Green Onion Pancake (Chinese Fried Scallion Pancakes a.k.a. Cong You Bing)

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How to make Chinese Scallion Pancake (Cong You Bing) 葱油饼

There are a few different types of savory Chinese or Taiwanese “pancakes” (made with dough instead of batter).  One of these, is “Dan Bing,” a soft tortilla like pancake which is filled with a thin green egg omelet.  The other popular type of pancake, is “Cong You Bing” (a.k.a. “green onion or scallion pancake”) – a fried piece of dough with green onions layered inside.  You can buy these frozen at the Chinese supermarket – or you can easily make it from scratch at home, using basic pantry ingredients.

If you take a look at the ingredients – it’s pretty basic – no fancy ingredients required.  I like to use sesame oil for more flavor, but you could easily make this with just plain vegetable oil instead.  You could also use different fillings – try green garlic or garlic scapes instead of green onion for a different twist.

Pancake Dough:

Use 6-7 green onions, chopped

  • 2 c. flour (all purpose)
  • 3/4 c. hot water
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. sesame oil
  • 1 tsp. canola oil

Green onion filling:

  • 1 tsp. sesame oil
  • 6-7 stalks green onion, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
Also:
  •  Canola oil, for frying

1.  First, make the dough.  Put the flour, salt, and oils in the work bowl of a food processor.  Add the hot water, and process until a smooth dough ball forms.  (If needed, you can add more hot water, 1 T. at a time to form a smooth dough.)

2.  Spin the ball in the food processor about 25 times to knead.  Allow to rest for about 30 minutes.

3.  Meanwhile, chop the green onions and toss with the salt and sesame oil.  Set aside.

4.  Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface, and cut into 8 equal pieces.

5.  Roll each piece into a thin 8″ circle.

6.  Spread 1/8 of the green onion filling mixture over the surface of the dough.

7.  Starting at one edge, roll the dough up into a cigar, cinnamon roll style.

8.  Roll the cigar into a round snail.

9.  Dust with flour and roll the snail into a 5-6″ circle.  Set aside and repeat with the other dough pieces.

10.  Heat a few teaspoons of oil in a large frying pan, over medium heat.  Add two of the green onion pancakes, and fry for about 2 minutes (until the bottom is golden).

11.  Flip over and cook an additional 1-2 minutes until done.

12.  Drain on paper towels.

13.  Serve hot with a little bit of soy sauce.

Comments

  1. Jade says:

    erm, I can substitute canola oil with others oil is it? :) thanks

    • Mika Mika says:

      Yes, of course! Corn oil, vegetable oil, peanut oil… whatever cooking oil you have on hand should be fine instead of canola oil.

  2. Mariam says:

    I love your blog!!! Every recipe I try turns out to be the best.. I used to hate cooking but not anymore :)

    • Mika Mika says:

      Thank you!!! I try to make it easy… cooking isn’t hard if you have someone to show you or explain.

  3. Serena says:

    Hi! This recipe is great! Since I moved from CA to IL, this is one of the main foods I’d been missing. I wish I’d realized earlier how simple it is to make. Thanks for the great recipe(s) and pictures too~

    • Mika Mika says:

      You’re welcome! :)

  4. Wing says:

    Can you make them ahead of time & refrigerate them?

    • Mika Mika says:

      Yes… I would warm them up in a toaster oven to serve.

      • Wing says:

        Oops… I meant if I roll them out but not cook them & put in refridgerator?

        • Mika Mika says:

          I think so… I haven’t done it that way so far, but I don’t see why you can’t.

    • Diana Pierce says:

      I add bacon to mine in addition to the green onions. I do make them ahead of time and leave them uncooked in a covered baking dish in the refrigerator. I serve them with hoisin, siracha, sweet chili sauce, & fish sauce in a separate bowl for dipping. It’s been a family favorite for 25 years ;)

      • Diana Pierce says:

        I forgot to say I store them for up to a week uncooked.

      • Mika Mika says:

        Yum… bacon!!! Great idea!

  5. Nicole says:

    Hi! This looks great – will it turn out alright without a food processor? Thanks!

    • Mika Mika says:

      Yes, you can knead the dough by hand – it just takes a bit longer! :)

  6. Julie says:

    Excellent recipe! Your measurements are exact. Thank you for sharing.

Trackbacks

  1. [...] regno del dumpling per antonomasia che è servito in tantissime varianti. Poi ci sono le frittelle di cipolle per fare colazione a qualsiasi ora e pesce da mangiare a volo nella configurazione spiedino di [...]

  2. [...] “I was the same.” She took a bite of pan-fried scallion pancake. “In primary school, I was especially picky. Breakfast every morning was eggs cooked in milk, but later, I had eaten it so much that I really didn’t want to have it anymore. And so oftentimes, while Grandmother wasn’t looking, I’d pour the milk into the toilet.” 葱油饼 “cong you bing.” Pan-friend scallion pancake. Also known as green onion pancake, pan-friend Chinese pancake. (Image credit) [...]