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Who knew it was so easy to make this takeout favorite at home?! These scallion pancakes are crisp on the outside, delightfully chewy on the inside, and easier to make than you think!
Hands down, scallion pancakes are probably my favorite Taiwanese appetizers. It’s hard for me to resist the urge to order 3 or 4 plates whenever I’m at a Chinese restaurant, but for so many years, I had no idea how easy they were to make at home. If you can relate, then you’re going to love this scallion pancake recipe and you’re also going to want to make it all the time.
I thought that making the dough at home would be complicated because scallion pancakes have such a unique texture, with a flaky, crisp exterior and a chewy inside. Wrong! After watching my mom make the homemade dough, I was surprised to learn that it’s just water and flour and a lot of resting time.
It’s also a matter of technique. You’ll make the dough, section it off, roll it out, brush it with vegetable oil, sprinkle a generous amount of salt and scallions, roll it up, coil it into a snake, smash it down, and roll it flat again. (If this sounds complicated, there are photos below. And if this sounds fun—you’re totally right!)
What Makes This Scallion Pancake Recipe So Good?
The number one reason to make scallion pancakes is because they’re so dang tasty! That said, I’ve got a couple of other points to share with you as well:
- Fabulous Texture. Scallion pancakes have crispy exteriors that give a satisfying crunch when you bite into them, but the interiors are so chewy and pillowy-soft. Texture-wise, these pancakes are masterpieces!
- Quick Process. From start to finish, this whole recipe takes just an hour to complete. Making the dough, letting it rest, frying the pancakes, all of it!
- Adaptable Serving Options. You can serve these scallion pancakes as a side dish, an appetizer, a snack, or even a savory breakfast! No matter what time of day it is, it’s always appropriate to munch on one.
What is a Scallion Pancake?
Scallion pancakes, also known as green onion pancakes, are made with scallions, flour, and oil. They are quite different from the Western idea of a pancake, which is much fluffier and softer and made with batter instead of dough. At any rate, these savory, fried pancakes are super popular on Chinese takeout menus, but they’re actually very easy to make at home, too!
If you’re looking for another easy Chinese appetizer to try, check out this Cabbage Stir Fry! Made with cabbage, soy sauce, and garlic, it comes together in 15 minutes with almost no effort.
Recipe Ingredients
The ingredients for this recipe are seriously simple. Grab a bunch of scallions at the grocery store and you probably have everything else in your kitchen already!
- All-purpose flour – If you’d like to try this recipe with white whole-wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour, it should work, though you may need to adjust how much you use.
- Warm water – Make sure that you use warm water and not cold water, so that the dough does not come out springy or stretchy.
- Salt – If you like, you can add additional seasoning such as garlic powder or onion powder.
- Scallions – The smaller you chop the pieces of green onion, the easier they will be to incorporate into the dough.
- Vegetable oil – You can use another neutral-flavored cooking oil if that’s what you have on hand.
How to Make Scallion Pancakes
As noted above, the ingredients here are simple, which means that using the right technique is critical. Here’s what you’ll need to do.
- Make the dough. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the center, then slowly add the warm water and mix with your hands. Knead and mix until you’re left with a firm ball.
- Let the dough rest. Wrap the dough ball with plastic wrap and let it sit on the countertop at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Divide the dough. After about 30 minutes, unwrap the dough and divide it into 10 to 12 medium-sized balls.
- Roll out the dough. Sprinkle flour on your work surface and rub it onto your rolling pin. Roll out each ball of dough to make a circle, then brush the tops with vegetable oil. Sprinkle salt and scallions over the tops.
- Finish forming the pancakes. Take one side of the circle and roll it to the other side. Then, take this rolled up dough and twist it so it’s coiled up like a snail shell. Take your rolling pin and smash the coil, rolling it out into a circle again. This is how you get those irresistible layers that are flaky on the outside, and chewy in the center.
- Cook the pancakes. In a large skillet set over medium high heat, add the vegetable oil and fry the pancakes until both sides are golden brown.
Tips for Success
Before you begin, there are a couple of extra tips that I’d like to share with you that are helpful to keep in mind as you make this scallion pancake recipe:
- Fry the Pancakes in a Thin Layer of Oil. You don’t have to go overboard, but for the best results with frying, there should be a thin layer of oil in the pan. You can make these pancakes with less oil if you like, but they will not be as crispy on the exterior.
