One of the most popular Chinese breakfasts, Jian Bing can be made at home with ease! My recipe includes tips, tricks & a tutorial video.
What is Jian Bing
Known as Chinese crepes, Jian Bing/煎饼(or Jian Bing Guozi/煎饼果子) is one of the most popular breakfasts sold at street stalls in China.
It consists of wheat and grain-based crepe, an egg, deep-fried crackers (known as Bao Cui/薄脆 in Chinese), 2-3 savoury/spicy sauces, chopped scallions & coriander. Folded into an envelope, Jian Bing is usually eaten as finger food while people travel to work/school on busy mornings (Watch the video in the recipe card below to see how street vendors make them).
As a humble and cheap food, Jian Bing won its nation-wide popularity for its freshness (always made in front of the customers) and its complex, multi-layered flavour and texture. It’s an absolute must-try when visiting China! In recent years, it’s also getting international recognition. You can find it in eateries in megacities like London, New York, Sydney, etc.
How to make it at home
Easily accessible and affordable, Jian Bing is seldom made at home in China. However, if you are away from China and crave this unique street food, you should definitely try recreating it in your own kitchen. When I figured out how to cook it effortlessly without using any special equipment, I was overjoyed!
The cooking procedure
Step 1: Fry the crispy crackers
- Stick two pieces of ready-made wonton wrappers with a little water
- Deep fry until lightly golden (you don’t need much oil if using a small saucepan).
Step 2: Cook the crepes
- Combine all-purpose flour, wholemeal flour (or flour made of other grains) and water into a thin batter.
- Pour the batter into a frying pan to form a crepe.
- Crack an egg on top of the crepe then spread. Add sesame seeds & scallions.
- Flip over when the crepe firms up. Brush sauces of your choice. Add coriander & lettuce leaves. Then top with two crispy crackers.
- Fold the crepe around the crackers and enjoy!
No special equipment required
If you have eaten Jian Bing in China, you know that the vendors usually have a unique setup (Watch the video in the recipe card below): A flat, edgeless crepe maker attached to the stove which produces even heat; a wooden rectangle scraper to spread the batter, as well as the cracked egg; a metal triangle scraper for lifting and cutting the crepes.
My home-version Jian Bing doesn’t require these special tools. To make it a stress-free experience using ordinary kitchenware, here are my tricks:
- Use a non-stick frying pan, ideally not smaller than 28cm/11inch in diameter.
- Make the batter thin so it can flow on its own into a circle.
- Use the back of a spoon to spread the egg.
- Use a lid to help flipping without tearing the crepe.
How to make perfect crepes
What flour to use
To make the batter for the crepes, you will need three simple ingredients: all-purpose flour, wholemeal flour and water. This is not a traditional/classic combination but I love its accessibility and the taste is great too.
The typical batter for Jian Bing sold in china is made of a mixture of white flour, mung bean flour (绿豆面) and water. Flour of other grains is sometimes used to replace mung bean flour, such as soybean flour, millet flour, cornmeal, etc. If you have easy access to these ingredients, please feel free to use as a substitute for wholemeal flour in my recipe.
The ideal batter ratio
As I mentioned above, you would need a fairly thin and runny batter for homemade Jian Bing. This way you don’t have to use a crepe spread to make a round crepe. Through tests, I’ve come to an ideal ratio (by volume):
- 2 parts all-purpose flour
- 1 part wholemeal flour
- 5 parts water
Cooking techniques
It can be tricky to make a perfect crepe as several factors affect the performance and the final result: the type of pan, the temperature of the heat, the cooking time, the flipping technique, etc. Here are a few tips that you might find useful.
- Use a non-stick pan if possible. If using other types of pan, brush a thin layer of oil before pouring in the batter.
- Cook over medium-low heat throughout.
- Pour in the batter when the pan is warm to touch but not burning. Otherwise, the batter will become solid immediately thus impossible to flow into a nice circle.
- Spread the egg over the crepe once the batter turns solid. If you do it too early, you might break the crepe.
- When the crepe slides in the pan freely, it’s time to flip over. Do not rush and move the pan to test.
- To avoid tearing while flipping, I use a large lid to help. Slide the crepe onto the inner side of the lid then put it back to the pan (Please refer to the tutorial video in the recipe card below).
How to make crispy crackers
The crispy crackers wrapped inside the crepes make Jian Bing extra appealing. Not only does it add another layer of flavour, but it also creates a very pleasurable crunchiness when you bite into it. By deep-frying ready-made wonton wrappers, you can make these crackers in just a few minutes.
