These Mandarin Pancakes are incredibly simple to make! Requiring only 3 ingredients, these thin Chinese pancakes are perfect for a variety of dishes!
Pancakes are a favorite for many, but these Mandarin pancakes are a bit different than the traditional breakfast staple we all know and love! Made with only 3 ingredients, these light, airy, chewy and savory pancakes are a must try! This is the perfect recipe to amp up your next “takeout fake-out” night.
Mandarin (Chinese) Pancakes
- Easy To Make
- Perfect For Takeout Fake-out
- Versatile
- Require 3 Simple Ingredients
- Unique & Different
These paper thin pancakes are similar to a crepe, with a similar chewy and incredibly light texture, but the process is a bit different than making traditional pancakes. To make the pancakes thinner and to help them steam, two pancakes are rolled out and cooked together, making this a fun and unique recipe to try!
Ingredient Notes
- Flour – All-purpose flour works best. You could also make these with whole wheat flour.
- Water – Make sure it’s boiling water!
- Sesame Oil – Regular or toasted will both work.
How To Make Mandarin Pancakes
- Prep Dough: Combine the flour with boiling water in a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon or chopsticks. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, gather up all the shaggy dough and knead it until smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, keep adding flour as needed, about a tbsp at a time. Cover with a clean towel and let it rest for ½ hour.
- Shape Pancakes: Shape the dough into a 16″ log. With a sharp knife, cut into into 1″ pieces, you should 16 equal size pieces. Roll out each piece so that it’s about 2-inch in diameter. Brush the top of each round with sesame oil. Lay one round on top of the other, oiled sides together. Flatten the pair, so the two rounds stick together. Continue with remaining rounds, you should end up with 8 pairs.
- Roll: Roll each pair with a rolling pin, to create a thin pancake that’s about 6 to 7 inch in diameter.
- Cook Pancakes: In an ungreased cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan cook the pancakes one at a time, over medium-high heat. Cook the first side, until it starts to bubble and the dough starts to get light brown spots on the bottom, should take about 1 minute. Flip and cook for another 30 seconds on the 2nd side.
- Finish & Serve: Stack the pancakes on a plate and while the pancakes are still warm, separate each one. Take a pancake, find its seam and peel it into two pancakes.
FAQs & Expert Tips
FAQs
Mandarin Pancakes, also known as “Chinese Pancakes” are thin, light pancakes (similar to crepes) with a chewy texture. The dough is made with flour and water, then brushed with sesame oil before cooking. The dough is rolled out, cut, steamed and then pulled apart when finished cooking, making this a truly unique recipe. These pancakes are most commonly used to serve dishes like Moo Shu Pork and Peking Duck.
Pancakes can be a bit tricky to get perfect, especially the first time around. You’ll initially want to look for bubbles forming in the dough and that’s when you know you’re ready to flip! Once the pancakes become a beautiful golden brown, they are done!
These easy to make pancakes are the perfect addition to a variety of Chinese dishes. Traditionally these mandarin pancakes are used as a savory “crepe”, filled with dishes such as Moo Shu Pork and Peking Duck! You can use these light pancakes for whatever meal you see fit.
Yes! These Mandarin pancakes can be made ahead and frozen for easy future meals. Scroll down to “freezing” section for full instructions.
Tips
- Keep an eye on your pancakes while cooking, you don’t want to burn them!
- If you are cooking the pancakes in batches, make sure to wrap the finished pancakes in a tea towel. Because they are so thin, this will stop them from drying out. We want the pancakes to stay moist while you finish the rest of them.
- After the pancakes are finished, place them in a tea towel to cool, just enough so that they can be easily handled.
- Make sure to pull the two pancakes gently apart. This part can be a bit tricky! Don’t worry if some of the edges end up connected to the wrong pancake, they’ll still be just as tasty!
Storing Leftovers
Store leftover pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Reheating
Wrap the stack of pancakes in a damp tea towel so they retain some moisture and “steam” them in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute until heated through.
Freezing
After they have cooled, place in an airtight container with a layer of parchment paper in between each pancake and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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Mandarin Pancakes
Instructions
- Prep Dough: Combine the flour with boiling water in a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon or chopsticks. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, gather up all the shaggy dough and knead it until smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, keep adding flour as needed, about a tbsp at a time. Cover with a clean towel and let it rest for ½ hour.
- Shape Pancakes: Shape the dough into a 16" log. With a sharp knife, cut into into 1" pieces, you should 16 equal size pieces. Roll out each piece so that it's about 2-inch in diameter. Brush the top of each round with sesame oil. Lay one round on top of the other, oiled sides together. Flatten the pair, so the two rounds stick together. Continue with remaining rounds, you should end up with 8 pairs.
- Roll: Roll each pair with a rolling pin, to create a thin pancake that's about 6 to 7 inch in diameter.
- Cook Pancakes: In an ungreased cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan cook the pancakes one at a time, over medium-high heat. Cook the first side, until it starts to bubble and the dough starts to get light brown spots on the bottom, should take about 1 minute. Flip and cook for another 30 seconds on the 2nd side.
- Finish & Serve: Stack the pancakes on a plate and while the pancakes are still warm, separate each one. Take a pancake, find its seam and peel it into two pancakes.
Recipe Notes
- Keep an eye on your pancakes while cooking, you don’t want to burn them!
- If you are cooking the pancakes in batches, make sure to wrap the finished pancakes in a tea towel. Because they are so thin, this will stop them from drying out. We want the pancakes to stay moist while you finish the rest of them.
- After the pancakes are finished, place them in a tea towel to cool, just enough so that they can be easily handled.
- Make sure to pull the two pancakes gently apart. This part can be a bit tricky! Don’t worry if some of the edges end up connected to the wrong pancake, they’ll still be just as tasty!
- Store leftover pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: After they have cooled, place in an airtight container with a layer of parchment paper in between each pancake and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
I just made this recipe and the Moo Shu Pork tonight – WOW! It’s so nice to have good recipes that turn out. Thank you, Jo.
We are so glad you enjoyed it so much!
This is a fantastic recipe!! I was a little apprehensive that I would burn them but no worries as long as u watch them like Jo says. Came out perfect on the first try. 🥰
I make these with a tortilla press. It works like a charm!
Hello Jo,
Cant wait to try this recipe! Do you have a recipe for Scallion
Pancakes? Are they similar to this recipe?
Thanks very much.
I do not have a specific scallion pancake recipe, but these could easily be adapted into them! You’d just have to add a couple extra goodies to the mix 🙂
I love Jo’s recipes cuz they’re always so easy to follow, and the results are delicious. But if you want a good recipe for scallion pancakes, check this one out:
http://thewoksoflife.com/2016/07/shanghai-scallion-pancakes/
The site has some other amazing recipes on it, too.