⏱ Prep: 15 min 🔥Cook: 15 min 👤Makes: 6–8 small pancakes 🌿Diet: Vegan, gluten-free
Korean potato pancakes, gamja jeon, are made from nothing but grated potato, salt and oil, and they somehow come out with crispy golden edges and a center that’s soft and chewy in a way that Western potato pancakes never quite manage. There’s a saying in Korea that jeon tastes better when it rains, and after making these on enough grey afternoons to test the theory, the evidence is fairly convincing. The whole process takes about 30 minutes and the only ingredient you really need is a potato.
Ingredients
For the pancakes
- 3 medium russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, starchy varieties work best; they release more natural starch for binding
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 small onion, optional but traditional; grated or finely minced, adds sweetness and prevents browning
- 2–3 tablespoons neutral oil, enough to coat the bottom of the pan generously
- 2 tablespoons potato starch powder, for the quick version only, see method below
For the dipping sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- Pinch of gochugaru or red chili flakes, optional
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced
Step by step
- Make the dipping sauce first. Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl, stir until the sugar dissolves, and set aside.
- Grate the potatoes. Peel the potatoes and grate them on the fine side of a box grater, or pulse in a blender with a splash of water until roughly smooth. If using onion, grate it directly into the potato so the juices mix immediately, this slows the potato from browning.
- Drain and collect the starch, the key step. Transfer the grated potato to a fine sieve set over a bowl. Let it drain for 10 minutes without pressing. Then carefully pour the drained liquid away, leaving the white starchy sediment at the bottom of the bowl. This is the natural binder. Quick version:Skip the draining and simply squeeze the potato firmly in a clean towel, then stir 2 tablespoons of potato starch powder directly into the grated potato instead.The starch settled at the bottom is what gives gamja jeon its signature chewy center, don’t skip collecting it. Add the grated potato back onto this starch layer and mix with salt.
- Fry the pancakes. Heat a generous amount of oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat, not high. Spoon the potato mixture into the pan, spreading each pancake thin, about ¼ inch. Cook undisturbed for 3–4 minutes until the edges turn golden and crispy and the underside releases cleanly from the pan.Don’t flip too early, the pancake needs to set and release naturally. If it sticks when you try to flip, give it another minute. A wide spatula helps keep it intact.
- Flip and finish. Flip carefully and cook the other side 2–3 minutes until golden. Add a little more oil to the pan between batches if needed. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce.
Why the starch matters
The natural starch that sinks to the bottom of the bowl when the potato liquid drains is what binds gamja jeon without flour and gives it that uniquely chewy center. Skip it, or disturb it before collecting it, and the pancakes turn loose and fall apart in the pan. Let it settle properly, pour the liquid off gently without tipping the starch out with it, and the batter comes together on its own.
Make it your own
Claire’s note
These are excellent plain, but a handful of sliced scallions or garlic chives stirred into the batter adds a gentle aromatic flavor without competing with the potato. For a version with more heft, add finely diced kimchi for tang, or cooked shrimp pressed gently into the top before flipping. Gamja jeon are best eaten hot and fresh, they soften as they cool. If making a large batch, keep finished pancakes on a wire rack in a low oven rather than stacking them, which traps steam and kills the crispness.
Serve with
Korean potato pancakes are traditionally served as a snack, appetizer or banchan alongside cold makgeolli (rice wine) or beer. For more from the Korean collection the complete Korean recipes guide has it all.
Add Korean potato pancakes to your weekly meal planner as a quick snack or side dish whenever you have potatoes to use up. And for more recipes, follow us on Pinterest.
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Korean Potato Pancakes (Gamja Jeon)
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 small pancakes 1x
- Diet: Vegan, Gluten-Free
Description
Crispy Korean potato pancakes made from grated potatoes, perfect as a snack or side dish.
Ingredients
- 3 medium russet or Yukon Gold potatoes
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 small onion (optional, grated or finely minced)
- 2–3 tablespoons neutral oil
- 2 tablespoons potato starch powder (for quick version)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (for dipping sauce)
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (for dipping sauce)
- ½ teaspoon sugar (for dipping sauce)
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil (for dipping sauce)
- Pinch of gochugaru or red chili flakes (optional for dipping sauce)
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced (for dipping sauce)
Instructions
- Make the dipping sauce first. Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl, stir until the sugar dissolves, and set aside.
- Grate the potatoes. Peel the potatoes and grate them on the fine side of a box grater, or pulse in a blender with a splash of water until roughly smooth. If using onion, grate it directly into the potato.
- Drain the grated potato. Transfer the grated potato to a fine sieve set over a bowl. Let it drain for 10 minutes without pressing. Carefully pour the drained liquid away, leaving the starchy sediment.
- Fry the pancakes. Heat oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Spoon the potato mixture into the pan, spreading each pancake thin, about ¼ inch. Cook undisturbed for 3–4 minutes until golden and crispy.
- Flip carefully and cook the other side 2–3 minutes until golden. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce.
Notes
These pancakes are best eaten hot and fresh. If making a large batch, keep finished pancakes in a low oven on a wire rack to maintain crispness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Snack
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Korean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pancake
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
