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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.
I am making these now and the dough it so dry. I’ve added at least 4 T of water and it seems better, but I am worried I have ventured too far from the recipe. It’s resting now. Any advice?
I am making them now and found the dough to be extremely dry. I ended up adding at least 4 tablespoons more. Worried I added too much, but it just didn’t seem right with only 1/2 c of water. It’s resting now, if anyone sees this and has advice, I would appreciate it.
Feel free to have a little bit water to work the dough. Depending on if you use machine or hand knead, you might need a bit more water if hand knead.
Do you sift the flour before measuring or after. I sifted after.
After.
Has anyone substituted the flour for another or a combination of flours? Thinking paleo or whole 30.
Wow! Flavor was fantastic!! Next time though, I will cut the salt in half as it was a bit on the salty side for the family. I didn’t have Knorr Chicken Bouillon powder, but I did have the regular bouillon, and dissolved it in the boiling water instead. The other variation I made was that I deep fried it to mimic our favorite appetizer from a really good Sichuan restaurant. They have these huge scallion bubble pancakes that we just love so much, which comes with a curry dipping sauce. It’s basically a ballooned-up scallion pancake, and these pancakes taste just like it. Crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. I cooked chicken curry as the main dish and we dipped those pancakes in the sauce. It was the bomb!!! Thank you for the recipe.
i do low-carb. would i be able to make this with coconut or almond flour? i’d like to use them as roti or wrap with asian inspired chicken. thanks!
Sorry I am not familiar with coconut or almond flour.
Great recipe and I like the chicken bullion tip!
These look awesome but would love to see a recipe for jiu cai he zi on RasaM.
I was thinking of blending the scallions, then mix with the dough for my fussy eaters. Do you think it’d work? Novice cook here. :) tq.
Don’t blend just cut into very small rounds. :)
Wonderful recipe, as expected from you. I think it’ll also good to be eaten with curry. Have you tried it before?
Yum, yes curry would be awesome with this pancake!
What would you serve these with, typically?
You just eat it as an appetizer, just eat plain or with a bowl of homemade soy bean milk: https://rasamalaysia.com/soy-milk-recipe/