Bánh Xèo - Vietnamese Savory Crepe
Bánh Xèo - Vietnamese Savory Crepe
Ingredients
For the Batter
- 200 grams rice flour
- 50 grams cornstarch
- 300 ml water
- 200 ml coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
For the Filling
- 1/2 pound pork belly, thinly sliced
- 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, and halved if large
- 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cups bean sprouts
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, for cooking, plus more as needed
For the Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Cham)
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red chili, thinly sliced (adjust to taste)
For Serving
- 1 head lettuce leaves, separated
- 1/2 cup fresh mint
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
Instructions
- 1
In a large mixing bowl, combine the rice flour, cornstarch, turmeric powder, salt, and sugar. Whisk these dry ingredients together until well combined.
⏱️ 2 min
- 2
Gradually add the water and coconut milk to the dry ingredients, whisking continuously to prevent lumps. Continue whisking until the batter is smooth and has a consistency similar to thin pancake batter. Stir in the chopped green onions.
⏱️ 5 min
- 3
Cover the batter and let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. This allows the flours to fully hydrate, resulting in a crispier crepe.
⏱️ 30 min
- 4
While the batter rests, prepare the filling ingredients. Thinly slice the pork belly, peel and devein the shrimp (halving them if large), and thinly slice the onion. Mince the garlic and thinly slice the chili for the dipping sauce.
⏱️ 15 min
- 5
Prepare the Nuoc Cham dipping sauce: In a small bowl, combine the fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, water, minced garlic, and sliced chili. Stir well until the sugar is completely dissolved. Taste and adjust the balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy to your preference.
⏱️ 5 min
- 6
Heat a 10-inch non-stick pan or a Bánh Xèo pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, add a portion of the thinly sliced pork belly (enough for one crepe) and cook until it starts to brown slightly, about 2-3 minutes.
⏱️ 3 min
- 7
Add a portion of the prepared shrimp to the pan with the pork belly and cook until they turn pink, about 1-2 minutes. Then add a portion of the thinly sliced onion and cook until it softens, about 1 minute.
⏱️ 3 min
- 8
Spread the cooked pork, shrimp, and onion evenly across the bottom of the pan. Give the batter a quick stir, then pour about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of batter into the pan, quickly swirling it to cover the entire bottom and slightly up the sides, creating a thin crepe.
⏱️ 1 min
- 9
Immediately add a generous handful of bean sprouts on top of the wet batter. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the edges of the crepe are crispy and golden brown, and the center is set.
⏱️ 5 min
- 10
Once cooked, carefully fold the Bánh Xèo in half using a spatula. Gently slide the cooked Bánh Xèo onto a serving platter. Repeat steps 6-10 with the remaining filling ingredients and batter, adding more oil to the pan as needed for each crepe.
⏱️ 25 min
- 11
Serve the hot Bánh Xèo immediately with fresh lettuce leaves, fresh mint, fresh cilantro, and the prepared Nuoc Cham dipping sauce. To eat, tear off a piece of the crepe, wrap it in a lettuce leaf with herbs, and dip it into the sauce.
⏱️ 5 min
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Bánh Xèo - Vietnamese Savory Crepe
For the Batter
- 200 grams rice flour
- 50 grams cornstarch
- 300 ml water
- 200 ml coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
For the Filling
- 1/2 pound pork belly, thinly sliced
- 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, and halved if large
- 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cups bean sprouts
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, for cooking, plus more as needed
For the Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Cham)
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red chili, thinly sliced (adjust to taste)
For Serving
- 1 head lettuce leaves, separated
- 1/2 cup fresh mint
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
Instructions
- 1
In a large mixing bowl, combine the rice flour, cornstarch, turmeric powder, salt, and sugar. Whisk these dry ingredients together until well combined.
⏱️ 2 min - 2
Gradually add the water and coconut milk to the dry ingredients, whisking continuously to prevent lumps. Continue whisking until the batter is smooth and has a consistency similar to thin pancake batter. Stir in the chopped green onions.
⏱️ 5 min - 3
Cover the batter and let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. This allows the flours to fully hydrate, resulting in a crispier crepe.
⏱️ 30 min - 4
While the batter rests, prepare the filling ingredients. Thinly slice the pork belly, peel and devein the shrimp (halving them if large), and thinly slice the onion. Mince the garlic and thinly slice the chili for the dipping sauce.
⏱️ 15 min - 5
Prepare the Nuoc Cham dipping sauce: In a small bowl, combine the fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, water, minced garlic, and sliced chili. Stir well until the sugar is completely dissolved. Taste and adjust the balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy to your preference.
⏱️ 5 min - 6
Heat a 10-inch non-stick pan or a Bánh Xèo pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, add a portion of the thinly sliced pork belly (enough for one crepe) and cook until it starts to brown slightly, about 2-3 minutes.
⏱️ 3 min - 7
Add a portion of the prepared shrimp to the pan with the pork belly and cook until they turn pink, about 1-2 minutes. Then add a portion of the thinly sliced onion and cook until it softens, about 1 minute.
⏱️ 3 min - 8
Spread the cooked pork, shrimp, and onion evenly across the bottom of the pan. Give the batter a quick stir, then pour about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of batter into the pan, quickly swirling it to cover the entire bottom and slightly up the sides, creating a thin crepe.
⏱️ 1 min - 9
Immediately add a generous handful of bean sprouts on top of the wet batter. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the edges of the crepe are crispy and golden brown, and the center is set.
⏱️ 5 min - 10
Once cooked, carefully fold the Bánh Xèo in half using a spatula. Gently slide the cooked Bánh Xèo onto a serving platter. Repeat steps 6-10 with the remaining filling ingredients and batter, adding more oil to the pan as needed for each crepe.
⏱️ 25 min - 11
Serve the hot Bánh Xèo immediately with fresh lettuce leaves, fresh mint, fresh cilantro, and the prepared Nuoc Cham dipping sauce. To eat, tear off a piece of the crepe, wrap it in a lettuce leaf with herbs, and dip it into the sauce.
⏱️ 5 min