- The type of wrapper I use looks yellow as it contains alkaline (same as the ones I use for my Easy Pork Wonton Soup). You can also use whiter-looking wonton wrappers. Usually, they can be found in the frozen food section in Chinese supermarkets. Defrost in the fridge before using.
- I like using two pieces of wrappers to make one cracker. Simply stick them together with a little water then secure by pressing with a rolling pin.
- Since the wrappers are pretty small and it takes only 30-40 seconds to fry one, I suggest you use a small saucepan to deep fry. This way you wouldn’t have to use too much oil (By the way, it’s ok to reuse the oil a second time).
In some regions of China, you may find Jian Bing with another type of crispy filling. Instead of the square/rectangle crackers, the vendors put You Tiao (油条, Chinese doughnut sticks) inside the crepes. Equally delicious! Check out my recipe and give it a try.
Which sauces to use
Now let’s talk about the sauces brushed over the crepes. They make great contributions to the level of deliciousness of your Jian Bing. Here is a list of popular Chinese sauces that you can choose and mix.
- Soybean paste (Huang Dou Jiang/黄豆酱). You may also find it named as (Da Jiang/大酱).
- Chilli garlic sauce (蒜蓉辣酱). I have a recipe for Hunan-style Chili Garlic Sauce which can be used in many other dishes.
- Fermented bean curd (Fu Ru/腐乳) It’s also known as “Chinese cheese” (but it’s not a dairy product). It comes in cubes. Mash it into a paste before using.
- Sweet bean paste (Tian Mian Jiang/甜面酱). Sometimes it’s translated into sweet flour paste.
- Laoganma black bean in chilli oil (老干妈风味豆豉). Laoganma is the brand name of a series of spicy sauces. Other sauces under this name are good too.
When shooting this recipe, I used the first two types of sauces which are the most commonly used at Jian Bing stalls in China.
Make in advance
Want to serve Jian Bing as breakfast on busy mornings? It’s definitely feasible if you do some preparation beforehand.
- Fry the crackers in advance. Once completely cool, store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- The crepe batter can be kept in the fridge overnight. Stir well before pouring into the pan.
- Wash and chop scallions, coriander and lettuce leaves then keep in a container in the fridge.
Other Chinese breakfast ideas
Jian Bing tastes wonderful on its own, but you could pair it with other dishes to make a complete meal. For example, with a bowl of 15-minute easy congee, hot & sour soup, egg drop soup with tomato, etc. I’ve alsohave a collection of classic Chinese breakfast recipes. Check them out!
Jian Bing, Chinese crepes (煎饼)
Ingredients
For the crackers
- 16 ready-made wonton wrappers - see note 1
- cooking oil, for deep-frying - see note 2
For the batter
- 70 g all-purpose flour - ½ cup
- 40 g wholemeal flour - ¼ cup, see note 3
- 300 ml water - 1¼ cup
For the crepes
- 4 eggs
- 4 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- 4 teaspoon finely chopped scallions
For the sauce (see note 4 for more options)
- 4 teaspoon soybean paste
- 4 teaspoon chilli garlic sauce
Optional
- coriander
- lettuce leaves
Instructions
Fry the crackers
- Brush a thin layer of water on a wonton wrapper. Stick another one on the top then using a rolling pin to press tight. Cut two lines in th middles. Repeat to make another 7 pairs.
- Heat up oil in a wok/pot. When the temperature reaches 180°C/360°F, start frying.
- Gently slide in wonton wrappers. Flip over to fry the other side.
- Pick out when they’re lightly brown (Do not overcook). Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil.
Mix the batter
- Put all-purpose flour and wholemeal flour into a mixing bowl. Pour in the water. Stir to combine until smooth.
Make the crepes
- Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat (I use a 28cm/11inch pan). When it’s warm to touch (not burning), pour in ¼ part of the batter. Move the pan to allow the batter to evenly cover the entire surface.
- When there is no runny batter can be seen, crack an egg on top. Use the back of a spoon to break the yolk and spread.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions.
- When the crepe becomes firm and slides easily in the pan, it’s time to flip it over. To avoid tearing, slide the crepe onto the inner side of a large lid then put it back to the pan.
Assemble the dish
- Turn off the heat after flipping (the remaining heat will cook through the egg). Brush soybean paste and chilli garlic sauce over the crepe (see note 3 for other sauce options).
- Add coriander and lettuce leaves if using. Place two pieces of fried crackers in the middle.
- Fold the crepe to wrapper everything (Please refer to the video below). Serve immediately.
Make in advance
- You may fry the crackers in advance. Once completely cool, store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- The crepe batter can be kept in the fridge overnight. Stir well before pouring into the pan.
