Banh Xeo is a traditional Vietnamese dish that is popular for its crispy texture and savory filling. These delicious Vietnamese crepes are made with rice flour, coconut milk, and turmeric, filled with shrimp, pork, mung beans, and bean sprouts, and served with a variety of herbs and vegetables.

The name banh xèo was given because of the sound (xèo – ‘sizzling’) the rice batter makes when it hits the hot skillet. ‘Bahn’ means cake or bread, but the word can be found in the name of a wide variety of Vietnamese dishes such as Bahn Trang (Vietnamese rice paper salad) or Bahn Bo Nuang (Vietnamese honeycomb cake).

In this article, we will explore the Central-style Banh Xeo recipe, the different styles of Banh Xeo, and how to appreciate this crispy delight. I’ve also included plenty of notes and suggestions so you can make the best banh xeo your style.

Why You Will Love This Vietnamese Crepe Banh Xeo Recipe

This Central Vietnamese banh xeo has a delightfully crispy texture. Cooking the crepe in a hot skillet with a generous amount of oil creates a crispy texture on the outside while maintaining a soft and chewy center.

Our Vietnamese crepes are stuffed with an amazing savory filling. We’ve used pork belly, shrimp, mung beans, and bean sprouts served with a delicious fish sauce dipping sauce. The result is a savory and satisfying filling that complements the crispy crepe perfectly.

Banh Xeo is a versatile dish that can be filled with a variety of ingredients. You can customize the filling to your liking and experiment with different combinations of meat, seafood, and vegetables.

Although Banh Xeo may seem intimidating to make, this recipe breaks it down into easy-to-follow steps. With a bit of practice, you’ll be making Banh Xeo like a pro in no time!

Banh xeo is a fantastic meal to share with a crowd. You can serve Vietnamese crepes on a platter with various fillings, herbs, vegetables, and rice paper. Everyone gets to customize their own banh xeo and share in the fun!

What Do I Need For This Southern-Style Banh Xeo Recipe?

First, you’ll need the ingredients to make the Vietnamese crepe batter:

1 cup of rice flour
1/2 cup of cornstarch (all-purpose flour works too)
1 can of coconut milk
1 1/2 cups of water
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
1/2 cup of scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup of vegetable oil (for frying)

Ingredients for the bahn xeo filling:

1/2 lb of pork belly, sliced thinly
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 lb of shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup of bean sprouts
½ cup dry mung beans, soaked and steamed until soft (optional)

For serving (whatever you can get your hands on is good):

12 lettuce leaves
1 bunch Vietnamese perilla (tía tô)
1 bunch Asian basil
1 bunch mint
1 bunch mustard greens
1 bunch fish mint
Cilantro
Cucumber slices

Fish sauce dipping sauce:

6 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 ½ Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bird’s eye chili or Thai chili, minced (optional)

How To Make Vietnamese Crepes Banh Xeo

Step 1: Make the crepe batter and prep the proteins

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together rice flour, cornstarch, salt, and turmeric powder. Gradually pour in coconut milk and water while stirring until the batter is smooth. Add the chopped scallions (just the green parts), mix, and set the batter aside.

Step 2: Season pork slices with salt, sugar, and fish sauce.

Place the pork slices in a bowl and add ½ tsp. salt, 1 tsp. sugar, and 1 Tbsp. fish sauce. Mix to combine.

Devein and wash the shrimp. Prep the mung beans by soaking them in water and then simmering them until soft.

Step 3: Fry the banh xeo fillings

Start with frying the meat and seafood. In a non-stick skillet, add ½ tsp. of oil and cook a portion of sliced pork belly over medium-high heat until brown and crispy.

Add the shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes or until slightly pink. Push the pork and shrimp into one half of the pan (this will make it easier to flip later).

Step 4: Add the batter, and other fillings, and cook the crepe

Now pour in about 2 ladles of batter thinly across the pan, covering the pork and shrimp. Add some mung beans and a handful of bean sprouts to the center of the crepe.

Cover and cook for about 1 minute on medium heat.

Step 5: Crisp the crepe edges until golden on medium-high heat.

Uncover, turn the heat up to medium-high, and add 1-2 tablespoons of oil evenly around the edges of the crepe. Cook until the edges start to crisp and the batter begins to turn golden brown.

Use a spatula to fold the crepe in half, making sure to cover the filling.

Repeat steps 2 and 3 with the remaining filling and batter.

Step 6: Serve hot with herbs and vegetables.

Serve hot with a variety of herbs and vegetables.

