Scallion Pancake (葱油饼) – Layered Scallion Flatbread

Cong you bing is what scallion pancakes are called in China. You knead a dough of flour and hot water, spread a paste of oil and flour on it and scatter scallions over it. Then you roll it into a log, coil it into a spiral and press it flat. In the pan, you fry the pancake crisp outside, while the many thin layers inside stay soft.

By Laura Chen · November 4, 2026

1 Std 15 Mintotal

4servings

365kcal

ChineseCuisine ›

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Hot water makes the dough soft and stretchy, so you can roll it thin without tearing. The oil paste keeps the layers apart. After frying, push the pancake together from the edges toward the center with two spatulas. The layers break open, and you can see them when you cut it. For dipping, stir soy sauce with rice vinegar and a little chili oil.

For Korean Pajeon, you stir a liquid batter and lay whole scallions in it, with no layers. With a meat filling, you fry Chinese dough cakes as Xian Bing. A flatbread with an egg baked in is under Dan Bing.

Image: AI-generated.

Scallion Pancake (葱油饼) – Layered Scallion Flatbread

Name: Scallion Pancake (葱油饼) – Layered Scallion Flatbread
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 300 g all-purpose flour (Type 405); 180 ml hot water (about 80 °C); 1/2 tsp salt; 3 tbsp neutral oil; 1 tbsp all-purpose flour; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp ground white pepper; 5 scallions, in fine rings; 3 tbsp neutral oil

Laura Chen

Servings

Prep time

50 minutes

Cook time

25 minutes

Calories

365

Cuisine

Chinese

Ingredients

For the dough:

300 g all-purpose flour (Type 405)
180 ml hot water (about 80 °C)
1/2 tsp salt

For the filling:

3 tbsp neutral oil
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
5 scallions, in fine rings

For frying:

3 tbsp neutral oil

Instructions

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Pour in the hot water in a thin stream and stir with chopsticks until flakes form.
Knead the flakes for 5 minutes into a smooth, soft dough. Cover it and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Stir the oil, flour, salt and pepper in a small bowl into a runny paste.
Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Roll each piece out on the oiled work surface into a thin rectangle of 20 x 30 cm.
Spread a quarter of the paste over it and scatter a quarter of the scallions on top. Roll the rectangle up from the long side into a log.
Coil the log into a spiral and tuck the end underneath. Let the spirals rest for 10 minutes and press them flat with your palm into pancakes of 18 cm.
Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry each pancake for 3 minutes per side until golden brown.
Push the hot pancake together from the edge toward the center with two spatulas so the layers break open. Cut it into quarters and serve it hot.

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Scallion Pancake (葱油饼) – Layered Scallion Flatbread

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Scallion Pancake (葱油饼) – Layered Scallion Flatbread

Ingredients

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For the filling:

For frying:

Instructions

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