Jianbing Recipe

When you think of crepes, you probably picture the French kind filled with Nutella. Well, there's a new (and, we might argue, better) crepe in town, and it hails from Beijing. In this version, mung bean batter is topped with egg, hoisin, chile paste and tons of crispy wontons to make a sweet, spicy and crunchy breakfast dish we can't get enough of.

This dish is all about speed and delicacy, to make sure your crepe comes together without ripping. Because the crepe is so fragile, you want to make sure the batter and egg are spread evenly before they set. This will keep your crepe thin and even—the perfect vessel for holding all those fillings.

To learn more, read "Bing It On."

Recipe adapted from Mr Bing, New York, NY

Beijing Breakfast Crepes (Jianbing)
2.8 (60 ratings)
Say goodbye to breakfast burritos and hello to Chinese breakfast crepes filled with hoisin, egg and crispy wontons. Get the recipe on Tasting Table.
Prep Time
20
minutes
Cook Time
30
minutes
Servings
5
crepes
Total time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
  • For the Batter
  • ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
  • ⅔ cup mung bean flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1½ cups water
  • For the Crispy Wontons
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 16 wonton wrappers
  • For the Crepes
  • 5 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 5 eggsCrepe batter
  • 1¼ cups scallions, thinly sliced
  • 5 teaspoons black sesame seeds
  • 5 tablespoons hoisin
  • 5 tablespoons chile paste
  • 1⅔ cups crispy wontons
  • 1¼ cup cilantro leaves
Directions
  1. Make the batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and mung bean flours and salt. Whisk in the water, and once a smooth batter forms, set aside.
  2. Make the crispy wontons: In a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, heat the vegetable oil. Fry the wonton wrappers in 4 batches of 4 until golden brown, 30 to 45 seconds. Remove and cool completely on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. When cool, crush the wontons into 1-inch chips with your hands.
  3. Make the crepes: In a crepe pan or a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil over medium heat. Using a whisk, scramble 1 egg in a small bowl. Pour ⅓ cup of batter into the pan and, using a bench scraper, work quickly to spread the crepe along the entire surface of the pan.
  4. Once the crepe begins to curl at the edges, about 1 to 2 minutes, pour the scrambled egg mixture on top and spread into an even layer over the entire surface. Sprinkle ¼ cup of the scallions and 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds over the egg. Cook for 1 minute more until the egg begins to set. Carefully, flip the crepe and brush with 1 tablespoon of the hoisin and 1 tablespoon of the chile paste, then scatter ⅓ cup of the crushed wonton chips and ¼ cup of the cilantro leaves over top.
  5. Fold the crepe, like a letter, horizontally and vertically to form a squared pancake. Cut in half and serve immediately. Repeat with the remaining batter.
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