Taiwanese Scallion Pancake (Cong You Bing)

About This Recipe

Scallion Pancakes (蔥油餅, Cong You Bing) are one of the most beloved street foods of Taiwan and northern China — a simple, genius combination of hot-water dough, sesame oil and abundant chopped green onions, rolled and folded to create hundreds of flaky layers. The technique is the same as making croissants but with oil instead of butter and a fraction of the time: dough is spread with sesame oil and scallions, rolled into a cylinder, coiled into a disc, then pressed flat and pan-fried until golden and shatteringly crisp on the outside with a chewy, layered interior.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 300 gplain flour
• 180 mlboiling water
• 1 tspsalt
• 3 tbspsesame oil
• 8 stalksgreen onions(finely chopped)
• ½ tspwhite pepper
• 3 tbspvegetable oil(for frying)
• 2 tbspsoy sauce(for dipping)
• 1 tbsprice vinegar(for dipping)
• 1 tspchilli oil(for dipping)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make hot water dough

   Mix flour and salt. Pour boiling water in gradually, stirring with chopsticks. Knead 5 minutes into a smooth dough. Rest covered 30 minutes.

2. 2

   Layer with scallions

   Divide dough into 4 balls. Roll each into a thin rectangle. Brush with sesame oil, sprinkle with scallions and white pepper.

3. 3

   Roll and coil

   Roll the rectangle into a tight cylinder. Coil the cylinder into a disc like a snail shell. Press flat with palm to 1 cm thickness.

   The coiling and pressing creates the flaky layers — the tighter you roll, the more layers.

4. 4

   Pan-fry

   Heat oil in a non-stick pan over medium. Cook each pancake 3–4 minutes per side until golden and crispy.

5. 5

   Serve

   Transfer to a board. While hot, clap between your palms to separate the layers. Serve with dipping sauce.

Variations

• •

  Add sesame seeds to the filling for extra crunch.

• •

  Fill with egg: crack an egg over the pancake in the pan and fold over.

• •

  Add chilli flakes or Sichuan pepper to the filling for a spicy version.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

Storage

Best eaten immediately. Cooled pancakes can be reheated in a dry pan for 2 minutes per side.

Frequently Asked Questions