Scallion Pancakes
Crispy scallion pancakes bring all the flavors and appeal of Chinese street food to your kitchen table! They’re a tasty pastry that’ll be the star of any dim sum meal, filled with Chinese spices and green onions and fried into a thin, flaky pancake.
Are you familiar with the concept of dim sum? It’s a satisfying Chinese meal with several, small dishes that we in the States might usually consider snacks or appetizers. The first time I had dim sum was in Hong Kong and these pancakes were a standout. I used to go all the time to a place in San Diego called Jasmine on Convoy. It was simply the BEST seafood dim sum. To this day I can’t find a decent one up here in Portland.
Today, I’m sharing one of my top dim sum dishes: scallion pancakes, or cong you bing. They’re the best when you want a soft, warm snack but aren’t in the mood for something sweet. They’re crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and stuffed with an onion filling seasoned with all kinds of Chinese spices!
Table of Contents
I top my spring onion pancakes with some Chinese chili oil and soy sauce on the side for dipping. They’re also great to have with all of your other favorite dim sum dishes, including dumplings (like shumai and pot stickers) and saucy char siu bao.
Scallion, Spring and Green Onions
While there are subtle differences between green onions, spring onions, and scallions, they are all young onions harvested before the bulb fully matures, with mild flavors and versatile culinary uses. The terminology can vary regionally, leading to some confusion, but in general, they can be used interchangeably in most recipes.
- Dough – The dough for green onion pancakes is quite simple, with just a bit of salt for flavor, but there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Water – Separate the water into ½ cup of hot, boiling water and ¼ cup of cold water. The hot water is used first, and then the cold to gradually moisten and form the dough.
- Flour – Baking is about the weight of ingredients, not the volume. Take the time to weigh your flour
- Filling – A combination of flour, salt, and:
- Melted Bacon Fat – I like to use bacon fat for flavor and to get that crispy outside, but you could also melt regular butter. Some vegan alternatives include peanut oil and coconut oil. And if you want to go the more traditional route, use chicken fat!
- Chinese 5 Spice – You can achieve a truly authentic, traditional Chinese flavor in spring onion pancakes by using the right spices! A good Chinese 5 spice blend makes this easy by putting them together for you — cinnamon, fennel, pepper, cloves, and anise are all toasted and ready to use!
- Scallions – You’ll need a good cup of scallions, so grab 10 or 12!
- Make Dough. Whisk together the flour and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the center, add the boiling water, and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Drizzle the cold water and mix until a solid ball forms. Knead for 3-5 minutes and press into a smooth lump. Cover and let sit for 20 minutes.
- Make Filling. Meanwhile, microwave the bacon fat in a microwave-safe bowl. Whisk in the other filling ingredients into a paste. Set aside.
- Flatten. Transfer the dough to a clean work space and knead for one minute. Coat your hands with a bit of oil and rub the dough ball to coat. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough into a 14×18″ rectangle.
- Fill. Scoop the filling onto the center of the dough and spread it all over. Cover with the minced green onions.
- Roll. Starting from the short end of the dough, roll loosely and seal at the end. Check out the video included for an idea of how tight the roll should be.
- Divide. Slice the roll into 6 equal pieces. Flatten each with the palm of your hand, then use a rolling pin to roll into six 6-inch green onion pancakes.
- Fry. Heat some oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add one pancake, cover, and cook for 1-2 minutes until the bottom browns. Uncover, flip, and cover to cook for 1-2 minutes to cook the other side. Repeat with remaining green onion pancakes.
- Keep Warm. Keep each cooked pancake on a wire rack on a baking tray, stored in an oven preheated to 200 degrees F until all scallion pancakes are ready to serve.
Recommended Tools
- Wire Rack – To hold onto the spring onion pancakes while you’re cooking, allowing them to cool on both sides and some of the oil to drain.
- Baking Sheet – Since you can’t place a wire rack right in the oven, place it on a baking sheet!
Storing and Reheating
Transfer any uneaten, cooked scallion pancakes to a plastic baggie or airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months
Reheat in the microwave or back in a saucepan on medium heat until warm, soft, and ready for snacking!
There’s almost no difference at all!
Some say spring onions are different because their bulb is larger and the stem is more hollow. But at the end of the day, they all taste exactly the same and serve the same purpose in the kitchen!
They should be chewy, not doughy.
If the dough is too thick in the center of the rectangle, then the center won’t have enough time to cook through, and this can make them doughy in the middle.
And if there’s too much oil in the pan, the dough could become too saturated, leaving the middle of the dough too wet and laden with oil. To avoid this, use just enough oil to coat the skillet.
Hydrating the dough is a very important step in the process. This is why I start with boiling water to process the dough, then use a smaller amount of cold to work the dough into a smoother ball.
Once formed, let it rest so the flour can take in more moisture and it’ll be wonderfully pliable and moist!
Check out the video below in the recipe card to see how these scallion pancakes are made from start to finish!
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Chinese Scallion Pancakes
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour See Note 1
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1/4 cup cold water
Filling
- 1/4 cup bacon fat melted (See Note 2)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Chinese 5 Spice
- 10-12 scallions green onions (See Note 3)
Instructions
Dough
- In a bowl add the flour and salt and make a well in the center. pour in the boiling water and with chopsticks or a fork mix together to form a shaggy dough, scraping sides and bottom. Drizzle in the cold water, mixing until dough ball starts to form. Knead for 3-5 minutes in bowl using your hand. Press and form into a smooth ball. Cover and let rest 20 minutes.
Filling
- In a 4-cup measuring bowl melt the bacon fat in microwave and whisk together with remaining Filling ingredients to form a smooth paste. Set aside.
Assemble
- Place the dough on a clean surface and knead for a minute. Add a little peanut oil to your hands and gently rub the dough ball surface to coat.
- Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough into a thin, 14×18″ rectangle.
- Brush the filling mixture over the dough, then sprinkle the scallions on top.
- Starting at the shorter side of the dough, roll up and seal end (don’t make it too tight).
- Cut dough into 6 equal pieces. Stand each piece on a cut end. Using the palm of your hand, press down and flatten. Next use rolling pin to roll into a 6-inch pancake.
Fry
- Preheat oven to 200°F. Place a wire rack in a baking tray and set aside.
- In a skillet over medium heat add a little bit of oil. When hot, add a pancake and cover with lid. Cook 1-2 minutes until bottom is browned. Flip pancake over and cover again, cooking for 1-2 minutes more.
- Remove from skillet, place on wire rack lined tray and place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining pancakes.
- Either cut each pancake into quarters and place on serving tray, or serve whole and tear apart. Serve warm with soy sauce and or Chili Oil to dip or drizzle over.
Video
Notes
- Always weight your flour, especially with baking as weight not volume is a factor. For the Dough it comes to about 2 cups total and for the Filling its about 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons.
- I use bacon fat for flavor, but you could use peanut or coconut oil for a vegan version or melted butter or chicken fat (traditional way).
- You will need a good 1 cup. Trim and discard root end. Cut white part from green and slice each onion lengthwise, then chop fine. Mince the green tops.
Nutrition
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.
