Name: Bánh xèo Hội An (Crispy Vietnamese Rice Pancakes)
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 105 min
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: 240 g pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 2 cm medallions; 240 g raw medium shrimp, peeled and deveined; 3 g fine salt; 10 ml neutral oil; 180 g plain rice flour, not glutinous rice flour; 30 g tapioca starch; 300 ml water; 120 ml canned coconut milk, stirred smooth; 3 g ground turmeric; 3 g fine salt; 30 g scallions, thinly sliced; 120 g yellow onion, thinly sliced; 240 g bean sprouts, rinsed and drained; 60 ml neutral oil for the pan; not all is absorbed; 160 g lettuce leaves, washed and dried; 25 g fresh mint, washed and dried; 25 g fresh cilantro, washed and dried; 8 dry rice-paper sheets, about 2 per serving; 45 ml fish sauce; 75 ml warm water; 30 ml fresh lime juice; 25 g granulated sugar; 5 g garlic, finely minced; 3 g red chili, thinly sliced, optional

Crispy golden Hội An bánh xèo folded around shrimp, pork and bean sprouts, served with greens and nước chấm. — Bánh xèo Hội An served hot with herbs and nước chấm.

Yield 4 servings (12 small pancakes)

Cook 50 minutes

Passive 20 minutes batter rest

Total 1 hour 45 minutes

Calories About 590 kcal per serving

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Bánh xèo Hội An (Crispy Vietnamese Rice Pancakes)

This Hội An-inspired home version makes 12 compact, crisp-edged pancakes with turmeric rice batter, shrimp, pork, onion and bean sprouts. At the table, wrap pieces with herbs and lettuce in dry rice paper, then dip them in nước chấm. Bánh xèo varies across Vietnam, so this recipe offers one practical regional style rather than a single definitive formula.

In Hội An, bánh xèo is part of an interactive meal: diners break or slice the hot pancake, wrap it with greens and herbs in dry rice paper, and dip each bite in sauce. This home version keeps the pancake small so it is easy to crisp in a standard skillet and wrap at the table. Rice flour gives the batter its base; a little tapioca starch helps the thin edges turn crisp, while turmeric adds its familiar golden colour.

The shrimp and pork are cooked before they go into the pancakes, making it easier to check their doneness and work quickly at the stove. Use plain rice flour, not glutinous rice flour. Local batter ratios and pancake sizes vary; the 12 cm cakes here are a convenient home format.

Ingredients

Pork and shrimp

240 g pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 2 cm medallions
240 g raw medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 g fine salt
10 ml neutral oil

Rice pancake batter

180 g plain rice flour, not glutinous rice flour
30 g tapioca starch
300 ml water
120 ml canned coconut milk, stirred smooth
3 g ground turmeric
3 g fine salt
30 g scallions, thinly sliced

Pancakes and greens

120 g yellow onion, thinly sliced
240 g bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
60 ml neutral oil for the pan; not all is absorbed
160 g lettuce leaves, washed and dried
25 g fresh mint, washed and dried
25 g fresh cilantro, washed and dried
8 dry rice-paper sheets, about 2 per serving

Nước chấm dipping sauce

45 ml fish sauce
75 ml warm water
30 ml fresh lime juice
25 g granulated sugar
5 g garlic, finely minced
3 g red chili, thinly sliced, optional

