Description
Chinese Scallion Pancakes (葱油饼, cong you bing) are a classic Chinese street food and comfort dish made with flaky layered dough filled with scallions, pan-fried until crispy and golden. Served with a simple dipping sauce, these savory pancakes are chewy, aromatic, and irresistible as a snack, appetizer, or side dish.
Ingredients
Dough: 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup boiling water, 1/4 cup cool water
Filling: 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup peanut oil (or olive oil, melted coconut oil, butter, or chicken fat), 3/4 teaspoon salt, 8 green onions (about 1 cup), chopped
Cooking: Vegetable oil, for pan-frying
Dipping Sauce (optional): 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Chinkiang vinegar (or rice vinegar), 1/4 teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Make the dough: Mix flour and salt in a bowl. Slowly add hot water while stirring, then add cool water and stir until flakes form. Knead into a firm ball, about 5 minutes. Cover and rest 20 minutes. (Stand mixer option: knead 3 minutes with dough hook.)
- Make the filling: Mix flour, oil, and salt into a smooth paste.
- Prepare dipping sauce (optional): Mix soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and water until sugar dissolves.
- Form pancakes: Knead rested dough 1 minute. Divide into 6 portions. Roll one into a thin rectangle, spread with 1 tbsp filling, sprinkle with scallions. Roll into a tube, coil into a bun shape, then flatten into a pancake. Repeat.
- Roll out pancakes: Roll each into a 7–8 inch circle, flipping to avoid sticking.
- Cook: Heat skillet over medium-high with enough oil to coat bottom. Fry pancake covered 1 minute per side, then uncover and flip until both sides are golden and crisp (about 3 minutes total). Repeat.
- Serve: Slice into wedges and serve hot with dipping sauce.
Notes
- For extra fragrance, use sesame oil in the filling.
- Add sesame seeds or minced garlic to the dough for flavor.
- Swap scallions for leeks or chives for variation.
- For a spicy kick, serve with chili oil instead of vinegar sauce.
- Freeze uncooked pancakes for up to 3 months; cook straight from frozen.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Pan-Frying
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pancake
- Calories: 260
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 360mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
