the Dongnae market and in gisaeng houses. That's the district's account of its own food, not a history of pajeon nationwide.
Maangchi's recipe adds another angle: it uses wild green onions and describes how tender they are in spring, while noting that grocery-store green onions also work. That's one cook's version, not evidence of a nationwide spring custom.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is pajeon the same as chijimi?
We don't claim that the two words are exact synonyms. The sources for this article support the names 파전 and green onion pancake, and they aren't used here to settle how the terms relate.
Which scallions should I use?
Regular grocery-store green onions are fine, as Maangchi also notes. If yours are thick, slice them thinly on the diagonal and keep the width even.
Why sparkling water?
King Arthur Baking's formula calls for it cold, and it's what brings this batter together. Plain water would change the texture, so we treat it as a variation rather than an equal swap.
Can I add seafood?
You can make a seafood pancake, but it's a separate version. Seafood isn't part of this formula, and we don't have tested amounts or timing for it.
Should I use rice flour to make it more traditional?
Rice flour and glutinous rice flour belong to the Dongnae type described by Dongnae-gu, along with stock and a layered method. Adding them to this batter would make a different, unverified recipe.
How long does the whole batch take?
The 3 to 4 minutes per side applies to one pancake, and you'll cook about four in turn. King Arthur Baking lists 40 minutes of hands-on time and 1 hour overall. We haven't confirmed those times in our own kitchen.
Sources
- King Arthur Baking, "Pajeon (Korean Scallion Pancakes)." The recipe used here: ingredients, amounts, yield, method, cooking times, storage and reheating, and the style of a light batter with plenty of scallions. It is an edited recipe from a US baking company, not the sole traditional formula for Korea. https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/pajeon-korean-scallion-pancakes-recipe
- Dongnae-gu, Busan Metropolitan City, "Green Onion Pancake." The district's description of Dongnae pajeon as a regional type, the origin stories it presents as oral tradition, and its account of the dish's commercial history at local markets. https://www.dongnae.go.kr/index.dongnae?menuCd=DOM_000001204003002000
- Maangchi, "Green onion pancake (Pajeon 파전)." The name 파전 and the English name green onion pancake, the use of ordinary green onions, a separate recipe with laid-out scallions, and the cook's note on tender wild green onions in spring. https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/pajeon
