Easy Scallion Pancakes
A recipe for Scallion Pancakes made with green onions and Sichuan spices then pan-fried into crispy savoury pancakes. Scallion Pancakes are a favourite at breakfast tables throughout China and sometimes as a tasty street food snack if you are lucky!
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This tasty breakfast dish is known as Congyoubing in China. I had the luck of getting to eat this in Shanghai while visiting along with lots of other interesting foods. That is the best part of travelling… the food! I found that in China during breakfast there were more savoury foods than sweets like we are used to in North America.
Of course, everyone loves sugar and there isn’t a breakfast buffet that doesn’t have Youtaio (fried dough sticks) available in the morning but in general savoury dishes seem more common. Soups with green onions, soy, noodles and dumplings are, in my visits to Asia, what I see most people eating. Believe it or not, soup is delicious for breakfast!
When I first looked at recipes for scallion pancakes I was a bit intimidated. This Chinese pancake recipe isn’t like the pancakes I am used to where you pour batter into a pan and flip. It is actually more like bread or pastry where you need to make a simple dough and roll it out.
But even though it looks hard it is actually very simple!
Here are some of my other favourite breakfast recipes:
Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Mug Cake
How to make scallion pancakes
- In a medium bowl add 2 cups of all-purpose flour. Create a well in the centre and then pour in 1 cup of hot water but not boiling water.
- Use a fork to start blending the flour and water together and as soon as the ingredients are cool enough to handle begin gently pressing and kneading the dough to form a smooth ball. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm dry place for about 30 minutes to rest.
- Lightly flour your surface and then roll the dough with your hands to form a log. Then cut it into 4 even pieces.
- Roll one of the pieces of dough out to form a circle that is about 1/8″ thick. In a small bowl mix together vegetable oil, sesame oil, salt and the 5-spice. Mix well and then baste the dough with the oil mixture.
- Add 1/4 of the chopped green onions evenly over the oiled side of the rolled-out dough
- Then gently roll the dough into a tight tube.
- Coil the tube of seasoned dough and tuck the end underneath the coil.
- Then re-roll the dough out again to about 1/8-1/4 inch thickness. Heat vegetable oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat and fry each side for about 3 minutes each or until the dough becomes crispy. Repeat with each pancake. Serve.
serving suggetsions
Scallion pancakes are often served with a soy-ginger dipping sauce or hot sauce. My husband likes to dip them in sour cream!
Storage
This recipe for scallion pancakes stores very well and can be frozen or stored wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Reheating
Sure can! To reheat first make sure the pancakes are thawed if reheating from frozen. Place them on a baking sheet at 400°F and let heat up for about 5-7 minutes. Or you can place them back in a non-stick skillet again with a tiny bit of vegetable oil and crisp them up again for about 1 minute per side on medium-high heat.
Easy Scallion Pancakes
Equipment
- Medium bowl
- Small Bowl
- Knife
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Rolling Pin
- non-stick frying pan
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup hot water just under boiling temp
- 3 ½ tbsp vegetable oil divided
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp Chinese 5-spice
- 1 cup scallions (green onions) greens only, chopped
Instructions
- In a medium bowl add 2 cups of flour and create a well in the centre. Pour the hot water into the centre of the well. Mix the flour and water together using a fork only until it is cool enough to mix with your hands and gently start to press and knead the flour and water mixture together to form a smooth ball of dough.
- Keep the ball of dough in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest in a warm place for 1/2 an hour.
- In a small bowl mix together 2 tbsp of vegetable oil, 2 tsp sesame oil, 1 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of 5-spice. Set aside.
- Flour a hard surface and roll the dough out into a long roll and then cut into 4 even pieces
- On a lightly floured surface roll a piece of the dough out to a circle that is about a 1/8" thick.
- Using a basting brush base side facing up of the rolled out dough with the oil and spice mixture. Top with a 1/4 of the green onions.
- Gently roll the dough into a long tube and then reroll out into a circle that is 1/8"- 14/" thickness. Set Aside and repeat this method with the other 3 pieces of dough.
- Heat a non-stick skillet to medium-high heat and add a tsp of vegetable oil. Spread the oil out as evenly as possible across the pan. Add one of the rolled out scallion pancakes and cook for about 3 minutes. Flip and add another tsp of vegetable oil to cook the other side for about another 3 minutes or until both sides are crispy and golden brown. Repeat this until all 4 scallion pancakes are cooked.
- Cut each pancake into triangles and serve.
Nutrition
Notes
- Lightly flour the rolling pin if the dough is sticking to it
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This recipe has been adapted the recipe found on China Sichuan Food
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For the step-by-step version of this recipe, check out the How To Make Easy Scallion Pancakes Story.
These are my absolute favorites! Now, I can make them anytime.
these went absolutely perfect with our kielbasa meal, the flavors are amazing as a side dish and they taste great even cold!
Yum! Love this savory version of pancakes. Way better than its sweet counterpart
I made this for a brunch with friends and everyone loved them!
Yay! I thanks for sharing. I love hearing this.