Method

Mix and rest the batter. Whisk rice flour, tapioca starch, water, coconut milk, turmeric and salt until smooth. Stir in scallions and leave the batter to rest for 20 minutes. Whisk again before cooking.
Cook the pork. Heat 10 ml oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the pork medallions in a single layer, turning as needed, until the centre of the thickest piece reaches 63°C. Rest for at least 3 minutes on a clean plate. Use a thin-tip thermometer inserted from the side into the centre of a medallion.
Cook the shrimp. In the same pan, cook the shrimp in a single layer until the thickest part reaches 63°C, turning once; they should also look pearly and opaque. Transfer to a separate clean plate. Keep raw-seafood utensils away from cooked pork and ready-to-eat greens.
Make the dip and prepare the greens. Stir sugar into warm water until dissolved, then mix in fish sauce, lime juice, garlic and optional chili. Wash and dry the lettuce, mint and cilantro; arrange them with the rice paper on a platter.
Cook the pancakes. Heat a 24 cm skillet over medium-high heat and add a thin film of the remaining oil. For each pancake, add a little onion, some cooked pork and shrimp. Pour in about one-twelfth of the batter and swirl it into a small, thin round. Scatter bean sprouts over one half and cover briefly until the batter sets. Uncover and cook until the underside is golden and the edges are crisp, about 3–4 minutes. Fold in half and slide onto a clean plate. Repeat to make 12 pancakes, adding a little oil as needed.
Serve. Bring the pancakes to the table hot with lettuce, herbs, rice paper and nước chấm. Wrap pancake pieces with greens and herbs in softened rice paper, then dip. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours at or below 4°C; store pancakes and greens separately. Reheat leftovers to 74°C.

Practical

Practical guidance

Cook the pancakes in batches and serve them as they are ready; stacking traps steam and softens the edges. Whisk the batter again before each pour because rice flour settles during the rest. To soften a dry rice-paper sheet, briefly pass it through water or follow its package directions, then wait a few seconds before wrapping.

Troubleshooting

The pancake is soft: The pan may be too cool or crowded. Use a thin film of oil, leave room around the pancake and cook uncovered until the edge dries and crisps. The batter looks uneven: Whisk it again before ladling; the flour settles. The pancake tears when folded: Let it cook longer until the underside releases and the edges are crisp, then fold gently with a thin spatula. The rice paper is brittle: Dampen it lightly and let it soften briefly before wrapping; too much water makes it sticky.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make the batter ahead? Yes. Cover and refrigerate it for up to a day, then whisk thoroughly before cooking. If it thickens, loosen it with a small splash of water. Do I need rice paper? Rice paper makes the table-side wrap described for this serving style. You can also wrap the pancake pieces directly in lettuce and herbs. Why are these pancakes small? The compact size is a convenient home format for a crisp pancake that is easy to wrap. Sizes and recipes vary by cook and region.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: 3 pancakes, 2 rice-paper sheets, greens and one-quarter of the dip These are approximate estimates for one-quarter of the recipe. Brand differences in fish sauce, rice paper and coconut milk, plus the amount of oil absorbed, can change the values.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size3 pancakes, 2 rice-paper sheets, greens and one-quarter of the dip
Caloriesabout 590 kcal
Carbohydrate74 g
Protein32 g
Fat19 g
Fibre4 g
Sodiumabout 1,700 mg

Allergens and food safety

Contains shrimp (crustaceans), fish sauce (fish) and coconut. Check all product labels for additional ingredients and cross-contact. Keep raw pork and shrimp separate from cooked proteins and ready-to-eat greens. Cook whole pork medallions to 63°C and let them rest for at least 3 minutes; check from the side with a thin-tip thermometer. Cook shrimp to 63°C at the thickest part. Refrigerate cooked filling and leftovers within 2 hours at or below 4°C; reheat leftovers to 74°C.

Bring them to the table hot

Keep the rice paper and herbs separate from the hot pancakes until wrapping.
Offer chili in the dip on the side if diners prefer different heat levels.

Bánh xèo Hội An (Crispy Vietnamese Rice Pancakes)

Ingredients

Pork and shrimp

Rice pancake batter

Pancakes and greens

Nước chấm dipping sauce

Method

Practical

Practical guidance

Troubleshooting

Frequently asked questions

Nutrition per serving

Nutrition per serving

Allergens and food safety

Bring them to the table hot

Vietnamese National Dishes

Bún chả cá Đà Nẵng (Central Vietnamese fish-cake noodle soup)

Bún mắm nêm (Da Nang fermented anchovy sauce vermicelli)

Bánh căn Nha Trang (clay-mold rice cakes with shrimp and squid)