Yachaejeon is a crispy, healthy, delicious, and simple Korean vegetable pancake with lots of flavor and plenty of room for variation.
I introduced this recipe to you in 2007 when I first started YouTube, but it wasn’t exactly yachaejeon because I used seafood. The video is here if you’re interested to see it. This time let’s make a real yachaejeon!
We’ll use a couple different kinds of vegetables and you can add your own, too. I didn’t use perilla leaves (kkaenip) or asian chives (buchu) this time, but they work well in yachaejeon.
Vegetable options
You can use almost any vegetables you have on hand, such as thinly sliced cabbage, carrots, or bell peppers. Slice them into thin, narrow strips so they cook quickly and evenly. I don’t recommend cucumber because its high water content can make the pancake soggy.
In Korea, mothers and grandmothers make yachaejeon for their families all the time. It is one of the easiest Korean dishes to make and something almost everyone can enjoy. I made it often for my own family, too. Sometimes I invited friends from the neighborhood over, and we enjoyed it together. When I was growing up, if the weekend was cloudy or rainy and my mother started making yachaejeon in the kitchen, the whole family became excited. The ingredients were easy to find, and sometimes she used only one or two vegetables and still made a wonderful snack. It was inexpensive, too, because there were always a few vegetables in the refrigerator.
Once she mixed the batter and ladled it into a hot, sizzling oiled skillet, the delicious aroma filled the house and made us eager to eat. When she brought the finished pancake to the table on a large plate, hot and crispy, it tasted almost indescribably good. Outside the rain was falling, while inside our home felt warm and cozy with the wonderful aroma of the pancake cooking.
Ingredients
Serves 2.
Makes one large 12-inch pancake.
Cooking time: about 12 minutes.
About 2½ to 3 cups of sliced vegetables:
- 4 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ⅓ cup leek (optional), thinly sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 3 ounces zucchini matchsticks (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 green chili pepper (or jalapeño), optional, sliced
- 3 ounces onion, sliced
- ⅓ cup sweet potato
- 1 fresh mushroom (white, baby portobello, or shiitake)
Also, for the pancake:
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup water
- vegetable oil
For the dipping sauce:
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Korean hot pepper flakes (gochugaru), optional
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Directions
Make dipping sauce:
- Combine soy sauce, vinegar, hot pepper flakes (if using), and sesame seeds in a bowl and mix it well with a spoon. Transfer it to a small bowl. Set aside.
Make batter:
- Combine green onions, leek (if using), zucchini, green chili pepper (if using), onion, and sweet potato in a bowl. Add flour, salt, and ¾ cup water. Mix it well with a wooden spoon.
Make a pancake:
- Heat up a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. I use my 12-inch non-stick skillet to make one big pancake, but if your skillet is small, you can work in batches to make smaller ones.
- Add about 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and swirl it around to coat the skillet evenly. Add the batter to the skillet and spread it out evenly.
- Turn down the heat to medium and put the sliced mushroom on top. Gently press them in with a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the bottom turns crunchy and light golden brown. Grab the handle of the skillet and twirl it around so the pancake moves and is cooked evenly underneath.
- Flip the pancake over.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil along the edges of the pancake. Lift up one edge with your spatula and tilt the skillet so the oil flows underneath the pancake.
- Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until both sides turn light golden brown, occasionally pressing down with the spatula.
- Flip it over one more time and cook another 2 minutes.
Tips for a crispy pancake
Use a generous amount of vegetable oil and cook over medium-high heat. If the edges are crispy but the center is not, lift one side with a spatula and tilt the skillet so the oil flows underneath and reaches the center. If the heat is too low, the vegetables will release water and the pancake won’t become crisp.
Serve:
- Transfer it to a large plate and serve right away with the dipping sauce.
How to reheat leftovers
Refrigerate leftover yachaejeon. To reheat, warm a skillet over medium heat, add a little vegetable oil, and cook the pancake until it is hot and crispy again.
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Hi Maangchi!
I just ran into your videos while looking for korean recipes earlier today. You made this look so easy that I decided to give it a try.
The first 4 pancakes were failures :( but I eventually got the hang of it! I made some with kimchi later on, and they tasted GREAT. Now I’m motivated and inspired to try more of your recipes. I’ll definitely be hooked on your videos from now on.
Thank you for all your hard work!
Hi Maangchi,
I made these again tonight, probably because I read this blog yesterday. They came out great and I was able to vary the recipe and clean out the veggies in my fridge. I love doing the flip and your new videos.
Keep up your great work,
Keith
Zabeth,
Unfortunately this vegetable pancake should be eaten once it is made. so we make this just before eating it. It’s impossible to keep it crispy. If you make fish jeon like “cod jeon” one of my videos , you can keep it for a day though.
Thank you and wish good luck with making korean style of pancakes.
I recommend you practice before making this. lot of people have let me know they needed practice. : )
Dear Maangchi,
I love these Korean vegetable pancakes. Always order in a restaurant and am happy to now have your recipe.
My question: I am planning to make lots of them tomorrow. How do I keep them warm in the oven without them loosing their crispiness?
Thanks for any advice. I’m cooking for our wonderful kindergarten – 16 kids! And I want the pancakes to turn out just as perfect as though I was cooking them freshly in front of their nose.
Love your site!
Greetings from Munich.
Zabeth
C.K,
Yes, making smaller pancake will be good practice. Thanks!
