Chinese breakfast pancakes jianbing with egg and scallions Recipe
Jianbing is a popular street breakfast from northern China: a paper‑thin, crepe‑like pancake fried with egg and fresh herbs. The base stays flexible, the middle is softly eggy, and the top is crunchy from crackers and vegetables in a sweet‑spicy sauce. In this version you make it in a regular frying pan using plain and wholewheat flour, with no special equipment.
In China, jianbing is sold at dawn from street carts as a grab‑and‑go breakfast for workers. Traditionally it’s made from a mix of wheat flour and millet or mung bean flour, with the batter spread over a large, flat griddle.
This homemade jianbing brings the flavor of Chinese street breakfasts into your kitchen, using simple ingredients and a regular pan while keeping the characteristic combination of egg, herbs, sauce, and crunch.
Why this version works
- Combining white flour with wholemeal flour gives a flexible pancake with a deeper, more complex flavour.
- A very thin batter and quick swirling in the pan create an ultra‑thin, delicate crepe.
- Pouring the egg onto a partially set pancake helps it bond well while still staying soft and tender.
- Adding the crackers on top of the sauced pancake keeps them crunchy instead of letting them go soggy.
Chef's tips
Make the batter quite thin so the pancakes come out delicate and flexible. Work quickly when spreading the batter and egg so they cook evenly. Adjust the amount of chili to your taste and don’t skip the crunchy element – it’s key to the typical jianbing texture.
How to serve
Serve jianbing hot, straight from the pan, folded or rolled for easy eating. Pair with green tea, jasmine tea, or soy milk. For a more substantial meal, add ham, cheese, or extra vegetables inside and serve with a simple cucumber salad.
Watch out for
- If the batter is too thick, you’ll get a bulky, brittle pancake that cracks when you fold it – after the first one, add a few tablespoons of water if needed.
- If the pan is too hot, the bottom will burn quickly while the top and egg stay raw – start over medium heat.
- Don’t add the crackers on top of very wet sauce or too early – sprinkle them on just before folding, otherwise they’ll soften fast.
Substitutions
- You can replace the crackers with very thin crispbread (like wasa) or very finely sliced and toasted bread roll.
- If you dislike coriander’s soapy aroma, you can swap it for flat‑leaf parsley.
Ingredients
- flour - 120 g
- wholemeal flour or light rye flour for flavor; can be replaced with wheat flour - 40 g
- water for the batter - 260 ml
- eggs 3 for the pancakes, 1 for brushing - 4 piece
- spring onion chopped - 4 piece
- fresh coriander optional, chopped - 1 handful
- sauce sweet-salty sauce; can be replaced with a mix of soy sauce and a bit of honey - 3 tablespoons
- hot chili paste or chili sauce optional, to taste - 1 tablespoon
- crispy bread such as crackers or thin dry roll crushed; traditionally crispy you tiao sticks are used - 3 piece
- oil for frying - 2 tablespoons
- salt for the batter - 0.5 teaspoons
Preparation
- Put the plain flour, wholemeal or rye flour, and salt into a bowl. Gradually add the water, whisking vigorously until you get a smooth, very thin batter with no lumps, about the consistency of single cream. Set aside for 10 minutes so it can thicken slightly and become silkier.
- Lightly beat three eggs in a small bowl until smooth (leave one egg whole if you want to add it inside the pancake). Finely chop the spring onion and coriander. Crush the crackers or thin bread in your hands into pea‑sized pieces so they stay distinctly crunchy after frying but don’t scratch the roof of your mouth.
- In a small bowl, mix the hoisin sauce with the hot chili paste or chili sauce. Taste – it should be sweet‑salty with a clear but not burning heat; if it’s too spicy, add a bit more hoisin, if too mild, stir in a little more chili.
- Heat a non‑stick pan of about 24 cm over medium heat and lightly brush with oil using a pastry brush or paper towel. The pan is ready when a drop of batter sizzles gently right away but doesn’t turn brown within a few seconds – the surface should be only lightly greased.
- Pour 1 ladleful of batter into the pan and quickly tilt and swirl the pan in all directions so it forms a very thin pancake; in places it can be almost translucent. Fry for 1–2 minutes, until the top is fully set with no wet patches and the edges start to curl up slightly.
- Pour about 1/3 of the beaten egg over the pancake and spread it into a thin layer over the whole surface using the back of a spoon or a silicone spatula. Immediately sprinkle with some of the spring onion and coriander, gently pressing them into the egg; fry for about 1 more minute, until the egg is no longer shiny or wet to the touch.
- Gently slide a wide spatula under the pancake and flip it so the egg side is facing down. Fry for 30–60 seconds, until the bottom is lightly browned in spots with golden patches, but the pancake is still flexible and doesn’t crack when bent in your hand.
- Flip the pancake back so the egg is on top again. Spread about 1 tablespoon of the hoisin‑chili sauce over the surface right to the edges so it’s evenly but thinly covered, without puddles of sauce. Then sprinkle over a portion of the crushed crackers, pressing them in lightly so they stick to the sauce and stay dry.
- If you’re using fillings (e.g. cucumber batons, leftover roasted meat, ham, cheese or kimchi), arrange them in a line down the centre of the pancake, leaving the edges clear. Fold the pancake in half, then in half again, or roll it up tightly like a crepe, gently pressing so the filling doesn’t slide out and the crackers don’t fall off.
- Transfer the finished jianbing to a plate and cover with a cloth so it stays warm and doesn’t dry out while you cook the remaining pancakes. Repeat with the rest of the batter and eggs, lightly oiling the pan each time; serve hot, while the crackers still crackle loudly with every bite.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
When I crave something different for breakfast but still quick and satisfying, I often make this simplified jianbing. It’s very forgiving: you can play with the type of flour, herbs, and sauces, and it’s a great way to use up leftover crackers or bread.
