Quick Scallion Pancakes
Flaky pan-fried flatbreads layered with scallion and salt.
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Join HomecookedIngredients
- 300 g All-purpose flour
- 5 Scallions
- 2 tbsp Toasted sesame oil
- 4 tbsp Neutral oil
- 1 tsp Salt
Method
- Mix the flour with hot water in a bowl until it comes together, then knead into a smooth, soft dough.
- Cover the dough and let it rest at room temperature so the gluten relaxes and it rolls out easily.
- Finely slice the scallions.
- Roll the rested dough out thin on a lightly floured surface and brush all over with the sesame oil.
- Scatter the scallions and salt over the dough, roll it up into a long rope, then coil the rope into a spiral and flatten gently.
- Pan-fry each coil in the neutral oil over medium heat until deep golden and crisp on both sides, flipping once.
- Cut into wedges and serve hot.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from ingredients; varies with exact portions and brands.
About Quick Scallion Pancakes
Scallion pancakes, or cong you bing, are a savory Chinese flatbread of layered dough shot through with scallion and salt, pan-fried until the outside shatters and the inside pulls apart in flaky sheets. This quick version streamlines the classic without losing the layers: a hot-water dough is rested, rolled thin, brushed with sesame oil, scattered with scallions, then rolled into a rope and coiled into a spiral before being flattened and fried. That coil is the whole secret, because it traps the oil and scallions between windings so the pancake bakes up in distinct flaky strata.
The payoff is crisp, golden, blistered edges giving way to soft, oil-laced layers, with the sesame and scallion perfuming every bite. Hot water in the dough keeps it soft and easy to roll while cutting the chew, and the sesame oil brush is what creates the separation between layers as they cook. In China these are a street-food and breakfast staple, often eaten out of hand or torn and dipped in a soy-vinegar sauce with chili; they also make a fine side to soups or stir-fries. Naturally vegan and ready in about thirty-five minutes, they reward a little rolling patience with a texture no store-bought version matches.
Quick Scallion Pancakes: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Quick Scallion Pancakes?
One serving of Quick Scallion Pancakes has about 476 calories, with 9g of protein, 61g of carbs, 23g of fat and 1g of fiber. These are estimates based on the ingredient amounts in this recipe and will vary with your exact portions and brands.
Is Quick Scallion Pancakes 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 Quick Scallion Pancakes take to make?
About 35 minutes start to finish, but only around 24 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
How many servings does Quick Scallion Pancakes make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.