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Korean

Haemul Pajeon

Haemul Pajeon is a Korean seafood scallion pancake cooked until crisp outside and tender inside.

Published and reviewed by Kitchgrow on 6 September 2026Updated

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Haemul Pajeon

40 mintotal

Prep 20 min · Cook 20 min

Serves
2
Difficulty
Medium
Spice
Mild
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Ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop.

No inactive time, and the batter should be mixed just before it goes in the pan; it thins as it stands and fries less crisp.

Method

  1. Pat the prawns and squid dry so they do not water down the batter.

  2. Mix the all-purpose flour, rice flour, and salt in a bowl, then whisk in the cold water until a loose batter forms.

  3. Fold in the spring onion whites, green chili pepper, prawns, and squid without overmixing.

  4. Heat a wide pan over medium-high heat and add part of the neutral oil.

  5. Lay the spring onion greens in the pan, then pour the batter and seafood mixture over them in an even layer.

  6. Drizzle the beaten egg over the top and cook until the underside is deeply golden and the edges look crisp.

  7. Flip carefully, add the remaining oil around the edges, and cook until the seafood is fully cooked and the pancake is crisp on both sides.

  8. Mix the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and sesame seeds into a dipping sauce.

  9. Slice the pancake and serve hot with the dipping sauce.

How to tell it's done

The pancake should be crisp at the edges, tender in the center, and the seafood should be opaque and fully cooked.

Getting it right

Tip

Cold batter and enough oil help create crisp edges without making the pancake heavy.

What to serve it with

Serve as a shared snack or starter, cut into wedges with the dipping sauce on the side.

Substitutions

  • Use only Prawns if Squid is unavailable, but keep the seafood fully cooked before serving.
  • Use extra Spring Onion Greens if you prefer a simpler pajeon and skip the seafood, though the flavor will be less briny.
  • All-purpose flour contains gluten, and packaged soy sauce may contain wheat, so this recipe should not be labeled gluten-free.