My homemade Vietnamese crepes have a delicious, crispy batter filled with prawns, thinly sliced pork, mung bean, and bean sprouts. The finished crepe gets wrapped in lettuce along with fragrant herbs, and dunk in an addicting tangy spicy dipping sauce.
My mom and I have been spending a lot of time together cooking and reminiscing about our time in Vietnam. It made me nostalgic for my childhood and some of my first food memories. I remember wandering through the local open air markets with my mom and snacking on various street foods like bánh xèo, also known as Vietnamese crepes.
Bánh xèo is a quintessential Vietnamese dish and named after the sizzling sounds it makes when the batter hits the smoking hot pan. These Vietnamese crepes are filled with prawns, pork, mung bean, and bean sprouts. The finished crepe is broken up into small pieces, wrapped in lettuce along with fragrant herbs, and dunk in an addicting tangy spicy dipping sauce called nước chấm.
The best bánh xèo I have tasted was at the legendary Bánh Xèo 46A Đinh Công Tráng which required me to get on 4 different bus routes and a long walk from my hometown of Thủ Đức just to find the narrow alley that it’s nestled in. It’s a complete sensory treat as you watch these skilled ladies pumping out Vietnamese crepes over the giant charcoal braziers like no one’s business. The crepes you get are crispy with a hint of smokiness and incredibly delicious. You can watch how they make the crepes here. Until we can safely travel again, I’m making my mom’s banh xeo to curb the cravings.
Ingredient notes
- Rice flour: for this recipe, make sure you get rice flour and not glutinous flour. It’s an inexpensive regular shelf item at the Asian grocery stores.
- Corn starch: with the addition of cornstarch, the texture of the Vietnamese crepe will be more crispy.
- Turmeric: turmeric gives the crepe their brilliant yellow color. A little bit goes a long way. Adding too much will lend a bitter taste once cooked.
- Yellow split mung bean: you need to soak these the night before or for 6 hours to soften them before steaming.
- Coconut cream: adding coconut cream adds a bit of richness to the batter.
- Pork: you can use any cuts you like–shoulder, butt, belly. They just need to be thinly sliced. Some people like to use ground pork and that works too.
- Prawn: I like to use size 26/30 which means there are 26 to 30 prawns per pound. When you use bigger prawns make sure to halve them so they cook faster. Smaller prawns also make it easier to fold the crepe.
Tips for making the batter
Once you make the batter, let it rest for an hour. The batter can be made 2 days ahead, covered, and stored in the fridge. Bring the batter to room temperature before you cook it.
For Vietnamese crepes, you need a thin batter. Look for a consistency slightly thicker than heavy cream but not thick like pancake. When you make your first crepe and have a hard time swirling the batter around the pan, the consistency is too thick. Add half a tablespoon of water at a time to thin it down.
Tips for cooking the crepes
If it’s your first time making Vietnamese crepes, reading through these tips will make the cooking process more efficient and fun.
- Use a non-stick, well-seasoned skillet. You can try using a shallow wok but it doesn’t work as well as the skillet. Avoid cast iron pans as they make it harder to swirl the batter and will burn your crepes too quickly.
- Portion out your fillings so all the crepes have the same amount of prawns, pork, mung bean, and bean sprouts. Use a large chopping board, baking sheet, or plate large enough to hold all the portions.
- Give the batter a quick stir to redistribute the flour that had settled at the bottom.
- Medium-high heat is the best level for making it crispy without burning it. You want the pan hot! If the batter didn’t sizzle and bubble upon contact, the skillet isn’t hot enough.
- Use at least a tablespoon of oil to coat your pan. My mom taught me to get extra crispy Vietnamese crepes, you need copious amount of lard, at least 1/3 cup per crepe. The extra lard is poured off once the crepe is cooked so you’re actually not consuming all of it.
- Cook your prawns and pork directly on the pan which adds more flavor.
- Use about 1/3 cup of batter per crepe. My recipe will give a total of 6 crepes.
- Pick up the pan and swirl the batter all around to coat the bottom and all the fillings. If needed add extra batter to fill the empty spots.
- To make it easier to fold the crepe later on, distribute the fillings on two sides, leaving a border in the middle without anything.
How long to cook the crepes for
Cook the meat and prawns first which takes about 1 minute to brown. Once you add the batter, mung bean, and bean sprouts, cover with a lid and cook for 3 more minutes until the bean sprouts soften and protein done. Uncover and drizzle about a tablespoon of oil around the edges and cook for another 1 minute to get it extra crispy before folding it in half. You need about 5 minutes per crepes but adjust the heat and amount of oil as you cook to get it to the crispiness that you like.
Vietnamese crepes are best eaten as they are made. If you need to keep them warm and crisp while finishing the whole batch, leave them on a baking sheet in the oven at 225 degrees until ready to serve.
