Originally Posted May 29, 2020 - Updated August 15, 2021
As someone who lusts after food and is on a mission to prove that cooking cheaply can still provide massively delicious returns, this recipe for Chinese Scallion Pancakes is my current rent-week obsession. They are crispy, laminated, savory bits of goodness served with a tangy dipping sauce that is positively slurp-able.
Scallion pancakes have always been a favorite Chinese appetizer of mine, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to recreate them. Turns out, they're not nearly as hard to make as you might think from the instructions, and they are incredibly delicious. Follow along with me as I make them from scratch!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
Anyone else out there love salty, fried, carb-y deliciousness? Well this recipe is for you. It is absolutely packed with flavor, and requires just a handful of ingredients to make. In fact, the green onion pancakes themselves require just flour, salt, water and scallions, plus a few brushings of sesame oil. That's just 5 ingredients, one of which is water!
Even though the sauce has another 6 ingredients, all you have to do is stir everything together. There's no complicated blending or fancy equipment required. However, if you're feeling a little lazy, there's no shame in using your favorite store-bought dipping sauce instead!
This recipe is also exceptionally cheap, with each entrée sized portion coming in at under $1 per serving. If you opt to regrow your scallions in water in your windowsill, that cost goes down even further!
And while the entire recipe takes about an hour from start to finish, the actual active time spent cooking is much shorter. In fact, you can make the pancake dough up to a night in advance, meaning dinner will be super easy to get on the table when you're ready. Even though the active time is low, I can guarantee that the satisfaction quotient is very high indeed.
While scallion pancakes are often served as an appetizer, I certainly didn't mind eating a whole plateful as my meal. Both Joe and I were quite sad when our plates were empty. Luckily, I still have more than half a bag of my $0.79 Aldi scallions leftover, so I'll be making these again soon. They're. Just. So. Good.
I highly recommend you try this recipe out yourselves. You’ve got nothing to lose and all the tastiness to gain! And if you want a truly outrageous cheap meal, follow Wilson Tang's lead and turn these into buns for your hot dogs. I know I'm going to as soon as humanly possible. So, let's get cookin'!
How to Make Savory Green Onion Pancakes
Making these Chinese scallion pancakes is quite easy. First, assemble your ingredients.
Ingredients
Here's everything you'll need:
- AP Flour - I used regular ol' all purpose flour for this recipe. I haven't tried making them with a gluten free flour mix, but if anyone out there tries, please let me know how it goes in the comments below!
- Kosher Salt - I much prefer kosher salt to table salt because it is much easier to regulate. If you opt to use table salt, use just ¾ teaspoon in the dough and be a bit more judicious when seasoning the fried pancakes.
- Green Onions - Also known as scallions, green onions are a staple in my fridge. They're inexpensive, easy to regrow, and milder than regular onions. Use both the whites and the greens - the whites will have a more pungent onion taste, while the greens are a beautiful color and are softly flavored.
- Sesame Oil - This is a yummy, nutty flavored oil that imparts a lot of flavor. If at all possible, grab yourself a bottle. You'll start using it as a flavor enhancer all the time!
- Soy Sauce - If you are gluten free, opt for Tamari. If you are soy free, coconut aminos (which are also gluten free) or liquid aminos will work just as well.
- Rice Wine Vinegar - This is another condiment that will get a lot of mileage in your kitchen. If you don't have any on hand, you can swap in white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar instead.
- Agave Nectar - This is my liquid sweetener of choice, but you can easily substitute maple syrup, honey, date syrup, sugar or brown sugar instead. If you opt for non-liquid sweetener, be sure to mix the sauce together until the sugar crystals dissolve.
- Ginger - Fresh ginger is great to keep in the crisper drawer. It's very inexpensive and has a lot of flavor and health benefits. To peel it, use the back of a spoon! I will also swap in frozen ginger or the ginger paste that comes in a tube when I don't have any fresh stuff on hand.
- Sesame Seeds - Either white or black will work here. I like the idea of using both for a bit of visual interest, but that's a purely aesthetic choice. Either will work just fine. Be sure to toast them for maximum flavor.
1 - Make and Rest Dough
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade, add flour and salt.
With the processor running, slowly drizzle in ¾ C boiling water.
Process for 10-15 seconds, until dough forms a ball that rides around the center of the processor. If your dough doesn’t come together, add 1 tablespoon boiling water at a time until it only just comes together.
Transfer to a floured work surface (I use my big cutting board here for easier cleanup) and knead a few times until dough is smooth.
If your dough feels too sticky, i.e. it’s sticking to the palms of your hands when you’re kneading it, sprinkle flour on top of the dough and work it in. Try not to overwork the dough, stopping kneading as soon as possible. (I know this sounds like poppycock, but when the dough no longer sticks to you and is one unified piece, you’re there.)
Shape into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, covering with either a damp towel, plastic wrap, or bee’s wrap being careful to keep the moisture in. Rest 30 minutes, or up to overnight.
2 - Make Dipping Sauce
Make sauce by combining soy sauce or tamari, rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons scallions, fresh ginger, agave, and sesame seeds. Set sauce aside at room temperature.
3 - Shape Pancakes
Divide dough into 4 equal pieces, shaping each into a smooth, round ball. Keep any pieces you aren’t working with covered until you need them.
On a floured work surface, roll out one ball in a circle until about ⅛” thick, or about 8” in diameter.
Using a pastry brush, brush a thin layer of toasted sesame oil across the top.
Roll into a cigar shape, keeping the roll as tight as possible.