Tried this yesterday – following the video pretty much step by step – and it turned out well! For those having problems with soft & gooey middles – make smaller pancakes or get heavier pans (ie. cast iron)
Karen,
You can replace “Boo chu” asian chives with green onions. Check out my ingredients blog where you will see what asian chives look like.
hi maangchi :o)
are asian chives and chives that you find in regular US supermarkets similar? can you substitute them for one another?
keep up the good work :o)
Keith,
haha, the flip must’ve been real thing that you wanted to learn! : )
I can imagine you are flipping a piece of bread over and over again. LOL
Oh, the squid dish turned out good? Nice!
Hi Maangchi,
I made these pancakes and they came out great. I am not one to follow recipes exactly, but I did on this one. I found that by covering the pan for a couple of minutes it firmed up nicely and was easier to flip. (You make the flip look very easy and it is not) If anyone wants to get the feel of the flip they should take a piece of bread in a pan and practice the motion until they are comfortable.
I also made fried squid last week and it was another keeper.
Thanks again for 2 more great dishes!
Enjoy the warmer weather,
Keith
Beef vegetable soup (Yuk Gae Jang)
Hi, Maangchi
I tried cooking Yuk Gae Jang last night but the soup was too blend.
For the amount of hot pepper sauce you have indicated, how much water should I use? I used only about 250grams of beef. Please kindly advise.
Thank you!
Snoweymonkey
I’m copying and pasting this,
Chop ½ cup green onions and 3 cup of Asian chives, and shred zucchini to make 1/ 2 cup. Total cups of vegetables will be 4 cups
please check the recipe
Thanks
Maangchi,
Thank you for your great videos and recipes. Quick question regarding your pancake recipe. How much vegetable should I use? And how long should I fry the pancake? I fried my pancake for 20minutes and frequently flipping the pancakes, yet it’s still gluey in the center. But everything else taste great! Please help!
Ruth!
omg, I’m very happy to hear that.
I was worried about your frustration.
I made much much better pancakes now, many thanks Maangchi!!
ruth
Hi,
I’m glad to hear that your boy friend eventually made a successful pancake.
hi Maangchi,
Was craving for kimchi the other day.. so i came across your website after doing some researches from the net. ((:
havent got time to try your kimchi recipe yet though.
i tried this pancake recipe twice. :P but end up like Ruth eventhough I used measuring cups. T.T it tasted good although it’s soft in the middle part. My boyfriend tried it after my two round failures and he managed to make a decent looking pancake!! hahas. but I’ll try again till i get it right.
Thanks Maangchi!!
(((:
Hi,Ruth,
Please measure exactly.
Prepare a big size of pan and all the measured mixture should be placed thinly after adding some oil. You said,”the edge turns out a bit crunchy, but still not in the middle” which means that you put too much mixture on the pan. And also lower heat. If you have a small pan, make 2 pancakes with this recipe. My other youtube audience keep sending me comments or email that their pancake turns out very good by following my recipe.
Hope this tip helps you.
I made a pancake every day from Monday to Thursday last week. I tried four times but it still didn’t turn out good. It’s not crunchy and crispy. Instead, it’s a bit sticky especially in the middle. What’s wrong? I didn’t have measuring cups, so I used my drinking cup instead. For the fourth time, I tried to put more flour, almost triple what’s required in your recipe. So this last time, the edge turns out a bit crunchy, but still not in the middle. Tasted far from what I had from korean restaurants. Manngchi, can you help me please?
ruth
Hello,hungry hamster,
Flipping the “jeon” must impress people, but it’s very easy skill that anybody can do. Practice makes perfect. : )
Thanks for your interest in my cooking videos.
Sure, you can link my blog to your website.
My jaw just dropped when I saw u flipping that pancake! You are amazing!
Thanks for all the recipes! They are sooo useful!
Hope u don’t mind me adding a link to ur site!
lisa,
Good good!!
Maangchi,
This has become a favorite! My husband and children love it!
lisa in panama
This looks so good!! I haven’t had good Korean food in a long time. I’m going to make this tomorrow. Thanks for all the recipes!
hi,e-mom,
I think the flip will be easier when you make smaller size of pancake.
I can flip, so can you! : )
This looks like the wonderful pancake I had at the Korean festival in downtown Toronto earlier this summer! Ì’m going to try using half the ingredients to make a smaller one ,,, do you think that would work? What an awesome flip! Too bad your video can`t teach me to do that too :)
no, I’m not a cook as my job. I just like cooking. : )
Thanks!
THAT FLIP WAS AMAZING!!!
Are you a cook by profession?
hi,Andreas,
Sounds like you can make good “Okonomiyaki”!
Hats off! Great pan flip! :)
Looks really good. If you put mayonaise, Tonkatsu sauce and fish flakes on the pancake, you’d have Okonomiyaki. But I love the Korean style with soy sauce as it fits better with other dishes.
Kitchen Ninja!
LOL, yeah,I’ve heard from some youtube audience that I’m good at using knife. It’s good compliment. Why?
We koreans say the most skillful cook in a family is supposed to use a knife and a cuttingboard. Others are just peeling garlic skin, arranging materials and cleaning around the kitchen.
Wonderfull. I’ll have to try one or two of these reciepes while on vacation. It’ll be a stain on my honnor if I don’t! :) That flip is very risky. One wrong move and the whole thing is ruined! You’re like a kitchen ninja!
Z
Hi,Ginger,
I won’t forget your request “korean sidedishes”. : )
I’m interested in your spicy tofu soup now.
M
Have some spicy tofu soup boiling on the stove so I can type much but I just wanted to say … thanks Maangchi!
I was just at a Korean market earlier this week and almost picked up a pack of pancake mix – good thing I didn’t! This looked so easy.
That was a great flip with the pan!! =)
BTW … we have everything for a Korean feast except some banchans *wink*
This looks delicious…can’t wait to try it!