Flaky, oily, salty golden crusted scallion pancakes, aka cong you bing (葱油饼). I love ordering these savoury green onion pancakes at my favourite dumpling spot in town, and taking bites between slurps of juicy, dumplings. I’ve tried to replicate this dish at home with flour & water plenty of times, but with no success. A good homemade scallion pancake needs lots of resting time, fiddling and fat folded into the layers to get those oily bites (which I have no patience for).

Are you ready for a hack to create scallion pancakes? It’s the easiest way to make it, with minimal time! All you need is four ingredients:

  1. Green onions aka scallions (and lots of it!)
  2. Wonton wrappers (the white, flour-based ones)
  3. Salt
  4. Neutral oil

Wondering what to do with all of your extra wonton wrappers? This is the best way to use up all of the wonton wrappers you have if you’ve gotten sick of making dumplings! This is also a great way to use lots of scallions (or green onion, or spring onions – wherever you’re from). Plus a rolling pin (alternatively using a wine bottle is ok too).
I also made a video on the process, here!

Why this recipe works:

🥢 Flour based wrappers that are soft to touch. You want a wrapper that is pliable as these will be the better to work with when we roll it out!
🥢 Keep your wonton wrappers under a damp cloth while not in use. Exposing it to air will dry out the edges, and give less stretch, ultimately being less tasty.
🥢 Green onions, customized to your preference. The amount of green onions vary depending on how much you like in a bite. I’d recommend two tablespoons (one stalk) per pancake.
🥢 The more layers, the flakier. Add as many wonton wrappers as you like for more ‘layers’. I did 4! For each additional layer, add more to the cooking time. It’s better to overcook, than under. Nobody wants a rubbery pancake!
🥢 Basting brush tip! If you’re like me and don’t have a basting brush, create a substitute basting brush with folded paper towel, and a rubber band to secure it 🤭

This green onion pancakes is by no means a meal. Pair as an appetizer with your favourite dumplings (like my beef & shrimp one) or noodle dish (a super easy 5-ingredient one here)!

Ingredients below is per pancake.

Makes: 1 pancake
Cooking time: 6+ minutes
Preparation time: <10 minutes

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Ingredients:

Scallion Pancake

  • 4 (or more) Wonton Wrappers
  • 1 Green onion stalk, chopped (added to your preference)
  • Salt
  • Neutral oil

Dipping Sauce

  • ½ tbsp Water
  • ½ tbsp Sugar
  • 1 tbsp Soy Sauce

Steps:

Make: Scallion Pancake (video here)

  1. Lay out one wonton wrapper on a flat surface. Roll it out with a rolling pin then rotate wonton wrapper 90°. Repeat the process 5+ times, while ensuring no frilled edges.
  2. Onto the flattened wonton wrapper, brush with neutral oil, top with scallions, and sprinkle with salt.
  3. Add on another wonton wrapper, and firmly flatten with palm.
  4. Repeat step 2 and 3 until desired number of wonton wrappers are used.
  5. With the final wrapper, use the rolling pin once again to flatten, then rotate wonton stack by 90°. Repeat the process 5+ times until the diameter reaches 1.5x in length or more.
  6. On a lightly oiled pan, set to medium-high heat. Cook wonton wrapper for 3 minutes each side, 6 minutes total until golden.
  7. Leave whole, or snip into 4-6 pieces.

Make: Dipping Sauce

  1. Combine all ingredients and blend until sugar is dissolved.