With a crispy exterior and flavorful flaky interior, these savory delights are a staple street food in Taiwan. So let’s uncover the secrets behind crafting this perfect Taiwanese Green Onion Pancake Recipe in your own kitchen!
The crispy layers and aromatic green onions in this Taiwanese Green Onion Recipe create a harmonious blend of textures and flavors that will transport you straight to the bustling streets of Taiwan!
Taiwanese Green Onion Pancakes – Crispy Delights
What are Taiwanese Green Onion Pancakes
Taiwanese Green Onion Pancakes (Cong You Bing), also called Spring Onion Pancakes or Chinese Scallion Pancakes are an extremely popular street food in Taiwan and China, served as a snack or as a breakfast option. People line up even for an hour just to get their hands on these addictive treats. The secret of these Taiwanese Green Onion Pancakes lies in their delightful crunchy, golden exterior and chewy, aromatic, and flaky interior.
Why you’ll love this Taiwanese Green Onion Pancake Recipe
These Taiwanese Green Onion Pancakes are made from basic ingredients, yet they are so delicious due to a combination of factors that lends them their unique flavor and texture:
Fresh Ingredients:
Taiwanese cuisine places a strong emphasis on using fresh, high-quality ingredients. The green onions used in these pancakes are fresh and flavorful, contributing a pungent and aromatic taste.
Seasonings and Spices:
The use of various seasonings and spices in the pancake enhances the flavor. Common additions include garlic, grounds Sichuan peppercorns, five spice, creating a savory and well-seasoned pancake.
Layering Technique:
The process of creating this Taiwanese Green Onion Pancake Recipe often involves rolling and folding the dough multiple times, creating layers. This layering technique contributes to a flaky and crispy texture, making the pancake highly enjoyable and addictive.
Cooking Method:
Traditional Taiwanese Green Onion Pancakes are pan-fried, resulting in a crunchy exterior while maintaining a tender and slightly chewy interior. This cooking method is crucial to achieving that perfect crispy texture.
Dipping Sauce:
A common dipping sauce for Taiwanese Green Onion Pancakes might include soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, toasted sesame oil, and sometimes chili oil, providing a perfect balance of saltiness, sweetness, tanginess, and heat
The combination of all of these factors contributes to the delicious and satisfying richness of these Taiwanese Green Onion Pancakes.
How long can these green onion pancakes be stored
You can store these green onion pancakes either cooked or uncooked.
Storing uncooked pancakes in the refrigerator or freezer
After rolling out the pancake with the filling inside, place it on a piece of parchment paper that is slightly larger (1/2 inch) than the pancake. Then place another piece of parchment paper on top, and put the next pancake on top. Keep stacking all of your rolled-out pancakes, then seal them in a zip-lock bag, removing as much air as you can. Store them in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Storing cooked pancakes in the refrigerator
These green onion pancakes are best enjoyed straight out of the pan while still hot or warm. But you can store them in the fridge for 1-2 days, then heat them quickly in the microwave or reheat them with a tablespoon of oil in the frying pan, on medium-high heat, just for 1-2 minutes.
How to cook refrigerated or frozen uncooked pancakes
To cook the pancakes, just place them in the non-stick frying pan with a tablespoon of oil, on medium-high heat, and cook them until golden brown and crispy, flipping them from one side to the other as directed in the recipe card instructions.
How to make these green onion pancakes
(for the exact measurements, please see the recipe card below)
Step 1 – Prepare the Dough
Start by placing the all-purpose flour in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add boiling water to the flour while stirring continuously with chopsticks or a wooden spoon. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
Step 2 – Knead the Dough
Once the dough has cooled enough to handle, knead it on a floured surface for about 5-7 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
Step 3 – Prepare the Filling
Chop the green onions and heat the pork lard and butter. In a separate bowl, mix all the filling ingredients, except for the pork lard and butter. Then pour the hot lard and oil over the green onion and flour filling and mix well.
Step 4 – Divide and Roll
After the resting time, divide the dough into small, golf ball-sized portions. Roll each portion into a thin disc, using a rolling pin. Brush the surface of each disc with sesame oil.
Step 5 – Layer with Green Onions
Sprinkle a generous amount of chopped green onions over the oiled surface of each disc, and add a pinch of salt to enhance the flavor. Roll each disc into a log, creating a spiral effect with the green onions.
Step 6 – Create the Layers
Coil the log into a circle, tucking the end underneath. Flatten the pancake with your hand and let it rest. Then, roll it out using a rolling pin.
Step 7 – Fry the Pancakes
In a frying pan, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Fry the pancake on each side until golden brown and crispy.
Step 8 – Drain and Serve
Place the cooked pancakes on a paper towel to drain the excess oil. Cut them into wedges and serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce – soy sauce, vinegar, or even chili-infused oil for an extra kick.
Step 9 – Enjoy the Crispy Goodness
Your homemade delicious Taiwanese Green Onion Pancakes are ready to be savored! Enjoy!
Whether you prefer to enjoy them as a snack or paired with your favorite dishes, this Taiwanese Green Onion Pancake Recipe will be a rewarding experience and a delicious achievement! So, roll up your sleeves and get ready to savor these amazingly crispy delights. Enjoy!
Taiwanese Green Onion Pancake Recipe (Very Easy)
Equipment
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 wooden spoon (fork, chopsticks)
- 1 non-stick frying pan
- 1 spoon (pastry brush)
- paper towels
Ingredients
DOUGH
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- 1⅔ cups hot water
- 2 TB oil
FILLING
- ½ cup pork lard
- ½ cup butter (or vegetable oil)
- 3½ tbsp flour
- 2 cups green onions
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- ½ tsp garlic (grated)
DIPPING SAUCE
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp oyster sauce
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
Instructions
MAKE THE DOUGH
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Then, slowly add the boiling water and oil while constantly stirring with a fork, wooden spoon, or chopsticks until a shaggy dough forms.
