Crispy and Aromatic Vietnamese Crepe Rolls: Banh Xeo Recipe

Enjoy Vietnamese Cuisine at Home: Recipe for Crispy Banh Xeo with Flavorful Nuoc Cham Sauce

Crispy and Aromatic Vietnamese Crepe Rolls: Banh Xeo Recipe

Let’s make delicious Banh Xeo, a representative street food and home-style dish from Vietnam, right at home! This thin and crispy crepe is generously filled with fresh bean sprouts, crunchy vegetables, flavorful pork, and plump shrimp, offering both nutrition and taste. Drizzled with our special Nuoc Cham sauce, the authentic Vietnamese flavors will be elevated.

Recipe Info

  • Category : Main dish
  • Ingredient Category : Others
  • Occasion : Bar food
  • Cooking : Pan-fry
  • Servings : 4 servings
  • Cooking Time : Within 60 minutes
  • Difficulty : Beginner

Banh Xeo Ingredients

  • Thinly sliced pork belly (Samgyeopsal) 300g
  • Fresh bean sprouts 260g
  • Plump shrimp 130g
  • Baby greens 30g (as a substitute for cilantro)
  • Cooking oil, as needed

Crispy Banh Xeo Batter

  • Store-bought Banh Xeo mix 150g
  • Fresh eggs 2
  • Creamy coconut milk 400ml
  • Flavor-enhancing curry powder 1 tsp (or turmeric powder)
  • Cold water 50ml

Sweet, Sour, and Spicy Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce

  • Fresh cherry tomatoes 3
  • Umami-rich fish sauce (Kkanari Aekjeot) 1 Tbsp
  • Flavorful soy sauce (Tsuyu) 4 Tbsp (or regular soy sauce 2 Tbsp)
  • Finely minced onion 2 Tbsp
  • Finely chopped green onion 1 Tbsp
  • Spicy chili powder 0.5 tsp
  • Refreshing lemon juice 2 Tbsp
  • Sweetening sugar 1 Tbsp
  • Aromatic minced garlic 0.5 Tbsp

Pork Marinade

  • Mirin (for odor removal) 1 Tbsp
  • Salt, for seasoning 1 tsp
  • Ground black pepper, to taste

Shrimp Marinade

  • Mirin (for odor removal) 1 Tbsp
  • Ground black pepper, to taste

Cooking Instructions

Step 1

First, prepare all the ingredients for making Banh Xeo. I’ve chosen fresh baby greens instead of cilantro, but feel free to use what you prefer.

Step 1

Step 2

Rinse the bean sprouts and baby greens thoroughly under running water. After washing, place them in a colander to drain excess water completely.

Step 2

Step 3

Peel the cleaned shrimp and slice them lengthwise down the middle, almost in half. Place them in a bowl, add 1 Tbsp of mirin and a pinch of pepper, gently mix, and let them marinate for 10 minutes to absorb the flavors.

Step 3

Step 4

Slice the cherry tomatoes into approximately 0.5cm thick rounds. Finely mince the onion, green onion, and garlic.

Step 4

Step 5

In a deep pot, bring 1 liter of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Once boiling, add 0.5 Tbsp of salt and the prepared bean sprouts. Stir briefly, then immediately turn off the heat. Drain the bean sprouts and rinse them under cold running water to stop the cooking process. This quick blanching helps retain their crispness. Drain thoroughly before use.

Step 5

Step 6

In a bowl, combine the thinly sliced pork belly (300g) with 2 Tbsp of mirin, 1 tsp of salt, and a pinch of pepper. Gently massage the marinade into the pork until well-coated.

Step 6

Step 7

In a separate bowl, combine all the Nuoc Cham sauce ingredients: the sliced cherry tomatoes, minced onion, minced green onion, minced garlic, 1 Tbsp fish sauce, 4 Tbsp Tsuyu (or 2 Tbsp regular soy sauce), 0.5 tsp chili powder, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, and 1 Tbsp sugar. Stir well until everything is thoroughly combined. Note that this is a slightly modified Nuoc Cham recipe to suit my taste. You can adjust the seasoning as needed.

Step 7

Step 8

Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add the marinated pork belly and cook until golden brown and slightly crispy, without adding any extra oil. The pork’s own fat will render and add flavor.

Step 8

Step 9

Remove the cooked pork belly from the pan, and in the rendered pork fat, gently sauté the marinated shrimp until they turn pink and are cooked through. This uses the flavorful pork drippings to cook the shrimp.

Step 9

Step 10

In a large mixing bowl, combine the Banh Xeo mix (150g) with 2 fresh eggs. Add the creamy coconut milk (400ml) and 1 tsp of curry powder for added flavor and color. (If you don’t have turmeric powder, curry powder is a good substitute).

Step 10

Step 11

Pour in an additional 50ml of cold water and whisk everything together until you have a smooth batter. The batter should be thin and pourable, with a consistency that allows it to spread easily in the pan. A thinner batter results in a crispier crepe.

Step 11

Step 12

Preheat a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. Lightly grease the pan with about 1 Tbsp of cooking oil. Once the pan is hot, pour in one ladleful of the batter. Immediately tilt and swirl the pan in a circular motion to spread the batter thinly and evenly across the entire surface.

Step 12

Step 13

When the surface of the crepe appears dry and small bubbles form, arrange the baby greens, bean sprouts, cooked pork, and shrimp evenly over one half of the crepe. Then, carefully fold the other half over the filling to create a semi-circular shape. Crucially, ensure the bottom of the crepe is nicely browned and crispy before folding, as this prevents it from tearing.

Step 13

Step 14

Alternatively, after cooking the crepe on one side, you can slide it directly onto a serving plate without flipping. Then, at your own place setting, you can wrap pieces of the crepe with the filling inside fresh greens, similar to how you would eat spring rolls.

Step 14

Step 15

Enjoy your freshly made, crispy, and delicious Banh Xeo with the wonderfully tangy, sweet, and refreshing Nuoc Cham sauce!

Step 15



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