These Korean Vegetable Pancakes are made with pea shoots, zucchini, and gluten-free flour so they’re crispy on the outside and soft and tender in the center. Served with a gluten-free tamari dipping sauce for a delicious appetizer or side dish.

What Are Korean Vegetable Pancakes?

Korean vegetable pancakes, or Yachaejeon, are savory pancakes made from a mixture of julienned vegetables (think carrots, green onion, zucchini, yellow onion, bell pepper, and/or mushrooms) and a simple batter of flour, water, and eggs. These pancakes are pan-fried until golden and crispy, often served with a tangy soy-based dipping sauce.

Today we’re making a vegan and gluten-free version that’s just as tasty as the original! 

What Makes This Recipe Great

There are many different kinds of pancakes in Korean cuisine. They’re always crispy and golden brown on the outside and thick in the center. And these vegan veggie-packed pancakes are no different. If you love Korean pancakes, you must try this recipe!

My Korean Vegetable Pancakes are made with a blend of gluten-free (or regular) all-purpose flour, cornstarch, salt, and water to make the batter base. Then, a delicious mixture of pea shoots, zucchini, scallions, and shallots are added. The resulting pancakes are crisp and golden and pair so well with my Tamari-based dipping sauce and are such a treat to eat! 

Perfect for an appetizer or side dish, you will love these pancakes! 

Ingredients Notes

Here’s what you need for this easy pancake recipe:

• Pea shoots. You can use any kind of microgreen that’s available to you.
• Scallions and shallots. For the signature allium flavor base.
• Zucchini. Yellow squash will also work.
• Flour and cornstarch. You can use regular all-purpose flour or gluten-free.
• Sea salt
• Filtered water
• Neutral oil: Like vegetable oil, avocado oil or another neutral-tasting oil. 

Dipping Sauce

I like to make a simple dipping sauce to serve with these savoury pancakes. To whip it up, you’ll need:

• Tamari. Or gluten-free or regular soy sauce.
• Sesame oil. I like the nuttier flavor of toasted sesame oil.
• Rice wine vinegar. This is easy to find at most well-stocked grocery stores.
• Sugar. I use coconut sugar, but another kind of granulated sweetener will work too.
• Salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, start by preparing your batter by whisking flour, cornstarch, and salt to combine. Slowly stream in water while you whisk until a batter consistency forms.
2. Next, mix in pea shoots, scallions, shallots, and zucchini and stir to combine. The mixture should be mostly vegetables, do your best to make sure each vegetable piece is coated.
3. Heat a large skillet or non-stick pan on medium heat and add enough oil to coat the surface of the pan. Once sizzling, add about 1/3 or 1/2 cup batter to the pan and use a spatula to quickly spread the batter as thin as possible. Let cook for about 3-4 minutes, until bubbles form on the surface and a nice golden, crispy crust has formed. Flip, and repeat on the other side. Season with salt, set aside, and repeat with remaining batter.
4. To serve, slice into bite-sized pieces or triangles, whisk together dipping sauce ingredients, and enjoy!

Secrets to Success

• This recipe is a great way to use up leftover vegetables. I used a mix of zucchini, green onions, shallots, and pea shoots, but feel free to add in a combination of carrots, mushrooms, or another vegetable mix cut into thin slices.
• This Korean pancake recipe makes thin pancakes, so keep that in mind when assessing the consistency of your pancake batter. 

Serving & Storage Tips

These pancakes are best enjoyed fresh off the stove. But if you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. 

Reheat them in a hot skillet on the stove, air fryer, or a toaster oven so they stay crispy. I recommend making a fresh batch of dipping sauce to serve them a second time for the best flavor.

More Asian Pancake Recipes

• Taiwanese Scallion Pancakes
• Korean Mung Bean Pancakes
• Korean Sweet Cinnamon Pancakes 

If you make this recipe, be sure to let me know what you think with a star rating and comment below! Follow me on Instagram for more delicious recipes!