Korean Seafood Pancake (Haemul Pajeon)

Other Fast With Fish Published April 11, 2026

Haemul pajeon is the Korean seafood pancake — a crispy, golden disc loaded with scallions, shrimp, squid, and whatever other shellfish or seafood you can get your hands on, bound by a thin batter and fried until the edges shatter and the center stays slightly chewy. It is street food, bar food, and rainy-day comfort food all in one. In Korea, the saying goes: when it rains, you eat pajeon.

The batter is deliberately thin — this is not a fluffy American pancake. The goal is a crispy lattice of batter binding the seafood and scallions together, with visible pieces of shrimp and squid pressed into the surface. Every bite should have seafood.

FASTING LEVEL: Fast With Fish (fish and oil permitted — shellfish always permitted on all fasting days)
SERVINGS: 2 (one large pancake each)
TIME: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

For the batter:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (for extra crispiness)
- 1 cup ice-cold water (cold water = crispier pancake)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the filling:
- 150g shrimp, peeled and deveined, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 100g squid, cleaned and sliced into rings
- 6-8 green onions (scallions), cut into 8cm lengths
- 1/2 small zucchini, sliced into thin half-moons
- 1 fresh red chili, sliced thin (optional, for color and heat)

For frying:
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

For the dipping sauce:
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) or regular chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1 green onion, sliced thin

METHOD

1. Make the dipping sauce first. Stir together all sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside — the flavors improve as they sit.

2. Make the batter. Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Add the ice-cold water and stir just until combined — lumps are fine, even desirable. Overmixed batter makes a tough pancake. The consistency should be like thin crepe batter.

3. Fold the shrimp, squid, green onions, zucchini, and chili into the batter. Stir gently to coat.

4. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large non-stick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Pour half the batter mixture into the pan and spread it into a thin, even circle about 20cm in diameter. Press the seafood and scallions flat with a spatula.

5. Cook without moving for 3-4 minutes until the bottom is deeply golden and crispy. Drizzle a little extra oil around the edges — it seeps under the pancake and crisps the bottom further.

6. Flip in one confident motion (or slide onto a plate and invert back into the pan). Cook the other side for 3-4 minutes until equally golden and crispy.

7. Slide onto a cutting board and cut into wedges. Repeat with the remaining batter and oil for the second pancake.

8. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce. Pajeon must be eaten hot — the crispiness degrades within minutes.

NOTES

- Ice-cold water is the secret to a crispy batter. Some Korean cooks add a few ice cubes directly to the batter. The cold inhibits gluten development, which means less chew and more crunch.
- Press the pancake flat and thin during cooking. Thick pajeon is doughy in the center. You want it thin enough that the seafood and scallions are visible through the batter.
- Squid and shrimp are the classic combination. Add mussels, clams, or octopus pieces for a more elaborate version. All shellfish are fasting-permitted.
- The dipping sauce is soy-vinegar based. The sesame oil adds richness — omit it for no-oil days and the sauce is still excellent.