How to Make Bánh Xèo: A Guide to Vietnamese Sizzling Pancake

Bánh xèo takes its name from the sound it makes: a sharp, unmistakable sizzle the moment batter meets a scorching pan. Learn the technique behind this turmeric-yellow, herb-wrapped classic, and discover where its ingredient-led spirit lives on in Paris.

What Is Bánh Xèo?

Few Vietnamese dishes announce themselves the way bánh xèo does. The name translates roughly to "sizzling cake," a reference to the sound of thin rice batter hitting a blistering hot pan. That single moment of contact defines everything that follows: a crisp, golden-yellow shell, folded around a warm filling, meant to be torn apart by hand and eaten wrapped in lettuce and herbs.

The dish is most closely associated with southern and central Vietnam, where cooks pass the technique down through generations, each family holding its own small variations in batter thickness, filling, and fold. It is street food and home cooking at once: casual, communal, and built for sharing rather than solitary eating.

What separates a good bánh xèo from a mediocre one has less to do with the recipe and more to do with heat. The batter must be poured thin, almost too thin, into a pan hot enough to set it instantly at the edges. A tentative pan produces a soft, chewy disappointment. A properly heated one produces lace-thin crispness, the kind that shatters slightly under a bite.

Bánh Xèo Ingredients for 2 Servings

For anyone looking to try the technique at home, here is a general ingredient breakdown sized for two people, roughly four to six small pancakes.

Batter

- 150g rice flour

- 1 tbs turmeric powder

- 100 ml coconut milk

- 200 ml water 

- 1 pinch of salt

- 1 stalk of green onion (optional)

Filling

- 150g pork belly or shoulder, thinly sliced

- 100g peeled shrimp

- 150g bean sprouts

- 3–4 tbsp cooking oil

To serve

- 1 small head of lettuce or mustard greens

- 100 ml sauce nuoc mam

- A handful of mint, perilla, Thai basil (mixed)

How to make Banh Xeo - Step by Step

Making Banh Xeo at home is easier than it looks. The key is getting the batter thin and crispy, preparing the filling in advance, and cooking the pancake over high heat. Follow these simple steps for crispy, flavorful Banh Xeo every time.

Step 1: Prepare the Banh Xeo batter

In a large mixing bowl, combine rice flour, turmeric powder, coconut milk, and water. Add a pinch of salt and mix until smooth. Let the batter rest for around 20–30 minutes. This allows the flour to hydrate and helps create a crispier texture.

For extra flavor, you can add finely sliced green onions or chives to the batter just before cooking.

Step 2: Preparing the filling

Before the pan ever heats, the filling is assembled: thin slices of pork, usually belly or shoulder, alongside shrimp and a generous handful of bean sprouts. Some versions include mung beans, split and steamed until tender, adding a soft, earthy contrast to the crunch of the sprouts.

Step 3: Pouring and swirling the batter

Use a non-stick or well-seasoned skillet for the best results. Heat the pan over medium-high to high heat and add a small amount of cooking oil. The pan needs to be hot before you add the batter. A sufficiently hot pan is one of the most important secrets to achieving the signature crispy edges of Banh Xeo.

Give the batter a quick stir, then pour a thin layer into the hot pan. Immediately tilt and rotate the pan so the batter spreads evenly across the bottom. The pancake should be thin and lacy around the edges, rather than thick like a traditional Western pancake.

Step 4: Add the filling and cook until cripsy

Place the cooked shrimp and pork on one half of the pancake. Add a handful of fresh bean sprouts and any other prepared vegetables. Cover the pan with a lid for about 1–2 minutes to help the filling cook and soften the bean sprouts.

Remove the lid and continue cooking uncovered until the bottom of the Banh Xeo is golden and crispy. Drizzle a little more oil around the edges if needed. Avoid flipping the pancake. Instead, once the edges are crisp and the pancake releases easily from the pan, fold it in half over the filling.

Step 5: Serve Your Banh Xeo 

Transfer the Banh Xeo to a serving plate and serve immediately while it is still hot and crispy. For the traditional Vietnamese experience, cut the pancake into smaller pieces and wrap each piece in lettuce and fresh herbs such as mint, Thai basil, or Vietnamese perilla. Dip the wrapped pancake into Vietnamese dipping sauce (nước chấm) before eating.

Pro tip: The best Banh Xeo is eaten immediately after cooking. If you are making several pancakes, keep them uncovered rather than stacking them, as trapped steam can make the crispy edges become soft.

Bánh Xèo in Paris: A Dish Worth Knowing, Even Off the Menu

Bánh xèo is not currently on the menu at Hanoi 1988. The kitchen's identity is rooted in the culinary traditions of northern Vietnam, a region with its own distinct approach to noodles, broth, and technique, and bánh xèo, more closely tied to the south and center of the country, sits outside that focus.

That does not make the dish any less worth understanding. If anything, the same principles that define a well-made bánh xèo, precise heat, fresh ingredients handled with care, and a finished dish that rewards patience, are exactly what define the kitchen at Hanoi 1988. For anyone curious to taste that discipline in Paris, the flagship at 72 Quai des Orfèvres and Hanoi 1988 Sao Vàng on Île Saint-Louis both offer a menu built around that northern tradition, from the signature Phở Bò Sốt Vang to a full range of bún dishes.

Frequently Asked Questions About Bánh Xèo

Is bánh xèo gluten-free? The batter is rice-based, which is naturally gluten-free. As with any dish, it is worth confirming there are no wheat-based additions in a specific kitchen's recipe.

Is bánh xèo the same as a crepe? Only in shape. A French crepe is typically wheat-based, sweet or savoury, and soft throughout. Bánh xèo is rice-based, savoury, and defined by a crisp, almost brittle texture that a crepe does not share.

Can bánh xèo be made vegetarian? Yes. The pork and shrimp can be replaced with mushrooms, tofu, or additional vegetables, while the batter and herb wrapping stay the same. The technique matters more than the specific filling.

Curious about the northern Vietnamese traditions that shape the menu at Hanoi 1988? Explore the full menu, including the signature Phở Bò Sốt Vang, at viet-eat.com.