Crispy, savory and full of flavor and deliciousness- these Korean vegetable pancakes aka Yachaejeon are an absolute must try!
They work perfectly as a healthy breakfast, a snack or an appetizer, and are a great way to get more veggies on your plate.
Super crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, these taste perfect when served with a nice dipping sauce.
PinIf you have been looking for a savory pancake recipe that’s easy and delicious, you’re going to love this recipe.
The pancakes are crispy and golden brown and full of textures and flavors, and yet, super easy to make at the same time.
It is a great recipe to try your hands at when you’re looking to experiment with Korean food but don’t want to go too wacky.
Jump to:
- What's So Great About the Recipe?
- Ingredients For the Yachaejeon Recipe
- How to Make the Yachaejeon
- Substitutions & Variations
- 💭Top Tip
- Equipment
- How to Store the Leftover Korean Vegetable Pancakes
- Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- How to Serve the Yachaejeon
- FAQs
- Related Recipes
- Yachaejeon: Korean Vegetable Pancakes
What's So Great About the Recipe?
The golden brown crispiness on the outside is perfectly balanced with the savory, healthy ingredients that make up these Korean vegetable pancakes.
The best part about this easy recipe is that you are free to use whatever veggies you have at hand.
Yachaejeon is actually super customizable- you can tweak and play around with the ingredients as much as you prefer.
Ingredients For the Yachaejeon Recipe
Flour: Flour forms the base for these crunchy and savory pancakes.
Soy sauce: Soy sauce brings a nice bit of umami and flavor to the Korean vegetable pancakes.
Vinegar: I used regular vinegar, but you could also use rice vinegar if you want to.
Garlic: Chopped or minced garlic lends a nice subtle flavor to the pancakes.
Green chillies: Chopped or sliced green chillies lend a nice bit of heat to the veggie pancakes. You can skip these if you don’t want the spicy kick.
Egg: Egg acts as a nice binding agent along with the flour and gets the pancake batter to a nice spreadable consistency.
Vegetables: I used any and all veggies I could get my hands on- zucchini, green onions, onions, carrots, cabbage and potatoes.
Seasonings: To season the Yachaejeon, I used some salt, a bit of sugar and just a dash of turmeric powder.
Sesame seeds: Sesame seeds add a nice crunch factor to the Korean vegetable pancakes.
Oil: You can use pretty much any neutral flavored cooking oil for this recipe. Vegetable oil and sunflower oil are two great choices.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make the Yachaejeon
PinChop the spring onion greens and slice the cabbage thinly. Set them both aside
PinAdd them in a bowl with the grated carrots, onions, garlic and other veggies.
PinHeat oil in a pan, pour the mixture in, and spread it out as thin as possible but still cover the entire pan nicely. .
PinLet this cook for 4-5 minutes over medium heat until it browns up nicely before flipping it over.
Once the Yachaejeon is nice and crispy on both sides, take it off heat and serve immediately.
Substitutions & Variations
- To enhance the flavor of these pancakes, you can add a bit of stock powder or bouillon into the mix.
- If you don’t mind the spice and want to add a bit of extra flavor and deliciousness to these Korean vegetable pancakes, you can add some Gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) into the mix.
- To make the Yachaejeon healthier, you can substitute the all purpose flour in the recipe for whole wheat flour.
💭Top Tip
Use a good quality cast iron skillet or a non-stick pan for the best results when it comes to making these pancakes. This will ensure that the veggies are all cooked through and you have a nice and crispy crust.
Equipment
PinHow to Store the Leftover Korean Vegetable Pancakes
Got some leftover batter? Transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours.
You can prepare the mixture up to 24 hours in advance. Remember to adjust the consistency of the pancake mixture and thicken it before cooking it as the vegetables will release water when they stay in the mixture for more than a few hours.
Leftover pancakes can be wrapped up in some kitchen foil and refrigerated for up to a week.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
While the recipe is super easy, you might want to keep these additional tips and tricks in mind.
- Remember to chop the vegetables thinly- even better, grate them as the recipe suggests. This will ensure they are all cooked to perfection.
- Remember not to overmix the batter- it can cause the pancakes to become soft. Just make sure the ingredients are combined well.
- Also make sure you adjust the consistency of the batter. Add some more water if the batter appears too thick. Ideally, the batter should be thick enough that you can spread it evenly onto the pan.
- Don’t skimp on the amount of oil you’re adding in. Allow the oil to heat well before pouring the mixture in.
- To get the perfect crispy vegetable pancakes, pour the mixture evenly onto the pan, keeping it as thin as possible.
- You can add a lot of other veggies into the Yachaejeon mixture. Bell peppers, sweet potatoes, squash, mushrooms, red cabbage, leek are all great choices- I like to use the veggies I have on hand.
PinHow to Serve the Yachaejeon
These crispy Korean vegetable pancakes taste amazing when served on their own, but if you really want to go the extra mile, here are a few good ideas to inspire you.
With a Dipping Sauce
To take their flavors up a notch, you can team these savory Korean pancakes up with your favorite dipping sauce. I personally love pairing them with my easy chili crisp, which is a spicy and super addictive dip.
As a Side Dish
You can also serve the Yachaejeon as a side dish when you’re looking to experiment with different Korean recipes.
You can slice your pancakes into small squares or bite-sized pieces that the kids love!
FAQs
If you want to make the Korean vegetable pancakes more crispy, substitute half of the flour that the recipe calls for with rice flour.
An easy way to make gluten free Korean vegetable pancakes is to replace the flour in the recipe for gluten-free flour.
To reheat the pancakes, heat a few drops of oil in a heavy duty pan and cook the pancakes on low heat for 2-3 minutes on each side.
Your pancakes could be falling apart because you aren’t giving them enough time to crisp up. Make sure you let them brown on one side before flipping them over.
Some veggies tend to release water into the mixture, which can make the batter runny. To fix this, add some more flour and seasonings until you get the right consistency.
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Yachaejeon: Korean Vegetable Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 2 spring onion
- 1 small zucchini
- 1 small cabbage
- 1 onion
- 1 small potato
- 1 small carrot
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 green chillies
Instructions
- Start by grating the carrot, potato, zucchini, cabbage and onion in a large bowl.
- Mince the garlic and chop the green chillies and add them both into the mix.
- Chop the spring onion greens and add them in too.
- Now add in all the remaining ingredients and combine until you get a uniform mixture.
- Heat oil in a pan, pour the mixture in, and spread it out as thin as possible but still cover the entire pan nicely. .
- Let this cook for 4-5 minutes over medium heat until it browns up nicely before flipping it over.
- Once the Yachaejeon is nice and crispy on both sides, take it off heat and serve immediately.
