I’m introducing one of my most popular recipes among my Korean friends to you today. Gochujeon made with green chili peppers is one of my favorite lunchbox side dishes.

When I was young, I used to visit my grandmother during the summer vacation. She lived on an island in the very southern part of Korea. Her gochujeon was very salty and spicy, and very delicious.

Why did she make it so salty? She might have wanted to conserve her other ingredients. Or maybe she thought salty pancakes were more delicious? I never asked her why, and she passed away a long time ago. I modified her gochujeon recipe to make it milder and less salty, and I’ve been making my popular gochujeon for many years.

When I traveled to Mexico City, the hotel I stayed at provided us with breakfast every morning. I met chef Margarita there. Her menu was very interesting: Canadian enchilada, Italian enchilada, Mexican style eggs… What’s the difference between different countries’ enchiladas? Everyone would be interested to see what the Canadian enchilada tastes like.

Even though I usually don’t eat breakfast, I was so curious about the different dishes that I ordered a different breakfast every day. One morning, my gochujeon idea came up. I asked chef Margarita if she was interested in learning my authentic Korean gochujeon recipe. She loved the idea.

We made 2 versions: the first was my gochujeon, and the second was her version using seasoned chicken strips, her specialty. It worked wonderfully. Her gochujeon with chicken was very tasty.

Margarita understood a little bit of English but she understood a lot of my body language. She wrote down the recipes in her notebook and took notes about the fish sauce. I told her where to find it; there’s a Koreatown in Mexico City in an area called Zona Rosa. I visited Zona Rosa and found several Korean supermarkets.

I hope she added a new dish to her breakfast menu: “Korean style green chili pancake!” Wouldn’t that be great!

Margarita is making a note about the fish sauce.

Gochujeon 1

Ingredients (for 2- 4 servings)

Green chili peppers, onion, fish sauce, flour, water, vegetable oil

Directions

  1. Place 1 cup of chopped green chili pepper and 2 tbs chopped onion into a bowl.
  2. Add ½ cup flour, ½ cup water, and 1 tbs fish sauce.
  3. Mix well.
  4. Heat up a non-stick pan and add some vegetable oil or olive oil.
  5. Add the mixture to the heated pan and spread it thinly.
  6. Cook a few minutes until the bottom of the pancake turns golden brown and crispy.
  7. Turn it over with spatula or flip it. Add more oil to make it even crispier if you want. If you add more oil, shake the pan and tilt it so that the oil spreads underneath the pancake.
  8. A few minutes later, when the bottom of the pancake is crispy and golden brown, flip or turn it over again.
  9. Transfer it to a cutting board and cool it down.
  10. Cut into bite size pieces and put it on a plate.
  11. Serve with rice.

Gochujeon 2

Ingredients (for 2-4 servings)

chicken breast, garlic, kosher salt, green chili peppers, onions, fish sauce, flour, water, vegetable oil

Directions

  1. Boil chicken breast (about ½ cup’s worth), 3 cloves of garlic, ¼ of a medium onion, and 1 tbs kosher salt in 5 cups of water until the chicken is cooked well.
  2. Drain the chicken and squeeze out any excess water.
  3. Tear it into little strips and set aside.
  4. Place 1 cup of chopped green chili pepper and 2 tbs chopped onion into a bowl.
  5. Add ½ cup flour, ½ cup water, 1 tbs fish sauce, and the cooked chicken.
  6. Mix well.
  7. Heat up a non-stick pan and add some vegetable oil or olive oil.
  8. Add the mixture to the heated pan and spread it thinly.
  9. Cook a few minutes until the bottom of the pancake turns golden brown and crispy.
  10. Turn it over with spatula or flip it. Add more oil to make it even crispier if you want. If you add more oil, shake the pan and tilt it so that the oil spreads underneath the pancake.
  11. A few minutes later, when the bottom of the pancake is crispy and golden brown, flip or turn it over again.
  12. Transfer it to a serving plate
  13. Serve with rice.

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25 Comments:

  1. VeganLegation Europe joined 6/17 & has 17 comments

    We use natural liquid seasoning instead of fish sauce. Fantastic green chili pancakes! We love it with brown rice.


