Learn How To Make Scrumptious Chinese Scallion Pancakes At Home

My husband and I decided to treat ourselves to lunch out on the town today. It’s been a while since we have gone out to eat at a restaurant. So many restaurants in Northern California are struggling to meet the ever changing Corona Virus restrictions. Many businesses have ben required to remain closed, offering only pick up or delivery services.

To be honest, we felt totally spoiled to be sitting at a table and having someone wait on us…and no dishes to wash, how utterly divine, right? Well the joy flew right out the window once we tasted our food. It was so disappointing!

When you fork over a fairly big chunk of change for a tasteless, bland plate of food and realize you could do a hundred times better at home for half the price, does that make you a food snob? I prefer “Foodie”, someone who thoroughly enjoys good food. Since it seems hit or miss getting great food eating out I’ve made it my mission to figure out how to cook all my favorite foods at home!

After being confined at home for the last several months, I’ve greatly expanded my repertoire of recipes. Other than washing dirty dishes, I actually much prefer my own cooking to what is being served up at restaurants these days.

Have I served up some duds? Yep, every so often a recipe that sounds really good on paper, disappoints on the plate, but I’ve had way more hits than misses. Plus you learn valuable lessons from your failures!!!

I recently got a hankering for some Chinese scallion pancakes. I’ve had some pretty amazing scallion pancakes at Chinese restaurants in the past but because so many restaurants are still closed I decided that I would try my hand at making them at home, especially since they are best served piping hot. They are easier to make than you might think, and they are utterly delicious! Especially with the delectable soy dipping sauce!!! Much better than the disappointing restaurant meal we were served today!

A favorite Chinese snack! Sometimes a savory snack really hits the spot, doesn’t it?

If you have scallions on hand you can easily whip these up in no time. Alright, I know you are tired of me going on and on…let’s make these already!

Start by making the pancake dough:

Combine flour, salt, onion and garlic powder in a medium bowl. 

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Add ¾ cup boiling water and stir together with a wooden spoon until you have a shaggy dough.

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Use your hands to knead the dough in the bowl. Add more hot water, a tablespoon at a time if dough seems too dry. 

Continue to knead the dough for another 2-3 minutes until it comes together. It will be a little sticky but not too much.

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Shape the dough into a ball and place it in the bottom of the bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

Make the dipping sauce:

Combine all the ingredients, adjusting the amount of soy sauce, vinegar and red pepper flakes to suit your taste. After rolling pancakes, add any remaining sliced green onions to the dipping sauce. 

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Set dipping sauce aside while you prepare and cook up the pancakes.

Prepare pancakes:

Sprinkle a little flour onto a smooth work surface. 

Divide the dough into 4 equally sized pieces. Place 3 of the dough pieces back in the bowl and cover to keep it from drying out while you roll out each pancake. 

Roll the piece of dough into a small ball in your hands. Place it on your floured work surface.

Use a rolling pin to roll it out into a thin circle, about 7 to 8 inches wide. 

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In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon vegetable oil with 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Brush a thin layer of the oil onto the surface of the dough, being sure to get it all the way to the edges of the dough.

Sprinkle with a layer of sliced green onions. 

Optional: sprinkle with a few red pepper flakes if desired for some added heat.

Roll the dough into a tube; a long cigar shaped tube. It should look like a burrito.

Then take the tube and roll it into a spiral shape; think snail shell or cinnamon roll.

Tuck end underneath.

Flatten rolled dough slightly with the palm of your hand and then use a rolling pin to roll out the pancake as thin as you can to about 7-8 inches in diameter. Don’t worry if a few of the green onions pop out of the dough, this is normal and won’t effect the flavor.

Repeat with the remaining 3 pieces of dough.

Cook pancakes:

Heat some vegetable oil in a shallow cast iron skillet.

Once oil is hot fry each pancake for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy.

Drain each pancake on a wire rack as you cook up the rest. This helps keep them crisp. 

To Serve:

Cut pancakes into wedges and serve with dipping sauce.

Best eaten right away while they are still hot and crispy. They are still good when they have cooled down, but they lose their crispiness as they sit.

Note:  for best results roll out each pancake as thin as possible and fry until very crisp.  The goal is to obtain a thin and crispy pancake on the outside with a chewy inside.  If pancakes are too thick the end result will be a gummy, doughy pancake.

Did You Make This?

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