Bánh Xèo (Vietnamese Sizzling Crepes/Pancakes) is a must-try when you’re traveling in Vietnam. These crepes are wonderfully crispy, gluten-free, and incredibly easy to make with everyday ingredients

During my time in Vietnam, I and my close friends often made Bánh Xèo on weekends, and it was always a hit. After countless attempts, I’ve perfected this reliable recipe.

Bánh Xèo - Vietnamese sizzling crepes with shrimp, pork, and mung bean sprouts, served with fresh herbs and dipping sauce.

Bánh Xèo – Vietnamese Sizzling Pancakes/Crepes

Homemade Banh Xeo
My homemade Banh Xeo in Vietnam

In Vietnamese, “xèo” refers to the cheerful sizzling sound the batter makes when it hits the hot pan, giving these pancakes their fitting name, “sizzling pancakes.”

Some might confuse Bánh Xèo with a Vietnamese egg omelette due to their beautiful yellow color and omelette-like appearance. However, there are no eggs in this recipe – the vibrant hue comes from turmeric powder.

Besides, please don’t mix it up with Vietnamese Rice Paper Pizza either. They are also different.

Your Go-To Bánh Xèo Handbook in Vietnam

In Vietnam, you’ll come across some styles of Bánh Xèo:

  • The central style (Bánh Xèo Miền Trung) – In central Vietnam, particularly in Nha Trang, my hometown, Bánh Xèo is made smaller (6 inches/15 cm in diameter), with little or no turmeric powder and no coconut milk in the batter. The crust of the central-style Bánh Xèo is thicker compared to the southern version.
Banh Xeo Nha Trang
  • The southern style (Bánh Xèo Miền Nam): it’s popular outside Vietnam, the one I show you here. In Southern Vietnam, particularly in the Mekong Delta area, Bánh Xèo is cooked in a large pan, resulting in a thin, crispy crust with a vibrant yellow color. Coconut milk in the batter enriches the texture and flavor of the dish.
Banh Xeo Mien Nam
  • Bánh Khoái: the version from Huế city, the ancient capital of Vietnam.
Vietnamese Banh Khoai in Hue city.
Bánh Khoái in Huế
  • Bánh Khọt: the miniature version of Bánh Xèo. It’s made in a size similar to Dutch mini pancakes (Poffertjes).
Banh Khot

Ingredients

1

THE BATTER

Rice flour, potato starch (or corn starch), coconut cream, warm water, chicken powder (or mushroom powder if you’re making vegan Bánh Xèo), turmeric powder.

ingredients for banh xeo batter, including: rice flour, potato starch, coconut cream, turmeric powder, chicken powder & water
  • Rice flour
  • Potato starch (or corn starch)
  • Coconut cream
  • Warm water
  • Chicken powder (or mushroom powder if you’re making vegan Bánh Xèo)
  • Turmeric powder

Rice flour is essential, while starch helps make your Bánh Xèo crispier.

I found many recipes that call for sparkling, cold water, or baking soda to make their Bánh Xèo crispy, but there is no need to make it more complicated. The cooking technique is much important.

2

THE FILLINGS

Fillings for banh xeo, including: shrimp, pork, mung bean sprouts and shallots
  • Bean sprouts
  • Shrimps
  • Pork belly (or pork shoulder if you don’t eat fat)
  • Shallots
3

ACCOMPANIMENTS

Instructions

1

MAKE THE BATTER

  • Combine rice flour, potato starch, turmeric powder, and chicken powder with water. Mix well and let it rest for one hour. If you don’t use your batter on the same day, keep it in the refrigerator.
  • After one hour, add the coconut milk and mix well. Sieve the batter to remove any clumps.
Banh Xeo batter
2

PREPARE THE DIPPING SAUCE

  • Whisk fish sauce, sugar, water, vinegar (or lime juice together), and add minced garlic and minced chili.
A small white bowl filled with Vietnamese dipping fish sauce, with minced garlic and chili
3

