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Healthy and the best scallion pancakes made of flour, green onion scallions and salt. This easy Chinese scallion pancake recipe is authentic and fail-proof!
Scallion Pancakes
Chinese scallion pancakes are healthy, vegan, crispy and delicious!
These pancakes are a type of savory flatbread made from dough, as opposed to western pancakes with a batter.
They are called cong you bing or 蔥油餅. You can find this delicacy as a popular street food in China and Taiwan.
They are commonly served as a breakfast, with soy milk, mantou, tea leaf eggs or soy sauce eggs.
Scallion Pancakes Recipe Ingredients
This scallion pancakes recipe is from my best-selling cookbook “Easy Chinese Recipes” published in 2011.
Here are the recipe ingredients:
- All-purpose flour.
- Scallion. Scallion is sometimes called green onion.
- Salt.
- Oil.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Make Scallion Pancakes
How To Make The Dough
Step 1. Sift the all-purpose flour into a big bowl and then add the salt and chicken bouillon powder (if using) into the flour. Combine well and set aside.
Step 2. Heat the water to a boil. Slowly add the water to the flour and knead the dough until it becomes soft, no longer sticky and the surface becomes smooth and shiny, about 15 minutes. If the dough is too dry, add 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of water to the dough. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Step 3. Heat the water to a boil. Slowly add the water to the flour and knead the dough until it becomes soft, no longer sticky and the surface becomes smooth and shiny, about 15 minutes. If the dough is too dry, add 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of water to the dough. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes.
How To Make Scallion Pancakes
Step 1. On a flat and floured surface, divide the dough into 8 small dough balls, as pictured.
Step 2. Working with one dough ball at a time, roll it to a thin disc using a rolling pin. Dust the rolling pin with some all-purpose flour as you go. Brush the surface of the pancake with the oil.
Step 3. Roll the dough into a cylinder.
Step 4. Coil it up like a snail.
Step 5. Dust the rolling pin with the flour and roll the snail-shape dough until flat, measuring about 6 inches (15cm) in diameter. Set the dough aside on a baking sheet. Repeat the steps above for the rest of the dough balls.
How To Fry Scallion Pancakes
Step 1. Add about 1/4 inch (6 mm) of oil into a stir-fry pan or skillet over moderately high heat. Transfer a piece of the pancake onto the pan or skillet.
Step 2. Shallow fry each side of the pancake to a light golden brown, about 1 minute. Flip the pancake over and shallow fry the other side.
Step 3. Add more oil, repeat the same for the remaining pancakes and serve immediately. They are best eaten with warm and homemade soy milk.
Helpful Tips
There are two basic methods of making scallion pancakes.
The first method is to make the plain dough, roll it out and then add the scallion and salt on the dough.
The second method is to combine the dough, scallion and salt together before rolling it out into pancakes.
My Chinese chef friend told me that both methods are authentic but the second method is a “shortcut” and great for beginners.
I like the second method as it’s easy and fail-proof.
Mixing the scallion with the dough infuses the dough with earthy aroma and fragrance of the green onion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, all the ingredients are vegan. This recipe is 100% vegan.
I don’t recommend freezing the dough but you can freeze the pancakes after you make them.
Place them in a plastic bag and keep in the freezer. To serve, just reheat the pancakes in a microwave or toaster oven.
Traditionally, there is no dipping sauce to go with the pancakes.
They are savory and tasty without any sauce.
Each piece of scallion pancake is only 118 calories.
What To Serve With Scallion Pancakes
Serve this scallion pancakes with braised pork belly (dong po rou) for a complete meal. For a wholesome Chinese meal, I recommend the following recipes.
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Scallion Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder, optional
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 – 4 stalks scallion or green onion, green parts only, trimmed and cut into small rounds, to yield about a tightly packed 1/3 cup or more
- 2 tablespoons oil, for brushing
- Extra all-purpose flour, for dusting and rolling
- Oil, for frying
Instructions
- Sift the all-purpose flour into a big bowl and then add the salt and chicken bouillon powder (if using) into the flour. Combine well and set aside.
- Heat the water to a boil. Slowly add the water to the flour and knead the dough until it becomes soft, no longer sticky and the surface becomes smooth and shiny, about 15 minutes. If the dough is too dry, add 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of water to the dough. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Add the scallions into the dough and combine well.
Step-by-Step on How to Make Scallion Pancakes:
- On a flat and floured surface, divide the dough into 8 small dough balls, as pictured.
- Working with one dough ball at a time, roll it to a thin disc using a rolling pin. Dust the rolling pin with some all-purpose flour as you go. Brush the surface of the pancake with the oil.
- Roll the dough into a cylinder.
- Coil it up like a snail.
- Dust the rolling pin with the flour and roll the snail-shape dough until flat, measuring about 6 inches (15cm) in diameter. Set the dough aside on a baking sheet. Repeat the steps above for the rest of the dough balls.
Step-by-Step on How to Fry Scallion Pancakes:
- Add about 1/4 inch (6 mm) of oil into a stir-fry pan or skillet over moderately high heat. Transfer a piece of the pancake onto the pan or skillet.
- Shallow fry each side of the pancake to a light golden brown, about 1 minute. Flip the pancake over and shallow fry the other side.
- Add more oil, repeat the same for the remaining pancakes and serve immediately. They are best eaten with warm and homemade soy milk.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The recipe calls for 1/2 tsp bouillon. The cook notes say to substitute bouillon with 1 1/2 tsp salt. I just want to clarify that the salt would be one full tsp more than the bouillon.
I have never mixed the onions into the dough. Looking forward to trying it this way.
Susan’s comment about the sesame oil might be because when you add the onions after rolling out the dough, recipes typically call for sesame oil to be spread over the onions. It sounds like your bouillon would compensate for the flavor of the missing sesame oil.
If you don’t use bouillon, then you use a total of 1 1/2 teaspoon salt instead of 1 teaspoon salt in the recipe.
Yes, you can add some sesame oil when you brush the oil (oil + sesame oil) onto the pancake surface. This method is much easier by mixing the scallions first. When I wrote my cookbook and tested out with the first method, many testers had trouble rolling up the dough into cynlinder because they came oozing out from the ends and made a messy dough. Try it and let me know if you like it.
what brand of non-MSG boullion powder do you use and where can you buy it?
I use Knorr, you can buy it at Amazon, I think.
Wonderful recipe. If you put a little oil between two coiled snail-shaped pieces and then flatten them out evenly with a rolling pin you can get very thin pancakes. Carefully separate the two and fry them separately.
Thanks for your tip!! :)
This recipe looks great – thanks!
Do you have a dipping sauce that you like to make with this?
Just eat as is, it’s a very light appetizer you can serve with homemade soy milk: https://rasamalaysia.com/soy-milk-recipe/
I’ve never tried this one before. Do you usually eat it plain or accompany it with a dip?
Just eat as is, it’s a very light appetizer you can serve with homemade soy milk: https://rasamalaysia.com/soy-milk-recipe/
Love pancakes, and these are good!
I love this! Definitely will choose the Non-MSG powder.
Growing scallions from seed for the first time in my garden, hope they actually grow!!
A new twist on breakfast, Nice =)
Thanks or serve with homemade soy milk: https://rasamalaysia.com/soy-milk-recipe/
Where’s the sesame oil? Wach side should be lightly brushed with sesame oil before frying. Yum!
There is no sesame oil used in this recipe.
Very easy and practical recipes, able to prepare it within our home, step by step.
Very practical recipes, able to prepare it within our home kitchen, step by step..