• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Korean Bapsang logo

  • Start Here
  • Recipes
    • Appetizer/Snack
    • Main Dish
      • Meat
      • Noodles and Rice
      • Seafood
    • Side Dish
    • Slow Cooker
    • Soup
    • Stew
    • Desserts/Sweets
    • Korean-Chinese
    • Vegetables
    • Vegetarian dish
    • Traditional holiday food
      • Chuseok (Korean thanksgiving)
    • Special Event
    • Korean BBQ
  • Pantry
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Featured On
    • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Start Here
  • Recipes
  • Pantry
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Appetizer/Snack

    Buchujeon (Garlic Chive Pancakes)

    Published 09/06/2016. Updated 04/08/2021

    Jump to Recipe

    Simple Korean savory pancakes made with buchu (garlic chives)! Learn how to make it two ways!

    DSC3856 e1616215696567 - Buchujeon (Garlic Chive Pancakes)

    Savory pancakes are a big part of Korean home cooking. Koreans make pancakes with all sorts of ingredients — kimchi (kimchijeon), seafood and scallions (haemul pajeon), potato (gamjajeon), zucchini (hobak buchim), etc. This buchujeon (부추전) is made with buchu (부추), Korean garlic chives. It’s another very common pancake at Korean homes!

    When savory pancakes are seasoned with gochujang (Korean chili pepper paste) and/or doenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste), they are called jangtteok (장떡), so the red version of this pancake I am showing here is actually called buchu jangtteok (부추장떡). You can simply add gochujang, doenjang or a combination. In this recipe, I just used gochujang. It adds a nice spicy kick to the pancakes.

    Which type of garlic chives to use

    Garlic chives have dark green flat leaves and a delicate garlic flavor. Korean garlic chives are thinner and tenderer than Chinese garlic chives commonly found in America. For this recipe, I used Korean garlic chives I grew in my backyard, but they are also available at Korean markets.

    If you can’t find Korean chives, you can use the Chinese variety for this recipe. Look for ones with thin and narrow blades.

    DSC 0435 e1473217729499 - Buchujeon (Garlic Chive Pancakes)

    Variations

    Buchujeon can be made simply with buchu, but I also added thinly sliced onions here. It adds delicious sweetness to the pancakes. Sometimes, I also add thinly sliced perilla leaves (깻잎, kkaennip) and/or chili peppers. If you like it a bit meaty, add some minced pork.

    Korean pancake mix (buchim garu, 부침가루) is best to use for Korean savory pancakes. The ready made mix includes cornstarch, and/or rice powder for crispy pancakes and is flavored with garlic and onion powder and seasoned with salt. If you can’t find it, simple use all purpose flour or gluten free flour. You can also add some cornstarch and/or rice flour for a slightly chewier, crispier texture.

    This recipe is vegan, but you can add an egg to the batter if you like.

    DSC 0520 e1473217639892 - Buchujeon (Garlic Chive Pancakes)

    You can make 2 large pancakes with this recipe. Cut into small pieces before serving or simply let the diners tear with the chopsticks as they eat. Or, make a few small pieces instead.

    More Korean savory pancakes recipes

    Kimchi jeon (kimchi pancakes)
    Nokdujeon (savory mung bean pancakes)
    Gamjajeon (potato pancakes)
    Hobak buchim (zucchini pancakes)
    Haemul Pajeon (Scallion seafood pancakes)


    DSC 0503 1 e1473217551550 - Buchujeon (Garlic Chive Pancakes)

    For more Korean cooking inspirations, follow along on YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

    DSC 0520 350x350 - Buchujeon (Garlic Chive Pancakes)

    Buchjeon (Garlic Chive Pancakes)

    4.92 from 24 votes
    Appetizer
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 2
    Print Recipe

    Ingredients

    • Makes 2 large pancakes or 6 small ones
    • 1 cup Korean pancake mix (buchimgaru, 부침가루) or simply use all purpose flour or gluten free flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt - see note
    • 3 ounces garlic chives buchu, 부추
    • 1/4 medium onion
    • 1 teaspoon soup soy sauce or regular soy sauce or fish sauce

