The Best Scallion Pancakes Recipe (Crispy, Flaky Chinese Cong You Bing)

Scallion pancakes are one of the great snacks of the world: crisp and blistered on the outside, chewy and flaky inside, with layers of savory green onion running through them. They are also one of the simplest doughs there is, just flour, water and salt, and once you learn the roll-and-coil trick you will never buy the frozen ones again.

The dough is made with boiling water, which cooks some of the starch and makes it soft, pliable and easy to roll paper-thin without fighting back. A paste of oil and flour brushed between the layers keeps them separate as they fry, so each pancake shatters into flaky sheets when you tear it.

Serve them cut into wedges with the soy-vinegar dipping sauce below, as a snack, alongside soup, or as a side for a stir-fry.

Why this recipe works

• Hot-water dough is soft and extensible, so it rolls thin without tearing or springing back.
• An oil-and-flour paste, rather than plain oil, stays put between the layers and creates distinct flaky sheets.
• Rolling into a log and then coiling it multiplies the layers, the same principle as puff pastry.
• A shallow layer of oil and medium heat crisp the outside while the layers inside steam and stay tender.

Ingredient notes

All-purpose flour is right for this. Bread flour makes the pancakes chewier and harder to roll. Use about six scallions, both white and green parts, sliced thin; if they are wet, pat them dry so they do not make the layers soggy.

Any neutral oil works for both the paste and the frying. A teaspoon of toasted sesame oil in the paste adds a nutty aroma, and a pinch of five-spice powder or white pepper is traditional in some regions.

How to roll and coil scallion pancakes

Divide the rested dough into six pieces. Roll one piece into a thin rectangle, about 10 by 6 inches, dusting lightly with flour. Spread a thin layer of oil paste over the whole surface, sprinkle with scallions, and roll it up from a long side into a tight log. Then coil the log into a snail shape, tuck the end under, and let it rest for a few minutes so the gluten relaxes. Finally, roll the coil out into a 7-inch round. Some scallions will poke through; that is fine.

Work on all six coils before you roll any of them flat, so each has time to rest. Stack finished rounds between sheets of parchment.

How to fry them crispy

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Lay in a pancake and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the bottom is golden and blistered, then flip and cook the second side. Press gently with a spatula, and toward the end, scrunch the pancake with two spatulas or a pair of tongs to open up the layers. Drain on a rack, not paper towels, so the bottom stays crisp.

Too little oil makes a dry, tough pancake; too much makes it greasy. Two tablespoons per pancake, replenished as needed, is right.

Dipping sauce and ways to serve

Stir together 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon sugar and a spoonful of chili crisp or a sliced scallion. Serve the pancakes cut into wedges with the sauce for dipping.

• With a bowl of soup or congee for breakfast.
• Wrapped around a fried egg and a smear of hoisin for a scallion pancake breakfast wrap.
• As a side for stir-fried vegetables or braised beef.

How to store scallion pancakes

• Uncooked pancakes freeze perfectly: stack the flattened rounds between parchment, wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Fry straight from frozen, adding a minute per side.
• Cooked pancakes keep refrigerated for 3 days. Reheat in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes per side to re-crisp; the microwave makes them soft.
• The dipping sauce keeps refrigerated for a week.

Variations to try

• Extra flaky: brush the rolled-out round with a little more oil paste before frying.
• Cheesy scallion pancakes: add 2 tablespoons of grated cheddar with the scallions in each pancake.
• Beef roll (niu rou juan bing): spread a cooked pancake with hoisin, add sliced braised beef, cucumber and cilantro, and roll it up.
• Egg pancake: crack an egg into the pan after flipping and lay the pancake on top so the egg sets against it.

Frequently asked questions

Why are my scallion pancakes tough instead of flaky?

The dough was too dry or was not rested, or the layers were rolled too thick. Make sure the dough is soft, rest it for 30 minutes, and roll the rectangle very thin before adding the oil paste. Scrunching the pancake at the end of frying also opens up the layers.

Can I make scallion pancakes ahead?

Yes. Roll them out, stack them between parchment, and refrigerate for a day or freeze for up to 3 months. Fry from cold or frozen; they are actually easier to handle that way.

What kind of oil should I use?

Any neutral oil such as canola, vegetable or peanut oil for frying. A teaspoon of toasted sesame oil in the paste adds aroma but is not for frying, since it burns.

Why do you use boiling water in the dough?

Boiling water partially cooks the flour's starch and weakens the gluten, which makes the dough soft and easy to roll thin. Cold-water dough is springy and fights back. The small amount of cold water added afterward keeps the pancakes a little chewy.

Can I bake scallion pancakes instead of frying?

You can, at 425°F on an oiled sheet pan for about 12 minutes, flipping halfway, but they will be drier and less flaky. Pan-frying in a little oil is what gives them their crisp, layered texture.