Chinese Pancakes (with Hoisin Mushrooms)

These vegetarian Chinese pancakes are golden, flaky and pan-fried, generously filled with spring onions and finished with a rich hoisin mushroom topping. The recipe guides you through making the layered dough and savoury mushrooms for a delicious, crowd-pleasing dish that’s perfect for a midweek supper or sharing with friends.

Chinese Pancakes – Flaky, Crispy & Filled with Hoisin Mushrooms

Flaky, golden, and utterly delicious, these vegetarian Chinese pancakes are filled with spring onions (known as scallions in the US) and topped with rich savoury hoisin mushrooms. Perfect for a midweek supper, a weekend treat, or even as part of a sharing platter, these pancakes prove that vegetarian cooking can be both indulgent and satisfying. If you love mushrooms read my guide on How To Cook Mushrooms here.

The charm of these pan-fried Chinese pancakes lies not only in their flavour but also in their unique texture. Achieving that signature flakiness might seem daunting at first, but with a little patience and the right technique, it’s surprisingly straightforward.

Watch How To Make These Pan-fried Chinese Pancakes

The Secret to Flaky Chinese Pancakes

The secret is in creating layers (a process known as lamination) where dough is alternated with a thin layer of fat. This method is similar to how puff pastry or Danish pastry is made, and it is the key to those delicate, crispy layers that peel away with every bite.

For homemade Chinese pancakes, I recommend rolling and folding the dough twice before adding the spring onions. This gives a beautiful, layered texture but if you are short on time you can get away with 1 roll and fold.

Resting the dough is equally important. Allowing the laminated dough to rest gives the gluten strands time to relax, which makes the dough more elastic and easier to stretch. This prevents tearing while rolling and results in pancakes that are smooth, evenly layered, and perfectly golden when cooked. A little patience at this stage pays off hugely in the final product.

While the dough is resting, you can prepare the mushroom topping. Sautéed mushrooms tossed in hoisin sauce bring a savoury depth that perfectly complements the subtle sweetness of the spring onions.

Why You’ll Love These Chinese Pancakes

• Crispy and flaky: Golden layers on the outside, tender and layered on the inside.
• Savoury and flavour-packed: Hoisin mushrooms add rich umami, balanced by fresh spring onions.
• Homemade and rewarding: Rolling, folding, and pan-frying creates authentic texture and aroma.
• Versatile: Perfect as a vegetarian main, side dish, or shareable snack.
• Quick yet impressive: Easy enough for a midweek supper, but elegant enough for entertaining.
• Kid- and family-friendly: A fun, hands-on recipe that appeals to all ages.
• Authentic Asian street-food experience: Bring the flavours of traditional Chinese pancakes to your kitchen.

These Chinese pancakes can be enjoyed on their own, served as part of a larger vegetarian meal, or even wrapped around extra fillings to suit your taste.

They are versatile, fun to make with family or friends, and an impressive dish to serve when entertaining.

Whether you’re a vegetarian looking for a hearty snack or simply someone who loves experimenting with Asian recipes, these Chinese pancakes are a must-try. They are one of my favourite Asian-style pancakes. With their golden, flaky layers, rich hoisin mushroom filling, and subtle crunch of spring onions, they capture all the flavours and textures that make this classic street food a big hit with everyone.

Other Chinese-inspired Recipe To Try

• Easy Pumpkin Soup with Chinese Five-Spice
• No Beef And Broccoli Stir-fry
• Kung Pao Tofu
• General Tso’s Tempeh (with Cauliflower Rice)

How to make Chinese pancakes with hoisin mushrooms

Ingredients

To make this Chinese pancakes with hoisin mushroom recipe you will need:

FOR THE CHINESE PANCAKES

• all-purpose flour
• salt
• boiling water
• sesame oil
• spring onions
• vegetable oil 

FOR THE HOISIN MUSHROOMS

• oyster mushrooms
• vegetable oil
• onion
• salt
• hoisin sauce 

TO SERVE

• soy sauce
• cucumber
• black and white sesame seeds

Step 1: Prepare the Dough

• Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a dough hook. With the food processor running on low speed, slowly drizzle about 180ml (3/4 cup) of boiling water and stir until the dough comes together. If the dough does not come together, drizzle a little bit more water.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead to form a smooth ball.
• Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover and leave to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Step 2: Prepare the Mushrooms

• In the meantime, prepare the mushrooms. Using your hands, tear the oyster mushrooms into long thin threads.
• Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large frying pan. Fry the onion until soft a golden, about 6 to 8 minutes.
• Stirring from time to time (try to keep the stirring to a minimum), fry the mushrooms until they are golden-brown. Season with a little bit of salt, remove from the heat and keep warm until ready to use.

Step 3: Make the Chinese Pancakes

• Chop the spring onions into very thin slices.
• Divide the dough into four pieces. Shape each piece into a ball.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll the first ball into a 20cm / 8-inch diameter round pancake. Brush a thin layer of sesame oil on top of the pancake. Roll the pancake like a Swiss roll to form a log. Twist the roll to form a tight spiral. Tuck the end underneath. Flatten the spiral with the palm of your hand, then re-roll into a 20cm / 8-inch diameter round pancake.sesame oil.
• Repeat the step above, brushing a thin layer of sesame oil on top of the pancake then rolling it into a log, twisting it into a tight spiral, flattening it, and rolling into a 20cm / 8-inches diameter round pancake.
• Brush another thin layer of sesame oil on top of the pancake, then spread 2 finely chopped spring onions on top.
• Roll the pancake again like a Swiss roll to form a log. Twist the roll to form a tight spiral. Tuck the end underneath. This time, do not flatten it, but leave it on the side, covered with a slightly damp towel while you prepare the other pancakes.
• Repeat steps above with the three remaining dough balls.

Step 4: Cook the Chinese Pancakes

• When you are ready to cook the pancakes, take the first swirled pancake you made, flatten it gently with the palm of your hand and roll it out on a lightly floured work surface, into a 18cm / 7-inch diameter round pancake.
• Heat some vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large frying pan. Cook the pancake until golden (about 2 minutes), then carefully flip on the other side. Cook until the second side is golden (also about 2 minutes). Place the cooked pancake on a dish lined with kitchen towel to absorb the extra oil. Keep the pancake warm while you cook the others.
• Repeat steps above to cook the other 3 pancakes, adding more vegetable oil as necessary.

Step 5: Reheat the Mushrooms and Serve

• When the last 2 pancakes are cooking, start reheating the mushrooms gently. Stir in the hoisin sauce.
• Serve these Chinese pancakes topped with hoisin mushrooms, cucumber strips, sesame seeds and some soy sauce on the side.

I hope you enjoy this Chinese pancakes with hoisin mushroom recipe as much as I do. If you do make it, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

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