Cong You Bing Recipe (Chinese Scallion Pancakes)
This Cong You Bing Recipe makes the perfect Chinese Scallion Pancakes with golden-brown crispy edges and deliciously flaky, chewy centers. Stuffed with spring onions and 5 spice, these pancakes taste better than takeout! Dipping sauce recipe and substitutions included.
Ingredients
For the Cong You Bin
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cups (160 ml) hot water
- Peanut oil (or any neutral vegetable oil, for greasing, coating, and cooking)
For The Filling
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) peanut oil
- 2 tbsp (20 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon 5 spice powder (see notes for substitutions)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3-4 whole green onions (chopped, you should get about 1/2 cup or 50 g chopped spring onions)
For the Dipping Sauce
- 1 and 1/2 tbsp (22 ml) soy sauce
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) rice vinegar
- 1/4 tsp white granulated sugar
Instructions
For The Cong You Bing
- Make the dough. In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Slowly pour in the water and mix to combine. Once the dough has come together, transfer it to a lightly-floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (about 7-8 minutes). When stretching the dough, the center should become translucent without tearing.
- Allow the dough to rest. Shape the dough into a ball, place it inside a lightly-greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rest for 1 hour.
- Prepare the filling. In a medium bowl, combine the oil, flour, 5-spice powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Shape the dough. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, then cover the the ones you’re not working with with a clean kitchen towel or some plastic wrap to keep the dough from drying out.
- Assemble the pancakes. Find a clean non-stick surface in your kitchen that you can use for rolling out and assembling the pancakes and grease it with oil (a silicone mat also works). Roll out each piece of dough into a rectangle until almost see-through (a few small tears are okay), evenly brush with the prepared filling paste, then sprinkle with chopped spring onions.
- Shape the pancakes (refer to the step-by-step pictures for visuals). Fold the rectangle into thirds by grabbing the bottom of the rectangle and folding it over the center. Then grab the top third of the dough and fold it down over the center. Fold everything again one more time (a few air bubbles are okay, no need to fold too tightly). Now, starting from one end, roll up the folded dough into a snail-like shape and tuck the opposite end underneath. Finally, roll into a flatter disc. Set aside, cover, and repeat for each pice of dough.
- Cook the pancakes. Add an even but light layer of oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add in one of the pancakes and cover with a lid, turning the heat down to medium. Cook until golden brown and crispy, about 3-4 minutes, flipping the pancake halfway through cooking.
For The Dipping Sauce
- Make the dipping sauce. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar. Mix and serve with your pancakes (whole or cut into wedges). Other great dipping sauces would be chili oil, sweet and sour Vietnamese Nuoc Cham, or just regular soy sauce!
Notes
*For Homemade 5 Spice: in a blender, combine together 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 2 tablespoon fennel seeds, 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns, 1 teaspoon cloves, 3 star anise and blend until you get a smooth fine powder. Store any leftovers in an air-tight container and store with your other spices.
*For A Different Option: stick to just 1/2 teaspoon Sichuan pepper or, if you want to replicate the warmth of 5 spice with a different flavor, combine together 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves.
Make-Ahead Instructions. Follow the recipe through step 6. Place each raw rolled out pancake on top of a piece of parchment paper, then stack them and place them into an air-tight container or a ziplock bag (remove all air before sealing). Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 day or in the freezer for up to 3 months then cook according to step 7 (thaw for 8-10 minutes prior to cooking if frozen).
Storing. These pancakes are best eaten as they’re made so I don’t recommend storing them once they’re cooked but you can do that by placing them in a ziplock bag, pressing out any air, and keeping them in refrigerator for 1-2 days. The best option, though, is to store these raw, refer to the “Make-Ahead Instructions” above.
Reheating. You can reheat these pancakes in a hot skillet with hot oil until crispy and fully heated through. Reheated pancakes may be chewier.
Nutrition
Calories: 205kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 5gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 835mgPotassium: 63mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.3gVitamin A: 6IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 11mgIron: 2mg
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