Kitchen Recipe Collection
Cong You Bing (Scallion Pancakes)
Crispy, chewy, and highly aromatic unleavened flatbreads folded with oil and minced scallions to create beautiful, flaky layers.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- medium
- Cuisine
- Chinese
Ingredients
Scaled for 4 servings
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup boiling water
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1 bunch scallions (green parts only), finely chopped
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil (for the roux)
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (for the roux)
- 1 tsp salt
- Cooking oil for pan-frying
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Rolling pin
- Cast iron skillet
Instructions
- 1
Make Hot Water Dough
Pour the boiling water into the flour and stir with chopsticks until shaggy. This denatures the proteins for a chewy texture.
- 2
Knead and Rest
Add the cold water and knead into a smooth dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- 3
Chop Scallions
Finely chop the scallions and dry them thoroughly with a paper towel.
- 4
Prepare Oil Roux
Heat the 1/4 cup of oil and pour it over the 2 tbsp of flour and salt. Stir into a smooth paste.
- 5
Divide Dough
Divide the rested dough into 4 equal pieces.
- 6
Roll Thinly
Roll one piece of dough out into a very thin rectangle, as thin as possible without tearing.
- 7
Apply Roux
Brush a thin layer of the oil roux across the dough. Sprinkle generously with the chopped scallions.
- 8
Roll into Cylinder
Roll the dough up tightly from the long edge to form a long, thin cylinder (like a cigar).
- 9
Coil into Snail Shape
Coil the cylinder around itself to form a round snail shape. Tuck the end underneath. Rest for 10 minutes.
- 10
Flatten
Gently roll the snail out into a flat pancake, about 1/4 inch thick.
- 11
Pan-fry
Heat oil in a skillet. Fry the pancake over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes per side until golden and crispy.
- 12
Fluff and Serve
Remove from the pan, gently scrunch the edges inward with spatulas to separate the flaky layers, slice, and serve.
Cooking Tips
- The hot water dough is the secret to a pancake that is crispy on the outside but stays chewy and tender on the inside, rather than becoming a hard cracker.
- Drying the scallions prevents them from adding unwanted moisture, which would ruin the flaky layers.
Variations
- Beef Roll (Niu Rou Juan): Wrap a cooked scallion pancake around slices of braised beef, hoisin sauce, and cilantro.
- Sesame Scallion Pancake: Press sesame seeds onto the outside before frying.
Nutrition Estimate
310 calories · 6g protein · 45g carbs · 12g fat · 2g fiber per serving
