Scallion Pancakes (葱油饼)
Chinese scallion pancakes or cong you bing (葱油饼) are a classic dim sum item, a popular congee duo (like with our pork and century egg congee!), and a common but well-loved Chinese street food. These savory pancakes are flakey and crispy on the outside, tender with just enough chew on the inside, and full of scallion flavors.
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (fluffed, spooned, and leveled)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup boiling hot water
- ¼ cup water room temperature
- 1 tablespoon oil any neutral oil (plus more for coating)
For the filling:
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (fluffed, spooned, leveled)
- ¼ cup oil any neutral oil (plus more for cooking)
- ½ teaspoon salt preferably fine salt
- 1 cup green onion thinly sliced (about 1 to 2 bunches)
Instructions
Make the dough:
- In a heatproof bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Using a spatula or chopsticks, mix the flour while drizzling in the hot water. Then, add the room temperature water and mix. Finish the dough by adding the oil and kneading until a dough comes together. Cover and set aside to rest for about 10 minutes.*This dough is on the stickier side, especial during the initial kneading, but don't add additional flour unless your climate is very humid!*
- After resting, briefly knead the dough until it's mostly smooth. Roll the dough into a log and divide into 4 equal pieces for regular size pancakes.
- Prepare a plate or bowl with about a tablespoon of oil. Shape each piece of dough into 1 inch thick logs and arrange the logs onto the plate. Coat the entire logs well with oil, cover, and let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge.
Prepare the oil paste:
- While waiting for the dough, mix together the flour, salt, and oil in a bowl until well combined. Set aside until needed and make sure to stir it up before each use.
Shape the scallion pancakes:
- Lightly grease your work surface, rolling pin, and hands.
- Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll out the dough log long ways, to about 4 inches wide and 24 inches long.
- Once the dough is rolled out, drizzle about 1 tablespoon of the prepared oil paste onto the dough. Evenly spread a thin layer of the paste over the entire dough with your fingers or a pastry brush.
- Sprinkle a quarter of the sliced green onions evenly across the dough and tightly roll it up into a log, long ways. Coil the log from one end to the other like a snail and tuck the end of the log under the coil. Use your palm to slightly flatten the pancake and set aside to rest as you repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
- Once all of the pancakes have been assembled, return to the first pancake. Using a rolling pin, roll out the pancake into a thin disk, about ¼ inch thick. Repeat with remaining pancakes in order. Avoid stacking if possible.
Pan frying the pancakes:
- Heat a cast iron pan or a nonstick pan over medium heat with about a tablespoon of oil, or enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. If using cast iron, use a little more oil.
- When the oil is hot, carefully place a scallion pancake into the pan. Pan fry the pancakes for about 3 minutes on each side, until both sides are golden brown and crispy. Remove the scallion pancake and let it drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining pancakes and use more oil as necessary.
- The scallion pancakes can be eaten whole or cut into wedges for easier handling. Enjoy with congee, as a snack with some Chinese black vinegar, soy sauce, and/or chili oil!
Notes
Please refer to the post above for step by step photo references, tips, and FAQs!
- This recipe makes 4 regular size scallion pancakes, but you can also divide the dough into 6 to make smaller, medium size pancakes. Just adjust the amount of scallions and oil paste accordingly.
- Also, if making 6 smaller pancakes, still roll the dough out to about 4 inches wide, but about 16 inches long instead.
- Leftover oil paste can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 month. Make sure it's stored in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Calories: 428.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 57.5g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 18.3g | Saturated Fat: 1.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11.2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 879.6mg | Potassium: 147.2mg | Fiber: 2.6g | Sugar: 0.8g | Vitamin A: 249.3IU | Vitamin C: 4.7mg | Calcium: 30.7mg | Iron: 3.8mg
Keywords: no yeast, streetfood
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