Different Styles of Banh Xeo

The size of banh xeo, the fillings, and the dipping sauce served with it vary depending on the region of Vietnam. Southern-style bahn xeo is the largest and crispiest and fillings include bean sprouts, mushrooms, shrimp, pork, chicken, or duck.

Banh xeo from central Vietnam is typically filled with mung beans, pork, and shrimp. Coastal regions will serve more seafood variety. The dipping sauce ingredients are also tailored to every region’s taste.

While Banh Xeo is most commonly associated with Vietnamese cuisine, similar dishes can be found in other Southeast Asian countries, such as Cambodia and Thailand.

In Cambodia, Banh Xeo is typically made with rice flour, coconut milk, and turmeric, and served with a sweet and sour sauce. In Thailand, Banh Xeo is known as Khanom Buang, and is often made with mung bean flour and coconut milk, and topped with sweet shredded coconut.

Recipe Notes & Tips

The key to achieving the crispy texture of Banh Xeo is to make sure that the skillet is hot enough before adding the batter.
Chilling the batter in the fridge while you prep the other ingredients also helps it fry better and crispier. Also, drizzling more oil around the edges after the crepe is halfway cooked helps a lot.
The batter can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. You can also prep the fish sauce dipping sauce in advance and have it ready to go.
Don’t like the flavor of coconut in your banh xeo? Just substitute it with more water. You can also increase or reduce the amount of turmeric depending on how yellow you want the crepes to be.
This Vietnamese crepe recipe is easily made plant-based. The crepe and vegetables and herbs are naturally vegan. And you can substitute the meat and seafood with mushrooms and vegetables and try a peanut dipping sauce.

Serving Suggestions

Wrap and Dip: Traditionally, Banh Xeo is served with lettuce leaves, mint, Asian basil, and mustard greens on the side. To eat, simply wrap a piece of Banh Xeo with a lettuce leaf and herbs, and dip it in a sweet and savory dipping sauce made of fish sauce, sugar, garlic, and chili.

Add Sides: Banh Xeo can already be a full meal on its own, but you can also pair it with a side of rice, soup, or salad. A simple side salad of mixed greens with a light vinaigrette is a great way to balance the savory and crispy texture of the Banh Xeo.

Make it a Platter: You can also create a Banh Xeo platter by making a variety of Banh Xeo with different fillings, such as pork, shrimp, mushrooms, or tofu, and serving them on a large platter with an assortment of herbs and vegetables. This is a great option for parties or gatherings where guests can customize their own Banh Xeo wraps.

Experiment with Fillings: Banh Xeo is a versatile dish that can be filled with a variety of ingredients, so feel free to experiment with different fillings to suit your taste. For a vegetarian option, you can replace the meat and seafood with tofu, mung beans, mushrooms, or tempeh.

Overall, the possibilities are endless when it comes to serving Banh Xeo. With its crispy texture and savory filling, it’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser no matter how you choose to serve it!

Vietnamese Crepes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 40

Servings:

Calories: 734kcal

Ingredients

1 cup of rice flour
½ cup of cornstarch
1 can of coconut milk
1 ½ cups of water
½ tsp of salt
½ tsp of turmeric powder
½ cup of scallions thinly sliced
¼ cup of vegetable oil for frying
½ lb of pork belly sliced thinly
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 lb of shrimp peeled and deveined
1 cup of bean sprouts
½ cup dry mung beans soaked and steamed until soft (optional)

For serving:

12 lettuce leaves
1 bunch Vietnamese perilla tía tô
1 bunch Mint

Fish sauce dipping sauce:

6 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 ½ Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 clove garlic minced
1 bird’s eye chili or Thai chili minced (optional)

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together rice flour, cornstarch, salt, and turmeric powder. Gradually pour in coconut milk and water while stirring until the batter is smooth. Add the chopped scallions, mix, and set the batter in the fridge.
Marinate pork slices with ½ tsp. salt, 1 tsp. sugar, and 1 Tbsp. fish sauce.
In a non-stick skillet, add ½ tsp. of oil and cook a portion of sliced pork belly over medium-high heat until brown and crispy.
Add the shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes or until slightly pink.
Pour in about 2 ladles of batter thinly across the pan, covering the pork and shrimp. Add some mung beans and a handful of bean sprouts to the crepe.
Cover and cook for about 1 minute on medium heat.
Make fish dipping sauce by dissolving sugar in water, and mixing all ingredients.
Turn the heat to medium-high and add 1-2 tablespoons of oil around the edges of the crepe. Cook until the edges are crisp and the crepe turns golden brown.
Use a spatula to fold the crepe in half, making sure to cover the filling.
Serve hot with a variety of herbs and vegetables, and fish dipping sauce.

Video

Nutrition