Name: Bánh xèo miền Tây — Mekong Delta coconut rice pancakes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 95 min
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: 250 g rice flour; 30 g cornstarch; 200 ml unsweetened coconut milk, stirred; 350 ml cold water; 2 g ground turmeric; 3 g fine salt; 20 g scallions, thinly sliced; 80 g dried split mung beans; 200 g raw medium shrimp, peeled and deveined; 200 g pork belly, cut into 5 mm slices; 100 g yellow onion, thinly sliced; 240 g fresh bean sprouts, rinsed and thoroughly dried; 2 g fine salt for the filling; 1 g ground black pepper; 45 ml neutral oil for cooking the pancakes; 30 ml fish sauce; 30 ml fresh lime juice; 90 ml water; 30 g granulated sugar; 5 g garlic, finely minced; 1 red chili, finely sliced; 200 g lettuce leaves; 80 g mixed fresh herbs such as mint, Vietnamese coriander and perilla

Bánh xèo miền Tây, a crisp golden coconut-rice pancake filled with shrimp, pork belly, mung beans and bean sprouts. Wide shared-table view with herbs and dipping sauce.

Yield 4 large pancakes, one per person

Cook 45 minutes

Passive 30 minutes for mung-bean soaking and batter rest

Total 1 hour 35 minutes

Calories About 850 kcal per serving

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Bánh xèo miền Tây — Mekong Delta coconut rice pancakes

Bánh xèo takes its name from the sizzling sound the batter makes when it hits a hot pan. Across Vietnam, the pancake changes in size, texture and filling. The miền Tây style of the Mekong Delta is notably large and thin, often golden with turmeric and enriched with coconut milk. Pork, shrimp and bean sprouts are common fillings; mung beans and jicama appear in some versions. Lettuce and herbs make the finished pancake easy to wrap and dip.

This home version makes four broad pancakes from rice flour, coconut milk and a little cornstarch for crisp edges. The mung beans are soaked and cooked until tender, and the pork and shrimp are cooked before they go into the crepes. That order makes it easier to check the pork safely and keeps the pancake cooking time focused on a thin, crisp shell. The ingredient set is one practical version, not a fixed formula for every Mekong Delta household.

Eat bánh xèo while it is hot. The crisp edge softens as steam escapes from the filling, so cook each pancake close to serving time rather than stacking them. Set out lettuce, fresh herbs and nước chấm, then let everyone tear off a piece and build their own bite.

Practical

Keys to successDrain the mung beans and bean sprouts well; extra water can soften the pancake. Rest and stir the thin batter before each pour so the rice flour does not settle. Heat the pan fully, use a measured thin film of oil and tilt the pan immediately after pouring. Cook pork to 63°C / 145°F with a thin-tip thermometer and rest it for 3 minutes before slicing or serving. Uncover the pancake for the final crisping stage; trapped steam softens the edges.

Ingredients

Pancake batter

250 g rice flour
30 g cornstarch
200 ml unsweetened coconut milk, stirred
350 ml cold water
2 g ground turmeric
3 g fine salt
20 g scallions, thinly sliced

Filling

80 g dried split mung beans
200 g raw medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
200 g pork belly, cut into 5 mm slices
100 g yellow onion, thinly sliced
240 g fresh bean sprouts, rinsed and thoroughly dried
2 g fine salt for the filling
1 g ground black pepper
45 ml neutral oil for cooking the pancakes

Nước chấm

30 ml fish sauce
30 ml fresh lime juice
90 ml water
30 g granulated sugar
5 g garlic, finely minced
1 red chili, finely sliced

To serve

200 g lettuce leaves
80 g mixed fresh herbs such as mint, Vietnamese coriander and perilla

