Pancakes are one of those foods that pretty much every culture seems to have figured out, whether savory or sweet. From American pancakes to Korean pancakes to these humble Chinese Zucchini Pancakes, the defining feature of the pancake is that it’s quick and requires very few kitchen skills, yet makes for a satisfying snack or light meal.
These Chinese Zucchini Pancakes (AKA, 糊塌子, hu tazi) are something I ate when I was little. Or at least, my mother made something very similar. I used to roll them up like cigars to eat them, and I preferred them cold because then the pancakes become extra chewy after they’ve been cooled. (“Chewiness” just might be the holy grail of Chinese food textures.) At a time when having special foods like candy and even meat were a rare occasion, this ordinary zucchini pancake could be a real delight.
Suffice it to say, zucchini pancakes aren’t new, especially now when people are looking for ways to use up an abundance of summer squash. American recipes often flavor zucchini pancakes with cheese, sour cream, etc.. In comparison, this Chinese zucchini pancake recipe is decidedly rudimentary.
In this day and age, it could be mistaken for plain, so if you want to kick it up a notch or two (as they say) and still keep it Asian, here are some ways to personalize your Chinese Zucchini Pancakes! Just note that depending on these additions, you might need a bit more flour or less salt. This zucchini pancake recipe is pretty forgiving, though–just don’t combine all these suggestions for the same pancake! :)
To the batter, you can add:
- 2 tablespoons fermented bean curd (white or red)
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorn powder
- ½ teaspoon five-spice powder
- 6 ounces cooked ground pork or chicken
- 2 ounces minced ham
- 1 Chinese sweet sausage, finely chopped and pan-fried (before adding it to the batter)
- ¼ cup minced, preserved Chinese vegetable, such as zha-cai (榨菜) or radish (萝卜干)
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
I think my favorite is the ground meat, because it adds a lot more flavor without overpowering the pancake. Once again, think of this basic Chinese Zucchini Pancake batter as a blank canvas. You can even cater a few different batches to suit your whole family!
To make these pancakes, start by washing the zucchini clean and drying it with a kitchen towel.
Grate the zucchini using the coarse grate side of a box grater.
In a large bowl, mix the grated zucchini with ¾ teaspoon of salt. Let sit for 15 minutes, and you’ll see visible zucchini juice at the bottom of the bowl, which we will keep.
Now mix in 2 eggs, 2 chopped scallions, ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, ½ teaspoon sugar, and about ½ cup all-purpose flour.
If you feel like you need more flour (this could depend on the size of the eggs, for example), add it 1 tablespoon at a time. The final batter should look like similar to regular ol’ breakfast pancake batter.
Now heat a flat-bottomed pan over medium heat, lightly brush the bottom with some oil, and pour some batter into the pan (make the pancakes whatever size you like). Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top and cook each side until lightly golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side.
Repeat until you’ve used all the batter.
You can serve with a simple soy dipping sauce, chili oil, or whatever other condiments you like!
Chinese Zucchini Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 zucchini (about 250 grams)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 2 scallions (finely chopped)
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ cup all purpose flour (more or less)
- Vegetable oil
- Sesame seeds for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Wash the zucchini clean and dry it with a kitchen towel.
- Grate the zucchini using the coarse grate side of a box grater. In a large bowl, mix the grated zucchini with ¾ teaspoon of salt. Let sit for 15 minutes, and you’ll see visible zucchini juice at the bottom of the bowl, which we will keep. Now mix in 2 eggs, 2 chopped scallions, ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, ½ teaspoon sugar, and about ½ cup all-purpose flour.
- If you feel like you need more flour (this could depend on the size of the eggs, for example), add it 1 tablespoon at a time. The final batter should look like similar to regular ol’ breakfast pancake batter.
- Now heat a flat-bottomed pan over medium heat, lightly brush the bottom with some oil, and pour some batter into the pan (make the pancakes whatever size you like). Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top and cook each side until lightly golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Repeat until you’ve used all the batter.
- You can serve with a simple soy dipping sauce, chili oil, or whatever other condiments you like!
Nutrition
M says
This site has changed my life! Thanks for all the amazing recipes that are easy enough for a starter cook like me to follow!
I’d like to try this with ground meat. Should the meat be cooked before adding to the batter?
Judy says
You can cook the ground meat first if you are concerned that it will not cook thoroughly, but it’s not necessary. If you are cooking the meat first, I’d marinate and crisp the meat using this recipe: https://thewoksoflife.com/steamed-eggs-with-crispy-pork/. Then let it cool before adding to the batter. They will be tasty :-)
clee254 says
Do you have a recipe for a dipping sauce to go with this? I just harvested 4 zucchini from my garden and was looking for something to make with them. Thanks so much!!
Judy says
Hi Clee, please give our dumpling sauce recipe a try.
Sarah Hurst says
I tried these out for breakfast today – my extra add-in was the five spice powder. They tasted really good but I did have some trouble with the batter.
The zucchini I used had more white-flesh than the one you used and after salting it for 15 minutes, there wasn’t much liquid in the bowl. I also used a rather large bowl. The consistency was a little thicker than I think it should have been but I went ahead with frying the pancakes anyways. This resulted in a thicker pancake that took a little longer to cook, and still tasted good but wasn’t as crunchy as I imagined them to be from the pictures.
Should I have added an extra egg or water to the batter? Or let the zucchini sit longer with the salt?
Thanks so much!
Judy says
Hi Sarah, all your suggestions sounded good––the consistency of the batter should be similar to regular breakfast pancake batter. The character of these pancakes is actually not super crispy.
Happy eater says
These things are amazing! They’re so easy to make and they taste divine. Mine turned out picture perfect, golden brown yet not chewy. I cooked the recipe straight without any additions and they’re these little savory, perfectly moist cakes that I can’t get enough of. I prefer a savory breakfast so these will go into heavy rotation.
These are also great if you need to make an inexpensive meal. Assuming you have the ingredients on hand the whole dish has to cost about $2 even with organic eggs and flour. Thanks for another great recipe!
Judy says
A little late…but your comment deserves a big shout out: HUZZAH! :-)
Lois says
I’m definitely getting overfed on this. I found this super helpful Chinese vegetarian guide that will help me enjoy this even more, Check it out [broken link removed]
Judy says
You know that’s not hard to do when you have this pancake in hand! Hehehe…
Philip Kazan says
What a wonderful recipe. Just made it and ate to much. It is a perfect,simple, tasty recipe. Thank you guys.
Judy says
You are very welcome, Philip!
Jenny says
Literally stopped what I was doing and got up to make these immediately. Delicious!
Judy says
You made me very happy, Jenny! Thank you for the “literally stopped what I was doing and got up to make these immediately. Delicious!” comment!
Katie says
Could I grate the zucchini in the morning, leave it covered in the fridge during the day, and then mix the batter just before dinner? These look delicious. We order these with ground meat mixed in at Korean restaurants. Looks like a great one-pan dinner! I will try it soon.
Katie says
Or maybe, could I mix up the whole batter in the morning?
Judy says
Hi Katie, you can grate the zucchini ahead of time and keep it covered and refrigerated until you are ready to make the pancakes. BTW, you don’t want to salt the zucchini too early, as it will release too much liquid.
Sanjay punmagar says
Delicious
Judy says
Thank you, Sanjay!
Doug says
Sounds Yummy !
1 zucchini, about 250 grams
250 GRAMS ? LOL !
Judy says
Hope you give it a try, Doug!