Crispy, flaky, homemade scallion pancakes that taste like they came from your favorite Chinese restaurant. This indulgent appetizer is fun to make and even more fun to devour!
Scallion pancakes are an appetizer that's near and dear to my heart. Back when I worked in a law firm, a group of friends and I would regularly escape the office on a Friday afternoon and smother our sorrows in Chinese vegetarian food at a nearby restaurant.
I think I tried every entree on the menu, because...why wouldn't you do that at a place amazing enough to offer a full menu of Chinese vegetarian food. The appetizer, however, was consistently a big order of scallion pancakes that was shared among the group. It was always delicious and comforting — exactly what everyone needed at the end of a long week.
It took me a while, but I finally perfected my own recipe for scallion pancakes, and they're just as delicious as my old lunchtime favorite.
Scallion Pancake Ingredients
Here's what you'll need!
- Water
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Toasted sesame oil
- High-heat oil
- Scallions
- Soy sauce
- Rice vinegar
- Sesame seeds (optional, for serving)
How to Make Scallion Pancakes
Start by boiling your water. You want it just below boiling temperature when you use it.
Make the Dough
Mix your flour and salt in a bowl, then stir in the sesame oil and hot water. Continue stirring until the mixture forms a shaggy dough.
Turn your dough onto a floured work surface and knead it until it becomes smooth. You can add a bit more water if the dough seems too dry, or a bit more flour if it's too sticky — try to minimize this though.
Roll your dough in a ball, rub it with some oil, and place it in a bowl. Cover it with a damp towel and let it rest for about a half hour.
Shape the Pancakes
After the dough has rested, cut it into 4 equal pieces. Take one piece out of the bowl and place it on a floured work surface. Roll it into a large circle.
Brush your dough circle with some oil and sprinkle it all over with scallions. Roll it it up into a long snake, then coil the snake into a circle. Now roll the circle out again. This is your pancake! Repeat the process for the remaining pieces of dough.
Cook the Pancakes
Heat some oil in a skillet and add a pancake. Cook it for a few minutes on each side, until it has lots of crispy browned spots.
Serve!
Slice your scallion pancakes and serve them with dipping sauce.
Scallion Pancake Tips & FAQ
- Watch your scallion pancakes closely while they cook. I find they can burn pretty quickly at their centers!
- Use a good nonstick cooking surface that heats evenly. I highly recommend a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet.
- Can these pancakes be made gluten-free? I'm not sure, but I suspect an all-purpose gluten-free blend would work.
- Leftovers and storage: Scallion pancakes are best served immediately. But if you do have leftovers, store them in a tightly sealed container or bag in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- How are scallion pancakes served? They're normally served as an appetizer. They're wonderful before a Chinese-inspired stir-fry dish like General Tso's tofu, vegetable lo mein, or wonton soup.
- Can scallion pancakes be made oil-free? I don't recommend it. Part of what makes scallion pancakes so delicious is the crispy outside and flaky layers, which I don't think you could achieve without oil.
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📖 Recipe
Scallion Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and rolling
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- ¾ cup just boiled water
- Peanut oil (or high heat oil of choice), as needed (about ¼ to ⅓ cup)
- 1 cup chopped scallions (about 4 scallions)
For the Sauce
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon sambal oelek or sriracha (optional)
For Serving
- Toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Stir the flour and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the sesame oil and hot water. Stir everything together to form a shaggy dough.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it until smooth, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Roll the dough into a ball. Generously rub the dough with a tablespoon or two of oil and transfer it to a clean bowl. Cover the dough with a damp towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- While the dough rests, make the sauce by stirring all ingredients together in a small bowl.
- After the dough has rested, cut it into 4 equal portions. Remove one portion of dough from the bowl and recover the rest.
- Place the dough portion on a lightly floured work surface and use a rolling pin to roll it into a an approximately 6-inch circle.
- Lightly brush the dough with oil and sprinkle it with a quarter of the scallions.
- Roll the dough tightly into a long snake, enclosing the scallions within. Coil the snake into a circle.
- Use your rolling pin to roll the coil into a thin 7 to 8 inch circle.
- Cover the dough circle with a damp towel, then repeat the process for the remaining dough portions. Stack the finished dough circles with paper towels in between and cover them with a damp towel.
- Generously coat the bottom of a medium skillet with about 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil and place it over medium heat.
- Give the oil a minute to heat up, then transfer one of your dough circles to the skillet. Cook it for about 3 minutes on each side, until browned and crispy.
- Transfer the cooked pancake to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat the process for the remaining dough circles.
- Slice and serve your scallion pancakes while they're hot, optionally sprinkled with sesame seeds, with dipping sauce on the side.
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Yum - crispy and flaky. Really enjoyed these and were so simple to make. Thanks
Wondering how these would be with gluten free flour?
I'm afraid I'm not sure! An all-purpose gf blend like Bob's Red Mill's would probably be your best bet if you'd like to give it a try.
Sorry, I usually love your recipes, but these were dense and chewy, rather than light and flaky. Maybe if you brushed the circle of dough with oil before making your snake like I have seen in other recipes would give some definition between the layers in the finished pancake. I liked the idea of the veggies inside. I'll have to wait until the stores open up and get more spring onions to try again .
Could I serve these at room temperature for an office potluck?
Sure! My leftovers were fine at room temperature.
In this: "Place carrot and scallion in food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped." Should that say "Place carrot and broccoli"? Thanks!
Ah! Yes! Thanks for catching that! I just updated the post.
I've always wanted to try scallion pancakes when we order Chinese food, but I didn't know if they were vegan or not. These looks delicious and easy to make! :)
Thanks Meredith! Most (if not all) recipes I've seen for scallion pancakes are vegan, so if you're ordering from a place you trust you should be good :)
Savory pancakes are so wonderful! I love all the veggies you packed in there - I never would've thought to add broccoli to a pancake, and it sounds marvelous! So creative and tasty!
The broccoli is the best part! I loved the flavor it gave the pancakes. Thanks so much Juila!