A simple dish with great taste and texture. Egg and scallion crepe is a popular Chinese breakfast that requires minimum ingredients and preparation. This recipe provides the perfect batter ratio, cooking tips and a tutorial video.
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Pin ItDo you agree that simple things bring great joy to life? Today’s recipe, Chinese egg and scallion crepe (Ji Dan Bing/鸡蛋饼), always brightens up my mornings.
It requires minimum effort (5 basic ingredients + 15 mins cooking) but the taste and texture are so enjoyable! If you love easy savoury breakfast/brunch dishes as I do, read on to learn how to make it perfectly.
Having been making Chinese egg and scallion crepe for years, to be honest, I’ve never precisely measured the ingredients for the batter. Like most Chinese cooks (or Asian in general), I just follow my instinct for achieving the right consistency. To come up with a recipe that helps my readers to get the best result each time when they try, I’ve tested several times and finally felt very happy with the ratio I’m sharing today.
The ideal batter ratio
To make 9 crepes (about 18 cm/7 inch in diameter), you’ll need:
- All-purpose flour/plain flour (100g or 3/4 cup). I list all-purpose flour here just for its accessibility. You may use bread flour too. The change in final texture is minor.
- Water (240ml or 1 cup)
- Eggs (3 medium-sized). Sometimes when I fancy crepes with a more eggy taste, I add one more egg to the batter. In this case, the water should be reduced by 40ml.
- Salt (1/4 tsp)
- Ground pepper(1/8 tsp). It can be ground Sichuan pepper, a unique spice to Chinese cuisine, or regular white/black pepper. If you have any other spice that you like, please feel free to substitute.
- Scallions(2 stalks), finely chopped. I often only use the green part of the scallions and keep the white part for other dishes. If you happen to have Chinese chives, use them instead (chop them into tiny pieces). They create a different taste but are equally delicious.
After mixing, the batter should be quite runny thus spread freely in the pan, but not so thin that the crepe tears easily. Please refer to my video (in the recipe card below) to see the desired consistency.
🌟TIP: To make mixing more efficient, I suggest you first combine the flour and water to a smooth texture before adding the eggs. If mixing flour with eggs first, you tend to get more lumps which requires more effort to dissolve.
How to cook
Once you’ve got the batter right, the cooking is simple and straightforward: Pour some batter into a hot frying pan/skillet and form a thin, round shape. Cook both sides until slightly browned. However, if you aren’t familiar with cooking crepes, I recommend you take some time to read the following tips.
Use a non-stick pan if possible
The great thing about using a non-stick pan is that you don’t need any oil to cook egg & scallion crepe. I really appreciate its zero-grease, clean taste, ideal as breakfast for a healthy start to the day. If you have to use a pan without non-stick coating, you’ll need to coat it with a thin layer of oil each time before you pour in the batter. To minimise the quantity, use a heat-proof pastry brush or kitchen paper to oil the pan.
Control the cooker to the ideal heat
I set my gas cooker to medium-high for making these crepes. Please be aware that this is just a reference for you, not a must-follow instruction as all cookers perform differently (it depends on the cookware too). You’ll need some trial and error to figure out the best balance.
If the pan is too hot, the batter won’t flow freely thus it will be difficult to achieve the desired thickness and a round shape. On the other hand, if the pan is not hot enough, it will take longer to cook through, and there will be a higher chance to tear the crepe.
If you have time, watch my short tutorial video (in the recipe card below) which gives you a better sense of how quickly the batter should set over an ideal level of heat. For your reference, it takes me about 80 seconds to finish one crepe.
Flip over at the right moment
My eight-year-old daughter always gets excited when watching me flipping over the crepe (without the aid of a spatula). But it could fail miserably if I try flipping at the wrong moment when the first side isn’t done yet. If you’re unsure, move the pan back and forth to test. As soon as the crepe moves freely, it’s ready to be flipped. Of course, use a spatula if you feel more comfortable that way.
How to serve
These egg & scallion crepes taste the best when warm. While cooking, I always cover the already cooked ones with a clean tea towel and uncover at the moment when we’re ready to eat.
My children love them plain, while my husband and I like rolling them up then dipping into a simple sauce. It can be Chinese chili oil, sweet soy sauce, spicy black bean sauce, chili garlic sauce, etc. With a bowl of chicken congee (Chinese rice porridge) on the side, I feel fully charged for the day!
Make ahead
I know how precious every minute is on busy mornings, so here are my three ways to save time when cooking egg & scallion crepes:
- If your cooker has multiple burners (zones) and you have two or three pans available, try cooking 2-3 crepes at the same time. Once you get the hang of the workflow, it’s super efficient!
- Mix the batter the night before and store it in the fridge. Remember to stir it very well before using. Cook the usual way.
- You can make a big batch of the crepes and freeze them in airtight containers. Consume within three months. Defrost in the fridge the night before then reheat briefly in a pan (or use a microwave).
