Bánh xèo: crispy Vietnamese pancakes

Bánh xèo are thin, crispy Vietnamese pancakes made from a rice flour and coconut milk batter tinted yellow with turmeric, filled with pork, shrimp and bean sprouts, then folded like an omelet. You eat them by tearing off a piece, wrapping it in lettuce or mustard greens with herbs, and dipping it in nước chấm.

The name comes from the sound: xèo imitates the loud sizzle when the batter hits the hot pan.

How do you say bánh xèo?

Bánh ("bahn," rising tone) is a broad word for cakes, breads and many flour-based foods. Xèo ("seh-oh," falling tone) is the sizzle. Together: "bahn seh-oh."

Regional styles

• Southern bánh xèo are large, thin and lacy, sometimes as wide as a dinner plate, and often include mung beans in the filling. This recipe follows that style.
• Central Vietnam has smaller, thicker pancakes cooked in small pans, sometimes called bánh khoái in Huế, served with a peanut-based dipping sauce rather than nước chấm. Names and details vary from town to town.

Allergen notes

This recipe contains shrimp (shellfish), fish sauce (fish) and coconut. You can leave out the shrimp and double the pork, or make it vegetarian with mushrooms and tofu and a soy-based dipping sauce.

Ingredients (makes about 6 large pancakes)

For the batter:

• 1 1/2 cups (200 g) rice flour (not glutinous rice flour)
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup (240 ml) coconut milk
• 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) cold water, plus more if needed
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced

For the filling:

• 8 oz (225 g) pork belly or shoulder, thinly sliced
• 8 oz (225 g) medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cups (300 g) bean sprouts
• 1/3 cup (60 g) peeled split mung beans, soaked 1 hour and steamed or boiled until soft (optional)
• Neutral oil for frying, salt and black pepper

To serve:

• Lettuce leaves or mustard greens
• Mint, perilla, Thai basil and other herbs
• Nước chấm, see our nước chấm guide

Steps

• 1. Mix the batter and prep the filling. Whisk rice flour, turmeric and salt. Add coconut milk and water and whisk until smooth; it should be thin, like heavy cream or a little thinner. Stir in scallions and let it rest 30 minutes, or up to overnight in the fridge. Toss the pork with a pinch of salt and pepper, and pat the shrimp dry.
• 2. Heat the pan. Use a 10 to 12 inch (25 to 30 cm) nonstick or well-seasoned skillet. Heat 1 tbsp oil over medium-high until shimmering.
• 3. Cook the filling. Add a few slices of pork and a little onion and cook 1 to 2 minutes, then add 3 or 4 shrimp and cook until they just turn pink.
• 4. Pour the batter. Stir the batter (rice flour settles), then pour about 1/2 cup (120 ml) into the pan, swirling right away to coat the bottom thinly. Listen for the sizzle.
• 5. Add sprouts and cover. Scatter a handful of bean sprouts and some mung beans over half the pancake. Cover for 2 minutes to steam.
• 6. Crisp it. Uncover, lower the heat to medium and cook 3 to 5 more minutes, until the edges are deep golden and lift away easily. Drizzle a little oil around the edge if needed.
• 7. Fold and serve. Fold the pancake in half and slide it onto a plate. Repeat, stirring the batter each time.

How do you eat bánh xèo?

Tear off a section of pancake with your fingers or chopsticks. Lay it on a lettuce or mustard leaf, add herbs, roll it up and dip it in nước chấm. It's hands-on and a little messy, which is half the fun. For more on the greens, see Vietnamese herbs: a guide to the plate of greens.

Troubleshooting

• Soft, not crisp? The batter is probably too thick or the pan not hot enough. Thin it with a splash of water and let the pan reheat between pancakes.
• Sticking? Use more oil and a nonstick pan, and don't try to lift it until the edges release on their own.
• Pale color? Cook longer uncovered; the crisping happens at the end.

Make-ahead tips

The batter keeps in the fridge for a day; whisk before using. Cooked bánh xèo lose crispness as they sit, so cook them just before eating. To revive leftovers, reheat them in a dry skillet or an air fryer for a few minutes.

For more dishes to cook from this series, see Vietnamese recipes for beginners. Cook the first pancake as a test, since it's almost always the least crisp one, and adjust the batter and heat from there.