Chinese Scallion Pancakes

Scallion pancakes- crispy, flaky and outright delicious Chinese scallion or green onion pancakes with very few ingredients like flour, scallions, salt and oil. Vegan recipe!

This scallion pancake recipe shared here is super easy to make and authentic one that I have been making for years. Do try this keeper fail proof recipe and enjoy!

For more Asian recipes please check vegan potstickers, bao buns, vegan pho, sesame noodles recipes.

Spicy, flavorful and bright Asian fare is my favorite order in restaurants. Be it Indo Chinese noodles, manchurian or momos from Nepal or fried rice or the all time favorite thai red, green curries, I just love the zing and flavor these dishes pack.

This vegan scallion pancakes are another top favorite. Whenever we eat out in any Chinese restaurant I always get a serving of this.

It is ridiculously easy to make scallion pancakes at home and you need just 6 ingredients! These are perfect as snack with some fiery dipping sauce or as a side in your elaborate Asian fare.

About This Recipe

What Are Scallion Pancakes?

Also known as green onion pancakes or Chinese pancakes, these are unleavened flatbreads made with plain flour, chopped scallions, salt, water and oil as main ingredients.

This scallion pancake is crispy at the edges and has a delightfully chewy texture with a slight smoky flavor.

The method of making scallion pancakes is similar to parotta or lachha paratha. The dough is rolled into a circle, sprinkled with finely chopped scallions, rolled again and shaped into a pancake.

This method yields nice flaky layers for this green onion pancake which turn crispy and chewy on cooking.

I have made these pancakes many times using various recipes and this one I am sharing here is my keeper recipe which is super easy to make and always fail proof.

Why This Recipe Works?

As mentioned above this is the easiest recipe of scallion pancakes you will ever find. It is made of three basic ingredients plus a simple scallion stuffing.

The dough of scallion pancake is simple one and an easy one to work with. You just have to make a soft yet stiff dough and rest for 15 minutes.

The secret to crispy flaky scallion pancake lies in kneading the dough. You want the dough to be elastic as much as possible. On resting for few minutes the dough forms gluten and becomes more elastic.

With an elastic dough you will be able to roll the dough well and have more layers. Also it gets cooked better and tastes better.

This is a vegan recipe and we are using sesame oil for cooking the pancakes. Using sesame oil gives a wonderful authentic Asian flavor to this dish. You can easily use any vegetable oil or canola oil for this recipe too.

The taste and flavor of this scallion pancake are just the ones from any Chinese dim sum restaurants. Serve it with any fiery hot dipping sauce like schezwan sauce, roasted bell pepper sauce. I have also shared a quick dipping sauce for scallion pancake in this post.

Do make these green onion pancakes and enjoy. These are

Simple & easy to make

Makes for a wonderful snack or side dish

6 ingredients & under 45 minutes

Crispy & extra flaky with chewy texture

Flavorful, delicious & addictive

Vegan!

Ingredients For Green Onion Pancake

The ingredients for this recipe are super basic pantry ones. You will need 6 ingredients in total for this amazingly tasty dish.

For the dough you will need

Plain flour- also known as all purpose flour or maida. You can even use bread flour for this. For cleaner version try using unbleached or organically sourced flours.

Boiling water – Adding boiling water instead of room temperature water makes the pancake dough easy to work with

salt – you can kosher salt if you prefer

Oil- I always use sesame oil for this recipe but you can also use peanut oil or any cooking oil. If not vegan you can also use butter or lard.

The filling is just some chopped scallions or green onions and chili flakes or red pepper flakes for some heat.

How To Make Scallion Pancakes Recipe

Making The Dough:

Combine 2 cups all purpose flour, salt, oil in a mixing bowl to make the dough.

Add boiling water gradually and knead into a very smooth and supple dough. Let the dough sit for 15-20 minutes. I added about 3/4 cup water for 2 cups flour.

Rolling and shaping the dough:

Divide the dough into 8 equal parts.

