Bánh Xèo (Vietnamese Sizzling Crepes)

by Jessica Nguyen

This is my family recipe for ‘Bánh Xèo’ or Vietnamese Sizzling Crepes. It's a  Southern Vietnamese dish, which is essentially a fresh and crispy savoury crepe best enjoyed wrapped in lettuce and herbs and dipped in Nuoc Cham, a Vietnamese Dipping Sauce. It’s the perfect spring and spritzy dish!

Makes 8 Bánh Xèo/Crepes
Ingredients 7
Cooking time 10 minutes
Skill Level Easy

Ingredients

Bánh Xèo Batter

  • 2 cups (250g) of rice flour, sifted
  • 1 cup (125g) of tapioca starch, sifted
  • 1 cup (250ml) of coconut milk
  • 1.5 cups of cold tap water
  • 1 teaspoon of salt- half 
  • 2.5 teaspoons of turmeric powder. Saffron can also work.
  • 4 stalks of spring onion, finely chopped

Fillings

  • 500g of pork belly, thinly sliced into 2cm square strips
  • 200g of frozen shrimp defrosted or small prawns de-shelled. Available from your Asian grocer.
  • 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 cups of beansprouts
  • 2 heads of cos lettuce, leaves washed
  • 2 cucumbers, slice into thin batons. Mint, Vietnamese Mint and Coriander recommended.
  • 1 bunch of your choice of herbs
  • 1 granny smith apple, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 cups of my Vietnamese Dipping Sauce

Equipment

  • 1 ladle
  • 1 whisk
  • 1 baking tray
  • 1 spatula
  • 1 chefs knife
  • 1 large fry pan with a lid

Method

  1. Place all of your dry batter ingredients (2 cups (250g) of rice flour, sifted
    1 cup (125g) of tapioca starch, 1 teaspoon of salt, half
    2.5 teaspoons of turmeric powder) into a bowl and stir to combine.
  2. Then add your coconut milk and water, and stir until combined. The batter should be super thin and watery in consistency. Don't worry about this as it will thicken up whilst it rests.
  3. Add in the 4 stalks of finely chopped spring onions and give it a stir to combine. 
  4. Now your batter needs to rest. Ideally make your batter the night before, cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge overnight. Otherwise make it the day you need to cook it and leave on your kitchen bench for a few hours before using.
  5. After a few hours or overnight rest, your batter will have thickened up. You might need to add about 1/2 or 1/2 cup of water to thin it out before using if it's really thick. It should resemble a thin French crepe batter.
  6. Now you're ready to start assembling!

Watch the video below for the full step by step assembly!

 

 

 

If you want to try more of my Vietnamese Recipes, you can find some of my most popular dishes below; 

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