- Allison
Simple and Healthy Scallion Pancakes
Updated: Aug 30
Hi there!
Today I will be sharing with you one of my husband's and I’s favorite recipes.
Chinese Scallion Pancakes.
If you, like me at one time, have never heard of this before and just so happened to stumble upon this recipe, you may wonder how this would even be any good.
Do not worry, as I felt the same when I first discovered this.
My parents never used to get Chinese takeout for us kids, so the only “Asian” food I was exposed to growing up was ramen noodles. So, the thought of onion pancakes was a little odd to me at first. So, naturally, I had to try it and see if this was any good.
But, I am happy to say that after trying it, I make it for my husband and me on practically a weekly basis now!
It is so tasty! So easy! And I even made it healthier so that you feel like you are pigging out when you are not!
Definitely a win win win!
Honestly, I can not get enough of these things! I could eat the whole batch myself, but of course, I save some for my husband.
When I first made scallion pancakes, the instructions were more complicated than I liked.
These are not hard to make, but the way the instructions were worded, made it somewhat difficult to understand at times, which then made the actual process of making the pancakes more stressful than it should have been.
So, I decided to simplify this recipe as much as I can, while still giving you plenty of information, so that it is a fun and enjoyable process with a very yummy outcome.
This recipe is just simplified enough so that you are making authentic Chinese scallion pancakes without sacrificing a bunch of time and effort.
You can make a dipping sauce with this, but my husband and I usually eat it “plain” right off the skillet. Still though, for those who want to get a bit fancy, I will include an easy dipping sauce recipe.
Sometimes, I even like to eat these with sour cream :)
Haha, that probably sounds gross, but it is actually very yummy! But then again, I can eat sour cream on practically anything.
So, without further ado, here it is.
Start boiling 1/2 cup of water, and pop the remaining (already cold!) water in the fridge.
Mix the salt with the flour.
Once the water is boiling, slowly pour it into the bowl of flour while mixing it.
Then, add the cold water and continue mixing until it comes together into a ball.
Knead the dough by hand for about 5 minutes, or until soft and springy.
It may seem like it is being over-kneaded but just trust the process.
Try to avoid using too much flour as we do not want this to dry out. If need be, you can rub a little oil on your hands and use that to prevent the dough from sticking.
Add the dough back to the bowl, cover it, and let it rest for 20-30 minutes.
While the dough is resting, start preparing the filling.
Cut off the ends of the green onions and finely mince them. We want them as fine as possible.
After that, melt the butter (or just add oil, if using) in the microwave or on the stovetop.
If you are using butter, I recommend making this paste right before the dough is done resting, as the butter can start to solidify if too much time passes. If it does solidify, just pop the paste in the microwave for about 5-10 seconds.
Then add the flour and salt to the butter and mix it until it forms a smooth paste.
Once the dough is done resting, knead it for another minute or two.
Cut the dough into 8 equal-sized pieces. It does not have to be exact. We are not cooking for Gordon Ramsey here :)
You can cut them into 6 pieces for a bit of a bigger size, but I usually just cut them into 8 pieces.
Roll the dough pieces into eight balls. Put seven of them to the side and cover them with a clean kitchen towel.
Lightly flour your rolling pin and the dough ball. Make sure to not dry out the dough too much.
Roll it out until it is approximately 5” wide and 8” long.
If using 6 pieces, roll it out until it is about 6” wide and 10” long.
Add about 1 tbsp of filling to the dough. We like a heavy filling here :)
Spread it out, but leave about a 1/2” border on the top and side of the dough.
Add about 1 tsp of green onion to the dough, leaving the same border empty.
Starting from the empty side of the dough, roll it up until it is a small log. Or twig.
Pinch the side seams together.
Using your fingers, push out any air bubbles.
Pinch one end of the log (or twig :) and roll it into a cinnamon roll-type shape.
Seal the other end by pinching it and tucking it underneath the roll.
Repeat with the rest of the dough balls.
You can put the rolls in the fridge at this time, especially if you find out that you have unexpected guests coming and you do not have enough time to make this. Hehe.. that has happened before.
Just know that you have to let them come to room temperature for about 30 minutes to an hour before starting the next step.
I did find that when I put them in the fridge at this stage and make them the next day, they are super crispy and have even MORE flavor! They are also easier to roll out when slightly cold.
So, I definitely recommend doing it this way if you do not mind having to wait until the next day.
I have not frozen them at this stage, so I do not know how well they would turn out.
If any of you do freeze them at this stage, let me know in the comments if it is any good!
Cover the dough balls with a kitchen towel and roll them out one at a time.
Again, try to use the least amount of flour possible without letting the dough stick to everything. It is okay if some of the onion pieces fall out.
