Homemade Mandarin pancakes are easier to make than you'd think, using just five simple ingredients! These savory pancakes taste like they came from your favorite Chinese restaurant, and are perfect for stuffing.
I LOVE ordering dishes that come with mandarin pancakes to go with my favorite vegan Chinese dishes. But until recently they were exclusively a restaurant item. If I made something at home like my moo shu tofu, I'd just serve it with rice or wrapped in lettuce. But not anymore! I'm going to make these Mandarin pancakes a part of as many Chinese dinners as possible!
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I decided to take the plunge and try making my own Mandarin pancakes recently, after it occurred to me that if I could make my own scallion pancakes, these should also totally be doable. Well, they were even easier than scallion pancakes. To create these savory crepes, all you need to do is make a simple dough, knead it briefly, roll it out, and fry it up. Easy! And so worth it.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Flour. The recipe calls for all-purpose wheat flour, and I recommend sticking with that.
- Salt.
- Water. You're going to have to boil the water. Using water that's super hot helps to make the dough soft and pliable.
- Sesame oil. This will add a touch of flavor to your pancakes, but it's not critical to the recipe. So if you've got the other four ingredients and are itching to give the recipe a try, go for it. Otherwise, look for sesame oil in the international aisle of your grocery store.
- Peanut oil. You can replace this with another high-heat oil if you'd like, such as vegetable oil, corn oil, or canola oil.
How They're Made
Start out by heating your water in a pot or kettle on the stove. You want it to be just boiled when you add it to the dough.
Step 1: Stir your dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. This includes just flour and salt.
Step 2: Once your water boils, add it to the bowl, along with the sesame oil.
Step 3: Stir everything together until the ingredients are combined and have formed a soft dough.
Step 5: Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, and knead it for three to five minutes, until it feels smooth and elastic.
Step 6: Cover the dough with a damp tea towel and let it rest for twenty minutes.
Step 6: Roll the dough into a long snake, then cut the snake into ten equal sized pieces. Step 7: Roll each piece into a ball and brush it with peanut oil.
Step 8: Begin heating up a nonstick skillet on the stove. Step 9: while the skillet heats up, use a rolling pin to roll each dough ball into an 8-inch circle.
Step 10: Place a dough circle into the skillet. Cook it until the bottom has browned in a bunch of spots.
Step 11: Carefully flip your pancake and cook it for a few more minutes, until it has dark spots on the other side. Move it out of the skillet and onto a plate when it's finished.
Step 12: Continue cooking your pancakes in this manner until they're all done.
Tip: You can cook multiple pancakes at a time if you have a very large skillet or a griddle. Just make sure the cooking surface is evenly heated and that your pancakes all have plenty of room!
Your Mandarin pancakes are done! Use them to wrap up your favorite fillings and dig in!
Shelf-Life & Storage
Homemade Mandarin pancakes will keep in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for about two days, in the fridge for about five days, or in the freezer for about three months.
They can be reheated in a skillet over medium heat for a minute or so, or you can place them on a microwave-safe dish, cover them with a damp paper towel, and microwave them in thirty second increments.
Frequently Asked Questions
I haven't tried this, so I can't say for sure. If you'd like to give it a shot, I'd recommend using an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend.
If it's a large tear, roll the dough back into a ball, brush it with more oil, and roll it again. If it's a small tear, simply pinch it back together as best as you can.
Nope! As long as you've oiled your dough and are using a nonstick skillet, they shouldn't stick.
What to Serve with Mandarin Pancakes
Moo shoo tofu would be the closest vegan option to a dish traditionally served with Mandarin pancakes, but don't feel limited by that! You can wrap just about any stir-fry in these pancakes as an alternative to rice. Here are a few to try!
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
📖 Recipe
Mandarin Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup just boiled water
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil, or high-heat oil of choice
Instructions
- Stir the flour and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the water and sesame oil.
- Stir the ingredients together until they're fully combined and have formed a soft dough.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, then knead it for three to five minutes, until it becomes smooth and elastic.
- Cover the dough with a damp tea towel and allow it to rest for twenty minutes.
- Once the dough has finished resting, roll it into a long snake, about eight to ten inches long. Cut the snake into ten approximately equal sized portions.
- Roll each dough portion into a ball, then brush the entire outer surface with the peanut oil.
- Place a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- While the skillet heats up, roll one of your dough balls into an eight inch circle.
- Once the skillet is hot, transfer your dough circle to the skillet. Allow it to cook for one to two minutes, until darkened in spots.
- Carefully flip the pancake, then cook it for another minute or two, until it has dark spots on both sides. Remove the pancake from the skillet and transfer it to a plate when it's done.
- Repeat the process until all of the pancakes are cooked.
- Serve.
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