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What Is Spam Perilla Jeon?

‘Spam Kkaennip Jeon’ (스팸깻잎전), also known as ‘kkaennip spam jeon’ (깻잎스팸전), is a Korean side dish made by covering spam and perilla in a dusting of flour. Then, they are coated in egg and pan-fried. The term spam (스팸) is the same in both Korean and English; it refers to the canned meat SPAM. ‘Kkaennip’ (깻잎) refers to a type of leafy green known as ‘perilla’ in English. Finally, the Korean term ‘jeon’ (전) can be translated to ‘pancake’ or ‘savory pancake.’

Not only is this recipe quick and easy to make, but it also fills you up and is packed with protein!

Spam Perilla Jeon Ingredient List:

Below, I list the ingredients used to make this recipe. I also linked any informative articles on my site connected to these ingredients:

Perilla Leaves (Learn about this ingredient here)
SPAM or other similar canned meat
Flour or Gluten-Free Flour
Eggs

Spam perilla jeon lined up on a gray plate. The plate sits on a wooden surface.

Spam Perilla Jeon Latte Tips & Tricks:

Here, I list some helpful tips & tricks to help you make this easy Korean spam perilla jeon recipe. If you have any questions, comment below or email me at [email protected]! I hope these tips help you make these delicious Korean pancakes!

To coat the perilla and spam in flour, I recommend placing the flour in a container with a lid or a food-safe plastic bag. Then place the ingredients a few at a time in the bag and shake. Doing this will give the ingredients an even coating of flour.
If there are areas with clumps of flour, make sure to brush them off. You want an even and light coating. Otherwise, you will taste the raw clumps of flour when you bite down.
After whisking the eggs, run them through a fine mesh sieve. This helps the whisked eggs coat the perilla and spam. If you do not completely whisk the eggs, they can roll off the jeon when you are coating them.
I do not add salt to this dish. There is plenty of salt in the spam. I also serve this with Korean jeon dipping sauce (soy sauce-based, so plenty of sodium). If you would like to add salt, you can!
If you need less sodium, by spam varieties such as 25% less sodium or SPAM lite!
Make sure to fully heat your pan before starting to pan-fry your jeon. If you do not, the egg may stick to the pan.

Spam Perilla Jeon Frequently Asked Questions:

Now that we learned about some tips & tricks, I want to answer some questions you may have about this recipe! If I do not answer your question, feel free to leave a comment in the section below or email me at [email protected].

Does This Recipe Contain Major Allergens? (Gluten, Soy, Etc.)

Before listing all of the major allergens, I want to state that all of my recipes are naturally gluten-free. On this blog, I only use and recommend gluten-free ingredients and brands. That being said, I list gluten as a potential allergen when necessary– this is because many Korean ingredients (such as soy sauce, gochujang, and doenjang) contain gluten unless you specifically buy gluten-free versions. Not only is this true for gluten, but it is true for other major allergens as well. As such, I always list allergy substitutions in the next section of my post.

This recipe does not contain 7 of the 9 major allergens. It does not contain:

Peanuts
Tree Nuts
Eggs
Fish
Crustacean Shellfish
Sesame
Soybeans
Milk (Dairy)

This recipe does contain 2 of the 9 major allergens. It can potentially contain:

Wheat (Gluten)
Eggs

Allergy Substitutions or Omissions:

For those with an egg allergy:

Unfortunately, the coating for the perilla and spam contains eggs. If you have an egg allergy, I recommend avoiding this recipe or using an egg-free alternative. I have yet to make this recipe using an egg replacement. If you do, let me know how it turns out!

For those with celiac disease, gluten allergy, and/or wheat allergy:

To make this recipe gluten and wheat-free, switch the regular flour with a gluten-free version. I test all my recipes with gluten-free alternatives as I have celiac disease.

Is This Recipe Vegetarian or Vegan?

Unfortunately, this recipe is neither vegetarian nor vegan. The main ingredient is Spam.

Where Can I Buy the Ingredients for This Recipe?

For this recipe, I recommend shopping at your local Korean grocery stores (such as H-Mart). One of the ingredients, perilla, is hard to find at a typical Western-style grocery store.

Where to Buy Korean Ingredients Online?

Nowadays, there are many online options to choose from when ordering Korean food online. These websites are not limited to, but include:

Amazon
H-mart
Hanpoom
Wooltari
Seoul Mills

A plate of Korean pancakes. They sit lined up leaning on one another.

I Hope You Enjoyed Learning How to Make This Korean Spam Perilla Jeon Recipe!

In the end, I hope you enjoyed learning how to make this Korean spam perilla jeon recipe. If so, let me know in the comment section!

If you would like to read more about cooking, you can find recipes as well as further Korean ingredient articles on my blog. I listed some of our favorite Carving A Journey recipes below! For reference, many recipes are influenced by my family’s blended Korean and Southern heritage.

Further Carving A Journey Recipes:

If you have any questions or comments, email me at [email protected]. And, finally, I would love to hear from you through our social media as well! You can follow me at @carvingajourney on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Or, if you would like more articles like these, you can subscribe to the blog by joining the mailing list. Once again, let me know if you try making this Spam Kkaennip jeon. Thank you so much for stopping by!