Jianbing

Chinese breakfast crêpes with egg, scallion, herbs, savoury sauces and a crisp wonton cracker.

Preparation: 20 min · Cooking: 18 min · Total: 55 min · 4 servings

Ingredients

• 120 g mung bean flour — Finely milled.
• 4 large eggs — Keep refrigerated; egg allergen.
• 60 g scallions — Finely sliced.
• 20 g fresh cilantro — Washed, dried and chopped.
• 4 large crispy wonton crackers — One per crêpe; contains wheat and may contain egg.
• 80 g all-purpose flour — Contains wheat.
• 400 ml water — Cool water.
• 60 g Chinese sweet bean sauce or hoisin sauce — Check label for soy, wheat and sesame.
• 20 g chili sauce (optional) — Optional; adjust to taste.
• 12 g toasted sesame seeds (optional) — Optional; sesame allergen.
• 20 ml neutral cooking oil — Such as sunflower or rapeseed oil.

Instructions

1. Prepare ingredients and prevent cross-contamination

   Finely slice the scallions and chop the cilantro; wash and dry the herbs first. Portion the sweet bean sauce, optional chili sauce, sesame seeds and crackers beside the stove. Keep eggs refrigerated until needed. Wash hands after touching shells and use a clean spatula for the cooked side so raw egg does not contact ready-to-eat sauces or crackers.

2. Mix and rest the batter

   Whisk the mung bean flour and all-purpose flour together. Add the water gradually while whisking until the batter is smooth, thin and pourable like heavy cream. Rest for 15 minutes so the flours hydrate, then whisk again. If it no longer spreads easily, add water 1 tablespoon at a time; do not leave the batter at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

3. Heat the pan and arrange the fillings

   Heat a 30 cm nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat for 2 minutes. Brush with about 1 teaspoon oil; the pan is ready when a drop of batter sizzles gently but does not burn. Divide the batter mentally into four portions. Crack each egg into a separate small clean bowl only when its crêpe is ready to cook, discarding any egg with a cracked or dirty shell.

4. Cook four crêpes with the retained timer

   Start the retained 18-minute timer when the first crêpe begins. Pour one quarter of the batter into the centre and quickly spread it into a thin 25–28 cm circle. Cook 45–60 seconds until the surface loses its wet shine. Pour one egg over it, spread the egg thinly to the edges and scatter one quarter of the scallions, cilantro and optional sesame seeds on top. Cover for 60–90 seconds until the egg is fully set, then loosen and flip. Cook the second side for 30–45 seconds. Repeat for four crêpes, re-oiling lightly; use the timer as an overall guide and assess each one separately.

   The egg layer is opaque and fully set at a minimum of 71°C, the crêpe is flexible with light brown spots and no wet batter, and the wonton cracker remains crisp.

   Cook four jianbing: 1080 seconds

5. Sauce, fill and fold each jianbing

   With the cooked egg side down, brush the plain side of each crêpe with 15 g sweet bean sauce and optional chili sauce, keeping a 2 cm border. Place one crisp wonton cracker across the centre. Fold the two sides inward over the cracker, then fold the bottom and top to make a compact rectangle. Press gently for 10 seconds to seal without crushing all the crisp layers.

6. Check egg doneness and crispness

   Before folding, confirm that no translucent or liquid egg remains and that the egg-coated surface reaches at least 71°C. The crêpe should be flexible with light brown spots, not wet or brittle, and the cracker should still be crisp. If the egg is below 71°C or looks wet, cover and cook for 30 seconds more before adding sauce. Never put a partly cooked crêpe on the ready-to-eat filling station.

   The egg layer is opaque and fully set at a minimum of 71°C, the crêpe is flexible with light brown spots and no wet batter, and the wonton cracker remains crisp.

7. Serve immediately and store safely

   Cut each folded jianbing in half and serve immediately while the outside is hot and the cracker is crisp. For best quality, store unused batter, chopped herbs and sauces separately in covered containers at 5°C or below and use within 1 day; keep crackers dry at room temperature. Refrigerate an assembled leftover within 2 hours and reheat once in a covered dry skillet until the centre reaches 74°C, although the cracker will soften.

Tips

• A well-rested, thin batter spreads before it sets and produces a flexible crêpe.
• Set up all fillings before cooking because each crêpe must be sauced and folded quickly.

Common mistakes

• A pan that is too hot sets the batter before it can spread.
• Too much sauce makes the cracker soggy and leaks from the fold.
• Folding while egg is still wet risks undercooking and tears the crêpe.

Substitutions

• Use a plain baked wheat cracker if crispy wonton crackers are unavailable; check that it fits the crêpe and contains no undeclared allergens.

Storage

Store batter, herbs and sauces separately at 5°C or below and use within 1 day; keep crackers dry at room temperature.

Reheating

Reheat an assembled leftover once in a covered dry skillet until the centre reaches 74°C.

About this recipe

Jianbing is a widely eaten Chinese breakfast street food. A thin grain-and-mung-bean crêpe is cooked with egg and herbs, brushed with savoury sauce and folded around a crisp cracker.

Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.