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You are here: Home » Bread & Pastry » Spring onion pancake, Cong You Bing (葱油饼)

Spring onion pancake, Cong You Bing (葱油饼)

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An informative guide to making spring onion pancake. This recipe shows you how to make it flaky, tasty and crispy. Dipping sauce suggestions are also provided.

An informative guide to making spring onion pancake. This recipe shows you how to make it flaky, tasty and crispy. Dipping sauce suggestions are also provided.

A close up shot of a spring onion cake. Looks very flaky.

An informative guide to making spring onion pancake. This recipe shows you how to make it flaky, tasty and crispy. Dipping sauce suggestions are also provided.

An informative guide to making spring onion pancake. This recipe shows you how to make it flaky, tasty and crispy. Dipping sauce suggestions are also provided.

In Northern China, spring onion pancakes (aka scallion pancakes, 葱油饼) are a very popular staple food. You can find them both at humble street stalls and in high-end restaurants. Earlier I wrote a recipe on the leavened version of this delicacy (see post HERE). Today I’d like to share my tips on how to cook unleavened spring onion pancake which is thinner and takes less time to prepare. Very flaky, tasty and crispy, it’s truly a delight to enjoy.

How to make it FLAKY

A well-made spring onion pancake should have many layers when teared open. To achieve the ultimate flakiness, I suggest that you follow these tips:

  • Flatten the dough as thin as possible into a rectangle shape, then roll it up from the shorter side into a rope. This is to create maximum layers for the finished pancakes.
  • To prevent the layers from sticking to each other, you need to: 1. Add flour to melted lard (or coconut oil for vegetarian) to make a paste. 2. Brush generous amount of lard paste onto the flattened dough. Widely used in traditional Chinese cuisine, lard has a less liquid consistency than cooking oil when the temperature drops. So it won’t flow out while you shape the pancakes. Coconut oil shares the same feature.

An informative guide to making spring onion pancake. This recipe shows you how to make it flaky, tasty and crispy. Dipping sauce suggestions are also provided.

An informative guide to making spring onion pancake. This recipe shows you how to make it flaky, tasty and crispy. Dipping sauce suggestions are also provided.

How to make it TASTY

Spring onion pancake shouldn’t taste plain. To make it delectable, remember the following tips:

  • Be generous with the spring onion. Sprinkle as much as you like. The oniony flavour is this pancake’s key feature after all.
  • Ground Sichuan pepper gives it an extra zing. If you wish, use other ground spices which are available. It can be Chinese five-spice, black pepper, fennel, cumin, fenugreek, etc.
  • Adjust the quantity of salt. Spring onion pancake makes a great breakfast or a afternoon snack on its own. In this case, you may make it saltier. If you have it as staple to accompany a savoury main course, use less salt instead.

An informative guide to making spring onion pancake. This recipe shows you how to make it flaky, tasty and crispy. Dipping sauce suggestions are also provided.

How to make it CRISPY

A crispy crust is visually appetizing and pleasant on the palate. To ensure the best possible outcome, you need to:

  • Coat the frying pan with enough cooking oil.
  • Heat up the pan to a high temperature when you place in the pancakes. But remember to turn it down a bit afterward. Otherwise you might have uncooked bits in the middle.
  • Flip over the pancakes several times to ensure even crispiness on both sides.

An informative guide to making spring onion pancake. This recipe shows you how to make it flaky, tasty and crispy. Dipping sauce suggestions are also provided.

Serve it with a DIPPING SAUCE

As I mentioned above, spring onion pancakes are often consumed as breakfast in China, along with Chinese congee, marbled tea egg, etc. It’s great to serve them with a dipping sauce. The easy Chinese dressing for cucumber salad that I shared earlier will do a nice job. For hot food lovers, why not simply dip them in homemade chilli oil?

    

If you’d like to have spring onion pancakes as staple for dinner, I have a few suggestions for meal planning:

  • Simplified red-cooked pork belly + Spinach and soybean salad
  • Super aromatic three cup chicken + Xinjiang tiger salad
  • Fuss-free braised chicken wing + Spicy dry-pot cauliflower

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Spring onion pancake, Cong You Bing (葱油饼)
Rate this recipe
25 ratings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Author: Wei @ Red House Spice

Yield: make 4 pancakes

Spring onion pancake, Cong You Bing (葱油饼)

An informative guide to making spring onion pancake (aka scallion pancake). This recipe shows you how to make it flaky, tasty and crispy. Dipping sauce suggestions are also provided.