Method

Rinse the mung beans until the water runs mostly clear. Cover with cool water and soak for 30 minutes. Drain, cover with fresh water in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, then simmer covered for 15–20 minutes until tender but still holding their shape. Drain well and cool. Do not leave the soaked beans at room temperature beyond this 30-minute preparation period.
Whisk rice flour, cornstarch, turmeric and 3 g salt in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in coconut milk and 350 ml water until smooth and thin. Stir in the scallions and rest the batter for 20 minutes while the beans cook; whisk again before each pancake.
Stir fish sauce, lime juice, 90 ml water and sugar until dissolved. Mix in garlic and chili. Taste and adjust only with a little water or lime if needed. Refrigerate the dipping sauce if it will wait more than 2 hours.
Keep raw shrimp and pork chilled and separate from the sprouts, lettuce, herbs and cooked foods. Pat the shrimp dry. Season pork and shrimp with the measured 2 g salt and pepper. Prepare four portions of onion, sprouts and cooked mung beans. Wash hands and clean the raw-protein board and knife before handling greens.
Heat a skillet over medium heat with a thin film of oil. Cook pork in a single layer, turning as needed, until the thickest slice reaches 63°C / 145°F. Insert a thin-tip thermometer sideways into the center of a slice. Rest the pork for 3 minutes on a clean plate. In the same pan, cook shrimp until firm, pearly and opaque throughout; transfer to a clean plate and keep the cooked filling covered and hot.
Heat the nonstick skillet over medium-high and brush with about 10 ml oil. Stir the batter, pour in one quarter (about 150 ml), and immediately tilt the pan to spread a thin, even layer. Arrange one quarter of the pork, shrimp, mung beans and onion over one half; scatter one quarter of the bean sprouts over the filling. Cover for about 2 minutes until the batter sets.
Uncover and cook for 2–4 minutes, adjusting the heat so the edge dries and turns crisp without scorching. When the underside is golden and releases from the pan, fold the empty half over the filling and slide the pancake onto a clean platter. Repeat with the remaining batter and filling, brushing the pan with more oil as needed. Do not stack pancakes; they soften.
Serve each pancake immediately with lettuce leaves, fresh herbs and nước chấm. Tear off a small piece, wrap it with greens and herbs, then dip. Refrigerate leftover filling and pancakes within 2 hours; reheat the filling thoroughly and crisp the pancake in a hot dry pan before serving.

Practical

Practical guidance

Cooked mung beans can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated. For the crispest edges, dry the bean sprouts thoroughly and cook one pancake at a time in a fully heated pan. If the batter thickens while standing, whisk in a tablespoon of water. A nonstick pan makes folding easier; use a thin spatula and loosen the edges before folding. The nước chấm can be made several hours in advance and kept chilled.

Troubleshooting

Pancake sticks: Let the pan heat fully, add a thin film of oil and wait until the underside has dried before loosening the edge. Batter makes a thick pancake: Whisk in a little water and use less batter; tilt the pan quickly to spread it thin. Edges are soft: Drain sprouts well, uncover the pan and cook a little longer over medium heat. Filling releases liquid: Dry the sprouts and shrimp, and avoid crowding the pan. Pancake tears when folded: Wait until the base is golden and crisp enough to release, then fold gently with a thin spatula.

FAQ

Can I prepare the batter ahead? Yes. Cover and refrigerate it overnight, then bring it toward room temperature and whisk well before cooking. Add a spoonful of water if it has thickened. Can I leave out the mung beans? Yes. Mung beans are common in some versions but not every bánh xèo includes them. The pancake will still work; the nutrition estimate will be lower. How do I keep the pancakes crisp? Cook them individually in a hot pan, drain the sprouts well, uncover for the final crisping stage and serve each pancake as soon as it is folded.

Nutrition per serving

Serving sizeOne large pancake with one quarter of the sauce and greens
CaloriesAbout 850 kcal
Carbohydrate92 g
Protein35 g
Fat40 g
Fibre7 g
SodiumAbout 1,000 mg

Allergens and safety

Contains crustaceans (shrimp) and fish (fish sauce). Check labels for additional ingredients and cross-contact. Keep raw shrimp and pork refrigerated and separate from greens and cooked foods. Cook pork slices to 63°C / 145°F and rest for 3 minutes; insert a thin-tip thermometer sideways into the center of the thickest slice. Cook shrimp until firm, pearly and opaque. Wash hands and clean the board, knife and surfaces after handling raw proteins. Refrigerate cooked filling and pancakes within 2 hours and reheat leftovers thoroughly.

Finish the dish

Set out extra lettuce and herbs so each person can make fresh wraps at the table.
Serve the nước chấm in small bowls and bring each pancake straight from the pan.

Bánh xèo miền Tây — Mekong Delta coconut rice pancakes

Practical

Ingredients

Pancake batter

Filling

Nước chấm

To serve

Method

Practical

Practical guidance

Troubleshooting

FAQ

Nutrition per serving

Allergens and safety

Finish the dish

Vietnamese National Dishes

Hủ tiếu Mỹ Tho — chewy noodles in clear pork broth

Bánh cống — crisp Sóc Trăng mung-bean and shrimp fritters

Bánh pía — Sóc Trăng flaky durian and mung-bean pastries