Make sure to keep each of them separated from the others because they will stick like crazy.
You can put parchment paper in between each pancake if you are cooking them now, but that is a lot of parchment paper to use so I normally cook one while rolling out another.
You can freeze or refrigerate them at this stage as well. They last about 2-3 days in the fridge and about 1-2 months in the freezer.
Make sure to separate them with parchment paper before storing them.
Cover the bottom of the skillet with oil and bring it to medium-high heat.
You may have to add more oil as you make the pancakes, but that is fine. Since we are using avocado oil to be a bit healthier, I want to conserve as much of it as possible, considering how expensive it is.
Add one pancake at a time and cook for about 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
Add the pancake to a plate or cutting board and cut each into 4 triangular pieces.
Make the dipping sauce by combining all of the ingredients in a bowl.
(You can use the leftover oil in the pan to make dinner)
Enjoy!
Prep Time: 1 hr. Cook Time: 15-20 min. Total Time: 1 hr. 20 min.
Servings: 6-8 pancakes
INGREDIENTS:
Dough:
2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 cup of boiling water
1/4 cup of cold water
Filling:
10-12 green onions (about a cup), very finely minced
1/3 cup of salted butter (or any type of oil)
1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp of salt (optional if using salted butter)
Dipping Sauce:
2 tsp of soy sauce or coconut amimos
1/2 tbsp of sesame oil
1/2 tsp of apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp of maple syrup or honey
1/2 tsp of garlick powder
1/4 tsp of ginger *optional
INSTRUCTIONS:
Start boiling 1/2 cup of water, and pop the remaining (already cold!) water in the fridge. Mix the salt with the flour.
Once the water is boiling, slowly pour it into the bowl of flour while mixing it.
Then, add the cold water and continue mixing until it starts forming clumps of flour. It will not quite turn into a ball yet.
Knead the dough by hand for about 5 minutes, or until soft and springy. Try to avoid using too much flour as we do not want it to dry out. If need be, you can rub a little oil on your hands and use that to prevent the dough from sticking.
Add the dough back to the bowl, cover it, and let it rest for 20-30 minutes.
While the dough is resting, start preparing the filling. Cut off the ends of the green onions and finely mince them. We want them as fine as possible.
After that, melt the butter (or just add oil, if using) in the microwave or on the stovetop. If you are using butter, I recommend making this paste right before the dough is done resting, as the butter can start to solidify if too much time passes. If it does solidify, just pop the paste in the microwave for about 5-10 seconds.
Then add the flour and salt to the butter and mix it until it forms a smooth paste.
Once the dough is done resting, knead it for another minute or two.
Cut the dough into 8 equal-sized pieces. It does not have to be exact. We are not cooking for Gordon Ramsey here :) You can cut them into 6 pieces for a bit of a bigger size, but I usually just cut them into 8 pieces.
Roll the dough pieces into eight balls. Put seven of them to the side and cover them with a clean kitchen towel.
Lightly flour your rolling pin and the dough ball. Make sure to not dry out the dough too much.
Roll it out until it is approximately 5” wide and 8” long. If using 6 pieces, roll it out until it is about 6” wide and 10” long.
Add about 1 tbsp of filling to the dough. We like a heavy filling here :) Spread it out, but leave about a 1/2” border on the top and side of the dough.
Add about 1 tsp of green onion to the dough, leaving the same border empty.
Starting from the empty side of the dough, roll it up until it is a small log. Or twig.
Pinch the side seams together. Using your fingers, push out any air bubbles.
Pinch one end of the log (or twig :) and roll it into a cinnamon roll-type shape. Seal the other end by pinching it and tucking it underneath the roll. Repeat with the rest of the dough balls. You can put the rolls in the fridge at this time, just know that you have to let them come to room temperature for about 30 minutes to an hour before starting the next step.
Cover the dough balls with a kitchen towel and roll them out one at a time until they are about 6” in diameter. Again, try to use the least amount of flour possible without letting the dough stick to everything. It is okay if some of the onion pieces fall out.
Make sure to keep each of them separated from the others because they will stick like crazy. You can put parchment paper in between each pancake if you are cooking them now, but that is a lot of parchment paper to use so I normally cook one while rolling out another. You can freeze or refrigerate them at this stage as well. Make sure to separate them with parchment paper before storing them.
Cover the bottom of the skillet with oil and bring it to medium-high heat. You may have to add more oil as you make the pancakes, but that is fine.
Add one pancake at a time and cook for about 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
Add to a plate or cutting board and cut each into 4 triangular pieces.
Make the dipping sauce by combing all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisking together.
Enjoy!