Now roll into a nautilus shell shape, tucking the tail underneath.
Squish the shell gently with the palm of your hand and then roll it out with a rolling pin to the same thickness as before.
Brush with another thin layer of toasted sesame oil. Sprinkle with ¼ of the remaining chopped scallions.
Repeat the process of rolling into a cigar, then a nautilus, then into a pancake shape. Some green onions might break through the dough - don't fret about it. They'll become crispy and golden and yummy during frying. Set the pancake aside.
One pancake down! Repeat with the remaining 3 pancakes.
4 - Pan Fry
Heat ¼ cup neutral (vegetable, grapeseed, canola, peanut) oil in a cast iron or nonstick pan over medium high heat until shimmering. Add one pancake, gently shaking the pan back and forth so it doesn’t stick. When golden brown, flip it and cook until golden brown on the second side.
Remove pancake to paper-towel lined plate to drain excess oil, then sprinkle with salt while still hot. Repeat with all pancakes.
5 - Serve
Slice into quarters.
EAT WHILE THEY’RE STILL HOT, dipping into sauce for all that flavor. Go ahead and double/triple/quintuple dip. I’m not judging you. That there is your pancake and your sauce. Do what you will. I may or may not have drank what little remnants of my sauce was left after eating. Because yum.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! You are more than welcome to shape and roll the dough into pancakes, then separate them with parchment paper and place into a zip top bag. Remove as much air as possible, then freeze for up to three months. No need to defrost them when you're ready to eat - simply fry in the pan as you would if they were fresh.
I'd suggest either a non-stick (which I prefer) or a well-seasoned cast iron pan. Note that cast iron will take longer to warm up, and will require more oil to prevent sticking.
YES! Making the dough will take up to 10 minutes if you are working with just your hands. Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then pour in the hot water in a thin stream with one hand while using a fork or some chopsticks to mix it in with the other hand. Once all the water is added, use your hands to press the dough into a ball, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, until a firm, smooth ball is formed.
Alternately, feel free to use a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix the flour and salt together first, then slowly drizzle in the water while the hook is moving. Once the water is added, allow the hook to knead it on a medium low setting for 3-5 minutes, until the dough is firm and smooth.
I have 100% used a wine bottle as a rolling pin in a pinch. You can also use a rounded drinking glass, soda can, or even a spare piece of (clean!) PVC pipe.
More Tasty Rent Week Meals
Still hungry and needing to watch your wallet? Not to worry! Check out some of my other favorite thrifty recipes:
If you tried making these yummy Chinese Scallion Pancakes with their zingy dipping sauce, please be sure to rate and review the recipe below.
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Chinese Scallion Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 C AP Flour
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ¾-1 C Boiling Water
- 1 bunch Scallions, Chopped divided
- 3 tablespoon Soy Sauce or Tamari
- 3 tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoon Fresh Ginger grated or minced
- 3 teaspoon Agave Nectar
- 2 teaspoon Sesame Seeds toasted
- 3-4 tablespoon Toasted Sesame Oil
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade, add flour and salt.With the processor running, slowly drizzle in ¾ C boiling water.Process for 10-15 seconds, until dough forms a ball that rides around the center of the processor. If your dough doesn’t come together, add 1 tablespoon boiling water at a time until it only just comes together.Transfer to a floured work surface (I use my big cutting board here for easier cleanup) and knead a few times until dough is smooth. If your dough feels too sticky, sprinkle flour on top of the dough and work it in. Try not to overwork the dough, stopping kneading as soon as possible. Shape into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, covering with either a damp towel, plastic wrap, or bee’s wrap being careful to keep the moisture in. Rest 30 minutes, or up to overnight.
- Make sauce by combining soy sauce or tamari, rice vinegar, 2 tablespoon scallions, fresh ginger, agave, and sesame seeds.Set sauce aside at room temperature.
- Divide dough into 4 equal pieces, shaping each into a smooth, round ball. Keep any pieces you aren’t working with covered until you need them. On a floured work surface, roll out the ball in a circle until about ⅛” thick, or about 8” in diameter. Using a pastry brush, brush a thin layer of toasted sesame oil across the top. Roll into a cigar shape, keeping the roll as tight as possible. Now roll into a nautilus shell shape, tucking the tail underneath.
- Squish the shell gently with the palm of your hand and then roll it out with a rolling pin to the same thickness as before. Brush with another thin layer of toasted sesame oil. Sprinkle with ¼ remaining chopped scallions. Roll into a cigar shape, keeping the roll as tight as possible. Now roll into a nautilus shell shape, tucking the tail underneath. Squish the shell gently with the palm of your hand and then roll it out with a rolling pin to the same thickness as before. One pancake down! Repeat with the remaining 3 pancakes.
- Heat ¼ C neutral (vegetable, grapeseed, canola, peanut) oil in a cast iron or nonstick pan over medium high heat (if your stovetop is like mine and basically has three temperatures, I’d stick to the medium side) until shimmering. Add one pancake, gently shaking the pan back and forth so it doesn’t stick. When golden brown, flip it and cook until golden brown on the second side. Remove pancake to paper-towel lined plate to drain excess oil, then sprinkle with salt while still hot. Repeat with all pancakes.
- Slice into quarters and EAT WHILE THEY’RE STILL HOT, dipping into sauce for all that flavor. Enjoy!
Notes
- If soy isn't part of your diet, try swapping in either coconut aminos or Bragg's liquid aminos instead.
- Scallion pancakes can be made ahead and frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat, lightly pan-fry in a small amount of oil.
Joseph Reilly says
This looks so yummy!