Crispy Green Onion Pancakes – 蔥油餅

They are crispy and super flakey on the outside with a slightly chewy and soft inside created by the beautiful layers of dough. It’s packed with green onions and is the perfect side dish or snack during any meal.

Growing up in Taiwan and Shanghai, this was a staple in my household. It was one of those popular items you would find at every breakfast stand and every grocery shop so I never had to make it until I moved abroad. Now it is one of those recipes I would make every month because it tastes phenomenal, and it’s the perfect meal-prep/emergency food. I always make a triple batch and pop them into the freezer for when I feel too lazy to cook.

Yield: 2 pancakes

INGREDIENTS:

PANCAKES-

• 100g Plain (AP) Flour
• 70ml Water (cold)
• 3 Green Onions
• 12tsp Vegetable Oil
• Salt

DIPPING SAUCE (optional):

• 1tbsp Light Soy Sauce
• 1tbsp Oyster Sauce
• 1 Small Red Chilli Pepper
• 1Clove of Garlic

STEPS:

PANCAKES-

1. In a large bowl, combine flour and water. Knead for 10 minutes or until the dough becomes smooth. At the beginning of the kneading process, the dough may be very sticky, do not add more flour. The more you knead it the smoother it should get. Leave it in the bowl covered with a wet tea towel to rest for 20 minutes
2. Slice green onions thinly and set aside
3. Divide the dough in half and shape into balls. The following steps should be repeated for both portions of the dough
4. Take a portion of the dough and flatten it on a lightly floured surface. You’re aiming for it to be thin enough so that if you place your hand under the dough, you will be able to see a light silhouette of your hand
5. Sprinkle a pinch of salt on the surface and rub it into the dough with your hands. Then gently roll a rolling pin over the top to press the salt into the dough
6. Add about 3tsp of oil in the center of the dough and then brush it evenly across the entire surface
7. Sprinkle a handful of the sliced green onions onto the dough
8. Grab one side of the dough and start to roll it into itself (like how you would roll cinnamon buns). This will seal the green onions and oil into the dough. You should end up with a long log with the green onions tucked away in between each layer of dough
9. Take the log on the ends and twist it in opposite directions to make a swirl pattern. Then grab one end and roll it in on itself to make a swirled, lollipop-like circle of dough. When you reach the end, tuck it under itself
10. Let them rest covered by a towel for 10min
11. For the very last time, take a rolling pin and flatten the dough into its pancake thickness (~0.5-1cm thick)
12. Heat a pan to medium heat with 3tsp of oil, add a pancake, and cover with a lid. Once golden brown, Flip and and cook the other side without a lid. It’s done when both sides are crispy and golden

STORAGE TIPS:

1. These are amazing for meal prep because you can keep them in the freezer for a very long time
2. Follow all the instructions up to step 11. Then, instead of cooking them immediately, place them between parchment paper and pop them into the freezer.
3. When you want to eat them, remove them from the freezer and immediately follow step 12 without defrosting it