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Prep 10 minutesmins
Cook 40 minutesmins
Total 2 hourshrs50 minutesmins
Thin, crispy bánh xèo filled with juicy pork belly, shrimp, and bean sprouts are served with fresh herbs and nuoc cham for the ultimate crowd-pleasing dish.
Banh xeo is everyone’s favorite Vietnamese dish because it is crispy, savory, flavorful, and delicious. These Vietnamese crepes are stuffed with mung beans, shrimp, juicy pork belly, and crisp bean sprouts, then pan-fried until golden and crispy.
This banh xeo recipe is incredibly easy to make, and it’s perfect for a delicious family dinner. Serve these savory Vietnamese crepes wrapped in lettuce and fragrant herbs, then dip them into the most addicting nuoc cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce).
Bánh xèo is a popular Vietnamese dish that loosely translates to “sizzling cake.” It refers to the sizzling sound when the batter hits the hot pan. It is a savory Vietnamese crepe made with turmeric and rice flour, filled with thinly sliced pork, shrimp, mung beans, and bean sprouts. They are served with a side of lettuce and fragrant herbs, then dipped in a bright, nuoc cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce).
Ingredients
You can find all the ingredients for this banh xeo recipe at your local Vietnamese or Asian grocery store. Full measurements and links to everything I used are in the recipe card below.
Mung Beans: Use peeled, split mung beans that are washed and soaked in water for at least 1 hour.
Full-fat coconut milk: Be sure to use full-fat coconut milk for the best texture and flavor.
Rice Flour: is the base of this crepe. It will yield a soft and crispy crepe.
Cornstarch: creates a crispy exterior.
All-Purpose Flour: creates structure for the batter.
Protein: pork shoulder, pork butt, ground pork, and other seafood like squid or dried shrimp.
Beer: instead of water for added flavor and crispiness.
Sparkling water, instead of water, helps add airy pockets to the batter.
Bean sprouts: for added flavor, add my Korean bean sprout salad into the Vietnamese crepe instead of plain bean sprouts.
How to Make Bánh Xèo
Here are the step-by-step instructions for how to make this banh xeo recipe.
In a small bowl, soak 1 cup of dried mung beans in water until softened, about 1 hour or overnight. Strain and blend with 1/2 cup of coconut milk until smooth.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the mung bean mixture, rice flour, cornstarch, water, green onion, turmeric, sugar, and salt. Let the crepe batter rest for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
Fillings
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add the pork, shrimp, and slices of yellow onion. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the shrimp is pink and the pork is almost cooked through, about 2-3 minutes.
Steam the mung beans for 15 minutes or until soft and tender.
Assemble
In the wok on medium-high heat, add a few slices of pork, shrimp, and onion to one side of the pan.
Stir the crêpe batter, then ladle a portion into the pan, tilting and swirling to create an even layer.
Scatter mung beans over the crepe, then add the bean sprouts. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil around the edges. Cover the skillet and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes to steam the bean sprouts. Then remove the lid and cook on medium-high until the bottom of the crêpe is golden and crisp, about 5-6 more minutes. Then fold the crepe in half.
Slide the crêpe onto a plate and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
Use a scale to measure the flour. This will provide a foolproof way to determine whether the recipe was followed accurately. If you don’t have a scale, simply fluff up the flour with a spoon and gently drop it into your measuring cup. Do NOT pack the flour.
Make the batter in advance. The batter needs time for the flour to absorb the liquids and fully reach its crispy potential. The minimum time the batter should rest is 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
Before cooking stir the batter. The flours will sink to the bottom of the batter so give the batter a quick stir before adding it to your hot skillet.
Make sure your skillet is hot before adding the batter. A hot skillet will ensure the batter will be crispy. Make sure you use medium-high heat to prevent the crepe from burning.
Cooking time will vary. The cooking times will vary depending on what pan you use, how hot your stove is, and how many you are making. It is important to keep an eye on the crepe.
Drizzle oil along the edges of the crepe. This will ensure the edges are extra crispy as they pan fry in the skillet.
Storage Instructions
You can store the batter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. If the banh xeo is already made, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They will lose their crispness over time in the refrigerator.
Reheat: heat some oil in a wok until hot, add the leftover crepes and cook on both sides until warm.
Pairing Suggestions
You can eat these Vietnamese savory crepes on their own for lunch or dinner, or with the following suggestions.
Thin, crispy bánh xèo filled with juicy pork belly, shrimp, and bean sprouts are served with fresh herbs and nuoc cham for the ultimate crowd-pleasing dish.
Prepare the mung beans. In a small bowl, cover the mung beans with water until softened, about 1 hour or overnight. Drain the mung beans and blend a 1/2 cup with coconut milk until smooth. Set aside the other 1/2 cup for steaming.
Mix the batter. In a large mixing bowl, combine the mung bean mixture, rice flour, cornstarch, water, scallions, turmeric, sugar, and salt. Let the crepe batter rest for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
Fillings
Cook the pork, shrimp, and onion. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork, shrimp, and yellow onion. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, then cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the shrimp is pink and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
Steam the mung beans. In a steamer, lay the mung beans in a thin layer in the basket and steam on medium-high heat for 15 minutes, or until soft and tender. Set aside.
Cook the Crepes
Heat the proteins. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok or large skillet on medium-high heat until hot. Then add a few slices of pork, shrimp, and onion on one side of the pan.
Add the batter. Stir the crêpe batter, then pour enough batter to create a thin layer across your pan; tilt and swirl the pan to coat the edges until the batter forms an even layer, making sure to cover the shrimp and pork.
Add the mung beans and bean sprouts. Then add the mung beans and bean sprouts. Next, drizzle 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil around the edges. Cover and steam the bean sprouts for 2 minutes. Then remove the lid and cook on medium-high until the bottom of the crêpe is golden and crisp, about 5-7 more minutes. Then fold the crepe in half. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Serve. Plate the crepe with lettuce, herbs, and nuoc cham and serve immediately. Enjoy!
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