Korean Mugwort Pancake (Spring Herb Savory Thin Pancake)

Quick answer

Total time: 25 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 6

About this dish

Young mugwort leaves, harvested in early spring, are stripped of tough stems, washed, and folded into a batter of Korean pancake mix, water, and salt.

Thinly sliced onion adds a mild sweetness that balances the herb's earthy bitterness. The batter is spread thin in an oiled pan and fried on both sides until crisp - thickness is the enemy here, as a thick pancake traps steam and mutes the mugwort's fragrance. Dipped in a vinegar-soy sauce, the acidity rounds out any lingering bitterness, making ssuk-jeon one of the most distinctive seasonal pancakes in Korean cuisine.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

mugwort120 gg

Korean pancake mix1 cupcup

water180 mlml

salt⅓ tsptsp

cooking oil2 tbsptbsp

onion½ eaea

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Step

Sort 120 g mugwort carefully, removing tough stems and wilted leaves.

Rinse it several times under running water, then shake off excess moisture so the batter does not become watery.
2

Heat

Slice 1/2 onion very thinly.

If the pieces are thick, they lift the batter away from the pan and take longer to soften, making the pancake harder to cook evenly.
3

Season

In a bowl, combine 1 cup Korean pancake mix, 180 ml water, and 0.3 teaspoon salt.

Stir only until the dry lumps disappear, keeping the batter loose enough to spread thinly.
4

Prep

Add the mugwort and onion to the batter, then fold lightly with chopsticks or a spatula.

Stop once the leaves are coated, because overmixing or crowding with too much mugwort makes spreading difficult.
5

Control

Heat a pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons cooking oil.

Pour in one ladle of batter, then spread it thinly to the edges so steam can escape and the mugwort aroma stays clear.
6

Finish

Flip when the edges are dry and the bottom is golden.

Cook the other side for about 2 minutes until crisp, then serve warm immediately.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Ssuk-jeon highlights the herbal scent of young spring mugwort leaves balanced by mild onion sweetness.
Finish cue: Flip when the edges are dry and the bottom is golden.
Avoid this: Sort 120 g mugwort carefully, removing tough stems and wilted leaves.