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–+ servings
Scallion Pancakes laid out with dipping sauce
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5 from 6 votes

Buttery Scallion Pancakes

Quick and easy buttery flaky scallion pancakes recipe, lightly brushed with miso for a layer of umami and packed with scallions and sesame seeds with step by step instructions on how to roll them out.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 8 pancakes
Calories: 329kcal
Author: Joyce Lee

Ingredients

  • 400g frozen puff pastry

Scallion Filling

Instructions

Defrosting the Puff Pastry

  • Defrost the puff pastry in the fridge for 3-4 hours or the night before.

Preparation

  • Chop the scallions thinly and put them in a bowl, and set it aside.
    Try to chop them as thin as you can. Thinner scallions make rolling the pancakes out easier since you won't be rolling into large chunks of scallions which can rip the delicate dough.
  • Add in ½ teaspoon Chinese five spice, 1 tablespoon sesame oil and 1 tablespoon sesame seeds into the bowl with the scallions and mix well. Set aside for later
  • In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons miso with 1 - 2 teaspoons of water to get a thinner paste. This makes it easier to brush a thin layer onto the pancakes. Set aside for later

Rolling Out the Scallion Pancakes

  • When the dough has been defrosted, cut them into 1 inch cubes and roll them into balls
  • Dust the counter and your rolling pin with flour
  • With your palm, press down the ball of dough to form a flatter circle. Use a rolling pin to roll it out thinly, approximately ⅛ inch thin
  • Using a brush or a back of a spoon, thinly brush on some miso onto the pancake
  • Add a thin layer of the spiced scallion mix evenly over the pancake and then roll it up and pinch the ends
  • Coil the roll tightly and tuck in the end onto the bottom of the coil
  • Using your palm, smash down where you tucked in the end on the bottom to flatten out the pancake and to seal the pancake properly so it doesn't come apart when you are rolling it
  • Dust the counter top and rolling pin lightly with flour and roll out the pancake thinly again (approximately ⅛ inch) A thinner pancake makes a crispier and less doughy texture.
  • Place it on a piece of parchment/wax paper and repeat the process with the rest of the dough balls until all the pancakes have been made.

Pan Frying the Scallion Pancakes

  • In a frying pan, put a bit of oil to coat the bottom and set the heat to medium to medium-low.
  • When the oil is hot, add 1 pancake in and toast it for approximately 4-5 minutes. Do not flip it until the pancake starts to look translucent. Once it's translucent, flip the pancake and cook for another 5 minutes (for a total of 8-10 minutes), or until they look golden brown and crisp.
  • If the original side doesn't look brown enough, flip it and let it brown for another 1-2 minutes
  • Remove it from the pan, serve it whole or cut into quarters - plain or with a dipping sauce.
    Chinese scallion pancakes on wooden board with dipping sauce

Notes

  • Uncooked scallion pancakes can be stored in the fridge or frozen once they have been made. Make sure you have a layer of parchment paper or wax paper between each pancake and keep it well sealed so it doesn't dry out in the fridge or freezer. I like to keep a stack of them in a ziplock bag (with the air pressed out), when I make a lot ahead of time.If you are cooking them from the fridge, the instructions are the same. If you are cooking them from the freezer, you can add the frozen pancake directly into the frying pan - add 1-2 additional minutes to the cooking time to crisp them up.
  • If you are serving these at a party or gathering, you can pre-cook the pancakes and reheat them in a pre-heated oven at 375F (190C) for 5-6 minutes, flipping them at the 2-3 minute mark. This will crisp it back up.

Dipping Sauce Ideas

  1. Sweet & Savory Five Spice Hoisin Sauce - Mix a bit of water to thin out hoisin sauce and add a bit of five spice into it
  2. Sesame Chili Soy Sauce - Mix soy sauce, a bit of sesame oil and some Chinese chili oil together
  3. Plain Japanese Mayo - Simple and tasty!

Nutrition

Serving: 1pancake | Calories: 329kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 15g | Sodium: 300mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 10g