Easy Taiwanese Scallion Pancake Recipe (Cong You Bing)
May 14, 2022 • Updated Aug 08, 2023
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This Taiwanese Pancake recipe brings a popular street food snack in Taiwan into your very own home kitchen! Vegan, gluten-free, and loaded with fresh onion flavors. These cassava pancakes are crispy, golden, and delicious any time of day.
What are Taiwanese Pancakes?
A Taiwanese pancake is a popular street food and snack. They are savory, flaky pancakes made with a dough that is rolled out, brushed with oil, and filled with a mixture of chopped scallions (green onions).
These pancakes, also known as cong you bing or green onion pancakes, are particularly popular in Taiwan and are considered a staple street food. They can be found in various locations throughout the country, including night markets, food stalls, and breakfast shops. You can also find them in China, where they are similarly popular.
What Makes This Recipe Great
Scallion pancakes are a classic Taiwanese street food. Of course, they’re well-loved outside of the country too! Because they are also popular in China, you will find these pancakes (commonly known as cong you bing) in Asian markets and Chinatowns in the United States. Even Trader Joe’s sells them now!
This Taiwanese Pancake Recipe is super simple to make, requires only a few ingredients, but packs so much flavour that I know you’ll love them just as much as I do! Tender, flaky layers of dough with thinly sliced green onions stuffed inside- the perfect savory treat!
Even better, this delicious snack is vegan, and I’ve gone a step further to make it gluten-free so it’s allergy friendly for everyone to enjoy!
Ingredient Notes
All the flavour in these crispy pancakes comes from the scallions, and they’re so simple to make. Here’s what you need:
- Cassava flour. This flour is almost a 1-1 gluten-free substitute for all-purpose flour in many recipes!
- Rice flour adds a little bounce and stretchiness to the pancakes.
- Tapioca starch adds the necessary chewiness.
- Salt, oil, and water bring the dough together.
- Scallions give tons of herby flavor!
How to Make This Taiwanese Green Onion Pancake Recipe
The technique to make these pancakes at home is the same as a street vendor in Taiwan.
You’ll start by making the simple dough with flour, water, and sesame oil. Then roll the scallions into the dough, shaping it into a coil. Next, flatten the coil out. This helps to really integrate the scallions into the dough.
This recipe requires a generous amount of oil to make properly, so don’t be shy with it when frying them up!
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Whisk dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Start with half of your boiling water and knead into the dough. Pour remaining hot water until a nice dough forms. As results will vary based on the cassava flour brand, add additional cassava flour as needed. Your dough should not be sticky–it should be easy to work with!
- Divide your dough into 6 equal parts and roll into balls.
- One part at a time, roll your dough between two nonstick baking mats or parchment paper to flatten until thin. Brush with sesame oil and sprinkle scallions all over the surface.
- Roll the dough into a tight coil, starting at one end of the pancake and rolling towards the other. Then roll the log so that it resembles a snail!
- Place this between baking mats again or parchment paper and roll out once again until nice and thin with a rolling pin.
- Repeat with the remaining dough, and you’re ready to pan-fry!
- In a large pan over medium heat, add a generous amount of neutral oil. Once hot and sizzling, gently peel your pancake off the parchment and lay it flat on the pan.
- Serve immediately with a small bowl of dipping sauce like Tamari or soy sauce, and enjoy!
Secrets to Success
- This recipe requires a generous amount of oil to make properly, so don’t be shy with it when frying them up!
- You can turn these pancakes into a full meal by adding toppings and fillings. In Taiwan, you’ll often find them served with egg, so I experimented with my vegan omelette mixture, and it’s delicious! Other fillings include cheese, vegetables, spices, and more.
- In Taiwan, these pancakes are usually made with wheat flour, so they’re not gluten-free. They sometimes contain eggs, but most recipes are naturally vegan. I made this recipe gluten-free because I typically refrain from gluten.
- Use your preferred vegetable oil or neutral cooking oil if sesame oil is not available.
Serving Tips
- Serve these crispy pancakes as a side dish with an entree, such as Quinoa Fried Rice or Vegan Pad See Ew.
- Or, serve them as a snack with soy sauce or tamari for dipping.
Storage Tips
- Let the pancakes cool completely. Then, Wrap each Taiwanese pancake individually in plastic wrap or reusable wraps and store them in an airtight container.
- Refrigerate for up to 3-4 days or freeze for up to 2-3 months.
- Thaw at room temperature and reheat in the oven or stovetop.
Recipe FAQs
This Taiwanese pancake recipe can be eaten with various dishes, including dipping sauces like soy sauce or chili sauce, pickles, hot pot, soups, and side dishes such as stir-fried vegetables or braised tofu.
More Pancake Recipes!
Korean Sweet Cinnamon Pancakes Hotteok/호떡
Fluffy Chickpea Flour Pancakes
Korean Mung Bean Pancakes Bindaetteok/빈대떡
If you make this Taiwanese Pancake recipe, be sure to let me know what you think with a comment below!
Easy Taiwanese Scallion Pancake Recipe (Cong You Bing)
Ingredients
- dry ingredients
- 1/2 cup cassava flour
- 1/4 cup rice flour
- 1/4 cup tapioca starch
- 1/2 tsp salt
- other ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 6-8 scallions thinly sliced
Instructions
- Whisk dry ingredients in a large bowl. Start with half of your boiling water and knead into the dough. Add remaining hot water until a nice dough forms. As results will vary based on cassava flour brand, add additional cassava flour as needed. Your dough should not be sticky–it should be easy to work with!
- Divide your dough into 6 equal parts and roll into balls.
- One part at a time, roll your dough between two nonstick baking mats or parchment paper to flatten until thin. Brush with sesame oil and sprinkle scallions all over the surface.
- Roll the dough into a tight coil, starting at one end of the pancake and rolling towards the other. Then roll the log so that it resembles a snail!
- Place this between baking mats again or parchment paper and roll out once again until nice and thin.
- Repeat with remaining dough, and you're ready to fry!
- In a large pan over medium heat, add a generous amount of neutral oil. Once hot and sizzling, gently peel your pancake off the parchment and lay it flat on the pan.
- Cook for roughly 2-3 minutes on each side and cut into quarters. Enjoy!
Notes
Secrets to Success
- This recipe requires a generous amount of oil to make properly, so don’t be shy with it when frying them up!
- You can turn these pancakes into a full meal by adding toppings and fillings. In Taiwan, you’ll often find them served with egg, so I experimented with my vegan omelette mixture, and it’s delicious! Other fillings include cheese, vegetables, spices, and more.
- In Taiwan, these pancakes are usually made with wheat flour, so they’re not gluten-free. They sometimes contain eggs, but most recipes are naturally vegan. I made this recipe gluten-free because I typically refrain from gluten.
- Use your preferred vegetable oil or neutral cooking oil if sesame oil is not available.
Serving Tips
- Serve these crispy pancakes as a side dish with an entree, such as Quinoa Fried Rice or Vegan Pad See Ew.
- Or, serve them as a snack with soy sauce or tamari for dipping.
Storage Tips
- Let the pancakes cool completely. Then, Wrap each Taiwanese pancake individually in plastic wrap or reusable wraps and store them in an airtight container.
- Refrigerate for up to 3-4 days or freeze for up to 2-3 months.
- Thaw at room temperature and reheat in the oven or stovetop.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
