I love to serve my family green onion scallion pancake as breakfast or with other meals when I cook porridges or congee. Honestly, scallion pancake is one of the most frequently dish on my family table. However, after kneading dough and kneading dough for quite a long time, I am a little bit tired and thus developed a simplified version. No need to knead the dough and only 5 minutes preparation. Though the pan-cake comes out slightly different, it is quite satisfying too. And traditionally version instructions are listed in Chinese scallion pancake and a Shanghai style version in scallion pancakes.
I am using a pan 27cm in diameter and I end up with 4 pancakes by using this amount. This is perfect for me because I need to serve for four family members currently. But you can use any pan. The principle is you need to place a thin layer (as well distributed as possible) of mixture to cover your pan. At the first attempts, if you find it is difficult to make it a round pancake. It does not matter, as you will get yummy pancakes too. As for the shape, just keep practicing.
When serving the pancake, if yours are as big as mine, it might be better to cut the pancake into wedges.
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (measure after shifting)
- 420-440 ml water
- around 1 cup finely chopped scallion (wash and drain well)
- pinch of salt as needed
- ⅛ teaspoon Chinese five spice powder (optional)
- vegetable oil for frying
- In a large mixing bowl, stir water to flour and keep stirring with an egg whisk. Make sure that the water and flour is combined completely. Set aside for several minutes.
- Go to the scallion, finely chopped and throw into the bowl with flour and water. Add pinch of salt and five spice powder; continue to stir until everything combined well.
- Heat up around 2 tablespoons cooking oil in a pan (either big or small, it does not matter). Scoop the mixture and pour into the pan. When pouring over the mixture, do not place all of them in center, swirl it evenly by rotating the spoon to make a basic round pancake. And then use a smaller spoon or your pancake turnover to make the pancake as well distributed as possible. Pan-fry over medium fire for around 2-4 minutes until one side becomes golden brown. Turn over carefully to fry the second side for another 2 minutes. Then fry each side another 1 minute for a darker color and crisper taste.
- Transfer out and then absorb the extra oil by kitchen paper. Repeat to finish all the pancakes.
- When serving, as I usually make larger ones because of time issue, cut into small wedges and enjoy with family.
Your recipes and food look amazing! I have to try them out. =) Do you have your own restaurant?
Hi Audrey,
Thanks so much for your kind words. I am just a housewife. I love food photography and cooking. So I create this blog to share some of my daily cooking and recipes.
You must never say you are “just a housewife”! You are a very talented and accomplished young woman! Speaking as an older Canadian woman…you ARE appreciated!
Hi Patti,
Your words really make my day!!! Thanks so much for all the kind words.
Is it possible to make these with rice flour? I would like to make them gluten free but hear conflicting answers about swapping from all purpose flour. Thanks for taking your time to answer
Hi Hilary,
I never tried to use rice flour to make scallion pancakes but you give out a new option. Rice flour can be used to make pancakes and it can produce even crisper texture. I will try next time and please tell me your result if you tried.
They look delicious!
用中文怎么说? 煎饼?
I found them very frequently in Shanghai. One of the best Chinese choices for breakfast 🙂
Cheers!
Hi Joey,
The Chinese Name is 葱油饼. It is available almost in every province of China.
Any advice on what to serve with this for breakfast? Or any Chinese breakfast ideas. I have 2 Chinese foreigne exchange students bad to not enjoy a typical American breakfast or even fancy American breakfast and they’re sick of eating egg. Lol any Chinese people have any helpful suggestions? Thanks
Hi Raquel,
You can serve it with soy milk or simple Chinese congee.
It’s a simple dish, but one where it’s very beneficial to see the process in video or photos before starting out. In my new cookbook The Chinese Takeout Cookbook, I have a photo guide on rolling out the pancakes, but it seemed fitting to do an accompanying video as well.
Hi Chas,
For this version, there is no need to rolling out the pancakes. Those pancakes are made directly from batter.
Hi Elaine, tried out this simplified scallion pancake and it tastes good! Thanks for sharing.
Glad to hear the feedback. Happy cooking ahead.
I’ve been looking for a scallion pancake recipe and this looks perfect!! 😀
Thanks Sarah.
Hi, my name is Enith, I am from and live in Costa Rica and also I am a spanish speaker. This week I am opening my blog and I will like ask permission to translate the recipe of the scallions pancake ( simplified version), I made it for a family dinner and they really love specially the easy way to make it. Where do you live?
Best regards,
Enith
Thanks for your kind words. Enith. I am glad to know that your family love this easy scallion pancake. Sure you can translate it into Spanish. Sharing yummy recipes is always a pleasure for me.
Can you use whole wheat flour? or whole wheat pastry flour for a healthier version?
