Bánh Xèo Recipe: Vietnamese Rice Pancakes from Central Vietnam

Want to make Bánh Xèo at home? This recipe brings the flavours of Central Vietnam to your kitchen. These small, golden rice pancakes have lightly crispy edges and a pleasantly soft centre. Filled with prawns, pork and crunchy mung bean sprouts, they taste delicious wrapped in fresh lettuce and herbs and dipped in a sweet and tangy fish sauce. Follow this step-by-step guide to make your own Central Vietnamese Bánh Xèo.

1. Origins and Food Culture

Bánh Xèo is a traditional dish closely connected to everyday cooking in Central Vietnam. Unlike the large pancakes from the Mekong Delta, which feature thin, crispy edges and coconut milk in the batter, the Central Vietnamese version is smaller and fits into a small cast-iron pan. Its golden exterior is lightly crispy, while the inside remains soft and slightly chewy.

This dish is especially popular on rainy or cooler days, when families gather around a warm stove to cook and eat together.

2. Flavour

Turmeric and spring onions give the rice batter its distinctive colour and fragrant aroma. Fresh prawns and pork create a savoury filling, while mung bean sprouts add a refreshing crunch.

To enjoy Bánh Xèo, wrap pieces of the hot pancake in lettuce and fresh herbs, then dip them into a sweet and tangy fish sauce. Each bite combines warm, savoury flavours with crisp, fresh greens.

3. Difficulty

Difficulty: Easy

The preparation is straightforward. The main thing to watch is a steady pan temperature when cooking the pancakes.

4. Ingredients

• Rice flour: 200 g, or one packet of ready-made Bánh Xèo flour mix
• Turmeric powder: 1 spoonful
• Pork: 200 g, preferably pork belly with a balanced ratio of lean meat and fat
• Prawns: 200 g, preferably small prawns
• Mung bean sprouts: 100 g
• Beer: 100 ml
• Water: 250 ml when using the ready-made flour mix
• Spring onions, garlic, chillies, shallots and a fresh lemon
• Lettuce and herbs to serve: Lettuce, coriander, mustard greens, Thai basil, fish mint and cucumber
• For seasoning and frying: Cooking oil or peanut oil, Vietnamese satế chilli paste, fish sauce, salt, sugar, ground black pepper and monosodium glutamate (MSG)

5. Method

Step 1: Prepare the Bánh Xèo Batter

Traditional method using rice:

Wash the rice thoroughly and soak it in water for 3–4 hours. Drain, then blend with fresh water to make a smooth, slightly thick batter. It should be neither too thick nor too runny.

Add finely chopped spring onions, ½ spoonful of salt, 1 spoonful of MSG and 1 spoonful of turmeric powder. Stir thoroughly until the seasonings are evenly distributed and there are no lumps.

Using a ready-made Bánh Xèo flour mix:

Pour the flour mix into a large bowl. Add ½ spoonful of salt and 1 spoonful of turmeric powder, then mix.

Gradually stir in 250 ml of water and 100 ml of beer until smooth. Add finely chopped spring onions and let the batter rest for about 30 minutes before cooking. If your packet size differs, adjust the liquid quantities according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Step 2: Prepare the Ingredients

• For small prawns, trim the long antennae, clean the prawns and drain well. For larger prawns, remove the heads and shells, slit along the back and remove the digestive tract.
• Slice the pork into thin, bite-sized pieces.
• Wash the mung bean sprouts and drain well.
• Finely chop the shallots, garlic and chillies.
• Sort through the lettuce and herbs, wash thoroughly and drain.

Step 3: Marinate the Filling

Place the pork in a bowl. Add ½ spoonful each of salt, satế chilli paste, ground black pepper and MSG, along with a little finely chopped white spring onion.

Mix well, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. For a stronger flavour, leave it for 1–2 hours.

In a separate bowl, mix the prawns with ½ spoonful each of salt, satế chilli paste, MSG and ground black pepper. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Step 4: Make the Dipping Sauce

Mix 1 spoonful of hot water with 1 spoonful of sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool slightly.

Add 2 spoonfuls of fish sauce, 2 spoonfuls of the chopped garlic-and-chilli mixture and ½ spoonful of lemon juice. Stir well and adjust to taste. The sauce should have a balanced combination of sweet, sour, salty and spicy flavours.

Step 5: Cook the Bánh Xèo

Preheat a small non-stick or cast-iron pan evenly over medium heat.

Spread about 1 spoonful of oil around the pan. Once hot, add 2–3 slices of pork and 2–3 prawns, then briefly fry on both sides.

Pour in a small ladleful of batter, swirling the pan to spread it into a thin, even layer. Place a small handful of mung bean sprouts in the centre and cover with a lid.

Cook covered for about 30 seconds. Remove the lid and continue cooking until the edges are dry and crispy and the filling is fully cooked. The exact cooking time depends on the pan temperature and the thickness of the ingredients.

Fold the pancake in half and transfer it to a plate lined with kitchen paper or a banana leaf. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Serve the Bánh Xèo hot with lettuce, fresh herbs and the dipping sauce.

6. Buying Ingredients in Germany

• Rice flour or ready-made Bánh Xèo flour mix: Available in Asian grocery shops. Look for “Bánh Xèo” on the packaging when buying a ready-made mix.
• Turmeric powder: Found in the spice section of many supermarkets and in Asian grocery shops.
• Pork belly: Available at supermarket meat counters or local butcher’s shops.
• Prawns: Available fresh or frozen in supermarkets and Asian grocery shops.
• Mung bean sprouts: Look in the fresh produce section or visit an Asian grocery shop. In Germany, they are sometimes sold under the name “Sojasprossen”.
• Vietnamese herbs, Thai basil, fish mint and young mustard greens: Best sourced from Asian grocery shops.
• Satế chilli paste and fish sauce: Also available in Asian grocery shops. This recipe uses Vietnamese satế chilli paste.

7. Frequently Asked Questions

Why Is Beer Added to the Bánh Xèo Batter?

Beer can help make the batter lighter and crispier when fried. The right batter consistency, a sufficiently hot pan and a thin layer of batter are also essential for a good result.

How Can I Make Crispy Bánh Xèo Without Them Sticking to the Pan?

Preheat the pan evenly and spread enough oil around it before adding the batter. You should hear a clear sizzling sound when the batter hits the pan.

Remove the lid after the short covered cooking stage so that moisture can escape. Continue cooking uncovered until the edges release from the pan and become crispy.

What Is the Difference Between Central Vietnamese Bánh Xèo and the Mekong Delta Version?

Central Vietnamese Bánh Xèo are smaller, have a slightly thicker batter and are usually made without coconut milk. They are often served with a garlic-and-chilli fish sauce or a strongly flavoured fermented fish sauce dip called Mắm Nêm.

Bánh Xèo from the Mekong Delta are much larger, with very thin, crispy edges. Coconut milk in the batter gives them a subtle, creamy coconut flavour.

Chau Tran

Content Manager

Mit über 10 Jahren Erfahrung im Schreiben über Kulinarik, Reisen und E-Commerce glaube ich daran, dass die Kraft von Worten in ihrer Authentizität liegt. Mein Ziel bei VietNatur ist es, einen ganzheitlichen Blick auf vietnamesische Agrarprodukte zu vermitteln — von den realen Produkten selbst bis hin zu den kulinarischen Kulturgeschichten, die sich dahinter verbergen. Ich bin überzeugt, dass Transparenz über die Herkunft internationalen Kundinnen und Kunden hilft, den Produkten mehr Vertrauen und Wertschätzung entgegenzubringen.