What to serve the crepes with
Vietnamese crepes are traditionally served with a dipping sauce and fresh herbs like young green mustard (cải bẹ xanh), lettuce, Vietnamese mint (rau răm), Thai basil (húng quế ), peppermint (húng lui), and Vietnamese perilla (tiá tô).
How to eat the crepe
There are a few ways of eating these delicious Vietnamese crepes. The most traditional way is rolling pieces of crepe in a large leaf of green mustard or lettuce along with the Vietnamese herbs and dipping everything in the nước chấm. This is how my mom and I enjoy them. Other people like to roll everything up in rice paper similar to spring rolls. And the last but easiest of all is tearing up the crepe, putting everything in the bowl along with the herbs, and drizzling the dipping sauce all over.
For as long as I could remember, Vietnamese crepe was one of the earliest street foods that my mom introduced me to. There’s nothing like breaking into a crispy, hot off the pan crepe. The batter has a hint of richness from the coconut cream while the fillings bring all the different flavors and textures. Along with the fresh herbs and nước chấm, your taste buds are in for a treat! Making these crepes is as fun as eating them. Give it a try and you’ll master them in no time!
For more Vietnamese food inspiration, check these recipes: Vietnamese savory prawn coconut pancakes, Vietnamese prawn and sweet potato fritters, Vietnamese shaking beef.
Equipment
- 10 inch non-stick frying pan or shallow wok
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice flour
- 1/4 cup corn starch
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup coconut cream
- 1 cup sliced scallion, green parts only
- 1 lb prawns, peeled and deveined
- 8 oz pork butt/shoulder/belly, thinly sliced
- 3 cups bean sprouts
- 1/3 cup yellow split mung bean, soaked for 6 hours or overnight
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil for frying
Dipping sauce
- 2 tbsps fish sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 tbsps granulated sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 red bird's eye chili, thinly sliced
For serving
- 1 handful of Thai basil
- 1 handful of Vietnamese mint
- 1 handful of peppermint
- 1 handful of of perilla leaves
- a few baby leaves of mustard green
- a few pieces of lettuce
Instructions
- To make the batter, combine rice flour, cornstarch, turmeric, and salt in a bowl. Whisk in coconut cream and water. Stir in the green scallion. Set aside to rest for 1 hour.
- To make the dipping sauce, combine everything in a bowl and whisk together until combined. Set aside until ready to serve.
- Wash and drain the pre-soaked mung bean. Put the mung bean in a steamer and steam for 15 minutes or until mung bean is soft. Set aside.
- Add a tablespoon of oil to the pan over med-high heat. Add the portioned prawns and pork and cook until pork browned and prawns opaque, about 1 minute. Separate the mixture on two opposite sides of the pan leaving a border in the middle.
- Ladle 1/3 cup of batter into the pan, swirl to cover the pan and fillings. Add a little bit of batter to fill the empty spots.
- Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cooked mung bean all over the pan. Add 1/2 cup of bean sprouts to one side of the pan.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 3 minutes until everything is cooked through.
- Uncover the lid, drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil around the edges and cook for another minute until the bottom and edges are crispy.
- Slide a spatula under one side and fold crepe over to cover the fillings. Transfer the folded crepe to a plate.
- Slide finished crepe onto prepared rack and place in oven to keep warm at 225 degrees F while you make the remaining crepes.
- Repeat with remaining oil, batter and fillings for 5 more crepes, wiping the pan with absorbent paper between batches.
- Serve the crepes immediately with mustard green, lettuce, herbs and nuoc cham.
Notes
- Once you make the batter, let it rest for an hour. The batter can be made 2 days ahead, covered, and stored in the fridge. Bring the batter to room temperature before you cook it.
- Use a non-stick, well-seasoned skillet or shallow wok. Avoid cast iron pans as they make it harder to swirl the batter.
- Portion out your fillings so all the crepes have the same amount of prawns, pork, mung bean, and bean sprouts. Use a large chopping board, baking sheet, or plate large enough to hold all the portions.
- Give the batter a quick stir to redistribute the flour that had settled at the bottom.
- Medium-high heat is the best level for making it crispy without burning it. If the batter didn’t sizzle and bubble upon contact, the skillet isn’t hot enough.
- Use a tablespoon of oil to coat your pan. My mom taught me to get extra crispy Vietnamese crepes, you need copious amount of lard, at least 1/3 cup per crepe. The extra lard is poured off once the crepe is cooked so you’re actually not consuming all of it.
- Cook your prawns and pork directly on the pan which adds more flavor.
- Use about 1/3 cup of batter per crepe. My recipe will give a total of 6 crepes.
- Pick up the pan and swirl the batter all around to coat the bottom and all the fillings. If needed add extra batter to fill the empty spots.
- If you have a hard time swirling the batter, the consistency is too thick. Add half a tablespoon of water at a time to thin it.
- To make it easier to fold the crepe later on, distribute the fillings on two sides, leaving a border in the middle without anything.
