Kitchen Recipe Collection
Scallion Pancakes (Cong You Bing)
The ultimate savory Chinese street food and snack. A crispy, flaky, laminated flatbread layered with pork fat or oil and massive amounts of fresh green scallions.
- 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
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1 bunch of scallions (green parts only), very finely chopped
- 1/4 cup rendered pork lard or cooking oil
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp salt
- Dipping Sauce: Soy sauce, black vinegar, chili oil, and a dash of sugar
Equipment
- Rolling pin
- Cast-iron skillet
Instructions
- 1
Make Hot Water Dough
Place flour in a bowl. Pour the boiling water in while stirring with chopsticks. This denatures the proteins, making the dough tender.
- 2
Knead Dough
Add the cold water. Knead into a smooth dough. Cover and let it rest for at least 30 minutes to relax the gluten.
- 3
Prepare Filling
Mix the chopped scallions with the salt. Have your oil or melted lard ready in a small bowl.
- 4
Roll Out
Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Roll one piece out on an oiled surface into a very thin rectangle.
- 5
Add Layers
Brush the thin dough heavily with lard/oil. Scatter a thick layer of the salted scallions all over it.
- 6
Roll Up
Roll the dough tightly into a long cylinder, trapping the scallions inside.
- 7
Coil
Take the cylinder and coil it into a spiral, like a snail shell. Tuck the end underneath.
- 8
Flatten
Press the coil down with your palm, then use a rolling pin to gently flatten it into a pancake about 1/4 inch thick.
- 9
Heat Pan
Heat a generous amount of oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
- 10
Pan-fry
Fry the pancake for 3-4 minutes per side until deeply golden brown and incredibly crispy.
- 11
Fluff
While still in the pan, use two spatulas to 'clap' the edges of the pancake towards the center. This separates the internal layers, making it flaky.
- 12
Serve
Cut into wedges and serve hot with the soy-vinegar dipping sauce.
Cooking Tips
- The 'hot water dough' technique is absolutely essential. Using only cold water will result in a tough, rubbery pancake rather than a tender, flaky one.
- Pork lard is the traditional fat used and provides vastly superior flakiness and flavor compared to vegetable oil.
Variations
- Beef Roll (Niu Rou Juan Bing): The scallion pancake is used as a wrap, stuffed with braised beef, hoisin sauce, and cilantro.
Nutrition Estimate
310 calories · 6g protein · 45g carbs · 12g fat · 2g fiber per serving
