If it were up to me, I would give this scallion pancake recipe a more descriptive name. Something along the lines of… “Ridiculously-Easy-Delicious-And-Crispy Scallion Pancakes.”
Doesn’t quite roll off the tongue, but that was literally my first thought when I first chowed down on these shortcut scallion pancakes––which took just minutes to make.
I’m super excited to share this recipe with you all today. Plus, in addition to our step-by-step photos, Sarah put together a quick 1-minute video for this post to show you exactly how we made these scallion pancakes.
But What’s the Shortcut in This Easy Scallion Pancake Recipe?
In a word (or two), dumpling wrappers.
Scallion pancakes are normally prepared by making a dough with flour and water, and rolling it out with oil (or a roux-like mixture of oil and flour), salt, and scallions. The dough is rolled and twisted to create layers, almost like a pastry dough. You can see techniques like this in our recipes for Shanghai-style scallion pancakes and our 9-layer scallion pancakes.
In this recipe, you use dumpling wrappers to create those layers, without the need to make a dough or do any kind of fancy shaping/rolling.
4 Ingredients, 20 Minutes
That’s right! These Shortcut Scallion Pancakes involve just layering 4 ingredients:
- Dumpling wrappers
- Oil
- Salt
- Scallions
The whole process from start to finish takes about 20 minutes (see our recipe video below to watch how quick it really is).
And the result? Crispy, layered scallion pancakes that you won’t be able to stop eating.
With this recipe in hand, I can make a batch of scallion pancakes for breakfast, party appetizers, or just as a snack, any time I like.
Recipe Notes for Scallion Pancake Success!
Before we get into the recipe, here are a few things to remember:
- Use round, white dumpling wrappers for this recipe. Avoid dumpling wrappers made with egg (you’ll know because they’re thinner and yellow in color), or wonton wrappers (which are generally too thin for this recipe, and also a square shape). More info on dumpling wrappers in our Ingredients Glossary here.
- Thinner scallion pancakes mean crispier scallion pancakes. If you like chewy or thick scallion pancakes, you can roll them out less and therefore make them thicker. You may have to cook them a little bit longer.
- I made each scallion pancake using 5 total wrappers. Any range between 4 to 7 wrappers for each pancake is perfectly fine.
- There is a bit of salt in each layer, which I find makes the pancakes more flavorful. That said, be careful not to oversalt them, and apply salt to your own taste.
- The keys to a good tasting scallion pancake are scallions and oil––use plenty of both. Don’t be afraid to layer on those scallions!
- Smaller scallion pieces produce more scallion flavor, so take the time to chop them into small pieces.
Making Ahead & Freezing
You can pre-make and freeze any uncooked scallion pancakes.
After rolling out each pancake, simply place on a sheet of parchment or wax paper, and place another sheet of paper on top.
Layer the scallion pancakes between the wax paper or parchment paper, transfer to a large freezer bag, and place on a flat shelf in the freezer so they freeze flat.
Just add them directly to a pan with hot oil to cook––no need to thaw beforehand.
Easy Shortcut Scallion Pancakes: Recipe Instructions
Take the dumpling wrappers out of the refrigerator, and let them warm up a bit (they don’t necessarily have to be at room temperature, but they shouldn’t be cold).
Wash the scallions and pat them thoroughly dry with a clean kitchen towel. Slice the scallions in half lengthwise and finely chop them.
Prepare a small dish of salt and a dish of oil, along with a pastry brush.
On a clean work surface, take a dumpling wrapper and brush it with a thin layer of oil:
Then lightly sprinkle with salt.
Cover with a layer of scallions.
Top it with another dumpling wrapper, and lightly press it down.
Repeat the process until you have 4-7 layers of dumpling wrappers.
Use a rolling pin to roll the layered dumpling skins into a pancake––however thick or thin you like.
Rotate the scallion pancake as you roll to get a perfect round shape.
Heat a flat-bottomed non-stick or cast iron pan over medium heat. Spread 1 tablespoon oil around in the pan, and add the scallion pancake.
Cook each side until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. (Avoid using high heat, as it will burn the pancake without cooking it through).
If the pan looks dry after flipping the pancake, you can add another tablespoon of oil.
Enjoy these plain or with a dipping sauce! We’ve found that they go great with our dumpling dipping sauce.
We also like to wrap them around Chinese fried dough, or youtiao, for a Shanghai-style carb-fest (more on Shanghai breakfasts full of carbs in this travel post).
Easy Shortcut Scallion Pancakes
Ingredients
- 6-8 scallions
- salt (to taste)
- vegetable, canola, or light olive oil (for brushing and cooking your scallion pancakes)
- 1 pack store-bought round, white dumpling wrappers (14 oz. or 400g)
Instructions
- Take the dumpling wrappers out of the refrigerator, and let them warm up a bit (they don't necessarily have to be at room temperature, but they shouldn't be cold). Wash the scallions and pat them thoroughly dry with a clean kitchen towel. Slice the scallions in half lengthwise and finely chop them.
- Prepare a small dish of salt and a dish of oil, along with a pastry brush.