Hi Jennifer,
I think whole wheat flour+ some all-purpose flour might work. But the pancakes may be less chewy.
Do you think these could be baked instead Of fried. They look delicious. I try not to,eat fried food.
Hi Jessica,
I never tried to bake this as the batter is not thick enough. If fried food is really out of your option, remember to add less water and make the batter thicker.
The “spice powder” in your recipe is optional, but what kind of or which spice powder do you use ?
Hi Heidi,
It is Chinese five spice powder. A famous mixed spice just like Japanese seven spice. I posted a recipe about this spice powder, you can check it https://chinasichuanfood.com/five-spice-powder/
this looks great! do you know of anyway to freeze a batch so you can just fry it in the future?
thanks
Hi Emma,
Freezing is not recommended for this version because the pancake is directly made from batter instead of raw pancake. If you want to freeze them, I would recommend this one: https://chinasichuanfood.com/chinese-scallion-pancakes/.
Hi Elaine,
I’ve come across your recipe that looks and sounds so yummy. The plus side is that it can be made quick from scratch. I was wondering if I can get your permission to give this recipe idea to my customers at my family run oriental grocery? I will obviously link the recipe to your page.
Nhung
Hi Nhung,
Thanks for such a sweet comment. Yes, you can spread the recipe to your customers as long as they are well credited!
hi what is 420 to 440 ml of water? I am clueless. First time in the kitchen
Hi rene,
You need a measure cup to measure 420ml water for this recipe.
I realize this may come too late, but, 420 – 440 ml is around 2 cups.
I totally understand only those who grew up with the food can simplify things because you know the authentic taste. I will need to try your pancake tomorrow. So, sounds like you are born and raised in China. How come your English is so good. I know bloggers can just use translation software but your video and comments are impressive too.
Hi PJ,
Yes, you are right. I grew up in China and I am still based in China too. I love cooking but English is my short slab. You can find lots of complains about my expressing. But I will improve it continuously.
Elaine, I am so happy to find your simplified version of scallion pancakes…no need to spend time rolling the dough…yay! I am making it tonight. I want to try making your version of red bean pancakes too.
Elaine, I’m so happy I stumbled on your recipe for scallion pancakes and your beautiful blog when I was on Pinterest! Such beautiful photos and simple clear recipes! I’ll definitely try the pancakes as an alternative to the frozen ones I’ve been buying. Thanks!
Thanks Alice. I hope you will love it as our Chinese.
Hi Elaine, Do you have a recommended dipping sauce for these? Thanks!
Hi Alix,
Usually I do not match this with a dipping sauce. But you can use a spicy dipping sauce or a oyster sauce in this recipe:https://chinasichuanfood.com/chinese-steamed-chicken-recipe/. I believe thai style chili sauce also works fine.
Thank you for this recipe! We had a lot of scallions from our farm box last week, so we made this for dinner. A very nice alternative to making traditional scallion pancakes, which look too labor-intensive for me!
It is the same to me, Jenn. We are scallion pancake lovers but traditional version requires long time kneading and shaping. This one is much earlier. I usually use this recipe for a quick breakfast.
when I follow the above steps with the above quantities my mixture come out all doughy and lumpy – not like pancake mix at all. When I dilute it with a little water and pour into the pan it simply won’t cook and goes all lumpy – any advice what I’m doing wrong??
I’ve had the same issue. Does not look like the pictures. It’s thick and lumpy.
Abby,
You will need brush more oil before folding up and lengthen the frying time.
I would add a small amount of shoyu (soy sauce) instead of 5 spice. And I would probably use it like a taco shell and make a filling of refried beans, scrambled eggs with ham or chopped Canadian bacon, and shredded cheese.
Hi I was just wondering can make it a large batch and freeze some if not than can I make a large batch and keep in the fridge for 2 to 3 days and will taste the same
Thanks
Hi Shabnam,
I never freeze this version but I freeze the traditional version frequently. Cover the well shaped but not fried pancake with plastic wrappers and then freeze. Next time before serving, take out and pan-frying directly.
Can we add eggs to this recipe?
Yes, Quoc. You can add one egg and reduce water slightly. But I do not recommend adding too much egg.
hi elaine,
what type of sauce do you serve with these? they are great but my family wants a sauce with them any suggestions?
Hi Mary,
Usually we serve this pancake directly with congee as it is slightly dry. I would suggest you serving with congee or soups directly. If a dipping sauce is strongly in need, you can use chili sauces like Laoganma from China or Thai sweet chili sauce. Happy cooking!
Hi Elaine: This recipe looks delicious and easy. In your picture where you did the pan size pancake it reminded me almost of a crepe. Is it easy to flip the full pan size pancake? Will it hold together or do you recommend the smaller individual pancakes for a beginner? Also could rice flour be used to make these extra crispy? I think I would like to serve them with a dip of sour cream mixed with sweet Thai chili sauce… what do you think?
