Crispy Vietnamese Bánh Xèo
Bánh xèo is a Vietnamese crêpe made from rice flour, coconut milk and turmeric — the turmeric, not egg, gives it its yellow colour. The secret of the crispness is a very thin batter, a very hot pan and generous oil.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Calories
- 340
Photo: Kent Wang from Austin, TX — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Bánh xèo is Vietnamese street food eaten in a fun way: you cut off a piece, wrap it in a lettuce leaf with herbs and dip it in the sauce. It is completely gluten-free.
Method
-
1
Batter and rest
Mix the rice flour, cornflour, turmeric and salt, then add the water and coconut milk gradually while whisking until it is very thin, like milk — much thinner than crêpe batter. Add the spring onions and let it rest for 30 minutes. Resting lets the rice flour absorb the liquid so the texture settles.
-
2
Preparing the filling
Season the prawns and meat with salt and pepper. Heat the pan and sauté the onion for 2 minutes, then the meat until cooked, then the prawns for just 2 minutes until they turn pink. Set them aside — the filling is prepared before the crêpe because the crêpe itself takes only minutes.
-
3
Heating the pan
This is the decisive step. Heat a 20–24 cm non-stick pan over high heat until very hot — sprinkle a drop of water on it; it should sizzle and vanish at once. A lukewarm pan gives a soft, rubbery crêpe, not a crisp one.
-
4
Pouring and spreading
Add a tablespoon of oil (generous on purpose — it is the source of the crispness). Stir the batter well (rice flour settles), pour a ladleful into the centre and swirl the pan at once so the batter spreads very thinly to the edges.
-
5
Filling and cooking
Spread some filling and bean sprouts over half the crêpe. Cover the pan for 2 minutes so the sprouts steam, then uncover it and leave it for 3–4 minutes over medium-high heat until the edges lift and turn brown and crisp. Uncovering is essential so the steam escapes and the crispness forms.
-
6
Folding and serving
Fold the crêpe in half over the filling with a spatula, leave it 30 seconds more and slide it onto a plate. Serve it with lettuce leaves, herbs and nuoc cham sauce. How to eat it: cut off a piece, wrap it in a lettuce leaf with mint and coriander, and dip it in the sauce.
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Tips that actually matter
- The batter should be very thin, like milk — a thick batter gives a heavy, rubbery crêpe.
- Stir the batter before every ladleful — rice flour sinks to the bottom quickly.
- Be generous with the oil, not stingy — it is what fries the edges crisp.
- Eat it at once — it loses its crispness within minutes, so make them one at a time and serve straight away.
People also ask
Why is it yellow? Does it have egg?
No, there is no egg at all. The yellow colour comes from turmeric, and bánh xèo is completely free of egg and gluten — it is based on rice flour and coconut milk.
Why does the crêpe come out soft, not crisp?
The pan wasn’t hot enough, there wasn’t enough oil, or the lid stayed on the whole time. Cover it for just 2 minutes so the sprouts cook, then uncover it for 3–4 minutes so the steam escapes and the edges crisp.
What can I use instead of nuoc cham?
Mix 2 tablespoons fish sauce (or soy sauce), 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon sugar, 4 tablespoons warm water, minced garlic and chilli. That is the basic Vietnamese balance: salty, sour, sweet and hot.
Can I make it vegetarian?
Yes, easily — swap the prawns and meat for mushrooms and seasoned tofu, and use soy sauce instead of fish sauce. The base itself is already plant-based.
Cook mode
Crispy Vietnamese Bánh Xèo
-
1
Batter and rest
Mix the rice flour, cornflour, turmeric and salt, then add the water and coconut milk gradually while whisking until it is very thin, like milk — much thinner than crêpe batter. Add the spring onions and let it rest for 30 minutes. Resting lets the rice flour absorb the liquid so the texture settles.
-
2
Preparing the filling
Season the prawns and meat with salt and pepper. Heat the pan and sauté the onion for 2 minutes, then the meat until cooked, then the prawns for just 2 minutes until they turn pink. Set them aside — the filling is prepared before the crêpe because the crêpe itself takes only minutes.
-
3
Heating the pan
This is the decisive step. Heat a 20–24 cm non-stick pan over high heat until very hot — sprinkle a drop of water on it; it should sizzle and vanish at once. A lukewarm pan gives a soft, rubbery crêpe, not a crisp one.
-
4
Pouring and spreading
Add a tablespoon of oil (generous on purpose — it is the source of the crispness). Stir the batter well (rice flour settles), pour a ladleful into the centre and swirl the pan at once so the batter spreads very thinly to the edges.
-
5
Filling and cooking
Spread some filling and bean sprouts over half the crêpe. Cover the pan for 2 minutes so the sprouts steam, then uncover it and leave it for 3–4 minutes over medium-high heat until the edges lift and turn brown and crisp. Uncovering is essential so the steam escapes and the crispness forms.
-
6
Folding and serving
Fold the crêpe in half over the filling with a spatula, leave it 30 seconds more and slide it onto a plate. Serve it with lettuce leaves, herbs and nuoc cham sauce. How to eat it: cut off a piece, wrap it in a lettuce leaf with mint and coriander, and dip it in the sauce.
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