(Photo: Ethan Finkelstein)
Scallion pancakes was the first recipe I had in mind when I decided to start making cooking videos. 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.
This recipe is a more simplified version of a recipe involving yeast that I first published in May 2009. But it’s no less delicious. The secret to getting flaky layers is all in the folding. Just watch the video and refer to the recipe below!
Of course, there are countless Chinese restaurants where you can satisfy your cravings for scallions pancakes. They make great appetizers when the entrees happen to take longer than five minutes. They absorb the sauce of your moo shu pork like a sponge. And your vegetarian friends can eat them with abandon. But I’ve eaten or seen too many that are too thick, too oily, or lack the flaky layers that define Chinese scallion pancakes. Also, they aren’t supposedly to be as enormous as a Frisbee. As with many other foods, scallion pancakes are really best made at home and served hot off the stove.
For the dough, all you need is flour and water. The basic ratio I use is 3 parts flour to 1 part water, but of course, there are many variables to getting the dough right. Some flours are higher in protein content, so they absorb more water. Sometimes in more humid climates you’ll need a bit more flour, and in dryer climates you’ll need a bit more water. However, the 3:1 ratio works well in most circumstances, so start with that and adjust if you need to.
Once you get used to rolling out the dough, these pancakes will easily become part of your reportoire. There are few ingredients, most of which are pantry staples. And once you coax the dough into little patties, they can be refrigerated or frozen for future use. The one requirement is to put your woks away; use only a flat-bottom skillet for pan-frying.
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Chinese Scallion Pancakes
Serves 6 as an appetizer
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more if necessary
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil, plus more as needed
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Oil a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, mix together the flour and water until a smooth dough forms. If the dough seems sticky, as it tends to do in humid weather, add a little more flour (starting with 1 tablespoon and up to 1/4 cup total, if needed) and mix again until the dough is no longer sticky.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes. Place the dough in the greased mixing bowl and turn until it is lightly covered with oil all around. Cover the dough with a barely damp towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Flour your work surface again and roll out the rested dough. Divide the dough in half, then roll each half into a 1-inch-thick cylinder. With a pastry scraper or butter knife, slice the dough into 2-inch-long segments. Dust your rolling pin with flour and roll out each segment into a 5-inch circle.
- Lightly brush the top of each circle with peanut oil, about 2 tablespoons total for all the pancakes. Sprinkle with the scallions and salt.
- Roll up each circle into another cylinder, making sure the scallions stay in place.
- Coil the dough so that it resembles a snail.
- With a rolling pin, flatten again into disks about 1/4 inch thick. The pancakes will get a little oily from the scallions popping through the dough. Place the rolled-out pancakes on a plate and repeat with the remaining dough. If you stack the pancakes, put a piece of parchment paper between each layer to prevent sticking. (Whatever you don’t cooking immediately can be frozen for future use.)
- Heat a nonstick flat-bottomed skillet or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Working in batches, pan-fry the pancakes until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. If the sides or middle puff up during the cooking, press them down with a spatula to ensure even cooking. (You may also need another tablespoon of oil between the batches.) Transfer the pancakes to a plate, cut into wedges, and serve, either alone or with chili sauce or soy sauce and vinegar on the side.
Recipe first published May 26, 2009. Updated March 12, 2013.
Diane – These scallion pancakes look so, so good! Thanks for the step by step, photo by photo instructions.
I make these at home all the time but have never tried it with yeast. Yours look delicious!
I still remember the first time I made it for my hubby, I was worried that he might not like it but he absolutely loved it! I brush it with sesame oil and sometimes put sesame seeds in as well.
When I make these, I make loads and pop them into the freezer so I can have it whenever I want, haha.
I love this snack! Thanks for the photo-by-photo steps! Will definitely try this.
Um … you pour boiling water on the flour? Doesn’t that kill the yeast?
These look fantastic! I’ve always loved scallion pancakes but have never tried making them! Thanks for the tutorial, I will definitely be trying this!
Thanks for sharing this recipe and tutorial! I love these and have always wondered how to make them.
These look fantastic! I’ve always loved scallion pancakes but have never tried making them! Thanks for the tutorial, I will definitely be trying this!
These look fantastic! I’ve always loved scallion pancakes but have never tried making them! Thanks for the tutorial, I will definitely be trying this!
Diane, just want to clarify, is it 1.5 cups or 1.5 lbs of flour – that would be 6 cups? Can half of that (3 cups) form a dough with just 1/2 cup of water?
Kelly – Cups! Sorry for that! Fixed.
CondoGarden – You separate the flour, mix boiling water with 1 half, warm yeast water with the other half.
Thanks for posting this recipe. I have to try it this weekend.
Just wanted to clarify that I would use 1/2 cup of the WARM yeast water with 3/4 cups of flour and 1/2 cup (or more) of HOT water with the remaining 3/4 cups of flour.
Mary Ann
Wow – thank you for posting this recipe. If I had to choose only 2 cuisines from the world that I had to eat for the rest of my life it would be Chinese and Italian. Your step-by-step photos are great because it shows exactly what you need to do with the dough.
*Bookmarked*!
Your scallion pancakes look amazing. I honestly did not know they were so involved. I grew up watching my mum simply throw scallions into a basic pancake mix. I’ll have to try them your way now.
Those look good! I have been wanting to try scallion pancakes for a while now.
I am making these now and the yeast/flour came out so so wet. I kept adding more flour and it is still really sticky.
Love fresh bread and just realized I should make these, freeze them and then I would be able to satisfy a craving any time. Would you de-frost first or just throw them on to a hot pan?
Thanks. I enjoy your postings.
Liz – I would defrost them first, at least 15 to 20 minutes at room temp, before pan-frying.