- Make Sure the Oil is Hot. If the oil is not hot enough before you add the pancakes, they will become greasy or soggy. To test the temperature, put a drop of water in the pan and see if it sizzles. If it does, you’re all set. If it doesn’t, let the oil keep heating.
- Cooking Times May Vary. Depending on how thick your pancakes are, they may take more or less time to cook. You’ll want to watch the exteriors carefully to ensure that they don’t burn. Also, if you cook the pancakes with a lid over the pan, at least to start, this will help them cook evenly.
Serving Suggestions
A green onion pancake can be served with practically anything. Here are a few of my go-to sides and main courses:
- Sauce. You can make a simple sauce for scallion pancakes by combining soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sliced scallions, and sugar to taste. (A little bit of fresh ginger is delicious, too.)
- Protein. I also love serving these alongside Ro Zao (braised minced pork), Orange Chicken, and Three Cup Chicken.
- Soup. A warm bowl of something like miso soup is a nice side that you can add to these pancakes to make a light meal.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
If you have leftovers, or if you want to make scallion pancakes ahead of time, here’s how to go about storing them for later.
- To Store. Keep any leftover scallion pancakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat. They can be warmed up in the microwave, but I recommend heating them in a skillet over medium heat, which keeps the exterior crispy.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
You can freeze leftover scallion pancakes in an airtight container for up to 2 months, then let them thaw in the refrigerator before reheating. Even better, though, is if you freeze the dough after it’s been rolled out, but before cooking. They’ll keep for up to 3 months in a freezer bag with parchment paper between layers; let them thaw in the fridge, then cook them as instructed in the recipe.
More Asian-Inspired Appetizers
Want to try some more easy Asian appetizers? Check out these ones!
- Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Chilled Silken Tofu
- Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Meatballs
- One-Pot Sticky Asian Meatballs
Scallion Pancakes (蔥油餅)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 cups (750 g) All-purpose flour
- 3 cups (710 ml) Warm water
- Kosher salt
- Bunch of scallions, chopped
- Vegetable oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, sift your flour. In the center of the flour, make a well. Slowly add the warm water and mix together with your hands.
- Keep kneading and mixing the dough until it all comes together in a nice, firm ball.
- Wrap in saran wrap and let sit for about 30 minutes, room temperature.
- After about 30 minutes, unwrap the dough and divide it into medium sized balls.
- Sprinkle your working area with some flour and with a rolling pin, roll out the dough to make a circle.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the top of the circle with vegetable oil.
- Sprinkle a generous amount of salt on top and then scallions. The more the better. If it looks like too much, it’s perfect :)
- Take one side of the circle and roll it to the other side so it looks like this | . Then coil it up like a snail.
- Take your rolling pin and smash the coil and roll it out into a circle again.
- In a large skillet, on medium high heat, add vegetable oil to the skillet and pan fry the pancakes until both sides are golden brown.
Notes
- To Store. Keep any leftover scallion pancakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat. They can be warmed up in the microwave, but I recommend heating them in a skillet over medium heat, which keeps the exterior crispy.
- To Freeze. You can freeze leftover scallion pancakes in an airtight container for up to 2 months, then let them thaw in the refrigerator before reheating. Even better, though, is if you freeze the dough after it’s been rolled out, but before cooking. They’ll keep for up to 3 months in a freezer bag with parchment paper between layers; let them thaw in the fridge, then cook them as instructed in the recipe.
Nutrition
These were AMAZING and so easy to make. For whatever reason, my local TJ’s decided they were hardly ever going to restock their scallion pancakes. I never realized how easy they are to make. I froze a bunch and they thaw and reheat really well. Never going to buy them again. Thanks!
I happened to visit Taipei, Taiwan many, many years ago, and these pancakes were a very popular snack sold at street carts everywhere. I absolutely fell in love with them and they became my ‘comfort food’ while there.
They were sooo yummy with the many layers of flaky, slightly oily, fried dough filled with scallions throughout.
I’ve never been able to find anything comparable here at home in the states.
I can see by your lovely pictures, how they made those flaky layers by rolling them up…brilliant!
Thanks for posting this recipe; I’m so glad to run across it. I will definitely try these soon!
Thanks, Nancy! They’re one of my favorites when I go back to Taiwan too!