PREPARE THE FILLINGS AND VEGETABLES

  • Wash and drain the mung bean sprouts, lettuce, and herbs.
  • Slice the pork. Peel and devein the shrimps. If you’re using large-sized shrimps, you can cut them into smaller pieces.
  • In a pan, add cooking oil and sauté the shallots until fragrant. Stir-fry the pork until it’s halfway cooked. Season with some salt and chicken powder. Add the shrimp and stir-fry until the fillings are fully cooked.
  • Set the fillings aside.
Stir-fry pork and shrimps for the filling of Banh Xeo.
Stir-fry pork and shrimps for the filling of Banh Xeo.
4

COOK

  • In a nonstick pan or cash iron pan, add 1/2 tbsp cooking oil.
  • Pour in some batter and quickly tilt and rotate the pan to ensure the batter is evenly spread. Add more batter if it doesn’t cover the pan entirely. There should only be a thin layer of batter like making a crepe. If your batter doesn’t achieve this and is too thick, add a few tablespoons of water to the batter and mix to thin it out.
  • Quickly add the shrimp, pork, and mung bean sprouts. Cover the lid for about 3 minutes and reduce the heat to medium-low.
Cook Banh Xeo in a pan
Banh Xeo cooked in a pan.
  • The crepe is cooked when the edges crisp up. Remove the lid and continue to cook the crepe for an additional 2-3 minutes until it becomes crispy.
  • You could drizzle some oil around the edge of the pan. The more oil you use, the easier it will be for your Bánh Xèo to achieve crispiness. However, if you’d like it to be less greasy while still maintaining that delightful crispiness, just cook it for a bit longer over medium-low heat without the lid.
  • When the crepe reaches your desired level of crispiness, use a spatula to fold it in half, then slide it out of the pan or use spatulas to transfer it to a serving plate.
Pour some cooking oil to the edge of Banh Xeo crepe.
Fold the Bánh Xèo in half when it's ready.
  • Continue with the remaining batter and filling, and don’t forget to wipe the pan clean after each crepe.
Banh xeo on a plate.
5

SERVE

There are 2 ways to eat Bánh Xèo in Vietnam:

  • Break the crepe into smaller pieces, put Bánh xèo as well as herbs and lettuce into your bowl of Nước Chấm. Use chopsticks to enjoy it. This is the central style way.
  • Wrap Bánh Xèo and herbs in a big-sized leaf of mustard greens or lettuce. Or use a rice paper to wrap everything. Then dip this roll into a bowl of nước chấm and đồ chua. It’s the southern style way.
Bánh Xèo - Vietnamese sizzling crepes with shrimp, pork, and mung bean sprouts, served with fresh herbs and dipping sauce.

Helpful Tips

1

Replace coconut milk with soy milk

It is actually a secret tip from many Bánh Xèo street vendors in Vietnam. This is for people who can’t consume coconut cream or those who prefer a lighter option.

Moreover, coconut cream contains a lot of fat, so using too much coconut cream in the batter can affect the crispiness of your Bánh Xèo.

How to do: Keep the total liquid (combining coconut cream and water) constant, but use a 50-50 ratio of soy milk and water.

Bánh Xèo - Vietnamese sizzling crepes with shrimp, pork, and mung bean sprouts, served with fresh herbs and dipping sauce.
2

Adjust the liquid amount

As I’ve mentioned before, your batter should result in thin and crispy crepes, and you can adjust the amount of water to achieve the desired consistency (or add more rice flour if the batter is too liquidy).

The ideal ratio of liquid to flour should be between 2.5 to 2.8 . For this recipe, I used 8.5 oz (240g) of a mixture of rice flour and potato starch with 21.3 oz (610ml) of liquid (a combination of water and coconut milk).

Bánh Xèo (Vietnamese Sizzling Crepes / Pancakes) is an absolute must-try when you're travelling Vietnam. It's wonderfully crispy, gluten-free and super easy to make with everyday ingredients – no need for a pre-mix Banh Xeo flour.
3

Weight the ingredients

I don’t recommend using cups to measure the ingredients. The more precise your ingredient measurements, the greater your chances of success.

