This easy Banh Xeo recipe is a beautiful crispy rice flour crepe that is also fun to eat. It is a popular street food in Vietnam served with lots of fresh herbs, rolled in greens and dipped in Nuoc Cham.
You will be asked to make this over and over because it is a huge crowd pleaser.
What Is It
First if you have never tried this dish you are missing something great. The first time I tried this dish I was like “where have you been all my life”. Amazing textures and flavors plus you get to eat it with your hands.
Banh Xeo is a crispy stuffed rice flour crepe/pancake. Banh means cake and Xeo means sizzling which is the sound made when the batter hits the oil.
My wife (ex now who is from Vietnam) always just called it pancake. “Do you want to go get pancake?”
My answer was always “hell yes” but I had to learn to make it myself.
Lets Make It Because It Is So Awesome!
The first couple time I made them it was a disaster but the third time was a charm. The two main things I did wrong.
- I didn’t cook them long enough
2. I didn’t use a non stick pan which isn’t necessary but it sure helps.
The Batter
There are many packaged batters but I like this simple recipe the best.
Mix 1 cup of rice flour, 2 tbsp of corn starch, 1 tsp turmeric and 1/2 tsp of salt. Add 1 cup of coconut milk and 1 cup of water and mix to form a thin crepe batter.
Let the batter rest for at least 1/2 hour and up to overnight. Actually the batter will last for days. This resting is very important to make a crisp pancake.
Add two scallions thinly sliced. If the batter gets to thick add a little water.
The Filling
I used pork belly, shrimp, and bean mung bean sprouts. Sometimes split and softened mung beans are added. You can make a vegan version by using tofu and mushrooms. You can skip the belly also but the bean sprouts are always used.
Thinly slice about 1/2 pound of pork belly, peel 1/2 pound of medium shrimp, thinly slice a small onion and gather about 2 cups of mung bean sprouts.
Let’s Cook This Easy Banh Xeo
Heat up a 9 inch pan to medium, preferably nonstick and add a couple teaspoons of oil. Add the pork belly, then the onion and shrimp and cook for about 30 seconds. Spread a 1/2 cup of batter around the pan and swirl the pan so the batter covers the pan.
The Finish
Throw a handful of sprouts on top and cover the pan. Keep it covered for about two minutes then continue to cook without the cover on medium heat until the edges a really crisp.
Pick up the edges and take a peek to see if it is browning and crisp. If not keep cooking. The pancake should be crisp and the batter dry on top.
Fold the pancake in half and plate it
The pancake should be nice and crisp.
How to serve…
Serve the pancake with baby mustard greens or leaf lettuce and fresh Asian herbs. I like cilantro, Thai basil, and mint, but you can add other herbs like shiso and perilla and add nuoc cham as a dipping sauce.
How to Eat….
Simple just break off a piece of the pancake, wrap it in a leaf, add herbs, then dip in the Nuoc Cham.
Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce and Salad Dressing. A Vietnamese necessity.
Great Vietnamese Grilled Pork with Nuoc Cham
Easy Banh Xeo
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice flour
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 2 scallion thinly sliced
- 2 cup mung bean sprouts
- 1/2 lbs pork belly thinly sliced
- 1/2 lbs medium shrimp peeled
- 1 small onion thinly sliced
- baby mustard green leaves or leaf lettuce
- assorted Asian herbs cilantro, Thai basil, mint, shiso, perilla your choice
- Nuoc Cham follow link above. easy to make follow link above
Instructions
- Mix 1 cup of rice flour, 2 tbsp of corn starch, 1 tsp turmeric and 1/2 tsp of salt. Add 1 cup of coconut milk and 1 cup of water and mix to form a thin crepe batter.
- let sit for at least 1/2 hour. Very important for a crisp pancake
- add scallion right before cooking
- Heat up a 9 inch pan to medium, preferably nonstick and add a couple teaspoons of oil. Add the pork belly, then the onion and shrimp and cook for about 30 seconds. Spread a 1/2 cup of batter around the pan and swirl the pan so the batter covers the pan.
- Throw a handful of sprouts on top and cover the pan. Keep covered for about two minutes then continue to cook without the cover on medium heat until the edges a really crisp.
- Pick up the edges and take a peek to see if it is browning and crisp. Fold the pancake in half and plate it.
- Serve the pancake with baby mustard greens or leaf lettuce and fresh Asian herbs. I like cilantro, Thai basil, and mint, but you can add other herbs like shiso and perilla then add nuoc cham as a dipping sauce.