Mini Beef Patties are small, round, flavorful, and juicy patties served as a side dish or appetizer during Korean festivities.
Known as Wanja Jeon (meaning Meatball Patties) or by its funny nickname Dong Gueran Ddeng (meaning “round things”), these cute little patties are one of my favorite side dishes of all time. When I was a kid and my mom would make these, I knew it was going to be a good day! Now I make it for my kids, and it’s a joy to see them enjoy it too!
It is special because a small amount of meat can go a long way. It’s filled with vegetables and tofu that are seasoned well, and it’s hand-rolled and shaped one by one—a bit of work to make, but worth it!
Usually, Koreans would serve this on Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) or Seollal (New Year’s Day), but this is also great for lunch boxes or picnics. Here, I’ll teach you how to make them so you can enjoy them too!
Ingredients for Korean Mini Beef Patties
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- Beef and Pork Mince – The main ingredient of these patties is a combination of equal parts beef and pork mince, however, you can also use only one or the other according to your preference.
- Vegetables – You’ll need scallions, onions, and carrots for a refreshing flavor that will contrast the meat.
- Firm Tofu – This is optional, but crumbled tofu is usually added because it extends the meat, adds additional texture, and absorbs the seasonings well. Make sure to get a fresh one so it’s not pungent.
- Seasonings – You’ll need soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, mirin, garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper. The combination of these seasonings will bring out the flavors of the meat and vegetables. The mirin, sesame oil, and aromatics in particular reduce the greasy meat stench, instead making the meat taste light and fresh.
- Egg – This will act as a binder to properly form the patties.
- Flour and Egg – The flour and additional egg are for the coating. In Korea, any meat or vegetable can become a “jeon” (meaning pancake) by simply coating it in flour and then egg before frying. I don’t often use these when I cook, but they help with keeping the patties in shape and from burning and drying out. With the coating, it will also result in a golden fried color.
How to Make Wanja Jeon?
In a bowl, place the beef and pork mince, and fold them gently to combine the two meats.
Finely chop the scallions, onions, and carrots. Add it to the minced meat. Squeeze out any excess water from the tofu using a cheesecloth, and crumble it on top of the meat and vegetables. Make sure to do this thoroughly because the excess water might prevent the patty from forming.
Season the patty mixture with soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, mirin, salt, and pepper. Add eggs on top, then mix it thoroughly until it is well combined, but do not over-mix to keep it from getting a bit tough.
Lay the patty mixture on a plastic wrap, shape it like a log with the circumference of your desired size for the mini patties, and twist to seal the ends. You’ll be able to make 4-5 logs for the amount of ingredients we used. Place this in the freezer for 20-30 minutes so it firms up and also to infuse all the flavors together.
Once firm, remove the plastic wrap and slice the log into mini patties. Scramble an egg and prepare flour on separate plates, coat the patties with flour then egg, and place them on a pan on medium heat with a bit of oil.
Gently press down the patties and cook for 2 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown. Plate, serve, and enjoy!
Storage
You can freeze the sliced mini patties and store them again in the freezer for future use. This makes a great meal prep so you can have a quick and delicious protein option anytime. For any cooked leftovers, they also keep well in the fridge and they can be reheated in the microwave or the air fryer for a minute or two.
Serve with rice and vegetable banchan like kimchi, radish salad, or cucumber salad for your lunch box. Or serve with other savory banchan like fishcake, japchae, or rolled omelet on special occasions.
Other Korean pancakes you might like:
Make sure to leave a rating, a comment, or tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Tiktok when you chop them up! Yeobosayo!
Korean Mini Beef Patties (Wanja Jeon)
Ingredients
- 1 lb Minced Beef
- 1.4 lb Minced Pork
- 130 grams Onion Finely chopped
- 90 grams Carrots Finely chopped
- 60 grams Scallions Finely chopped
- 650 grams Firm Tofu Squeezed and crumbled, Optional
- 3 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp Fish Sauce
- 2 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tbsp Mirin
- 1.5 tbsp Garlic
- 1/2 tbsp Ginger
- 1/2 tbsp Salt
- 3 pcs Egg
- Flour For coating
- Egg For coating
- Vegetable or Canola Oil For frying
Instructions
- Place mince beef and pork in a bowl and gently fold it to combine.
- Finely chop the scallions, onion, and carrots, then add to the meat.
- Using a cheesecloth, squeeze out excess water from the tofu and crumble it on top of the meat and vegetables.
- Season the patty mixture with soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, mirin, salt, and black pepper. Add the egg on top.
- Mix the meat, vegetables, tofu, egg, and seasonings thoroughly to combine.
- Place the patty mixture on a plastic wrap and roll it to form a log. Twist to seal the ends and shape the mixture.
- Place it in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.
- Once firm, slice it into into mini patties. Cook what you need and you store the rest for future use.
- Prepare scrambled eggs and flour on separate plates.
- Place pan on medium heat and add a bit of oil, coat the patties with flour then egg, then fry for 2 minutes on each side or until it’s golden brown.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
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