Banh Xeo — Vietnamese sizzling crepes — are a sensory experience from start to finish: the sizzle of batter hitting hot oil, the turmeric-yellow lacy crepe crisping at the edges, and the first bite of crackly shell giving way to savory pork, sweet shrimp, and fresh bean sprouts. Named for the sound it makes when poured into the pan, banh xeo is a dish that demands to be eaten with your hands, wrapped in lettuce and herbs.

Ingredients

Batter

  • 1 cup (130 g) rice flour (not sweet or glutinous rice flour)
  • 1/4 cup (30 g) cornstarch
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup (240 ml) coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) beer (any kind; substitute water)
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 stalks green onions, sliced thin

Filling

  • 225 g (1/2 lb) pork shoulder or pork belly, sliced thin
  • 225 g (1/2 lb) shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 small yellow onion, sliced thin
  • 1/2 cup mung beans, soaked 1 hour (optional)
  • 1 cup bean sprouts (optional)
  • 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil for cooking

To Serve

  • 1 head butter or green leaf lettuce
  • Fresh herbs: mint, cilantro, Thai basil
  • 1/2 cup nuoc cham

Instructions

1

Make the batter

In a large bowl, whisk together the rice flour, cornstarch, turmeric, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the coconut milk, beer, water, and egg until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth with no lumps. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, ideally overnight. Just before cooking, stir in the sliced green onions.

2

Prep the filling

Slice the pork shoulder into thin 1/8-inch pieces. Peel and devein the shrimp, then slice each in half lengthwise. Slice the onion thin. If using mung beans, soak them in warm water for 1 hour, then drain.

3

Cook the crepes

Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes until very hot. Add a few slices of onion, 3-4 shrimp halves, and 3-4 pork slices, spreading them down the center of the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the shrimp start to turn pink. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and swirl to coat the bottom. Ladle about 1/3 cup of batter into the pan and tilt in a circular motion to get a thin, even layer. Add a small handful of mung beans and bean sprouts on one side of the filling. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes until the crepe is golden brown and crispy on the bottom and the batter on top is set. Fold the crepe in half and slide onto a plate. Clean the pan with a paper towel every 2 crepes to prevent burnt bits.

4

Serve

Take a lettuce leaf, place a piece of banh xeo and a few herbs in the leaf, roll it up like a fresh spring roll, and dip in nuoc cham. Eat immediately.

VNomy Notes

  • Rest the batter overnight. This is the single most important step. Under-rested batter produces gummy, soft, disappointing crepes. The flour needs time to fully hydrate, and the CO2 from the beer needs to settle evenly.
  • Beer in the batter is a hack, not a gimmick. The CO2 and alcohol create a lighter, crispier shell than water alone. The alcohol mostly cooks off, leaving a more complex flavor. Substitute water if you do not have beer — you will get about 80 percent of the result.
  • Rice flour, not glutinous rice flour. They look similar in the bag. Sweet or glutinous rice flour is used for desserts and makes banh xeo chewy and gummy. Regular rice flour is in the baking aisle of any Asian grocery.
  • The yellow is turmeric, not egg. Some recipes use more egg for color. This version is turmeric-based — more vibrant yellow, more authentic to central Vietnamese banh xeo.
  • Coconut milk is the secret ingredient. Most American banh xeo recipes skip it. It adds subtle sweetness and helps with browning.
  • The first crepe is a test crepe. Do not worry if the first one is ugly. The pan needs to season with the oil. By crepe 3, you will have the technique down.
  • Do not skip the lettuce wrap. Eating banh xeo with a fork and knife misses the point. The wrap is part of the dish — it adds crunch, freshness, and portion control.
  • For a gluten-free version, use tamari instead of soy sauce in the nuoc cham. The crepe itself is naturally gluten-free.