Scallion Pancake, or 葱油餅 (Cōng Yóu Bǐng), is a beloved Chinese street food and home-style dish known for its crispy layers and savoury scallion flavour. Unlike Western pancakes, It is a type of flatbread made without yeast or baking powder. It relies on layers of dough, oil, and scallions to achieve their signature flaky texture. A bite into a well-made scallion pancake delivers a crispy golden crust on the outside with soft, chewy, and aromatic layers inside.
The origins of the pancake are believed to trace back to Northern China, where wheat-based foods such as noodles, dumplings, and flatbreads have long been staples. Scallion pancakes are loved for their simplicity and incredible flavour. They require only a few basic pantry ingredients—flour, water, oil, salt, and scallions—yet the result is a flavour-packed dish with a perfect balance of crunch and chew. It is often enjoyed as a snack, breakfast dish, or side. Its flaky layers and rich scallion taste make it a must-try dish for anyone looking to explore authentic Chinese cooking.
Ingredients
Dough:
- All-purpose flour provides the structure of the pancake. All-purpose flour has the right balance of gluten, ensuring both softness and chewiness.
- Salt enhances flavour and strengthens the gluten structure.
- Warm water relaxes the dough enough for easy rolling while maintaining some gluten strength for layering and flakiness.
- Cold water makes the dough more chewy and elastic but harder to roll thin.
- Dough made with hot water becomes too soft and fragile, making it difficult to hold layers.
- Adding vegetable oil before resting relaxes the dough, makes it softer and easier to roll thin.
Filling:
- Vegetable oil helps separate the layers during rolling and enhances crispiness.
- Flour acts as a binder for the oil, ensuring even distribution and preventing excess greasiness.
- Salt enhances flavour and brings out the natural taste of scallions.
- Scallions are the key ingredient for the flavour.
Cooking:
- Vegetable oil creates a crispy golden-brown crust and helps separate the flaky layers.
Dipping Sauce (optional but recommended!):
- Soy sauce is the salty umami base.
- Black vinegar adds tanginess and depth, and balances the oiliness of the pancake.
- Chili oil adds a spicy kick which can be adjusted to taste.
- Garlic adds extra aromatic punch that pairs well with scallions.
Steps
- Making the dough
- In a large bowl, mix flour and salt.
- Slowly pour in warm water while stirring with chopsticks or a spoon until a rough dough forms.
- Knead for 5-8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- If the dough is too sticky, add a little flour. If too dry, add a splash of water.
- Divide into 4 equal pieces, coat with oil, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Resting allows gluten to relax, making the dough easier to roll and ensuring flakier layers.
- Preparing the oil paste
- Heat oil in a pan over low heat.
- Stir in flour and salt until a smooth paste forms.
- Remove from heat and let cool.
- The oil-flour paste helps separate the layers in the pancake for better flakiness.
- Rolling and layering the pancake
- Roll out one dough piece into a thin rectangle (~1-2mm thick). A rectangle shape makes it easier to roll evenly.
- Spread a thin layer of the oil paste evenly over the sheet.
- Sprinkle generously with chopped scallions.
- Roll tightly into a log and coil the log into a spiral (like rolling a cinnamon roll).
- Repeat for the rest of the dough.
- Rest for 10 minutes before flattening the spiral gently with a rolling pin into a thin round pancake.
- This second rest allows the layers to settle and makes the pancake easier to shape.
- Pan-frying the pancake
- Heat 2-3 tbsp oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Place a pancake in and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, pressing down lightly for even browning.
- Flip and cook until golden brown and crispy.
- Serving
- Serve hot and crispy.
- Dip into the sauce for extra flavour (optional).
- Enjoy as a snack!
Scallion Pancake
Ingredients
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 160 ml warm water (1 part hot water 2 part room temp)
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Filling
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup scallions finely chopped
Cooking
- vegetable oil (for pan-frying)
Dipping sauce (optional)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp black vinegar
- 1/2 tsp chilli oil
- 1 tsp garlic mince
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix flour and salt. Slowly pour in warm water while stirring with chopsticks or a spoon until a rough dough forms.250 g all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 160 ml warm water
- Knead for 5-8 mins until smooth and elastic. (if sticky add a little flour). Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Coat with 1 tbsp oil, cover, and rest for 30 minutes to allow gluten to relax.1 tbsp vegetable oil
- Heat oil in a pan over low heat, then stir in flour and salt until a smooth paste forms. Remove from heat and let cook. This prevents dry spots in the pancake.2 tbsp all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- Roll out one dough piece into a thin rectangle (~1-2mm thick). Spread a thin layer of the oil paste evenly over the dough. Sprinkle generously with chopped scallions.1 cup scallions
- Roll it tightly, then coil it into a spiral like a cinnamon roll. Rest for 10 minutes before flattening the spiral gently with a rolling pin into a thin round pancake. (Rest the shaped pancake for 10 minutes before cooking for extra flakiness)
- Heat 2-3 tbsp oil in a pan over medium heat. Place a pancake in and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, pressing down lightly for even browning.vegetable oil
- Serve hot and crispy with the dipping sauce!2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp black vinegar, 1/2 tsp chilli oil, 1 tsp garlic mince