I followed the exact measurements but the dough turned out to be way too sticky. Had to add almost another half a cup of flour.
I used to make these often but instead of just brushing with vegetable oil, I’d use toasted sesame oil – yummy! I don’t recall using yeast – will have to try that next time.
My family loved (!) these. The review from my 16 yo daughter was that we should “always keep some of these on hand.” So thank you.
Additionally, I had an idea. Those are always dangerous. I know that people have been making these for hundreds of years and the method is pretty perfected. However, for me, a short cut to the cut off a ball, roll out, roll up, make snail, roll out would be to initially roll out a large quantity of dough into a rectangle. Sprinkle with scallions and roll up into the snake, Then cut pieces of that off to roll into the snail. It would eliminate the individual rollings in the first go round. I plan to try this method the next time.
Thanks again!
I made these a couple of days ago and the taste was spot on (really brought my Beijing days back) but there weren’t any flaky layers at all. What do you suggest? more oil? less pressure with the rolling pin?
My pancakes required about an extra 1/2 cup of flour too. They came out really well, thanks Diana! I used a thin chilli paste instead of scallions.
For anyone interested… flour composition varies geographically and different types of flour absorb different amounts of water. In the presence of water (and with a bit of kneading action) proteins in wheat flour combine to form gluten. Flour types with a higher protein component absorb more water. More protein, more water absorbed, more gluten formed, more elastic dough with better rising properties.
…measured out the extra flour this time. I needed to add over a cup. I don’t think regional flour differences would account for this magnitude of difference. Still, end result delicious with Nonya style chicken curry.
well, I’m not stupid, but it really wasn’t clear about how much ‘boiling water’ to have on hand!
Are we supposed to guess.
I understand about the flour, and the separation into two bowls, and the 1/2 cup of yeast water, sugar.
but the boiling water into the other flour? don’t get it., sorry.
I have made my own anyway in the past, and like this recipe, but will reserve judgement until I try it.
My kids love thesepancakes but now are allergic to gluten-anyone know a recipe for gluten free scallion pancakes?
My kids love these pancakes but now are allergic to gluten-anyone know a recipe for gluten free scallion pancakes?
The recipe lists two separate salt additions. Do we add both tsps to the second bowl of flour? Or, do we add 1 tsp to the bowl and reserve the other tsp. of salt to sprinkled on the pancakes after they are rolled out prior to adding the scallions? Thanks
Wow!I just tried these out, they are amazing! The Best
No need to add extra salt on after rolling it together. Just put in when mixing it with the flour.
thank you for posting. im definitely trying this recipe this weekend.
question: what is the serving size?
It makes about 20 to 24 medium-sized pancakes (the size of an outstretched hand.) Hope that helps!
hi,
i love these pancakes, but i freeze the rest for later usage. do i leave it at room temperature before cooking them or straight out of the freezer because it didn’t seem to raise that??? strange
Wow what great shots making these. I’ve been trying to get a good version of these, but have found they haven’t photographed well in my attempts at food photography.
What do you use for lighting in the action shots? Do you have a light box set up for this or just good natural lighting?
never heard, seen or ate anything like this before. So yummy and pretty a unique recipe! Two thumbs up for this one.
Ron of Filipino Recipes
Todd – I try to use natural lighting whenever possible. But sometimes I have to make do with a light tent, which tends to wash out the subjects. When I don’t have the tent, I just get a tripod or make-shift tripod, set my camera to aperture priority and make my aperture as big as possible, and hope for the best.
The recipe sounds amazing but when I tried to print it out I only get the first page of the recipe and then the rest of the pages (nine of them) print advertisements with a blank section where the recipe should be.
Thank you so much. Since I have moved to Virginia I haven’t been able to find these.
Thank you again soooooo Muuuuch. 8)
Love these, though never tried with the yeasted dough half, definitely have to give that a whirl. My variation is to use sesame oil instead of plain vegetable for for oomph, yum!
Sammi:
Green onion cake tastes best if made with pure lard. So you might want to substitue sesame oil with pure lard.
Ruikai:
Please don’t use vegetable oil, sesame oil or hydrogenated lard. Use pure lard instead, and you’ll notice the difference in flakiness.
As Jacque Papin said, “Happy cooking!”
just made these a couple of nights ago… i will never order them in a restaurant again! easy and delicious.
I tried following the recipe and the dough came out really wet too. When I tried it again, I used just 1/4 c of warm water to bloom the yeast. Much better.
This was the only scallion pancake recipe I’ve seen that uses yeast, but it was worth every effort to bloom the yeast. The taste is absolutely wonderful, and I love the fact that the salt is in the dough! Mahalo (thank you in Hawaiian) for sharing this recipe.
I don’t think that would work, since it would not seal the edges, and the scallions would come out the sides. it would be similar, but not have as many layers.
I got these at a Chinese restaurant for the first time last week and HAD to find a recipe to make them at home: this one does not disappoint! Give them a try because they’re fun to make and just as good as the restaurant version!
I had the same problem and ended up highlighting the body of the post and copying it and pasting it into Microsoft Word, then printing from there.
I just want to mention that, like a number of other commenters, I had trouble with extremely sticky dough. Like them, I needed to add a ton of flour to make it kneadable (and even then it wasn’t easy to knead). Happily, the pancakes ended up tasting good, though they didn’t look right because I couldn’t roll them properly. (I added lots of extra flour but was nervous about deviating from the recipe too much so didn’t add enough to make it easy to roll them.)
I made these last night and they were oh-my-god-fantastic! When I combined the doughs I had to add about a 1/4 cup of flour to bring it together, but it worked out really well.. It would be great if you could add some pictures from that part of the process! I can’t wait to eat the extras in the freezer!