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).
Watch Video!
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.
Tips & 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.
This was a quick appetizer to get together while I had some other dishes cooking! I’ve made scallion pancakes before but never with this method and with so much going on in the kitchen, I was grateful for the shortcut!
I’d suggest separating all your dumpling skins before you get started on assembly and I topped mine with a drizzle of sesame oil.
We were very happy with the way these turned out yesterday. I did add a bit of sesame oil to the vegetable oil because I really like that flavor. I made a few extra for a neighbor and wrapped them in parchment paper, so they could cook them when they were ready. She sent back a note last night saying they were delicious and asked for the recipe!
Thank you for a job well done, Sandi, and thank you for trying our recipes :-)
Use sesame oil for 1/2 the oil–very good!
So so easy and delicious, thanks for sharing
You are very welcome.
Nicely done!
What id the (fried?) item wrapped in the brown paper in the photo with the cut scallion pancakes and the green onions?
Hi Craig, they are fried dough, here is the recipe.
Love this! So simple and delicious. My 13 year old says he could live off of them.
Hahaha…tell him I could too.
Tried it today and loved how foolproof it was (even though green-colored oil was squishing out while I was rolling the pancake flat!). Do you have any tips on how to make the pancake a bit softer? Mine always came out super hard. Maybe using a different dumpling wrapper?
Hi Michelle, sounds like your dumpling wrappers have dried out a little. To refresh: wet a paper towel and squeeze out water completely, wrap it around the stack of dumpling wrappers, and cover it with an overturned bowl to keep it from drying out. The damp paper towel will moisten the wrappers in about 30 minutes.