A flavorful and simple Chinese Scallion Pancakes recipe that yields flaky, savory, and utterly addictive pancakes. These are easy to make and perfect for breakfast, a snack, or a light meal.
This post also shares a few personal updates and behind-the-scenes projects I’ve been involved with recently. If you want to skip straight to the recipe, scroll down to the Scallion Pancakes section. For those who enjoy a bit of context, here are a few highlights from the past month.
One project I’ve been helping with is Sated Magazine, a new gastronomy publication created by friends and talented food writers. The team poured a lot of care into the design, photography, and writing. The debut issue focuses on dark chocolate and showcases beautiful spreads and thoughtful essays.
Sated Magazine aims to share striking photography, dependable recipes, and stories about food. The official launch is coming soon, and the team will announce when printed copies are available. For now, enjoy this scallion pancake recipe that I’ve been making often.
I recently spent time in San Francisco, where I met many inspiring food bloggers, authors, and publishers. The trip was productive and full of great meals and conversations. I also picked up a stack of cookbooks that I can’t wait to cook from—there’s something irresistible about cookbooks with beautiful photography and thoughtful recipes.
One cookbook I reach for often is BeeYinn Low’s Easy Chinese Recipes. It contains authentic, straightforward Chinese dishes with clear, photographed steps. A standout from the book—and one I’ve been making repeatedly—is Bee’s Scallion Pancakes.
Easy Chinese Recipes
Bee’s book offers reliable everyday recipes that are both authentic and approachable. Her scallion pancakes are an excellent example: simple ingredients, straightforward technique, and consistently satisfying results. I often make them for family meals because they’re quick to prepare and delightfully crisp when fried.
Scallion Pancakes Recipe
Scallion pancakes are simple, aromatic, and slightly crisp on the outside with tender layers inside. The technique here is uncomplicated: a hot-water dough is kneaded, rested, portioned, rolled into discs filled with green onion, and pan-fried until golden. The process is relaxing and yields consistently delicious results.
Bee’s version is flecked with scallions and fried until crispy and golden. While the method is slightly hands-on—mainly during rolling and shaping—the results reward the effort. Below you’ll find the ingredients and clear steps to make eight pancakes.
Ingredients For Scallion Pancakes
This recipe uses just a few pantry staples—five main ingredients—so it’s easy to prepare and accessible any time.
- All-purpose flour — A good-quality flour will give you tender pancakes.
- Fine grain sea salt — A small amount to season the dough and balance the scallions.
- Scallions — The green parts provide the signature oniony flavor; use more if you like stronger flavor.
- Hot water — Recently boiled water produces the soft, elastic dough typical for these pancakes.
- Neutral oil for frying — Sunflower, safflower, corn, canola, vegetable, or peanut oil work well; avoid olive oil, which can taste out of place.
How to Make Scallion Pancakes
Start by whisking the flour and salt together, then stir in finely sliced scallions. Slowly pour hot water into the flour mixture and combine until a shaggy dough forms. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about ten minutes until smooth and elastic.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes. After resting, divide the dough into eight equal pieces and shape each into a round. Lightly dust with flour and roll each round into a 5½–6-inch disc, thinner if you prefer a lighter pancake or slightly thicker if serving as a main dish.
Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add about 1/4-inch of neutral oil. Dust off excess flour from each disc and shallow-fry them until golden brown on both sides, pressing gently with a spatula to encourage puffing and even browning. Each side should take about a minute or so; adjust heat as needed so they cook through without burning.
Serve scallion pancakes hot. They’re wonderful on their own or paired with a simple dipping sauce of soy sauce, rice vinegar, and a dash of sesame oil. I like them with a fried or scrambled egg and a squirt of sriracha for contrast.
A few practical tips: avoid using too much extra flour when shaping and rolling the dough, as this can make the pancakes dry or greasy. If you prefer a chewier texture, substitute half bread flour and half all-purpose flour. The dough can also be mixed and kneaded in a stand mixer—reduce the kneading time to about four minutes if using a machine.
I recently updated my gear—new camera and editing software—so photos and posts may arrive more frequently and look fresher as I get comfortable with the new setup. Thank you for your patience and continued interest.
The Sophisticated Gourmet recently celebrated its third anniversary. I’m grateful for the support and excited to share more recipes, stories, and projects in the coming months.
Now, go make scallion pancakes. They’re quick, versatile, and delicious. If you enjoy BeeYinn Low’s approach to simple, authentic Chinese recipes, consider exploring her book for more techniques and dishes to add to your rotation.
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Scallion Pancakes
This recipe is adapted for simplicity while preserving the classic flavors. Rolling the dough into rounds and flattening saves time but still produces layered, flaky pancakes. Avoid adding excess flour when shaping the dough so the pancakes stay tender. For a heartier texture, use half bread flour and half all-purpose flour. If short on time, a stand mixer can knead the dough—reduce kneading to about four minutes. Serve with a fried egg and a dipping sauce made from soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil.
15 minutes
20 minutes
30 minutes
1 hour 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups / 180g all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting and rolling
- 1 ¼ teaspoons fine grain sea salt
- 3 green onions or scallions, green parts only, trimmed and cut into small rounds, to yield ⅓ cup / 25g
- ½ cup / 125ml water
- Oil, for frying (neutral-tasting oil such as sunflower, safflower, corn, canola, vegetable, or peanut)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Stir in the scallions and set aside.
- Bring the water to a boil.
- Slowly pour the hot water into the flour and scallion mixture. Briefly mix until the dough comes together; if too dry, add more hot water by the tablespoon until a soft dough forms.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes (or about 4 minutes in a stand mixer).
- Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and shape each into a round without adding excess flour.
- Lightly dust each round and roll into 5½–6-inch discs, turning the dough a quarter turn as you roll.
- Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high and add about ¼-inch of oil. Dust off excess flour and shallow-fry each pancake until golden brown on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Press gently with a spatula to encourage puffing.
- Drain briefly on paper towels and serve hot with your preferred dipping sauce.
Notes
Tweaked from Easy Chinese Recipes by BeeYinn Low with permission. For a dipping sauce mix 2 tablespoons soy sauce, ½ tablespoon rice wine vinegar, ¼ teaspoon sesame oil, and ½ tablespoon toasted sesame seeds. For a chewier pancake, use half bread flour and half all-purpose flour.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 84Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 332mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 2g