Top 21 Korean Appetizers

Yukhoe is the Korean version of steak tartare, consisting of thinly sliced beef marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and sugar. The concoction is then seasoned with salt and pepper. The dish is always served with a raw egg yolk on top, while thinly sliced Korean pear is an often-seen addition served on the side. The name of the dish is derived from two words: yuk, meaning meat, and hoe, meaning sashimi. No one is yet sure about the origins of yukhoe, but some say it originated in China, while the others claim it was first served at the Korean Royal Court. Today, the dish is traditionally consumed by dipping the meat in raw egg yolks or in chogochujang sauce, consisting of chili, sugar, vinegar, and honey.Expand

Jeon, also known as Korean pancakes, represents a number of pancake-like dishes in Korean cuisine that are often served as appetizers, side dishes, or consumed as snacks. Although jeon are typically prepared in savory versions, there are also some sweet varieties of these flavorful pancakes. At their simplest, it is food that is first coated in flour and eggs, then pan-fried in oil. Jeon incorporates ingredients such as thinly sliced meat, poultry, seafood, and various vegetables. The pancakes are traditionally prepared every year during the Korean Lunar New Year and Korean Harvest Festival, although they are eaten daily throughout the year. Some of the more popular varieties of jeon are made with shredded beef (yukjeon), oysters (guljeon), kimchi (kimchijeon), and green onions (pajeon). It is recommended to serve jeon with a spicy soy-based dipping sauce or a refreshing cucumber salad.Expand

In its simplest form, this South Korean pancake incorporates sliced kimchi, preferably ripe version, with a simple flour batter. The dish belongs to a wide group of jeon—savory Korean pancakes—and it is easily adapted with various ingredients such as chili paste (gochujang), ground meat, or other vegetables. The pancakes are occasionally served with a dipping sauce on the side and may come sprinkled with sesame seeds. They are usually enjoyed as a quick, filling snack or an appetizer, but they can also be served as a main course or a side dish.Expand

Pajeon is a variety of jeon (Korean pancakes), made with a batter of rice flour, eggs, and green onions (pa), the key ingredient in this dish, hence the name. It is a popular snack or an appetizer that is usually served with rice and a combination of soy sauce and vinegar, used as a dipping sauce. There are endless variations of the dish prepared by adding other ingredients to it, such as vegetables, kimchi, or seafood. The pancakes, which are easily recognizable by the green onions sticking out from all sides, can either be cooked as small discs or one large pancake that is then cut into individual portions. Crispy on the outside, and soft and slightly gummy on the inside, pajeon is a simple, filling meal with a unique combination of flavors.Expand

Haemuljeon is a traditional dish originating from South Korea. This type of jeon (pan-fried battered food) is made with a combination of seafood, scallions, eggs, flour, and oil. Seafood such as mussels, oysters, squid, shrimp, and clams are cut into bite-sized pieces and then mixed with the scallions, eggs, and flour. Once battered, the mixture is pan-fried in hot oil on both sides until the pancake turns golden brown on both sides. Haemuljeon is served hot with a dipping sauce on the side. The dipping sauce usually consists of soy sauce, vinegar, red pepper flakes, sugar, and black pepper.Expand

Gamjajeon is a type of Korean pancake prepared with grated or puréed potatoes, while some varieties may include scallions, chives, carrots, or onions. The pancakes are usually small and round and should be pan-fried until perfectly crispy on the outside. They make for an excellent snack, side dish, or an appetizer, as well as a light main course. Gamjajeon are usually served with choganjang dipping sauce that combines soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and water, or optionally gochujang chili paste, chili flakes, and sesame seeds.Expand

This South Korean dish consists of ground beef that is wrapped with perilla leaves (kkaennip), and the parcels are then coated with flour and egg wash before they are pan-fried. The filling is usually seasoned and enriched with scallions, garlic, onions, sesame oil, and soy sauce, while other additions also include tofu or finely sliced vegetables. This decorative dish can be enjoyed as an appetizer, snack or a side dish, and it is best served with a dipping sauce on the side. Like other types of jeon dishes, kkaennip is traditionally prepared for Chuseok—South Korean harvest festival.Expand

Saewoojeon is a traditional dish originating from South Korea. This type of jeon (pan-fried battered food) is made with a combination of shrimps, flour, eggs, salt, white pepper, and oil. The shrimps are cleaned and then sprinkled with salt and pepper, coated with flour, and dipped in beaten eggs. Once battered, they are pan-fried in hot oil on both sides until golden brown. Saewoojeon is served hot as a snack or an appetizer with a dipping sauce on the side.Expand

Hobakjeon is a traditional dish originating from South Korea. The dish is usually made with a combination of thinly sliced zucchini, flour, eggs, oil, and salt. The zucchini slices are sprinkled with salt, dredged in flour, dipped in beaten eggs, and cooked in oil over low heat on both sides until lightly golden brown. Once done, hobakjeon zucchini fritters are often served with rice and soy-sauce-based dipping sauces on the side. Although the dish can be made any time of the year, it's especially popular in summer, on New Year's (Seollal), and on Korean Thanksgiving Day (Chuseok).Expand

Gochujeon is a traditional dish originating from South Korea. This type of jeon (pan-fried battered food) is made with a combination of green chili peppers, fish sauce, onions, flour, and oil. The chili peppers and onions are chopped and mixed with flour, water, and fish sauce. The mixture is pan-fried in oil on both sides until the pancake turns golden brown. Once done, gochujeon is served hot with rice or a dipping sauce on the side. There are many variations on this type of jeon, so it can also be made with whole chili peppers, or there can be additional ingredients for the pancake, such as chicken and garlic.Expand