A crisp turmeric rice-flour crepe filled with pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts, folded and wrapped in lettuce with herbs and nuoc cham.
Banh xeo -- literally 'sizzling cake' for the sound the batter makes hitting a hot pan -- is one of Vietnam's most iconic street foods: a thin, crackly-crisp crepe made from rice flour and turmeric, filled with pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts, then folded in half like an omelet. Unlike a French crepe, the goal here is maximum crispness on the outside with a molten, savory filling inside, achieved by using very little batter and a screaming-hot pan. The technique that separates a great banh xeo from a soggy one is fat and heat: a generous amount of oil in a hot pan creates the frying effect that crisps the edges, and the batter -- thinned with coconut milk or water and rice flour -- needs to be poured thin and spread quickly with a swirl of the pan. Once the edges lift and turn golden and lacy, the filling goes in on one half, and the crepe is folded over and left a minute more to crisp fully. Eaten by tearing off pieces, wrapping them in lettuce or mustard greens with a sprig of mint or perilla, and dunking into nuoc cham, banh xeo is a hands-on, textural dish -- crisp, savory, herby, and tangy in one bite -- most commonly found at family gatherings and street stalls across southern and central Vietnam.
Serves 4
Whisk rice flour, turmeric, coconut milk, water, scallions, and salt into a thin, pourable batter. Rest 20 minutes.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a nonstick pan over high heat. Cook pork belly until browned, add shrimp and onion, cook until shrimp is just pink, about 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Add 2 tbsp oil to the same pan over high heat until shimmering and nearly smoking.
Pour in a thin layer of batter (about 3/4 cup), immediately swirling the pan to spread it edge to edge as thin as possible.
Scatter some pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts over one half. Cover and cook 2-3 minutes until the edges lift and turn golden and crisp.
Resist covering for too long -- you want crisp edges, not a steamed crepe.
Fold the crepe in half over the filling, cook uncovered 1 more minute to crisp the fold, then slide onto a plate. Repeat with remaining batter.
Tear pieces of crepe, wrap in lettuce with herbs, and dip into nuoc cham.
The pan must be very hot and well-oiled before each crepe -- this is what makes banh xeo crisp instead of soft like a regular crepe.
Use a wide, shallow pan (not a deep skillet) so the batter spreads thin in one pour.
Don't overfill the crepe -- too much filling makes it hard to fold and crisp properly.
Add sliced mushrooms or mung bean paste for a vegetarian version popular in central Vietnam.
Central Vietnamese banh xeo are smaller and eaten with a peanut-based dipping sauce instead of nuoc cham.
Add extra turmeric and a pinch of curry powder for a deeper golden color and aroma.
Best eaten immediately while crisp -- banh xeo does not reheat well as the crepe turns soft and chewy. If needed, re-crisp leftovers in a dry, hot pan for 2 minutes per side.
Banh xeo originated in central and southern Vietnam, with the name describing the sizzling sound of batter hitting hot oil; regional versions vary in size and filling, from the smaller Hue-style crepes to the large, thin versions common in Ho Chi Minh City.
Yes -- the batter can rest covered in the fridge up to 24 hours; give it a good stir before using since the rice flour settles.
The pan probably wasn't hot enough or you used too much batter. Use less batter per crepe, more oil, and higher heat, and don't cover it longer than 2-3 minutes.
Look for a pre-made banh xeo flour mix at Asian grocery stores, which already includes turmeric and rice flour in the right ratio -- just add liquid per the package instructions.
Per serving (380g / 13.4 oz) · 4 servings total
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