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a Vietnamese crepe (Banh Xeo), served with lettuce and herbs
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5 from 3 votes

Crispy Vietnamese Crepes (Banh Xeo)

Vietnamese Crepe (Banh Xeo) is thin, crispy and filled with shrimp, pork, and crunchy vegetables. This delicious crepe is quick and easy to make. Serve it with fresh herbs and refreshing dipping sauce as a snack, appetizer or main dish.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Appetizers and Side dishes, Main Dish
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Keyword: banh xeo, sizzling crepes
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 576kcal
Author: Sophie

Ingredients

For the batter

  • 3/4 cup rice flour
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk (canned coconut milk)
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 scallion stalks (optional)

For the filling

  • 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced (or half of a large onion)
  • 4 oz pork shoulder, thinly sliced (or pork tenderloin, pork belly)
  • 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
  • 8 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 1/2 cups bean sprouts
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
  • black pepper
  • salt
  • cooking oil

For the lime fish dipping sauce

  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 4 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 clove of garlic, finely minced

For serving

  • green lettuce
  • mint
  • cilantro

Instructions

Prepare the batter

  • In a mixing bowl, add rice flour, cornstarch, salt and turmeric. Add coconut milk and water and whisk until the batter is smooth with no lumps. Set aside.
    Ingredients to make the batter for Vietnamese Crepes (Banh Xeo)
  • Thinly slice the scallions and set aside. We will add it right before making the crepe.

Prepare the filling

  • Prep all ingredients for the filling: thinly slice onion, thinly slice pork, thinly slice shallot, peel and devein shrimps.
  • Place a pan over medium high heat. Add oil, and then add onion slices. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until onion loses its rawness while still crunchy. Transfer to a clean plate.
  • In the same pan over medium high heat, add shallot and sauté until fragrant. Add pork in one single layer and let it cook undisturbed for 30 seconds. After that, add 1 teaspoon of fish sauce and black pepper and stir-fry until pork is fully cooked. Transfer to clean plate.
    Cook pork for the filling of Vietnamese crepes (Banh Xeo)
  • In that same pan, make sure it's at medium high heat. Add shrimps and sear both sides until they are fully cooked. Season with a pinch of salt. Transfer to clean plate. If your shrimps are large, cut in half length-wise.
    Cook shrimp for the filling of Vietnamese crepes (Banh Xeo)

Prepare the lime dipping fish sauce

  • Whisk together lime juice, water, fish sauce and sugar. Taste and adjust to your liking and then add minced garlic. Set aside.

Make the crepe

  • Add thinly sliced scallions to the batter and stir well.
    Batter for Vietnamese Crepes (Banh Xeo)
  • If using the same pan, wipe it clean. Place it over medium to medium high heat, add oil to coat the pan. If you use a 12-inch pan, pour 1/3 of the batter into the pan and quickly swirl the pan to cover the bottom. The batter should sizzle right after you pour it into the pan. If you use a small or larger pan, adjust the amount of batter: use just enough to coat the bottom with a thin layer.
    Cooking Vietnamese Crepes (Banh Xeo)
  • In the beginning, the crepe will look soft. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes. When you see that the bottom is about to crisp up (you can use a spatula to check the bottom), spread 1/2 cup of bean sprouts on one side of the crepe. Let it cook for 20-30 seconds.
    Cooking Vietnamese Crepes (Banh Xeo)
  • Continue to spread 1/3 of the onion, pork and shrimp on the same side where you just put the bean sprouts.
    Cooking Vietnamese Crepes (Banh Xeo)
  • Continue to cook the crepe for 2-3 more minutes until it is crispy. If you feel more oil is needed, drizzle some oil around the rim of the pan. Also pay attention to the heat, if you see that it develops colors too fast while it's not quite crispy yet, lower the heat slightly.
  • When the crepe is crispy to your liking, use a spatula to fold the half without filling over the other half. Then slide it out of the pan or use spatulas to transfer it to a serving plate.
    Cooking and folding Vietnamese crepes (Banh Xeo)
  • Continue with remaining batter and filling. Wipe the pan clean after you finish each crepe.
  • Serve the crepes hot with lettuce and herbs on the side and dipping sauce.

Notes

  • Rice flour tends to settle at the bottom of the bowl. Therefore, give the batter a good stir before you pour it into the pan.
  • This recipe makes three 12-inch crepes. It is enough as a main dish for 2 people. As an appetizer, it is enough for 3-4 people to share.

Nutrition

Calories: 576kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 309mg | Sodium: 2163mg | Potassium: 614mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 207mg | Iron: 5mg