Vietnamese Crispy Sizzling Crêpes

A Family Favorite

Bánh xèo has always been one of my family's favorite dishes for gatherings.

Whenever my sisters came together, or when we traveled to the United States to visit my mother and my sister's family, bánh xèo often appeared at our reunions.

My brother-in-law became our bánh xèo expert. He can fry them beautifully thin, golden, and perfectly crisp. He usually uses Vĩnh Thuận premixed bánh xèo flour, but he taught me one of his secrets: sparkling water. It helps make the shell lighter and crispier.

For my own version, I wanted to make the batter from scratch.

Instead of coconut milk, I add cooked mung beans to the filling for richness. I also add a little cooked rice to the batter — a technique I learned from my sister's mother-in-law. Years ago, before premixed bánh xèo flour was easy to buy, she used leftover cooked rice in the batter.

I tried combining those family techniques: my brother-in-law's sparkling water and her cooked rice method.

The result surprised me. The cooked rice gave the bánh xèo a deeper rice flavor and helped create a crisp, delicate texture.

Sometimes the best recipe is not from one person.

It is built slowly from what each person in the family knows.

Yield: About 6 medium crêpes
Equipment: Medium-large wok or skillet

Batter

70g all-purpose flour
280g rice flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp cooking oil
2 tbsp cooked leftover rice
200ml water
500ml sparkling water
2 stalks green onions, finely chopped

Filling

100g mung beans, cooked
Thinly sliced pork tenderloin or pork belly, as needed
12–18 shrimp, cleaned
Bean sprouts, about ½ cup or one generous handful per crêpe
Garlic chives, optional
Chopped green onions

Easy Mung Bean Method

Cook the mung beans in a rice cooker until tender. This is an easy way to prepare them without having to watch a saucepan like it's planning an escape.

Preparing the Batter

Blend the cooked rice with the 200ml water until smooth.

In a large bowl, combine the rice flour, all-purpose flour, salt, and turmeric.

Add the blended rice mixture and cooking oil. Gradually whisk in the sparkling water until you have a smooth, thin batter.

Stir in the chopped green onions.

Allow the batter to rest before cooking.

Cooking the Bánh Xèo

Heat a medium-large wok over medium-high to high heat and lightly coat it with oil.

Add a few slices of pork and 2–3 shrimp. Cook briefly until nearly cooked through.

Stir the batter before each crêpe, then pour a thin layer into the hot wok. Immediately swirl the wok so the batter spreads thinly around the bottom and slightly up the sides.

Add some cooked mung beans and a generous handful of bean sprouts to one half.

Cover briefly to help cook the filling, then remove the lid and continue cooking until the bottom and edges become deep golden and crisp.

Fold the crêpe in half and serve immediately.

Kitchen Note

The wok must be properly hot before adding the batter—you should hear that characteristic sizzle immediately. Keep the batter layer thin; too much batter produces a thick, soft bánh xèo instead of a delicate crispy shell.

Stir the batter between each crêpe because the rice flour settles quickly. And don't overcrowd the filling. Bánh xèo has the same problem as humans packing suitcases: everyone believes just one more thing will fit until suddenly nothing closes.

How We Eat Bánh Xèo

Bánh xèo is best eaten with your hands.

Tear off a piece of the crispy crêpe and wrap it inside a lettuce leaf with fresh herbs and vegetables. Dip it into nước chấm and eat it right away while the shell is still crisp.

In southern Vietnam, especially in smaller towns and countryside areas, bánh xèo is often served with a generous amount of fresh herbs and leafy greens. The plate can look almost like a small garden surrounding the crêpes.

In central Vietnam, people often wrap pieces of bánh xèo in rice paper together with lettuce and herbs before dipping them into sauce.

Both ways are delicious. The contrast is what makes bánh xèo special: hot and crispy crêpe, cool fresh greens, savory filling, and bright dipping sauce.

Bánh Xèo