- On a clean work surface, take a dumpling wrapper, brush it with a thin layer of oil, and lightly sprinkle with salt. Then cover with a layer of scallions. Top it with another dumpling wrapper, and lightly press it down. Repeat the process until you have 4-7 layers of dumpling wrappers.
- Use a rolling pin to roll the layered dumpling skins into a pancake––however thick or thin you like. Rotate the scallion pancake as you roll to get a perfect round shape.
- Heat a flat-bottomed non-stick or cast iron pan over medium heat. Spread 1 tablespoon oil around in the pan, and add the scallion pancake. Cook each side until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. (Avoid using high heat, as it will burn the pancake without cooking it through).
- If the pan looks dry after flipping the pancake, you can add another tablespoon of oil.
- Enjoy these plain or with a dipping sauce! We’ve found that they go great with our dumpling dipping sauce.
Notes
- After rolling out each pancake, place on a sheet of parchment or wax paper, and place another sheet of paper on top.
- Layer the scallion pancakes between the wax paper or parchment paper.
- Transfer to a large freezer bag, and place on a flat shelf in the freezer so they freeze flat.
- To cook, add them directly to a pan with hot oil––no need to thaw beforehand.
Nutrition
Gordon says
Thank you for this extremely easy and excellent recipe! I had previously tried a recipe from a famous chinese celebrity chef and it unfortunately ended up tasting like a savory american pancake.
The dough for the green onion pancake at my favorite local dim sum take out place is a little sweet somewhat similar to a sesame ball so I modified this recipe and added a little sugar to one of the layers rather than salt and it turned out pretty decent.
Judy says
Great! Thank you for leaving us a comment, Gordon.
Shajila Anjani Singh says
We made these pancakes over the weekend – so easy and absolutely delicious. My family says we no longer have to get them from our favourite local Chinese restaurant. :-) Thanks so much for sharing.
Judy says
Awesome! Thank you for your comment.
Brin says
Hi, thank you for the recipe! I can not find an Asian grocery nearby, unfortunately. Can I use Puff Pastry to replace dumpling wraps? Thanks!
Judy says
Wow, interesting idea! I bet you can, it will be super flaky and buttery, I don’t think you need any additional oil.
jp says
Puff pastry sounds like it will work. There is one issue though, because the scallion is supposed to sit in between all the layers, using puff pastry, you won’t get that since you cannot peel up the layer and add the scallion/ seasoning. And it might puff too much when cooking.
But definitely worth a shot! Phyllo dough might work better, since you can actually do the layers!
George Gale says
Whoa! I’m an excellent Chinese cook, if I may say so myself, but my three efforts at pancakes from scratch have been waaay undersuccessful. So I tried these. Whoa! No need to look any farther. Tnx guys!
BTW, I use sesame oil to slather the wrappers. And you can now get *vegan* wrappers, which guarantees that they contain no eggs.
Judy says
You are right, George, this is a pretty clever idea :-)
jp says
The wrapper with egg is Hong Kong style; Chinese style wrappers should NEVER contain eggs, it should only contain flour water and salt, which is naturally vegan.
Gay says
I was happy to find this easy recipe. My wrapper package contained a lot. I did not count but probably made 30 plus, varying between 4-5 wrappers. I found a good deal on green onion bundles at the store, about 7 to 8 in each bundle. I used three bundles of onions. I just tried one, and made the dumpling dipping sauce. Great combo!
Judy says
Great! So glad you enjoyed it.
Angelina says
So easy and so delicious
Judy says
Totally agree, Angelina.
BJ Watanabe says
Delicious and easy – THANK YOU for this great recipe! I love scallion pancakes but hadn’t found a restaurant nearby that served this dish. I made a batch for Mothers Day today and served it with dim sum from Tim Ho Wan in Irvine. A perfect day! :) Especially appreciate your including the video and instructions for freezing. You guys rock!
Judy says
I am glad to hear that, BJ.
Elaine Bruckman says
We made the scallion pancake today. Super easy and super good! We found the exact same dumpling wrapper as illustrated in your recipe. A revision that we decided to do is to prepare one wrapper and fold it into quarters then cook. We are enjoying cooking from the recipes in your website. Today we also made the shumai and ate everything with the homemade Sichuan Peppercorn Oil. The best! Thanks for such easy and interesting recipes.
Judy says
Yayyyyy! We are so happy to see so many readers cooking our recipes and enjoying the good food made in their own kitchens.
Vera says
These are amazing! I LOVE Scallion Pancakes. I have gone through the process of making them the traditional way, which was a lot of work to me. I was happy to find this shortcut. This recipe is ideal if you want to cut corners, and ideal if you are someone that doesn’t cook often, or is trying to learn Asian Cuisine. It is also a great recipe to have kids help with. I followed the recipe exactly, and went heavy on the scallions in between layers. I used one package of Dumpling Wrappers and I was able to make 8 pancakes – 5 layers each. I cooked up two to eat and I froze the rest in between layers of parchment paper. So glad to be able to have them on hand to make as needed.
Judy says
I agree! Sometimes I buy dumpling skins just to make these pancakes ;-)