Taiwanese Green Onion Pancake Recipe (Very Easy)
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!
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.