Ingredients

    For the dough
  • 250g (2 cups) plain flour (all purpose flour) + extra for dusting
  • 160ml (2/3 cup) boiling water
    For the filling
  • 25g / 2 tablespoons lard (or coconut oil), melted
  • 2 tablespoons plain flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper (or Chinese five-spice powder)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 3 stalks spring onion
    For frying
  • 2 tablespoons cooking oil

Instructions

  1. Make the dough: Put flour into a heat proof bowl. Pour in boiling water. Stir with a pair of chopsticks or a fork until the flour turns into small lumps and no more water can be seen. When cool enough to handle, knead the mixture into a soft, smooth dough. Leave to rest for 30 mins (see note 1).
  2. Prepare the filling: Add flour, Sichuan pepper and salt into melted lard (or coconut oil). Finely chop spring onion.
  3. Shape the pancakes: Knead the dough again. Flatten it with a rolling pin into a thin rectangle shape (dust with flour to avoid sticking). Brush on the lard (or coconut oil) mixture then sprinkle spring onion over. Roll the dough into a rope (from the shorter side). Cut into 4 cylinders. Stand a piece on one end. Roll it flat to desired thickness (see note 2).
  4. Fry the pancakes: Heat up oil in a frying pan over a high heat. Place the pancakes in then turn the heat to medium (see note 3). Flip over 2-3 times. Cook until both sides are golden brown.
  5. Store & serve: Best to serve warm. You may also freeze the uncooked pancakes (pile them up with baking paper or cling film in between, then put into a sealed plastic bag). Thaw in the fridge then cook the normal way.

Notes

1. The flour and water ratio may vary slightly depending on the brand. Adjust accordingly. The finished dough should be soft but not sticky.

2. You may choose your preferred thickness. But you would end up with a doughy part in the middle if the pancake is too thick. For this recipe, each pancake should be at least 13cm (5 inches) in diameter.

3. Make sure the oil is at the right temperature when you place the pancakes in. It should be hot, but not so hot it burns. You can put in a small piece of spring onion to test. If it starts sizzling, the oil is hot enough. Again, don’t forget to turn the heat down to medium once the pancakes are in.

5.0
https://redhousespice.com/spring-onion-pancake/

Hope you are tempted to give my recipe a try. Good luck in your kitchen!

An enthusiastic cook with a Chinese palate and a global mindset.

Other recipes for those who love spring onion:

Shanghai spring onion oil noodles (葱油拌面)

How to make & use spring onion oil (葱油)

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. table2804 says

    September 24, 2017 at 11:38 pm

    Hi, can make this ahead ?

    Reply
    • Wei @ Red House Spice says

      September 24, 2017 at 11:46 pm

      Yes! You can surely make these pancakes ahead. Please refer to my “Store & serve” suggestions in the recipe box above. Have a nice day!

      Reply
  2. Heddi says

    September 28, 2017 at 12:01 pm

    Hi Wei! These look great. Sometimes I also throw peas in my scallion pancakes for a child that normally doesn’t eat them. 😉

    Reply
    • Wei @ Red House Spice says

      September 28, 2017 at 3:06 pm

      That sounds interesting Heddi! I will have a try next time. Have a lovely day!

      Reply
  3. Jennifer Knight says

    November 29, 2017 at 2:46 pm

    Delicious & super easy! My family gobbled them up and are demanding that this now be on regular rotation at our house. 🙂 I just discovered your wonderful page — bookmarking it now for the future. Thank you so much for all the great authentic cooking advice.

    Reply
    • Wei @ Red House Spice says

      November 29, 2017 at 4:11 pm

      Thank you so much Jennifer! It’s my pleasure to share authentic Chinese recipes. For me, it’s a great way to connect with my root.

      Reply
  4. Andrea J. says

    February 15, 2018 at 11:56 am

    I recently moved to Germany after living in Shenzhen and Taipei for 6 years. There is not a lot of authentic Chinese food where I am currently living, and I really miss the delicious street foods of my former hometowns. So, I’m so happy to have found your blog! This morning’s breakfast was tea eggs and spring onion pancakes and it just made my heart sing! The recipes were delicious and so easy. Thank you and I look forward to trying more of your fantastic recipes!

    Reply
    • Wei @ Red House Spice says

      February 23, 2018 at 12:11 am

      You are more than welcome Andrea! I can relate to your joy. Good food does make your heart sing! Tea eggs + spring onion pancakes, great breakfast combination. I must cook some this weekend!

      Reply
  5. Sharon says

    August 25, 2018 at 3:03 am

    Can I use bread flour instead?

    Reply
    • Wei @ Red House Spice says

      August 26, 2018 at 11:37 pm

      Hi Sharon! Yes, you can use bread flour too. The final texture would be a bit more chewy.

      Reply
      • Sharon says

        August 27, 2018 at 10:23 am

        Thank you .. .

        Reply
  6. Victoria says

    December 16, 2018 at 5:14 pm

    I made these today and the consistency of the dough was perfect. Great recipe and instructions! These are a new family favourite for sure. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Wei @ Red House Spice says

      December 16, 2018 at 11:13 pm

      You are welcome Victoria! Enjoy!

