Flaky Chinese Scallion Pancakes (葱油饼) — Crispy Street Food at Home

Prep:45 min

Cook:45 min

Serves:2–4

Difficulty:Medium

Scallion pancakes are one of the great pleasures of Chinese street food — flaky, chewy, crispy at the edges, with coils of green onion baked into every layer. The technique for creating those layers is ingenious: a hot water dough is rolled flat, brushed with sesame oil, rolled up into a cylinder, then coiled into a spiral and flattened again. Each roll-and-fold cycle creates dozens of thin laminated layers.

Scallion pancakes (葱油饼, cōng yóu bǐng) are one of China's most popular street foods, found across all regions but especially beloved in northern China and Shanghai. The laminated dough technique is an ancient Chinese invention.

Ingredients

• 250g all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 150ml boiling water
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp five spice powder (optional)
• 4 spring onions (scallions), very finely sliced
• 3 tbsp neutral oil for frying
• Flaky sea salt for sprinkling
• Dipping sauce: 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar, 1 tsp chili oil, 1 tsp sugar

Instructions

1
Make the dough: mix flour and salt in a bowl. Pour the boiling water in gradually while mixing with chopsticks or a fork. Once cool enough to handle, knead for 5 minutes until smooth. Cover with a damp cloth and rest for 30 minutes.
2
Divide dough into 4 equal portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll one portion into a very thin rectangle, as thin as you can get it without tearing — about 2mm.
3
Brush generously with sesame oil. Scatter a quarter of the spring onions over the surface and season with a pinch of five spice and salt.
4
Starting from the long edge, roll the dough tightly into a cylinder, like a swiss roll. This traps the oil and scallions between the layers.
5
Coil the cylinder into a tight snail spiral. Tuck the end underneath. Flatten the spiral gently with your palm, then roll out again to a flat disk about 5mm thick.
6
Heat oil in a heavy pan over medium-high heat. Cook the pancake for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy.
7
Immediately after taking out of the pan, strike the pancake sharply on the edges with your hands — this opens the layers and creates the characteristic flaky texture.
8
Mix dipping sauce and serve alongside.

Pro Tips

💡The hotter the water, the more tender the dough. Use just-boiled water directly from the kettle.
💡Be very generous with sesame oil between the layers. This is what creates the flakiness and flavour.
💡Medium heat is key — too hot and the outside burns before the inside cooks; too low and it never gets crispy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make these in advance?

Yes. Make the spirals, refrigerate on a tray covered with cling film, and pan-fry to order. They keep raw for up to 24 hours.

Why does my pancake come out chewy instead of flaky?

Either not enough oil between the layers, or the layers weren't rolled thin enough. Also make sure to strike the pancake on its edges after cooking.

Can I bake these instead of frying?

The result is different — less crispy, more bready. Pan-frying in a small amount of oil is really the correct method.

Serving Suggestions

Excellent as a street food snack with dipping sauce, as an appetiser, or alongside a bowl of congee for breakfast. Also makes a great wrap for Peking duck or mu shu pork.