4

Reduce the time the pan is covered

By keeping the lid off, you avoid water droplets from dripping back into the pan. This helps ensure your bánh xèo becomes crispy as it cooks.

Once the crepe looks cooked, take off the lid and continue cooking over medium-low heat until it’s crispy.

5

Use more oil if you want an extra crispy crepe

If you want an extra crispy crepe, add more cooking oil. I usually use just a little oil when cooking Bánh Xèo. As a result, my Bánh Xèo is still crispy but appears somewhat drier compared to when I use more oil.

6

Cook with two pans at the same time

Since it takes a while to crisp up the crepe, you can use two pans simultaneously to save time. Before scooping the batter, don’t forget to stir it to ensure it’s well combined.

7

Use your crepe make or waffle maker

These are also great kitchen appliances for making bánh xèo. I also have a recipe for bánh xèo waffle.

Banh Xeo Waffles
Banh Xeo Waffles

Variations & Substitutes

  • You can add some chopped scallions to the batter.
  • If you don’t eat pork, feel free to substitute it with chicken or beef.
  • You can make vegan bánh xèo with vegan fillings like mushroom, tofu, and enjoy with vegan dipping fish sauce.

Storage

  • For leftover batter, you can keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for two days. If you don’t use coconut cream in the batter, it can be kept fresh for one week.
  • Before using it, let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour and stir well to ensure it’s well combined.
  • For leftover Bánh Xèo, store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. Before eating, warm them up in an air fryer or oven to retain their crispiness.

Local Tips (where to enjoy Bánh Xèo in Vietnam)

Nha Trang

  • 134 Trần Qúy Cáp Street, Nha Trang.
  • 85 Tô Hiến Thành Street, Nha Trang.

Hue

  • Bánh Khoái Hồng Mai, 110 Đinh Tiên Hoàng Street, Huế City
  • Bánh Khoái Lạc Thiện, 6 Đinh Tiên Hoàng Street, Huế City

Hoi An & Da Nang

  • Bánh Xèo Bà Dưỡng, 280/23 Hoàng Diệu, Đà Nẵng
  • Giếng Bá Lễ (Ba Le Well), 45/51 Trần Hưng Đạo, Hội An

Ho Chi Minh City & Can Tho

  • Bánh Xèo 335 Điện Biên Phủ Street, District 3, Hồ Chí Minh City
  • Bánh Xèo Ngọc Sơn: 103 Ngô Quyền Street, Ward 11, District 5, Hồ Chí Minh City
  • Bánh Xèo 7 Tới, 45 Hoàng Quốc Việt Street, Ninh Kiều District, Cần Thơ

More authentic Vietnamese recipes

a bowl of Bun Cha Ha Noi
Bún Chả
(Northern Rice Noodles with Grilled Pork)
Delicious and refreshing Gỏi Cuốn - Vietnamese fresh spring rolls filled with succulent shrimp, tender slices of pork belly, crisp lettuce, rice vermicelli, and fragrant fresh herbs. Wrapped in translucent rice paper, these vibrant rolls are served with a tantalizing dipping sauce.
Gỏi Cuốn
(Vietnamese Spring Rolls)
Mi Quang (Vietnamese turmeric noodles)
Mì Quảng
(Vietnamese Turmeric Noodles)
Delicious Vietnamese Bánh Pate Sô (pork pate chaud), golden-brown pastries filled with savory pork and encased in flaky puff pastry, ready to be enjoyed as a delightful snack or breakfast treat
Bánh Pate So
(Vietnamese Paté Chaud)

Thanks a bunch for giving my recipe a shot! If you enjoyed it, I’d truly appreciate a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating or a comment to let me know your thoughts.

And don’t forget to stay in touch with me on InstagramFacebookPinterest, and YouTube 🥰.

Bánh Xèo - Vietnamese sizzling crepes with shrimp, pork, and mung bean sprouts, served with fresh herbs and dipping sauce.

