Simple Scallion Pancakes (a classic Asian appetizer)

Scallion pancakes, a classic appetizer on Chinese restaurant menus, are most always vegan, but it’s easy and fun to make them at home. If you’d like to make this recipe gluten-free, you can do so with sorghum flour, rice flour or your favorite GF flour blend.

Have you ever bought a batch of scallions, only to come home and find that you already have a full bunch in the fridge? Somehow, I do that all the time. This is a great way to use up a good amount of scallion, aka green onions.

Ingredients for Simple Scallion Pancakes

• Flour (whole wheat pastry flour, spelt flour, sorghum flour, rice flour,
  or a gluten-free flour blend (you’ll need 1 cup total)
• Water
• Salt
• Scallions (likely an entire bunch)
• High-heat vegetable oil (such as safflower)

For Sweet and Savory Dipping Sauce (or eliminate and use a bottled duck sauce,
sweet chili sauce, or teriyaki marinade)

• Apricot or peach preserves
• Orange or mango juice
• Soy sauce or tamari
• Rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
• Ginger, fresh or bottled 1 to 2 teaspoons grated fresh or bottled ginger
• Sesame seeds (optional)

What to serve scallion pancakes with

Serve these easy scallion-filled savory pancakes as part of an Asian-themed dinner. They’re especially fantastic paired with many kinds of soups, Asian-inspired or otherwise, including Easiest, Cheapest Ramen Noodle Soup Ever and Easy Hot-and-Sour Vegetable Soup.

These are also a fun side dish served with cold Asian noodle dishes and Asian-flavored rice dishes like Gingery Bok Choy Fried Rice.

Explore more Asian-flavored appetizers …

• Korean-Inspired Kimchi and Scallion Pancakes
• Peanut Satay Skewers
• Golden Tofu Triangles

Continue to Content

Yield: 24 small or 12 larger pancakes

Simple Scallion Pancakes

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Serve your homemade scallion pancakes as part of an Asian-themed dinner. They’re fantastic with many kinds of soups, Asian-inspired or otherwise. 

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour, spelt flour, sorghum flour, rice flour, or a combination
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 heaping cup thinly sliced scallions
• High-heat vegetable oil (such as safflower)

Sweet and Savory Dipping Sauce (or see shortcut in Notes)

• 1/3 cup all-fruit apricot or peach preserves
• 2 tablespoons orange or mango juice
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 1 to 2 teaspoons grated fresh or bottled ginger
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, optional

Instructions

1. Combine the flour, water, and salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk together to get a smooth batter.
2. Stir in the scallions into the batter.
3. Heat a lightly oiled nonstick griddle or wide skillet. Once hot, ladle the batter on in 1/4 cup quantities for smaller pancakes; 1/2 cup for larger pancakes. If at first you see that the batter isn’t spreading nicely, add a little more water to the batter and whisk in. Cook the pancakes on both sides until golden brown. 
4. Remove each batch to a covered container while cooking the remaining pancakes. Line each layer with paper towels to absorb excess oil. Keep the finished pancakes warm while cooking the rest.
5. While each batch of pancakes cooks, you’ll have time to put together the easy sweet and savory dipping sauce (unless you opt for one of the shortcuts suggested in Notes). Simply combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir together until well blended.
6. Once all the pancakes are cooked, serve warm with the sauce of your choice.

Notes

In place of the Sweet and Savory Dipping Sauce, you can use a bottled duck sauce, sweet chili sauce, or teriyaki marinade.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 391Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 380mgCarbohydrates: 73gFiber: 9gSugar: 13gProtein: 3g

Per serving of 4 smaller pancakes or 2 larger ones. Nutrition data is always an estimate depending on program used to calculate and exact products used. This is given for informational purposes only and accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

If you like Asian-inspired appetizers, you might also enjoy …

Photos (top and center) by Danilova Janna/Bigstock

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