Dust work surface with some flour. Roll a portion into thin circle of 8 inches on the lightly floured surface using a rolling pin.

Spread oil generously and sprinkle finely chopped scallion greens and chili flakes. You can even use chili oil if you like your pancakes extra spicy.

Now starting from one edge, roll into a tight log. Pinch and seal the edges.

Starting from one end, roll into a coil. Sprinkle some sesame seeds if you like.

Now roll the coil into a thick circle gently without spoiling the layers.

Cooking green onion pancake

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and add few drops of oil. Place the rolled pancake and add oil over the edges.

Cook the pancakes in medium high heat for 2 minutes. Flip and cook until the pancakes turn golden brown and crispy. Remove the cooked scallion pancakes to a paper towel or kitchen towel to absorb excess oil.

Serve scallion pancake immediately.

Quick dipping sauce– Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or rice wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon hot sauce, some sesame seeds, 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar or maple in a small bowl and serve.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve these scallion pancakes warm either as whole or cut into wedges with a dipping sauce like chili garlic sauce, mango chili sauce, bell pepper sauce, tomato sauce etc.

They taste wonderful as tea time snack too.

Pro Tips

To make these scallion pancakes I suggest you use plain flour to get the authentic taste. You can also use whole wheat flour but that would be like eating onion paratha 🙂

Plain flour lends a chewy texture and bite to these pancakes that simply cannot be achieved with wheat four.

Next use sesame oil if possible to get that authentic flavor. If it not available use any neutral cooking oil. I do not recommend olive oil for this recipe.

To get super flaky layers be generous while you spread oil after rolling the dough first time. Also make a tight log and tight coil for more layers.

Cook the scallion pancakes on a cast iron pan or tava in medium flame. Cooking in medium flame ensures crispy edges with well cooked layers. If you cook in high flame the inside may remain uncooked.

It is important for you to use a good quality sturdy pan for cooking these pancakes. I always use a cast iron pan for making flatbread, paratha etc.

While making the dough start with less water and as you knead. I have not given exact quantity of water as every brand of flour is different and requires different quantity of water.

Knead the dough well for five minutes until it is smooth. The dough should not be sticky but it should be very supple.

Let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes for the gluten to develop. This helps in making the scallion pancakes chewy and getting flaky layers.

Chop the scallions or spring onions very finely. If not chopped fine, they will interrupt while rolling and break the pancakes.

Adding some chili flakes adds some spice but you can skip it if you prefer or while making for kids.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which oil is best for cooking scallion pancake?

Traditionally lard or chicken fat was used to make this dish. Here I have used sesame oil both while rolling and frying the pancake. I personally love the flavor and taste of sesame oil.

You can also peanut oil, vegetable oil or even canola oil. You can also add butter.

Is it a vegan dish?

Yes if you follow my recipe exactly.

How to cut green onion for pancake?

It is very important to slice the scallions very finely for this dish. If they are not super thinly sliced or finely chopped, they will pop out and tear the pancakes while rolling.

You can either chop them into very fine rounds or slit length wise and then chop. You can also use a food processor and mince if you are working on a big batch.

How to store scallion pancakes?

Uncooked– Prepare the dough, roll, sprinkle scallions and again roll into pancakes. Stack them alternating between sheets of parchments. Store in freezer for up to 3 months. When needed, just remove and cook until crispy and golden brown with enough oil. No need to thaw.

Cooked pancakes- You can store these in refrigerator for 3-4 days and a month in freezer. Just reheat with few drops of oil or microwave until hot.

Which is the best skillet to cook green onion pancakes?

I prefer to use cast iron skillet for this dish. It makes scallion pancake super crispy and also lends a wonderful smoky flavor just like Chinese dim sum restaurants.

If you want to use less oil you can use non stick skillet.

Are you making this recipe? I would love to see a snap of your creation too. Do snap a pic and share on Instagram with hashtag #cookclickndevou and please give a star rating ★ in the recipe card above. Follow us on Pinterest , Instagram, Facebook   for more recipes and ideas.

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