    Optional Spicy Version

    • 1 cup Korean pancake mix buchimgaru, 부침가루
    • 3 ounces garlic chives buchu, 부추
    • 1/4 medium onion
    • 1 tablespoon gochujang Korean chili pepper paste

    Dipping Sauce

    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    • 1 teaspoon vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon water
    • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
    • pinch of black pepper

    Instructions

    • Cut the garlic chives into about 2-inch length pieces. Thinly slice the onion.
      DSC 0427 e1473218479629 - Buchujeon (Garlic Chive Pancakes)
    • Add the pancake mix to a large bowl. Stir in 1 cup of icy cold water and the soy sauce (or gochujang for the spicy version) and mix lightly. The batter should be thin.
      DSC 0432 e1473218684826 - Buchujeon (Garlic Chive Pancakes)
    • Mix in the garlic chives and onion.
      DSC 0436 e1473218756453 - Buchujeon (Garlic Chive Pancakes)
    • Heat one tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Ladle the mixture into the pan, and spread it evenly into a thin round shape. Cook until the edges turn light golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low if the pancake browns too quickly. Turn it over, adding more oil to the sides of the pan, and press it down with a spatula. Cook until the other side is light golden brown, about 2 minutes.
      DSC 0437 768x514 - Buchujeon (Garlic Chive Pancakes)
    • Repeat the process until there is no remaining batter and the optional spicy version. Serve with a dipping sauce.
      DSC 0483 e1473220054300 - Buchujeon (Garlic Chive Pancakes)

    Notes

    You can also use 3/4 cup flour, 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of rice powder, if available, for a chewier, crisper texture. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt. 
    Tried this recipe?Mention @koreanbapsang or tag #koreanbapsang!

    You may also like:

    • 15 Easy Kimchi Recipes e1612498561532 150x150 - Buchujeon (Garlic Chive Pancakes)15 Easy Kimchi Recipes
    • 4 x 6 in copy 3 3 150x150 - Buchujeon (Garlic Chive Pancakes)15 Spring Vegetable Recipes
    • DSC 0161 3 150x150 - Buchujeon (Garlic Chive Pancakes)Omurice (Omelette Rice)
    • DSC 3181 150x150 - Buchujeon (Garlic Chive Pancakes)Beoseot Gangjeong (Sweet Crispy Mushrooms)
    « Ojingeo Gui (Spicy Grilled Squid)
    Youngyang Chaltteok (Healthy Sweet Rice Cake) »
    9499 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Email

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Korean Bapsang

    Korean Bapsang Author
    Hi! I'm Hyosun, and I am a Korean-American mom of two wonderful grown-up children. Here, you will learn how to cook Korean dishes the way we Koreans traditionally eat at home. Read More...

    Never Miss a Recipe

    Popular Recipes

    • a large bowl of red spicy Korean stir-fried rice cakes with serving plates and chopsticks Tteokbokki (Spicy Stir-fried Rice Cakes)
    • 2 quarter-heads of napa cabbage kimchi in a large ceramic bowl Traditional Kimchi
    • Stir-fried glass noodles with beef and vegetables in a square bowl Japchae (Stir-Fried Starch Noodles with Beef and Vegetables)
    • Sundubu Jjigae (Soft Tofu Stew)
    • Korean noodles in a black bean sauce topped with cucumber matchsticks and served in a white bowl Jajangmyeon (Noodles in Black Bean Sauce)
    • A 6-photo collage of 15 Korean vegetable side dishes 15 Vegetable Side Dishes (Banchan)
    • Korean fried chicken nuggets in a sweet and savory sauce Dakgangjeong (Sweet Crispy Korean Fried Chicken)
    • kimchi stew with tofu in an earthen pot with the lid laid on the side of the pot Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew)

    Popular Categories

    Noodles and rice category banner

    Korean BBQ category banner

    Stews category banner

    As Featured On:

       

    Footer

    Korean Bapsang New Logo

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Copyright © 2024 · All rights reserved · Korean Bapsang

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required