Any time I get Chinese food, I always need to get scallion pancakes. They’re pretty much my favorite Chinese food and I’ve loved them for as long as I can remember. And yes, I know they’re not exactly the healthiest thing you can order (by far), but sometimes you need to splurge, especially when it comes to Chinese food. And I figured my own homemade version would at least allow me to control what goes in them, right?
I really had no clue about how to make a scallion pancake but I looked at probably a dozen different recipes and gave it a shot. It might look a bit tedious, but it really wasn’t bat ad all (and SO worth it). The only really annoying part is that some of the steps require waiting in between them.
Scallion Pancakes (makes about 12 pancakes or 48 pieces):
- 2 C flour
- 1 t salt
- 1 T olive oil
- 3/4 C boiling water
- 4 T vegetable oil
- 1 C sliced scallion
In a medium bowl, I mixed the flour and salt together and then mixed in the olive oil and boiling water, which turned it into dough. I kneaded the dough for a few minutes and formed it into a ball. I covered the bowl with saran wrap and let it sit for about 20 minutes (I hate waiting!).
Then I formed the ball into a log and cut that log into about 12 pieces. I took each piece and flattened it into a round pancake shape. With a pastry brush, I brushed a bit of the vegetable oil on top and sprinkled scallions around.
I rolled each piece of dough into a cylinder.
And then sort of coiled the cylinder into a snail shape.
It was a little bit tedious, but not as bad as I thought it would be. These have to be covered and then must sit for 20 minutes. Yup, more waiting.
I took each little snail-shaped dough and flattened it with my hand and used a rolling pin to roll it out a bit.
I brushed some more olive oil into a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and placed a few of the pancakes in the pan.
I kept a careful eye on the pan and turned the pancakes when they started browning. With each new batch, I added a bit more vegetable oil, but didn’t end up using the entire 4 tablespoons.
As I took them out of the pan, I placed them on a paper towel-lined plate to soak up some of the excess oil.
I used a cookie cutter to cut the pancakes into little triangles and served with a special sauce. OK, so it wasn’t that special. It’s really just soy sauce, sriracha, and some more scallions.
Verdict? They were really delicious, though not quite as delicious as what you’d get at a Chinese food eatery. But I’m pretty sure that’s because they weren’t half as greasy, so I’m going to go ahead and say I’d much rather eat these. For my health’s sake! Plus, you know what? They have no MSG! I just like saying that.
I will definitely make these again, maybe for a little gathering where finger food is appropriate. I have a feeling they’d be a party favorite![Sues]
I feel like a buffoon admitting this, but… I've never had scallion panckaes. I'll have to give these a try.
Looks delish, although I will usually admit that its the cream cheese wontons or crab rangoon that usually get me. So much worse!
Oh, and my website moved so I can now be found at my new URL. So fun.
those look sooooo good!
I love love love scallion pancakes too! I want some now – I'll have to try these!
Scallion pancakes are my favorite! Now I want Chinese food.
ooh, these look good, although i've never had them before… can't really go wrong with pancakes
i LOVE these!!!
This looks great. I've been meaning to try making these for a while but hadn't bothered finding a recipe yet. I am definitely going to try making these soon. Thanks for posting this!
@Adrienne & ttfn300: How have you people not had scallion pancakes before? Have you never been to a Chinese restaurant?