- Once the dough has cooled enough to handle, knead it on a floured surface for about 5-7 minutes and roll it into a ball. Brush the dough with oil, then cover it with a cloth or plastic wrap, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. Then, knead it again a few more times until it becomes smooth and elastic.
MAKE THE FILLING
- Chop the green onions (make sure you cut the white part in half lengthwise first since it is quite tough and might poke through your dough when rolling the green onion pancakes) and heat the pork lard and butter in the same pan. In a separate bowl, mix all the filling ingredients, except for the pork lard and butter. Then, carefully add the hot lard and oil over the green onion and flour filling and mix well. This will bring out the aromatics of the green onion and garlic, making the pancakes appetizing and fragrant.
MAKE THE GREEN ONION PANCAKES
- After the dough has rested, lightly oil the work surface. Shape the dough into a thicker log shape (you can easily make this by simply poking a hole in the middle of the dough ball, cutting one edge, and straightening the two edges into a log). Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Using a rolling pin, roll out each piece into a thin disc. The thinner the dough the tastier and crispier the pancake will be and the more layers and flakiness you will achieve.
- Spread a few tablespoons of the filling on each disc and add a pinch of salt to enhance the flavor. Roll each disc into a log, starting at the bottom of the disc and going upwards.
- Then, pinch the ends of each log, so that the mixture doesn't ooze out. Holding the ends of the log hit the dough 1-2 times against the working surface, to loosen it up and stretch it a bit, then coil each log from one end to the other, until you have like a snail shell shape. Then gently press it down with your palm. Cover with a plastic wrap and finish the rest of the dough pieces. Once ready, let the "snails" rest for 20 minutes.
- After the dough has rested, take each pancake and gently roll it out with a rolling pin. You can make the pancake thinner or thicker, as you like, but try to keep it somewhere between 1/3 to 1/2 inch. The thicker the pancakes, the harder they will cook inside, and you might end up with a raw interior and uncooked dough.
MAKE THE DIPPING SAUCE
- Combine all the ingredients of the dipping sauce.
FRY THE GREEN ONION PANCAKES
- Pour some oil into a non-stick pan to cover the bottom (you can add only 1-2 tablespoons of oil if you wish, but the more the oil, the crunchier the green onion pancakes will be), and turn the heat to medium-high.
- Once the oil is hot, carefully place your pancake into the pan, moving it a bit with your hand to ensure it doesn't stick to the bottom. Then, cover with a lid and let cook for 1 minute. This will ensure that the inside of the pancake cooks as well. After 1 minute, flip the pancake on the other side, push it down with your spatula a bit, cover it with the lid, and let cook for another minute. Then take the lid off, flip the pancake again, and cook for another 3-5 minutes, depending on how thick you rolled out your pancakes. Make sure you turn the pancakes 3-4 times during the cooking to ensure they are evenly cooked on both sides and inside. Cook until nice and golden brown and crispy on the outside.
- While still in the pan, take two spatulas and push the edges of the pancake together to scrunch it up a bit. This will ensure that the inside layers loosen up and the pancake will be more flaky and delicious.
- Place the cooked pancakes on a paper towel so that the excess oil is absorbed.
- Enjoy these utterly delicious crispy Taiwanese Green Onion Pancakes as they are, individually, or cut into wedges as quick finger food for crowds at parties.
CARMEN’S TIPS:
- For a vegan or vegetarian version of these green onion pancakes, just replace the pork lard and butter with regular vegetable oil and replace the oyster sauce in the dipping sauce with 1 tsp of sugar.
- For the filling, you can use only pork lard, butter, or vegetable oil, depending on what you have at hand.
- The smaller you cut your green onions, the easier it will be to roll your pancakes, without breaking the thin dough.
- This is a very versatile recipe so you can adapt it to your needs. Thus, you can prepare these delicious pancakes only with 5 of the mentioned ingredients: green onions, flour, oil, salt, and water (if you do not have the rest of the ingredients in your pantry), and still end up with amazingly delicious green onion pancakes.
- To add maximum flavor to these green onion pancakes you can add 1 tsp of ground Sichuan peppercorns or 1 tsp of 5 spice in the filling.
- The hot water in this recipe is essential as it minimizes the development of gluten, so the pancakes do not have a bread-like consistency.
- To obtain the best possible pancakes, just refrigerate the dough overnight, and make the pancakes the next day. The more time the dough has to relax, the better the texture of your green onion pancakes will be.
- I like to always prepare a double batch of these pancakes and just refrigerate or freeze them, to have them ready at hand whenever I want to enjoy a quick and satisfying meal.
- If you have a sweet tooth, you can also use this dough to make sweet treats. Just replace the filling with something sweet of your choice like Nutella or sugar and cinnamon!
- If you want to enjoy these delicious green onion pancakes as a perfect breakfast treat, just as they are served in the bustling streets of Taipei, you can roll out the dough of the pancakes quite thin, 1/3 of an inch, and fry them as directed above. Then, make 1-2 scrambled eggs, and pour them in the non-stick pan. Once the bottom side of the egg starts to cook, place some basil, a piece of thin ham, and a piece of cheese on top of the egg. Then put the pancake on top. Once the egg is fully cooked, flip the pancake over, drizzle some savory, slightly spicy Doubanjiang sauce (fermented broad bean paste, chili peppers, salt, and flour), ketchup, or soy sauce dip on top, fold, and serve. Yummy!
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