Name: Crispy Vietnamese Pancakes - Banh Xeo
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 175 g (1 cup) rice flour; 1/2 tsp ground turmeric (or a bit more if you want a more golden pancake.); Salt; 1 cup (240ml) coconut milk; 3/4 cup (180ml) ice cold water (plus extra if necessary); Oil for frying; 4 green onions ((spring onions) finely sliced); 1 2/3 cups (400g) cooked pork or chicken (finely sliced); 3/4 cup (150g) bean sprouts; freshly sliced chili (to taste); mixed herbs, including mint and coriander ((cilantro)); lettuce (optional); 2 tbsp fish sauce; 2 tbsp lime juice; chopped chili (to taste); 1/2 tsp sugar (or to taste); Small pinch of minced garlic (optional)

These Crispy Vietnamese Pancakes. These savory pancakes also known as Banh Xeo or Happy Pancakes, are Vietnamese street food at it’s best. For real.

These thin, lacy pancakes are served crispy warm, folded over and stuffed full of chicken or pork, vegetables, crunchy bean sprouts and chilis, and fresh cilantro. Traditionally you eat these with your hands and dip torn off pieces into the Vietnamese Dipping sauce that they are served with.

I learned how to make them in a tiny cooking school in Ho Chi Minh City, and as I whisked together rice flour, turmeric, and coconut milk into the Banh Xeo batter I knew I had stumbled onto a good thing. I was hooked after just one bite.

I love that these pancakes are egg free and gluten free and served full of fresh Vietnamese flavor. They are great served for breakfast, brunch, lunch and for something different for Pancake Day.

Fun fact: did you know that Banh Xeo actually means ‘sizzling cake’ because of the loud sizzling sound the rice batter makes at it is added into the hot oil?

Banh Xeo Recipe – Why You will Love it

The great thing about these Crispy Banh Xeo is that they are frugal and beyond easy to make. And here are just some of the reasons you will absolutely looooove them:

They are super affordable and made entirely of everyday store cupboard staples.
They are very, very easy to whip up! Mix the better, let stand for a while and fry away.
Immensely adaptable. There are virtually limitless ways you can adapt and vary the flavors to suit your tastes and mood. Folks, this is one delicious Banh Xeo recipe that will never be boring.
It is easy to double or triple the recipe to feed a crowd.
Prep-ahead Ease. Prep the batter ahead (up to a day ahead in your mixing bowl) and just fry as your guest arrive or as needed.

Soooooo are you ready to learn how to make Banh Xeo? Gather up those ingredients and I will show you……

How To Make Vietnamese Pancakes

Combine rice flour, turmeric, coconut milk, and ice cold water in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth add a couple more tablespoons of cold water at a time if the batter is too thick.
Set aside for about 1 hour until the batter thickens.
Make the dipping sauce (nuoc cham) by combining all the ingredients and set aside.
Heat a skillet over high heat and add 1 teaspoon of oil until sizzling
Stir the batter and add some batter to the pan, swirling it round to cover the base of the pan.
Cook until the underside is golden. Flip pancake over for a quick 10 seconds.
Decant the Vietnamese Pancake onto a plate and spoon in various toppings of your choice and fold over and keep the pancake warm.
Continue frying the batter adding in a tsp of oil for each new pancake till all the batter is gone.

Banh Xeo Recipe Tips

To get these gluten free pancakes nice and crispy, make sure the skillet is nice and hot before adding a ladle of the batter.
You can add sliced green onions or sliced chili directly into the pancake batter before frying.
These pancakes need to be served warm to retain that crispiness. So prep the batter ahead and fry when needed.
You can reheat the pancakes in the microwave.
Feel free to add some chili or garlic to your Nuoc Cham dipping sauce if you want to amp up the heat.
Use a sharp knife to slice your veggies and protein (if using) very finely.

Nuoc Cham— Vietnamese Dipping Sauce

What moves these Vietnamese Crepes from good to beyond awesome is the Nuoc Cham aka Vietnamese Dipping Sauce.

This Vietnamese staple is an insanely delicious sweet and sour sauce that is generally made from a combination of fish sauce, lime juice, water and sugar to which you can add extras like chili for some heat.

I have added a Nuoc Cham Recipe here for you try it. Experiment with the amount of ingredients that you add to suit your taste.

For another option, I serve this with a portion of sweet chili sauce and a squeeze of lime and that works a treat.

Vietnamese Crepes Variations

There are one million and one ways to vary the flavors you fill your Vietnamese Crepes. Here are just some of the amaaaazing options;

Grilled shrimp
Jalapeño
Sweetcorn kernels
Baby spinach
Roasted zucchini
Grilled mushrooms
Crispy fried tofu
Snow peas
Fried ground pork

What To Serve With Vietnamese Pancakes

Crispy You will love these savory crispy Vietnamese Banh Xeo on a plate

And now for little walk down memory lane……

Making Crispy Vietnamese Pancakes bring back memories. Of the great great great time I had in Vietnam.

Of warm, warm mornings waking up to glorious sunshine. Of leisurely rolling out of bed whilst thinking what to have to breakfast. Of wandering down crazy hectic roads in shorts and flip flops looking for that small breakfast shop that looks good.

Of wondering how to cross the road whilst the million and one mopeds don’t stop to let you through. Of hunger finally taking over as I pretty much close my eyes and make a run for it across the road where I spy breakfast in the distance.

Of drinking cool fresh coconut juice that reminds me of home as I wait for my Vietnamese Pancakes to come. And absolute silent food bliss for 15 whole minutes as I tuck in.

Should you ever be lucky enough to find yourself in Vietnam, please try these pancakes for breakfast. In the meantime here is my version of Vietnam on a plate.

Thank you for reading this Vietnamese Pancakes recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue dreaming up recipes, African recipes, Sierra Leone recipes, travel plans and much more for you.

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