Chinese Scallion Pancake Recipe
This classic Chinese scallion pancake recipe makes savory, crispy flatbreads that are flaky on the outside with aromatic layers of scallions inside. It's a flavorful Chinese food recipe that's perfect for snacking, sharing, or serving alongside your favorite dipping sauce.
Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook
- Rolling Pin
- cast-iron or nonstick pan
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour plus more as needed
- ½ cup boiling water
- 2 to 3 tablespoons cold water
- Neutral oil for shaping and cooking
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup finely chopped scallions about 4 scallions, white and green parts, patted dry before chopping
Instructions
- In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook, add the flour. While mixing on low, gradually stream in the boiling water, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed to help the flour come together.
- Once the dough is shaggy and partially formed, begin adding cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough becomes smooth and pulls away from the sides. Allow each addition to fully absorb before adding more water.
- Move the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for about 5 minutes, until soft and elastic. If it feels sticky, sprinkle in more flour a little at a time until smooth.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and shape each into a ball. Lightly oil them and cover with a bowl to rest at room temperature for 45 to 60 minutes.
- When the dough is ready (it should flatten without springing back), flatten a ball into a rough rectangle about 4 by 9 inches on an oiled surface using a rolling pin.
- Brush the dough with a thin coat of oil, then sprinkle with a pinch of salt (around ⅛ teaspoon) and 2 tablespoons of chopped scallions.
- Roll the dough tightly from the short end into a cigar shape with the seam facing up, then coil it into a spiral like a snail shell. Tuck the end underneath and flatten gently into a disc. Repeat with remaining dough balls.
- Once all discs are shaped, roll each out into a 4 to 5-inch pancake. A smaller pancake will be thicker and chewier; a larger one will be thinner and crispier.
- Preheat a cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat (cast iron should just begin to smoke; nonstick should be hot). Add 2 to 3 tablespoons oil to generously coat the pan.
- Fry 2 pancakes at a time, cooking each side for 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Repeat with the rest, working in batches.
Notes
- For make-ahead prep, freeze shaped but uncooked pancakes between parchment layers in a resealable bag. Cook straight from frozen—no need to thaw.
- Avoid high heat to prevent burning the outside before the dough is fully cooked inside.
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