Scallion Pancakes
A comforting Chinese starter built around plain flour, boiling water and cold water — roughly 55 minutes start to finish, and rated easy to make. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 6 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and pan. At easy difficulty across 6 steps, it's a good one for a busy evening. As written, the ingredients are plant-based.
What you'll need
Shopping list (1)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Put the flour in a bowl, pour in the boiling water while stirring with chopsticks, then add the cold water and knead into a soft shaggy dough; cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Finely slice the scallions, and stir 2 tablespoons of the neutral oil with the sesame oil to make a brushing oil.
- Divide the dough into four pieces and roll each one out thinly into a large rectangle on a lightly oiled surface, brush with the oil mix, sprinkle with salt and a quarter of the scallions.
- Roll each rectangle up tightly into a rope, coil the rope into a spiral, tuck the end under and flatten gently, then roll out into a round pancake about 18 cm wide.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of neutral oil in a skillet over medium heat and fry one pancake for 2 to 3 minutes per side until deep golden, crisp and cooked through, repeating with the rest and adding a little more oil between pancakes.
- Cut each pancake into wedges and serve hot, on their own or with a soy and vinegar dipping sauce.
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Pan · Saucepan
What to serve with Scallion Pancakes
- Kung Pao Chicken Chicken
- Kung Po Prawns Seafood
- Ma Po Tofu Beef
- Wontons Pork
Tips & common questions
How long does Scallion Pancakes take to make?
About 55 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 7 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Scallion Pancakes vegan?
Based on its ingredients, this recipe contains no meat, fish, dairy or egg, so it looks vegan-friendly. Always double-check labels on packaged items.
Related recipes
Scallion Pancakes is an original Chinese recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Scallion pancakes.jpg (CC0) via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.