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5.0 from 6 votes

Crispy Potato Pancakes (Gamjajeon)

Slightly crispy on the outside and full of potato goodness inside, these potato pancakes make for great snacks that are easy to whip up with simple ingredients. 

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 115 kcal
Course: Snacks
Cuisine: Korean

Ingredients

  • 1 lb starchy potatoes (I used a mix of red and purple potatoes)
  • 1/2 onion
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3 Tbs flour (adjust based on how wet your potatoes are)
  • vegetable oil for pan frying

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Wash potatoes. Peel if the skin is thick like russet but you can leave the skin on if it’s thin enough.
  2. Cut potatoes into smaller pieces. (Originally, Koreans use graters to finely grate the potato but chopper is easier and works just as good.)
  3. Cut onions into pieces small enough to fit in the chopper.
  4. Chop onions and potatoes in a blender.
  5. For the amount of extra potato liquid, I added 3 Tbs of flour. After you add the flour, the consistency should be so that the mix does not run down easily from a spatula.
  6. Add more flour if needed, such as when the gamjajeon falls apart too easily while cooking.
  7. Heat about 2 Tbs of oil in a frying pan on medium-high heat.
  8. Using sufficient amount of oil is key to making a good gamjajeon so don’t skimp on oil. Gamjajeon will also stick easily to the pan if there isn’t enough oil.
  9. Heat the oil until it swirls around in the pan like water.
  10. Ladle the potato mix onto the hot pan. Spread out evenly to about 1/3 in thickness. One full ladle should make one 6 inch pancake.
  11. Lower heat to medium and fry for 2 minutes or so. Check doneness by lifting up the side slightly to see how brown it is. When it is BROWN, turn it over!
  12. Fry the other side for another 2 minutes until done.
  13. Serve with some yangnyum jang (양념장) for jeon (see my post for yangnyum jang) or chokanjang (초간장) and it is a great snack or banchan for kids and adults alike! It is also a great appetizer for Korean rice wine (막걸리 Maakeoli).

Notes

  • Best potatoes to use are starchy potatoes like regular russet. You can use waxy potatoes but you probably will need to add more flour to keep it together and may not be as crispy.
  • For more zing, add some chopped green chili peppers to the mix or to the yangnyum jang.
  • The colored potatoes can be eaten raw so I added them on top as garnish and it was a fabulous combination because it added a crunchy texture.
  • DO NOT turn over the pancake prematurely, before it is fully browned; it’s the number one reason why it will fall apart.
  • Loosen the pancake from the pan before you turn over, by loosening it slightly all around and then shaking the pan until the pancake starts sliding around.

Nutrition Information

Calories 115kcal (6%) Carbohydrates 26g (9%) Protein 3g (6%) Sodium 151mg (6%) Potassium 492mg (14%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin C 7.5mg (8%) Calcium 18mg (2%) Iron 1.2mg (7%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 115

% Daily Value*

Calories 115kcal 6%
Carbohydrates 26g 9%
Protein 3g 6%
Sodium 151mg 6%
Potassium 492mg 10%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin C 7.5mg 8%
Calcium 18mg 2%
Iron 1.2mg 7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.