Authentic Bánh Xèo (Vietnamese Sizzling Crepes/Pancakes)

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Bánh Xèo (Vietnamese Yellow Crepes / Sizzling Crepes) is an absolute must-try when you're in Vietnam. It's delightfully crispy, entirely gluten-free and incredibly simple to prepare using common ingredients – no pre-mix Banh Xeo flour required.
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Vietnamese
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

Banh Xeo batter:

  • 200g cup rice flour (⅛ cup / 7oz)
  • 40g cup potato starch / corn starch (⅓ cup / 1.4oz)
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • ½ tsp chicken powder
  • 5.5 oz coconut cream (165ml or one small can)
  • 1⅞ cup water (450ml)

Banh Xeo fillings

  • 0.5 lb pork belly (or pork shoulder) (230g)
  • 0.5 lb shrimps (230g)
  • 1.1 lb mung bean sprouts (500g)
  • 1 shallot (sliced)
  • Cooking oil
  • Chicken powder (to your taste)
  • Salt (to your taste)

Dipping fish sauce

  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 4 tbsp water
  • 1 tsp lime juice or 5% vinegar (to your taste)
  • Minced garlic (to your taste)
  • Minced chili (to your taste)
  • Đồ Chua (Pickled carrots & daikon) (optional)

Veggies & herbs

  • Lettuce or Mustard greens
  • Mint, perilla leaves, Thai basil

Instructions
 

Prepare the batter

  • Mix rice flour, potato starch, turmeric powder, and chicken powder with water. Ensure it's well combined, and then let it rest for an hour.
  • After the hour, incorporate the coconut cream and mix thoroughly. Finally, strain the batter to remove any clumps.

Prepare the dipping fish sauce

  • Whisk together fish sauce, sugar, water, vinegar (or lime juice), and then add minced garlic and minced chili.
  • You can use this dipping fish sauce recipe to prepare a larger batch, which can be stored for up to two months.

Prepare the fillings and vegetables

  • Rinse and drain the mung bean sprouts, lettuce, and herbs.
  • Slice the pork. Peel and devein the shrimps. If using large-sized shrimps, you can cut them into smaller pieces.
  • In a pan, heat cooking oil and sauté the shallots until they become fragrant. Stir-fry the pork until it's partially cooked. Season with a bit of salt and chicken powder. Then, add the shrimp and continue to stir-fry until the fillings are thoroughly cooked.

Cook Banh Xeo Crepes

  • In a nonstick or cast-iron pan, pour 1/2 tbsp of cooking oil.
  • Pour in a portion of the batter and quickly tilt and rotate the pan to ensure an even spread. Add more batter if needed to cover the pan, resulting in a thin, crepe-like layer. If the batter is too thick, you can thin it by mixing in a few tablespoons of water.
  • Swiftly add the shrimp, pork, and mung bean sprouts. Cover with a lid for about 3 minutes and reduce the heat to medium-low.
  • The crepe is ready when the edges become crisp. Remove the lid and continue cooking the crepe for an additional 2-3 minutes until it achieves the desired crispiness.
  • You can drizzle some oil around the edge of the pan. The more oil you use, the easier it is to achieve a crispy Bánh Xèo. However, if you prefer it less greasy while maintaining its delightful crispiness, cook it a bit longer over medium-low heat without the lid.
  • Once the crepe reaches your desired level of crispiness, use a spatula to fold it in half, then slide it out of the pan or transfer it to a serving plate using spatulas.
  • Repeat the process with the remaining batter and filling, and remember to wipe the pan clean after each crepe.

Enjoy Banh Xeo

  • The Central style: Break the crepe into smaller pieces and place Bánh Xèo along with herbs and lettuce into your bowl of Nước Chấm. Use chopsticks to enjoy the dish.
  • The Southern style: Wrap Bánh Xèo and herbs in a generously sized mustard greens or lettuce leaf. Or you can use a sheet of rice paper to wrap the ingredients. Dip this roll in a bowl of Nước Chấm dipping sauce and Đồ Chua (pickled carrots and daikon).

Notes

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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