Vietnamese Banh Xeo
A crispy, turmeric-yellow rice flour crepe stuffed with shrimp, pork, and bean sprouts. Banh xeo means 'sizzling cake' because of the sound the batter makes hitting the hot pan. You tear off pieces, wrap them in lettuce and herbs, and dip in nuoc cham. Not a breakfast food in Vietnam. Lunch, dinner, street food, anytime food.
From Original recipe (traditional Vietnamese banh xeo) · Recipe facts not copyrightable (US law)
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Prep
30 min
Cook
25 min
Makes
4 large crepes
Difficulty
medium
Nutrition
Per serving (1 large crepe) · USDA FoodData Central: Rice flour crepe (adjusted for coconut milk, shrimp, pork filling)
386kcal
Calories
22.4g
Protein
19.6g
Fat
30.8g
Carbs
1.9g
Fiber
Ingredients
Servings
1x- 1 cup rice flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 2/3 cup water
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 lb pork belly or shoulder, thinly sliced
- 2 cups bean sprouts
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil (for frying)
- Lettuce leaves, fresh mint, Thai basil, cilantro (for wrapping)
- Nuoc cham dipping sauce (fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, garlic, chili)
Instructions
- 1
Make the batter: whisk 1 cup rice flour, 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/2 tsp turmeric, and 1/4 tsp salt in a bowl. Add 1 cup coconut milk and 3/4 cup water. Whisk until smooth. Stir in the sliced green onions. Let rest 15 minutes.
- 2
Make nuoc cham: combine 3 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp lime juice, 2 tbsp sugar, 1/4 cup warm water, 1 minced garlic clove, and sliced chili. Stir until sugar dissolves.
- 3
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a 10-inch non-stick skillet over high heat. Add a quarter of the pork slices. Cook 2 minutes until lightly browned.
- 4
Add a quarter of the shrimp and a quarter of the sliced onion. Cook 1 minute.
- 5
Give the batter a stir, then pour about 1/2 cup into the pan. Immediately swirl the pan so the batter coats the entire bottom in a thin layer.
- 6
Scatter a handful of bean sprouts over one half of the crepe.
- 7
Cover and cook 2-3 minutes until the bottom is deeply golden and crispy. The edges should pull away from the pan.
- 8
Fold the crepe in half over the bean sprouts. Slide onto a plate. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
- 9
Serve with lettuce leaves, fresh herbs, and nuoc cham. Tear a piece of crepe, wrap it in lettuce with herbs, dip, eat.
Notes
things we learned along the way
- High heat. The sizzle when the batter hits the pan is mandatory. If it doesn't scream, the pan isn't hot enough and you'll get a soggy crepe instead of a crispy one.
- Coconut milk in the batter gives the crepe its richness and helps it crisp. Don't substitute with regular milk. Use the full-fat canned stuff.
- Eat these with your hands. Knife and fork misses the point. The lettuce wrap with herbs and dipping sauce is the experience.
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Source and credits
Recipe adapted from Original recipe (traditional Vietnamese banh xeo). License: Recipe facts not copyrightable (US law).
Photos from Unsplash (free license). Nutrition data from USDA FoodData Central.