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Chef Chris Cho cooking Korean Vegetable pancake — This is how you make Korean Vegetable Pancake!

Korean Vegetable Pancakes or Yachaejoen are crispy and chewy pancakes that are vegetable-packed. It’s one of Koreans’ favorite snacks!

Whenever it’s rainy, one of the things Koreans eat is pancakes depending on what ingredient they have at home—seafood, kimchi, chives, potato, etc. These with some makgeolli turns any gloom away!

Unlike other pancakes I’ve made, what sets Yachaejeon apart is that it’s perfectly flexible where you can add whatever vegetable is available to you—leeks, peppers, sweet potato, mushrooms, or cabbage, this is a delicious way to cook them. And it helps finish out your leftovers in the fridge.

Korean Vegetable Pancake Ingredients

Vegetables

For this recipe for yachaejeon, the most common vegetables are zucchini, carrots, and onions. I like to use these because they’re tasty and aesthetically pleasing when the colors combine.

But as mentioned, you can basically use vegetables that are in season, what you prefer more, or what’s available to you. Just note that the veggies you’ll use should not be watery (ex. Cucumber, Tomato, etc.)

You only need 150-200 grams of vegetables combined to make one big pancake. All of these should be equally sliced into julienne or matchstick sizes. This will allow it to cook evenly and also so they can crisscross and come together as one whole.

Yachaejeon Batter

The ingredients for the batter are very basic. You only need flour, potato starch, minced garlic, salt, and pepper for the dry ingredients. The flour is the main binder, the potato starch will give that chew and crunch because it absorbs the moisture in the batter, and the rest are seasonings. Super simple!

For the wet ingredient, you only need water. You can add egg for more flavor, but you can also skip it to make it vegetarian or vegan.

How to Make Korean Vegetable Pancake

When it comes to making yachaejeon, the recipe is going to be super easy but cooking it is what’s going to make a difference. So make sure to follow my instructions below!

Combine flour, potato starch, garlic, salt, pepper, and water

To begin, create the batter by combining flour, potato starch, minced garlic, salt, and pepper, then add water. Mix it until well combined.

NOTE: If you will use a dipping sauce, season the pancake less. If you will not use a dipping sauce, season the pancake generously.

Mix batter until slightly loose in consistency

Once combined, check the consistency of the batter—it should be a bit loose. To check, try raising your whisk and it should not be necessarily watery but should drip easily.

Now prepare the vegetables by slicing them into equal matchstick sizes, then add them to the batter. Mix in the vegetables until they are coated with the batter.

Cooking vegetable pancake in a nonstick pan

In a nonstick pan, add a generous amount of oil and allow it to heat up. Once heated, place the pancake batter with vegetables on the pan and spread it evenly to the edges, and flatten it out to cook evenly.

NOTE: Feel free to make one big pancake or a few small ones using this recipe! The most common pancake we make is one big one, but the small ones are easier to cook!

The basic rule is 2-2-2-2. 2 minutes on high heat for both sides, then 2 minutes on medium to low heat for both sides. This is just the basic method and you can adjust it once you get cooking.

Add oil on the edges of the pan after the first 4 minutes and shake the pancake to spread the oil. This will help crisp up the pancake even more!

Serving and Storage

Check the bottom of the vegetable pancake before flipping

For any leftovers, store in the fridge and just heat up in an oven toaster, air fryer, or add pan fry again until crispy!

Tips to Successfully Cook Yachaejeon:

Once done, serve it hot and crispy, and enjoy it with a soy dipping sauce. This is best consumed right away and is a great appie, picnic snack, or side dish to Korean BBQ or lunch box meals!

Make sure the pan is heated up properly so the pancake forms and cooks right away. Otherwise, it will take longer to cook and make it oily and soggy.
While the timer can be a guide, you still need to keep an eye on your pancake as you cook. When you see white smoke coming up, check it out. If you see black marks forming, flip. If it’s just turning golden brown and toasted, let it continue cooking until ready to flip. Do not flip too early, allow it to crisp up and flip only when time is up or when you really need to!
Use a nonstick pan and a big spatula so that the pancake won’t stick and you’ll be able to flip it easily.
Flatten the pancake every time you flip so it doesn’t rise like a pizza. Do little taps to create air holes so it releases any trapped steam. All these will help create a crispier pancake!

Other Korean snacks you might like:

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