I was so excited to try your recipe after watching you make it on IG. They turned out so good and crispy! Will have to double the recipe next time.
I’ve always wondered why the Vietnamese crepes at the restaurants always come out soaking in oil. No wonder they’re so crispy. Reading through the tips was really helpful. They turned out delicious, not as pretty but I considered it a success for my first time!
My kids love shrimp so I made the banh xeo without meat and they turned out so good! The grocery store was out of bean sprouts so I skipped them and no one minded. Will be making this again soon!
Thanks for all the tips! I made banh xeo before but your post was really helpful. They turned out so good!
They turned out so good! I didn’t have pork belly and used ground pork and it worked out every well. Thanks for the recipe!
I don’t like meat very much and made your recipe with just shrimp and some squid. They turned out so good!
Very helpful tips. They turned out delicious and crispy just the way I like them. And yes banh xeo 46A is the best!
I had banh xeo at 46A and it was so good. Definitely the best banh xeo in Saigon. I tried your recipe over the weekend and it turned out really good. Really appreciated all the helpful tips!
So good! I’ve never tried this with mustard green and the taste was interesting.
All the tips were so helpful! I think I had the heat a little high and some were slightly burnt but they turned out tasty!
Banh xeo 46A was one of my favorites stops. Your banh xeo turned out so good, prob healthier than their version.
My first attempt at making these crepes was a bit traumatic. They ended up getting burnt and thrown in the trash. I tried them again with your recipe and so excited them came out successful. Thank you for all the useful tips!
I made this twice already and it turned out delicious both times!
This turns out amazing each time! I alternate this with your banh khot recipe depending on who I’m feeding.
This hits the spot every time! Thanks for the recipe.
I struggled a little bit with the first few crepes. Once I got the hang of it they were easy to make. Thanks for the helpful tips.
I’ve made these Vietnamese crepes a few times already and they always turned out delicious!
I haven’t made these yet, can’t wait for that tonight, but I don’t see where the recipe says to add the scallions. The only clue is the photo with them in the batter. So I will add them to the batter! Just a thought that you might want to add that to the instructions. 😊
Ruth thank you for catching that! I will fix it!
Thanks so much! We made these and really loved them! The first one bombed in a wok, so I switched to a wide-bottom nonstick pan, and it worked well. I used almond flour because we couldn’t find rice flour, and I think it was a good sub. Got very crispy and delicious. Will make again!
Ruth I’m so happy they turned out delicious! I’m really surprised that the almond flour worked. The rice flours I get are from the Vietnamese grocery stores. If you can’t find them at the store, you can try online. I remember Bob’s Red Mill carries white rice flour.
Well … I wouldn’t say the almond flour was perfect. I’m not an expert on this dish, and the texture was crispy, but the consistency of the batter as it cooked looked odd (holey, if that makes sense?). So I can’t recommend it. I will look to order rice flour online, thank you. We did see brown rice flour at our grocery. Have you tried that?
I haven’t tried brown rice flour before. I have eaten brown rice and texturally it’s different from white rice but when it’s ground up, it’s probably very similar. The taste might be more nutty. Ruth I’ll let you know if I try the crepes with the brown rice flour!
The first time I made this, they didn’t look as nice as your crepes but were so delicious. After the second time I got the hang of it and they were so easy to make. Thanks for all the tips!
I’ve tried a few Vietnamese crepe recipes and this one is my favorite. It turns out crispy, delicious, and consistent every time. Can’t wait to try the banh khot one!
I’ve made these banh xeo a few times already and my recipe printout is completely stained! The result is consistent and delicious. I also used it as a vegetarian base and it worked with the tofu and some of my favorite veggies.
Delicious every single time. Thanks for the tips!
Delicious!
The first time I made your recipe, the banh xeo didn’t look very presentable but still tasted delicious. The second time turned out better. Thank you for the recipe!
Hands down one of my favorite recipes from you! Delicious and consistent result every time.
So good! I made this a few times already and the crepes always turned out delicious.
So good!
My go to banh xeo recipe! Thanks for all the tips!
Delicious every time! I used the batter for a vegetarian version and it turned out great.
Ngon qua!
So good and all the tips were very helpful! I made a seafood version with squid and shrimp and it turned out delicious.
Hands down one of my favorite recipes from you!
One of my favorite recipes from you! Amazing flavor!
I made this a couple times already and it always turned out delicious!
Very helpful tips! They came out delicious.
I really enjoyed the crepes, crunchy with lots of flavor and texture.
I’ve made this so many times already. Hands down one of my favorite recipes from you!
I really enjoyed the crepes. Thank you for the recipe!
One of my favorite recipes from you! Delicious and consistent everything.
Crispy and flavorful. I skipped the pork and still tasted delicious.
Love this recipe!
So good! The flavor was perfect!
So good! Can’t say enough about this recipe. I use the batter for a vegetarian version also.
Easy to make and tasted better than the restaurant. Thank you!