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Crispy Korean Seafood Green Onion Pancake (해물파전: Haemul-pajeon)
- MyFreshDash
- Aug 23
- 4 min read
해물파전 (Haemul-pajeon) is a savory Korean pancake packed with green onions and seafood, pan-fried until the edges turn lacy and crisp. Think golden, crunchy exterior + soft scallions + tender squid and shrimp. It’s a popular market and pub food in Korea, especially on rainy days with a glass of makgeolli (rice beer). Unlike Western pancakes, this one isn’t fluffy or sweet—it’s thin, crunchy, and built for dipping in a tangy soy sauce.
If you’ve never had 해물파전 (haemul-pajeon), picture a skillet-wide, savory pancake where long green onions run across the pan like noodles and tender seafood is dotted on top. The batter is thin, so the edges fry up lacy and crackly while the scallions inside go soft and sweet. It’s not a breakfast pancake and it’s not fluffy; it’s a snack-meets-side that Koreans order to share—especially at BBQ spots or on rainy days with a cold bottle of makgeolli (rice beer) or soju.
Part of the fun is the teamwork. One friend pins the pancake with chopsticks; another tears off a strip; then you swap jobs and repeat until the plate is bare. At BBQ restaurants it’s the perfect “hold-you-over” dish while the grill heats up—just order one so you don’t get too full before the meats land.
Why try it? Because you get big restaurant payoff without deep-frying or special gear. A hot pan, a runny batter, and my quick trick—egg-coating the seafood so it clings—deliver that legit restaurant look and crunch at home. And if seafood isn’t your thing, make a vegetarian pajeon: skip the seafood and eggs and use veggie stock in the batter. Same method, same crackle.
Before you start: 6 quick tips
Keep the batter thin. Thick batter clumps and turns cakey.
Press and poke as it cooks to open tiny gaps between scallions—steam puffing through means the greens are cooking nicely.
Don’t toss-flip. It’s heavy; use a wide spatula and a confident, single flip.
Run the pan hot and oil the edges after the flip for max crisp.
Make the dipping sauce. It’s how pajeon is meant to be eaten.
Sharing > slicing. Tear and trade bites; it’s half the vibe.
At a Glance
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: ~25 minutes
Serves: 2 as a light meal (3–4 as a snack)
Skill level: Easy
Equipment: 10–11 in (26–28 cm) nonstick or cast-iron skillet, whisk, wide spatula
Ingredients
Seafood & Veg
Jjokpa (thin Korean scallions) 120 g / ~4.2 oz, rinsed and cut to pan length
Squid 1 (or 2 small), cleaned; body & tentacles thinly sliced
Shrimp 7, peeled/deveined; halved lengthwise if large
Eggs 2, lightly beaten with a pinch of salt & pepper
Neutral oil for frying
Batter (thin on purpose)
1½ cups (180 g) tempura flour(No tempura flour? Use all-purpose flour or Korean pancake mix/buchimgaru.)
1 cup + ⅓ cup (315 ml) cold water, or enough for a runny batter
Quick Dipping Sauce (optional, but recommended)
2 Tbsp soy sauce • 1 Tbsp rice vinegar • ½ tsp sugar
Sesame seeds + a few sliced chilies (optional)
Step-by-Step: Crispy-style Method
Prep scallions.
Rinse well; trim gritty root ends. Keep pieces long so they span the pan.
Prep seafood.
Slice squid and shrimp thin and pat very dry—moisture kills crisp.
Egg-coat seafood.
Toss squid and shrimp in the beaten eggs (seasoned with a pinch of salt & pepper).
Mix a thin batter.
Whisk flour with 1⅓ cups water until smooth and pourable—it should stream off the whisk.
Heat the pan.
Film with oil and preheat over high until shimmering.
Layer.
Lay scallions in the hot pan, then drizzle a light web of batter over them (or batter first, scallions second—both work).
Add seafood.
Scatter the egg-coated squid and shrimp. Spoon on just enough batter to “stitch” everything together—don’t flood it.
Brown the first side.
Let the bottom set and go golden. Gently press and poke to create small gaps so steam escapes and cooks the scallions.
Flip & finish.
Slide a wide spatula under, add a small drizzle of oil around the edge, and flip once.
Keep the pan moving with gentle shakes to avoid scorching.
If the pancake is thicker, stay on high; if thin, drop to medium after flipping.
Cook until both sides are deep golden and seafood is opaque (~3–4 min per side).
Serve hot.
Slide to a board and tear or cut into pieces. Dip and devour
Pro Tips for Extra Crunch
Thin batter wins; if it ribbons slowly, add a splash more water.
Don’t overload with batter—crispy edges need space.
Blot seafood and shake moisture off scallions before cooking.
After the flip, edge-oil for a turbo-crisp ring.
Nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron = stress-free flipping.
Variations & Swaps
Vegetarian Pajeon: Skip seafood & eggs; use vegetable stock for the batter.
Single-seafood: All-squid or all-shrimp works—keep total volume similar.
Spicy: Add gochugaru or fresh chili slices to the batter.
Gluten-free: Use a GF AP blend; swap tamari in the dip.
Veg add-ins: Thin onion or zucchini matchsticks.
FAQs
What does 해물파전 taste like?
Savory, a little salty, scallion-sweet inside with crunchy edges and tender seafood.
Is this the same as “pajeon”?“
"Pajeon” is scallion pancake. Haemul-pajeon adds seafood. This recipe leans Crispy-style (long scallions, thin batter).
My pancake broke—what now?
Let the first side set longer, use a wider spatula, and add just enough batter to connect—no more.
Can I make it ahead?
Cook fresh for the best crunch. Leftovers re-crisp well in a skillet or air fryer.
How to Store & Reheat
Fridge: Up to 2 days, wrapped.
Reheat: Skillet with a little oil over medium until re-crisped, or air-fryer 3–4 minutes at 375°F / 190°C. Avoid the microwave.
Serving Ideas
Classic pairing: makgeolli or soju.
Sides: kimchi, pickled radish, or a light cucumber salad.
Make it a meal: add doenjang-jjigae (soybean stew) or steamed rice.
Recommended from MyFreshDash
• Soupy gochujang tteokbokki (15 minutes) — snack-shop style, perfect rainy-day pairing with pajeon.
• Jjajang tteokbokki (3-minute sauce) — glossy black-bean version for a non-spicy option.
• Seaweed soup (miyeokguk) — light, mineral-rich soup to balance a crispy pancake meal.
Printable Recipe Card
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