Banh Xeo
Crispy turmeric crepes with shrimp & pork
Ingredients
- 200 g All-purpose flour
- 1 tin Coconut milk
- 1 tsp Ground turmeric
- 200 g Pork belly
- 200 g Shrimp
- 200 g Bean sprouts
- 3 tbsp Fish sauce
- 4 tbsp Neutral oil
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 3 Scallions (optional)
- 1 Lime (optional)
Method
- Whisk the all-purpose flour, coconut milk, and turmeric with enough water to make a thin, pourable batter, then leave it to rest.
- Slice the pork belly thin and pat the shrimp dry, peeling them if needed.
- Whisk a nuoc cham of fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and a splash of warm water until the sugar dissolves.
- Heat the neutral oil in a pan until shimmering, fry the pork and shrimp until just cooked, then pour in a ladle of batter and swirl to a thin, lacy crêpe; cook until the edges turn crisp and golden.
- Pile bean sprouts and scallions over one half and fold the crêpe over to enclose them.
- Serve the crêpe crisp with the nuoc cham for dipping.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Banh Xeo
Banh xeo — the name echoes the sizzle the batter makes hitting a hot pan — is a Vietnamese crepe defined by two things: its golden turmeric color and its lacy, crackling crispness. The batter is rice flour loosened with coconut milk and water, kept deliberately thin so it can be swirled into a wide, delicate sheet that fries up shatteringly crisp at the edges. Inside go slices of pork belly, shrimp, bean sprouts, and scallion, so each bite pairs the crunch of the shell with savory, juicy filling.
Eating it is part of the pleasure: the folded crepe is torn into pieces, tucked into lettuce leaves with herbs, and dunked in nuoc cham, the fish sauce, lime, and sugar dip that brightens all the richness. Getting the crepe right means a genuinely hot, well-oiled pan and a thin pour of batter swirled quickly so the edges lace and crisp rather than go cakey. Resting the batter before cooking helps it fry cleanly. It's a communal, hands-on dish, best made and eaten in batches straight from the pan while the shells are still at their crispest.
Banh Xeo: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Banh Xeo?
A serving has about 894 calories — 25.2g protein, 57.1g carbs, 65.3g fat, 4g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 25.2g of protein, roughly 11% of its calories.
Is Banh Xeo gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains All-purpose flour. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
How long does Banh Xeo take to make?
About 45 minutes start to finish, but only around 18 of those are hands-on — the rest is cooking time. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Banh Xeo?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out scallions, lime — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Banh Xeo make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.