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  2. Lynnjamin New York joined 11/14 & has 31 comments

    I chose this dish to teach to my friend who has a Korean boyfriend. Just as I was about to add the flour she told me she can’t eat gluten. Quick substitution of short-grain rice flour from the pantry and an egg and a sinking feeling that thay were going to be awful. Well, they were so crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside, this is how I will make them next time. I am so glad her restriction forced me to try a new adaptation and I just had to share it.

  3. missytree joined 4/15 & has 3 comments

    So delicious! We made them with shishito peppers.


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  4. Cokia Chico, CA joined 7/14 & has 1 comment

    I love both recipes! I use whatever is in season for Chilis and sometimes I also add zucchini to the first recipe if its summer because I always have a lot in the garden! It always turns out delicious!

  5. silverthorne Queensland, Australia joined 7/13 & has 2 comments

    Tried this recipe tonight and everyone loved it. I will be using it again. next time I will try to make it with the chicken. Thanks for this great recipe.

  6. peonygirl portland, oregon joined 8/09 & has 51 comments

    This would be great with some korean chilies and a serrano chili. Yum!

  7. gatochat joined 11/10 & has 3 comments

    My husband has recently started a new job and he has been complaining the lack of choice for lunch near his office, so I’ve been looking for all sort of lunchbox ideas and I found with this recipe.

    It’s soooooooo delicious! Thx Maangchi! I couldn’t find korean chilli peppers here so I used a mixture of birds eye chillies and sweet peppers. It tasted soooo nice that I couldn’t help eating them until there was hardly any left for my husband!

    My son will start nursery soon and I think he’ll love a non-spicy version in his lunchbox too!

    Thx Maangchi for all your great recipes!!!!

    • Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

      “I used a mixture of birds eye chillies and sweet peppers..” I can tell you are such a great cook. It doesn’t have to be certain peppers. Just as you did, you can mix mild peppers and spicy peppers according to your taste. Happy cooking!

  8. sarahweixiaoen United Kingdom joined 6/11 & has 1 comment

    Hi Maangchi! :D
    I love you recipes! I’m a total newbie at cooking and thanks to your recipes, they’ve inspired me to cook for the first time, i’m 17 ^^
    I’m just wondering. What flour do I use for making pancakes? keke :)

  9. lovekorean malaysia joined 6/11 & has 1 comment

    is it too spicy??

  10. I tried making it with my mum
    its was delicious and so easy
    ..

    yummy yummy boom boom..~haha..my favourite line!

    me,my mum,my friend and her mum are like you fan!..looking at your videos we always get to try something new..thank you so much for the recipes!.
    <3

  11. I tried making it with my mum
    its was delicious and so easy

    me,my mum,my friend and her mum are like you fan!..looking at your videos we always get to try something new..thank you so much for the recipes!.
    <3

  12. oksipak California joined 1/11 & has 72 comments

    Delicious! Made this for breakfast. I could have eaten the entire batch but sharing is better. ;)

  13. vb38 joined 7/10 & has 36 comments

    Where is the traditional dress!!!????? Amazing to be able to cook with someone fm another culture and share. Awesome!
    BTW, is the organ grinder giving protection money to the police?! SUCKS BIG TIME!

  14. Hello Maangchi!

    I love that you made this video in Mexico with the chef in the hotel kitchen. What a way to spread good cheer.

    I have tried several of your recipes. I especially love the spicy pork and muesangchae. Luckily, where I live, there are several well-stocked Korean supermarkets.

    Being able to watch the videos and see how each dish turns out is the best part. Thank you for providing this service to Korean food-lovers.

    Hannah

  15. We call those pablano peppers. My favorite. You don’t have to roast and peel them like green chiles. That looks delish. Keep up the good work.

  16. Sandy Bell Jordan joined 12/10 & has 14 comments

    I like it & it seems easy
    great job

  17. JamieF New Zealand joined 1/11 & has 120 comments

    This looks so delicious! I am going to make it as a side dish for tonight’s dinner (which I haven’t decided on yet). I loved the vege pancake sidedish from here so I am sure to love this one too.

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