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

Korean Bapsang logo

  • 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
  • Ingredients
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Featured On
    • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
go to homepage
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Ingredients
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Appetizer/Snack

    Crispy Guljeon (Korean-style Oyster Fritters)

    Published 01/15/2018. Updated 08/07/2019

    Jump to Recipe

    DSC 2508 e1516071398790 - Crispy Guljeon (Korean-style Oyster Fritters)

    Do you like oysters? I hope you do because I have another oyster recipe to share today! If you remember my Trip to Korea Part 1 post, I talked about our first meal in Korea at a restaurant specializing in oyster dishes. We ordered guljeon (굴전, pan-fried battered oysters) to share. To everyone’s delight, what came out was a big plate full of golden brown, fritter-like oyster treats — nothing like the guljeon I was expecting. Traditionally, guljeon is egg battered and individually pan fried. The restaurant’s version was made with the typical savory pancake batter like the one used for pajeon, loaded with oysters, and fried to perfection! I’ve recreated it here for you!

    First things first, oysters are seasonal during cold months. I’m sure you’ve heard the advice “only eat oysters in months that contain the letter “R” (September through April). If you’re in Korea, you should be able to find the freshest oysters all over the country right now. We can find some of those, in a frozen state, in Korean markets around here. Jarred fresh oysters are fine for this recipe as well.

    DSC 2566 e1516071336229 - Crispy Guljeon (Korean-style Oyster Fritters)

    For the batter, I used buchim garu (부침가루) Korean ready-made pancake mix) along with a little bit of potato starch to add extra crispiness to the pancakes. If you don’t have ready-made mix, which is flavored and seasoned, simply use all purpose flour and add some minced (or powder) garlic and/or ginger, and season with salt.

    This recipe uses minimal vegetables. I used carrot, scallion, and mushrooms. Zucchini, chili pepper, garlic chives, red or orange bell pepper, and onion are all great options as well.

    DSC 2523 e1516071165354 - Crispy Guljeon (Korean-style Oyster Fritters)

    The restaurant obviously deep fries their guljeon in a generous amount of oil for an extra crispy and crunchy exterior while keeping the interior delicately soft. That’s what I did here. Of course you can use less oil if you’d rather cut back on calories. Simply pan fry as you would do for other Korean savory pancakes such as hobak buchim, kimchi jeon, and pajeon. The results will be delicious either way!

    DSC 2616 1 e1516293259575 - Crispy Guljeon (Korean-style Oyster Fritters)

    DSC 2508 150x150 1 - Crispy Guljeon (Korean-style Oyster Fritters)

    Crispy Guljeon (Korean-style Oyster Fritters)

    3.91 from 11 votes
    Servings: 4
    Print Recipe

    Ingredients

    • Makes 7 to 9 about 3-inch fritters
    • 8 ounces oysters gul, 굴
    • ½ small carrot
    • 1 scallion
    • 2 mushroom caps any fresh mushrooms
    • 1 cup buchim garu ready-made pancake mix or flour (see note)
    • 1 tablespoon corn or potato starch
    • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
    • oil for frying

    Dipping Sauce

    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    • 1 teaspoon vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon water
    • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
    • pinch of black pepper
    • pinch of gochugaru Korean red chili pepper flakes

    Instructions

    • Clean the oysters by gently swishing them around in salted water. Drain. Rinse again in clean water and keep them in a strainer over a bowl to drain well.
      DSC 2479 e1516072821334 - Crispy Guljeon (Korean-style Oyster Fritters)
    • Finely chop the carrot, scallion, and mushrooms.
      DSC 2482 e1516073398476 - Crispy Guljeon (Korean-style Oyster Fritters)
    • In a large bowl, combine the pancake mix, starch and baking soda and whisk well. Mix with 3/4 cup icy cold water. Add a tablespoon or two more if needed. The batter should be slightly thick but still runny.
      DSC 2543 e1516073438435 - Crispy Guljeon (Korean-style Oyster Fritters)
    • Mix the oyster with the sesame oil, and then add to the batter along with the vegetables.
      DSC 2520 e1516073493528 - Crispy Guljeon (Korean-style Oyster Fritters)
    • Heat 1/4-inch oil in a non-stick pan over medium high heat. Add about 2 heaping tablespoons of the batter, and spread it evenly into a small round shape. Depending on the size of your pan, you can cook 5 to 6 pancakes at once. Cook until the bottom is golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Repeat the process with the remaining batter. Serve hot with a dipping sauce.
      DSC 2555 e1516073535975 - Crispy Guljeon (Korean-style Oyster Fritters)

    Notes

    To substitute the buchim garu, use 1 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @koreanbapsang or tag #koreanbapsang!

    You may also like:

    • DSC5357 01 3 150x150 - Crispy Guljeon (Korean-style Oyster Fritters)Dakgangjeong (Sweet Crispy Korean Fried Chicken)
    • DSC4719 3 150x150 - Crispy Guljeon (Korean-style Oyster Fritters)Yukgaejang (Spicy Beef Soup with Vegetables)
    • DSC 3181 150x150 - Crispy Guljeon (Korean-style Oyster Fritters)Beoseot Gangjeong (Sweet Crispy Mushrooms)
    • DSC2686 150x150 - Crispy Guljeon (Korean-style Oyster Fritters)Dak Gomtang (Korean Chicken Soup)
    Previous Post: « Gul Tteokguk (Oyster Rice Cake Soup)
    Next Post: Eomuk Guk (Fish Cake Soup) »

    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...

    Basics of Korean Cooking

    Basics of Korean cooking! Coming soon.

    Never Miss a Recipe

    Popular Recipes

    • Red spicy Korean rice cake called tteokbokki in a large plate
    • Napa cabbage kimchi
    • Korean black bean noodles
    • DSC 06281 e1422146518897 500x500 - Crispy Guljeon (Korean-style Oyster Fritters)
    • Red spicy kimchi stew in an earthen pot
    • Stir-fried glass noodles with beef and vegetables in a square bowl
    • A 6-photo collage of 15 Korean vegetable side dishes
    • Korean fried chicken nuggets in a sweet and savory sauce

    Popular Categories

    Noodles and rice category banner

    Soups category banner

    Stews category banner

    As Featured On:

       

    Never Miss a Recipe:

    Footer

    Korean Bapsang logo

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Copyright © 2021 · All rights reserved · Korean Bapsang