Gamja-jeon: Korean Potato Pancake

Crispy Korean potato pancakes (gamja-jeon) are pan-fried with an unfussy potato-onion batter. Gluten-free, vegan-friendly, and steady with soy dipping sauce—a direct snack or appetizer for any time of year.

If you’ve got a few potatoes lying around, make Korean potato pancakes, or gamja-jeon. They’re crisp on the outside, soft and chewy in the center, and come together with just a few unfussy ingredients.

These golden pancakes remind us of thin crepes in appearance—but one bite, and it’s clear they’re in a league of their own. Our mother made them every summer when new potatoes were in season. She’d blend the potatoes with a bit of onion for extra flavor, and to this day, hers are still a keeper we've ever had.

With just 3simple ingredients—potatoes, onion, and a touch of starch—this gamja-jeon delivers the signature chew and savory flavor you expect from a great Korean pancake. Savory any time of year!

By the way, don’t skip the soy chili dipping sauce—it brings everything together. Without it, it’s just… hot potatoes.

How the dish comes together

Start with the dipping sauce—soy sauce, vinegar, fresh chili, and sesame seeds

Blend potatoes and onion into a smooth purée. You’ll need a heavy-duty blender to purée the potato and onion, but many Koreans still use a fine grater—the old-school, arm workout method!

Then mix with potato starch and salt. Can’t find potato starch? Rice flour or cornstarch will work in a pinch.

Pan-fry the batter thinly until crisp and golden on both sides. Be sure the pan is hot before pouring the batter, and use a ladle to spread it thin. Don’t skimp on the oil, hot oil = crispy edges.

Pancakes are best hot, while the edges are still crispy. Serve gamja-jeon straight from the pan, tear into pieces with chopsticks or a fork, and dip into the soy chili sauce. So good!

One thing to keep in mind—don’t make the potato pancake batter in advance. The mixture will eventually oxidizes and turns brown, which doesn’t look too appetizing. But since the recipe is so unfussy, there’s no need to prep ahead.

Got leftovers? Store them in the fridge and reheat in a microwave or lightly pan-fry until hot and crispy again.

Other Korean Pancake Recipes

• Crispy Korean Vegetable Pancakes (Yachaejeon)
• Kimchi Pancakes (Kimchi Jeon)
• Korean Scallion Pancakes with Seafood (Pajeon)
• Kale Gochujang Pancakes (Jangtteok)

• Yield: 4
• Prep: 5 minutes
• Cook: 25 minutes
• Total: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 medium yukon potato, peeled and diced
• 1/4 large onion, diced
• 3 tbsp potato starch, or rice flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp oil

For dipping sauce

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1-2 fresh green and/or red chili, or jalopenos, sliced
• 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Method

1. To make the dipping sauce, combine soy sauce, vinegar, water, sugar, fresh chilies, and toasted sesame seeds in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Put potatoes and onion into the blender, blend them until you get a puree. (Do not process too long) Pour the potato puree in a mixing bowl and add the potato starch and mix well. If you can't find potato starch, use rice flour or cornstarch instead.
3. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium-high heat until very hot. Pour in a ladle-full of pancake batter. You should hear the sizzling sound immediately, and the batter will bubble right away on the edges. Using the ladle, quickly spread out the batter thinly.
4. Cook for 2-3 minutes. When the edges turn deep golden brown and crisp, flip the pancakes to the other side and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add more oil if needed. Repeat the frying pancakes with the rest of batter.
5. Served pancakes hot with the dipping sauce.

Notes

Use a cast iron, carbon steel, or crepe pan to get that golden sear. We used a blue steel crepe pan and loved the result.

Old-style Korean method is hand-grating the potatoes for a more textured pancake.