The veggie version
Knowing the basic recipe of Chinese egg crepe, you are free to improvise with other ingredients. I often add some vegetables to the batter to make it even healthier. My recipe for Zucchini Pancakes is a good example (see image below).
Another creative way is to make the crepes colourful: Replace some of the water with beetroot juice to make it pink. Add some matcha powder (green tea powder) to the batter for green or a pinch of turmeric for yellow.
Other classic breakfast
Most Chinese breakfast dishes are on the savoury side. Here are some classic examples. Give them a try!
- You Tiao, Chinese Donut Sticks
- Jian Bing, Street Stand Crepes
- Easy Congee with Chicken & Mushroom
- Chinese Steamed Eggs
- Scallion Pancakes
- Marbled Tea Eggs
📋 Recipe
Love this recipe? Please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating and a comment. Thank you!
Egg and scallion crepe (Ji Dan Bing, 鸡蛋饼)
Video
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour, 100g
- 1 cup water
- 3 medium eggs, see note 1
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper, or white pepper/black pepper
- 2 stalks scallions, finely chopped
- Cooking oil, optional if using a non-stick pan
Instructions
Prepare the batter
- Mix flour and water first until well combined (see note 2).
- Crack eggs into the mixture. Add salt, white pepper and scallions. Whisk until smooth.
Cook the crepes
- Heat up a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Pour in some batter and swirl to evenly cover the surface. To make an 18 cm/7 inch crepe, I use about 4 tbsp of batter for each (If using a pan without non-stick coating: coat it with a thin layer of oil each time before you pour in the batter).
- The first side is done when the crepe moves freely in the pan. Flip over to cook the other side.
- Transfer out when both sides are cooked (It takes me around 80 seconds). Repeat to finish the rest of the batter.
Serve the crepes
- You may serve these crepes on their own, or with a sauce, e.g. Chinese chili oil, pickled chili garlic sauce, black bean sauce, sweet soy sauce, etc.
Make ahead
- You may mix the batter the night before and leave it in the fridge. Stir very well before using. Cook the usual way.
- Cooked crepes freeze well. Store in air-tight containers and consume within 3 months. Defrost in the fridge then reheat briefly in a pan (or use a microwave).
Notes
Your Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
N.B. The background music in the video: Sailors Waltz by Ikson
So easy and tasty
That’s wonderful to hear!
Wow! What a great recipe!! I’ll be making these for tomorrows lunch box! So glad to have found you and your wonderful site/ dishes!!
Thank you so much Cynthia! I’m so happy you found my site. Hope the lunch box is a hit!
This is a lovely recipe!
Crepes are light but remain firm and easy to handle hot or cold.. I filled them with a savoury minced beef mixture and they were a hit!!
I’m making them again today but with the addition of grated courgettes in the batter. Finely sliced roast chicken with other salad type stuff and sweet chilli dipping sauce. For those who want it. I’ll opt for something more savoury but not sure what yet. Maybe plain soya sauce?!
Thank you Lesley for sharing your cooking experience! Glad you enjoyed these crepes. For dipping or seasoning, soy sauce, black rice vinegar, chili oil…all work well!
This sounds amazing and versatile.
How many 7 inch crepes will it yield based on the original recipe?
As stated in my recipe card, my recipe makes nine 7-inch crepes. Happy cooking!
Thank you!!!
Just made these for a savory breakfast and they were amazingly delicious. I had leftovers from dinner last night of 3 andouille sausages and 1 cup of sautéed spinach. I diced the sausages, reheated the spinach, and diced a fresh tomato. I tossed them together to make a yummy filling for my crepes.
I used 3 large scallions, 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of water, 3 eggs, 1/4 teaspoon each of white pepper, garlic powder, sea salt, ground ginger, and baking soda to add flavor and help them brown and puff. I put avocado oil spray in a cast iron pan on medium heat. I sprinkled sesame seeds in the pan before a generous scoop of crepe batter. After flipping a crepe, I sprinkled sesame seeds on that side, too! The crepes came out perfect with crispy edges and puffy pockets of air. I served them with the sausage filling. I placed a few spoons of filling in the center and rolled it up. I offered various dipping sauces: hoisen, honey wasabi mayo, and spicy Sriracha mayo. This is a great versatile recipe. For dinner, I am thinking of a shrimp & rice filling. Thank you so much!
Thank you so much Gia for sharing your ideas. Sounds delicious! I’m sure my readers will appreciate your input.
Thank you for sharing! I made this for breakfast today using the white pepper sub. Dipped in chili oil with black bean + sesame oil and had a little Kim chi on the side. I’ll be revisiting this one often.
My pleasure to share Maggie. Love your serving idea!
Amazing taste, texture and very easy to follow instructions! I just couldn’t get other recipes right. I tried this recipe and the very first time and my husband says that this recipe is a keeper! Very good with anything. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
You’re welcome Heather! Very happy to hear your positive feedback!
These were great. Nice and light!
That’s wonderful to hear Evelyn!