Maureen from Toronto, Canada
Hi Maureen,
Thanks for the suggestion. I use a Ikea 28cm frying pan to make this scallion pancake. You can start with a smaller pancake. But frying one takes several minutes so you may need more time if using a smaller pan.
Adding some rice flour or bean flour can help to make it crisp, this method has been used in Chinese Jianbing (煎饼) too.
Concerning about the dipping sauce, any chili sauce can work well. But personally I do not like complex dipping sauces for this pancake because it is full of flavor even with those simple ingredients.
Happy cooking and I hope you will love it.
I may never make old school green onion pancakes again….excellent!!!!
Haha, you get it. I love green onion pancake so much but really old style is time-consuming. I just love the simplicity of this one.
Thank you for this super easy recipe. I love the flakiness of traditional scallion pancakes but am thrilled to find your simple, quick version to satisfy my cravings when I don’t have the time or energy to make the others. I made these pancakes for the first time today and they turned out great – so crispy and jam-packed with green onions. They seem like no effort at all. 🙂
This one is so simple and requires no kneading and rolling. So it is the best option when there is no enough time. Glad to know it works fine on your side too. Happy cooking.
Hai Elaine…. Thank you for your recipe inspiration , I have been made it but failed and glad to see your recipe with a good measurement I make it again and success , it’s crispy n delicious ?.
Thanks Ana for your lovely feedback. It is the pancake season now and I hope you will love your cooking time.
Mine did not turn out at all like your photos! It was very gloopy and took a long time to cook?! I’m a fairly confident chef- what did I do wrong?!
Hi Mimi,
Yes, it should take a long time to cook with a larger amount of oil. The high temperature of oil will expel the extra amount of water and make the pancake crisp.
I tried making these but they just didn’t seem crispy enough. Any suggestions?
You need longer cooking time with more oil.
Hi Elaine
I wondering if this recipe is the same sort of pancake that I had and least 10 years ago when I visited China.
It was at the Great Wall ,there was a man with a a large iron hotplate, he poured batter on to the hotplate and moved it round to form a thin layer,it cooked very quick and he then folded it in a quarter then wrapped it in paper to eat on the go.it was really nice snack and has stuck in my mind.I do intent to try your recipe but would be interested to hear what you think.
Many thanks.
Hi Jaykay,
It is a famous Chinese street food named Jianbing “煎饼果子”. I will try to find the best way to reproduce it at home soon.
How kind,many thanks for your reply.i will keep any eye out.
Tried the easy version and loved it.
Added 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, some onion oil and a few drops of rasted sesame oil with the egg to make batter
The corn starch holds it together more
I tried making this today, but every pancake was still too doughy inside. Any suggestions on how to make it crispier? We tried various strategies – less oil, more oil, less heat, more heat, less batter, etc.
Debby,
You need more oil, higher heat and longer cooking time.
Hi Elaine!! Im from Argentina. I was fascinated for your recipe, but when I tried it, doesn’t work. I tried in 3 different pan or skillet. Any advice?? I used 2 cups of flour, 2 cups of water, salt, scallions and some spice. Thank you!!!
Hi Carolina,
Can you specify your problem? I cannot figure out the reason through current details.
Do you know roughly how many pancakes this’ll make/how many servings?
It will make 4-5 ones depending on the size of your pan and can serve at least 3 with other dishes.
Love this recipe. My roommates and I are always craving scallion pancakes, and this whips up super quickly. The only issue I have is spreading the batter on thin enough. The spoon swirl doesn’t work very well because it sticks to the pan and then comes up with the spoon. Overall, great recipe
Gab,
You do not need to use a spoon as a main tool for this pancake. You can slowly swirl your pan instead and use spoon or chop stick only in a small scoop.
Keep practicing and you will get the perfect pancake with even thickness soon. Happy cooking!
I was making stir-fry beef & Broccoli & was going to make rice, when your recipe was next to my beef recipe. I was very skeptible since I saw Martin Yan make them the traditional way on TV years ago. A ways wanted to try them, but it looked like too much work. I made the batter & only made 1 to see how i liked it. I promptly put the rice away & made the whole batch. I have never eaten them before, so I don’t know if they are just as good as the traditional ones. All I can say is I loved them.
Hi, Made these tonight, they were spot on. Thank you so much for the simple great recipe. I substituted plain flour with whole wheat flour (chapatti flour) and yellow onion instread of scallions, added some green Chile’s and coriander. It turned out AMAZING. Excuse me for changing the recipe but I was utilizing whatever I had in the fridge.
Thanks Arch for frying and this lovely comment. Your combination is great and quite yummy to me. I can smell the taste in front of the screen.