Video
NOTES
NUTRITION DISCLOSURE: Nutritional information on this website is provided as a courtesy to readers. It should be considered estimates. Please use your own brand nutritional values or your preferred nutrition calculator to double check against our estimates.
Charlene says
Hi Wei, I combined your egg crepe recipe with the wonton chips because I was craving this particular combination. Both recipes were very easy to follow! In fact, I use quite a lot of your recipes regularly – thank you for sharing.
My wonton chips were too chewy though, but when I made them as single layer folded bow ties (like HK style egg twists), they were much more crunchy. Wondering if you have any tips?
Wei Guo says
That sounds like a great combination! Regarding chewy wonton crackers, it could be that the oil temperature wasn’t high enough when you put in the wrappers.
Qin says
Hi Wei, I used Mung Bean Flour instead of whole meal flour with the same ratio, but the texture feels a bit weird – a bit soggy and jelly-like. Was wondering if I should use a different ratio. Also, there is rice in the ingredients of the Mung Bean Flour that I bought, the only type I could find – 绿豆粉 Green Bean Flour.
For the wholemeal flour you used, is it the same as whole wheat flour (全麦面粉)? I couldn’t find any wholemeal flour either.
Many thanks.
Qin
Wei Guo says
It sounds like you’ve used mung bean starch (绿豆淀粉) which looks and behaves like cornstarch instead of mung bean flour (绿豆面) which has a light yellow colour. These two are not interchangeable but unfortunately their English names often cause confusion. Wholemeal flour (UK term) is the same as whole wheat flour (US term). Hope this helps!
Susan says
With the pandemic our local Chinese café that made Jian Bing closed. I watched your video, which was very helpful and then made the recipe. I did not have whole meal flour the first time and the crepes didn’t turn out that well. I used whole wheat flour next time and it was a perfect consistency. These are easy to make once you get the hang of it and I have enjoyed them for breakfast and a snack three days in a row! Really delicious.
Wei Guo says
How nice to read your message Susan! Glad you’ve enjoyed (I could eat Jian Bing every day too)!
Erin says
Made these the other week and they totally hit the spot. Found all of the sauces at the Chinese supermarket and I was in jianbing heaven!
I didn’t realise I would have to be so patient when it was cooking though! If I tried to flip it too early it was a soggy disaster. Perhaps less/thinner batter next time.
Wei Guo says
Glad you’ve enjoyed it Erin! Yes, it does require some patience and observation to find the right moment to flip. Hope it works better for you next time!
Philip Keohane says
I have warm memories of eating Jian Bing by the side of the road in Shanghai whilst on an early morning cycle ride in the city, so have been looking to recreate the dish at home here in the UK for some time.
There is some tweaking to do by me to get the pan temperature & pancake mix consistency just right but I have to say, my first attempt last night was very agreeable to me & my wife. Once the prep is done, they are pretty easy to put together. I used soya bean paste & black bean sauce in the Jian Bing which was a tad too salty for my liking. I may use something slightly sweeter next time instead of the black bean sauce.
All in all a great recipe which took me back to the streets of Shanghai & some happy memories.
Thank you Wei
Wei Guo says
That’s wonderful to hear Philip! if you’d like something sweeter to go with soya bean paste, try hoisin sauce or plum sauce. You should be able to find them in Tesco Extra stores.
Miriam says
I have just finished cooking the crackers Wei. So simple!! Thanks for the idea and the video so easy to follow. Pancakes next!
Wei @ Red House Spice says
That’s great to hear Miriam! Enjoy your homemade Jian Bing!
Joeri says
Superb dish and recipy! Thank you so much! You should put all the information on your website together in a book, I would buy it immediately!
Wei @ Red House Spice says
Thank you Joeri! Hope one day I will be able to have a cookbook published.
Srishti says
I made this and it turned out really nice. I added cabbage and tofu for the filing along with fried wonton strips from the grocery store. Thank you!
Wei @ Red House Spice says
My pleasure Srishti! Love your extra filling idea!
Steve says
Thank you for this recipe. Jian Bing was one of my favorite street foods in China and I’ve been wanting to learn how to make it at home. I made it this morning and it was delicious. Luckily, I had some Chinese preserved greens to add to it as well.
Wei @ Red House Spice says
That’s brilliant! Very happy to know my recipe worked well for you ❤️
Stella says
Sounds delicious! If I have access to mung bean flour, is the amount the same as the wholemeal flour (and just leave the wholemeal out)? Thanks!
Wei @ Red House Spice says
Hi Stella! You can replace the amount of wholemeal flour with mung bean flour. Adjust the water if necessary. Happy cooking!
theokragirl says
I am certainly making this!
Wei @ Red House Spice says
That’s great! Let me know how you like it!