      Reply
  7. Buck says

    January 23, 2019 at 4:52 am

    These look amazing, unfortunately, the flour to water ratio results in an initial dough that is very very tough and drier. After 30 min, the dough remains the same. Rolling it out was pleasant, flattened without sticking very nicely. After spreading the filling on, rolling it into a rope, cutting cylinders, I rolled those out. This is where things literally fell apart. Each one was nearly impossible to roll, as the oil slides everything out from under the pin, and it ends up in a separated, thin strip of swirled dough. Dough did not stick to itself at all, everything fell apart. I’ve made these before with a different amount of water. Really surprised anyone had any success with this recipe as is. Will try again with double the water to flour.

    Reply
    • Wei @ Red House Spice says

      January 26, 2019 at 10:41 pm

      Hi Buck! So sorry to hear that!
      I’ve been making these pancakes for years and I’m very sure about the flour water ratio. You might find it a little softer / harder depending the flour type / brand you use. However, I would never expect such a disaster. For cold water plain dough, the flour water ratio is around 2:1. For hot water dough like this one, you would need a little more water. That is why I recommend 160 ml boiling water to 250 g flour. I’m not sure if you used standard cup to measure flour and if you are aware that measuring flour by cup is less accurate than by weight.
      For next time, I wouldn’t suggest you to double the water (which will be 320ml water to 250 flour).
      I’m now updating some of my recipe posts with step by step instruction videos. Hopefully I will soon make one for spring onion pancake to give my readers a better idea what the right consistency of the dough is like.
      I wish you good luck in your kitchen and thank you for visiting my blog!

      Reply
  8. Tiff says

    February 26, 2019 at 5:16 am

    I had the same issue as Buck. From my experience, living at a higher altitude & dry climate can influence dough recipes I experiment with online. Next time I may try the cold water method and I’ll be sure to weigh the ingredients rather than use my measuring cups. We fried them and they still tasted good just very tough. I look forward to giving this another try. Thanks for the tips!

    Reply
    • Wei @ Red House Spice says

      February 26, 2019 at 4:35 pm

      Thank you very much Tiff for sharing your experience. My readers will appreciate your input. Happy cooking!

      Reply
      • Yan says

        March 04, 2019 at 6:33 am

        Just made them, they are delicious!! Thanks 🙂 I always love your recipes.

        Reply
        • Wei @ Red House Spice says

          March 10, 2019 at 9:49 pm

          You are welcome Yan! Very happy to know that you find my recipes inspiring.

          Reply
  9. Alison Stansfield says

    April 13, 2019 at 8:22 am

    Was very excited to try this recipe, but think I might have overworked the dough? They came out a bit bready, and not as flakey or glossy as your images. We don’t get AP flour here in South Africa, so used cake flour… could that have caused it too?

    Reply
    • Wei @ Red House Spice says

      April 19, 2019 at 6:04 am

      You can surely use cake flour. I don’t think that causes the problem. The key to flakey pancake is that you brush enough oil mixture (the filling) in between the layers. To ensure a glossy look: 1. Make sure the oil for frying is not too little. 2. Put the pancakes in when the oil is hot. These will help to produce a crispier texture on the surface of the pancakes.

      Reply
  10. Sharon says

    September 03, 2019 at 4:56 pm

    I tried this recipe tonight, tastes great. Next time, i need to improve on rolling the dough thinner. Other than that, I think this recipe is great. Satisfies my craving!

    Reply
    • Wei @ Red House Spice says

      September 06, 2019 at 8:53 am

      Great to hear that! Thank you for letting me know.

      Reply
  11. Rekha says

    October 27, 2019 at 3:24 pm

    I just tried your recipe using the coconut oil + five spice powder. It tasted great! Thank you for sharing the coconut oil tip. Initially my dough was very sticky, and I almost gave up. But with extra (extra) flour, I was able to get it soft like yours. I’ll just adjust the ratio next time.

    Reply
    • Wei @ Red House Spice says

      October 29, 2019 at 9:11 pm

      Glad to know my recipe worked well for you. Please feel free to adjust the water flour ratio as the absorption ability of different flour varies.

      Reply
  12. Edyta says

    November 11, 2019 at 8:21 am

    Lovely! No idea how they should taste, but what I prepared for breakfast based on this recipe was great! Next time I will add more srping onion and sichuan pepper. We ate them with easy Chinese dressing which was tasty. And it wasn’t difficult, even the rolling part.

    Reply
    • Wei @ Red House Spice says

      November 11, 2019 at 8:50 pm

      Brilliant! Always a good idea to add more spring onion and Sichuan pepper if you like big flavour.

      Reply

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Hi I'm Wei, the recipe developer and photographer behind Red House Spice, a food blog sharing delicious Chinese recipes. I also organize Culinary Tours of China for those who love to discover China first hand through delicious food. Read More…

A fourteen-day Culinary Tour of China, with an enthusiastic native Chinese food blogger, exploring some of China’s most diverse gastronomic traditions and culture.

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