Vietnamese Shrimp and Scallion Pancakes (Banh Xeo-Style)

About This Recipe

Banh xeo, meaning sizzling cake, gets its name from the loud sizzle the rice flour batter makes hitting a hot, oiled pan. The thin, crispy turmeric-yellow pancake is filled with shrimp, pork, and bean sprouts, then folded and eaten wrapped in lettuce and herbs, dipped in nuoc cham. The batter needs to be thin and the pan properly hot and oiled for the pancake to turn genuinely crisp rather than soft and doughy — this is the main technical hurdle for home cooks making banh xeo for the first time.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1.5 cupsrice flour
• 0.25 cupcornstarch
• 1 tspground turmeric
• 1 cancoconut milk(400ml)
• 0.75 cupwater
• 2scallions(sliced)
• 300 gshrimp(peeled)
• 200 gthinly sliced pork belly
• 2 cupsbean sprouts
• 0.5 cupvegetable oil(for frying)
• 1 headlettuce(leaves separated, for wrapping)
• 1 handfulfresh mint and perilla(for serving)
• 1 cupnuoc cham(for dipping)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the batter

   Whisk rice flour, cornstarch, turmeric, coconut milk, water, and scallions together until smooth. Let rest 20 minutes.

2. 2

   Cook the pork and shrimp

   Heat a little oil in a nonstick pan, cook pork belly until nearly done, then add shrimp and cook until pink. Set aside.

3. 3

   Heat the pan for the pancake

   Heat 1-2 tbsp oil in the same pan over medium-high heat until very hot.

4. 4

   Pour and swirl the batter

   Pour a thin layer of batter into the hot pan, swirling to coat evenly and thinly, similar to a crepe.

   The batter should sizzle loudly the moment it hits the pan — that sizzle is the sign your pan is hot enough.

5. 5

   Add filling and cover

   Scatter some cooked pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts over one half of the pancake. Cover and cook 3-4 minutes until the edges turn crisp and golden.

6. 6

   Fold and serve

   Fold the pancake in half over the filling, slide onto a plate, and serve immediately with lettuce, herbs, and nuoc cham for wrapping and dipping.

Variations

• •

  Add sliced mushrooms to the filling for extra texture.

• •

  Make mini versions for easier serving at a party.

• •

  Skip the pork for an all-shrimp version if preferred.

Storage

Best eaten immediately while hot and crisp; banh xeo does not reheat well as it loses its signature crispness.

Frequently Asked Questions