The egg and green onion crepe is light and fluffy. Its flavor simple and comforting. When I am alone, I love to snack on crepes fresh out of the skillet, to enjoy the crispy edges and melt-in-your-mouth texture. The recipe contains only 5 ingredients and takes 10 minutes to cook. Enjoy this hearty dish for a lazy breakfast in bed or a late night snack.
Simple & Savory
Simple is the best. This is especially true when it comes to Chinese crepes. It doesn’t use milk in the batter. It doesn’t mess with cream or fancy fruit. It isn’t drizzled with decadent chocolate sauce or syrup. It is savory, has a very plain look and a hearty taste. It contains only 5 ingredients and needs only 15 minutes to prep and cook.
This is a dish that my dad often cooked when I was small. He is a great cook but seldom enters the kitchen. He would definitely cook this savory crepe for me, though, if I said I was hungry but we didn’t have anything to snack on in the house.
I continued the tradition and always kept this dish as my secret weapon. Because even if my fridge is almost empty, I can still whip up some batter and get the snack done in 5 minutes. The recipe might look overly simple, but sometimes, the simplest thing is the best way to satisfy your appetite.
When I serve the savory crepe as breakfast or brunch for two, I make it fancier by adding stir-fried mushrooms or a grilled tomato. The meal goes very well with cafe au lait, black tea or lemonade. When I am alone, I snack on the just-out-of-skillet crepes and my meal will be finished by the time the cooking is done.
To Create a Perfect Texture
Although cooking crepes requires few ingredients, you will need a few tips to do it perfectly. By perfect, I mean a crepe that is thin, light, fluffy, and stays in one piece.
- Ratio of egg to flour to water is the key. You need the right amount of egg to get the fluffy texture, enough flour to make the batter consistent and stick together, and enough water to make it thin and light without falling apart when flipped.
- Make sure to grease every inch of the bottom of the skillet with oil. It’s easier to use a nonstick skillet to cook and flip crepes. If you are using a normal skillet, use double or triple the amount of oil.
- Cook smaller crepes so they will be easy to flip. I personally feel comfortable adding 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter at a time.
- Keep the skillet warm without letting it get too hot. Otherwise you will find that the crepe cooks too quickly, before you have a chance to spread the batter into shape.
- Do not overcook. A thin crepe will cook very fast. Depending on the oil temperature, a single side will be done in 20 to 40 seconds. Nudge the crepe with a spatula to test whether the batter is set. When you can move the whole crepe, flip or transfer it immediately. The texture of the crepe will become tough if overcooked.
What is your favorite way to enjoy crepes? I’m a big fan for the savory crepe and one of my favorite moments is enjoying these cozy egg and green onion crepes for breakfast in bed! 🙂
Chinese Cooking Made Easy
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Egg and Green Onion Crepe
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 1 to 1 1/4 cups water (*Footnote 1)
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt (*Footnote 2)
- 4 green onions thinly sliced
- Oil spray
Instructions
- Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add 1 cup water.
- Sift the flour into the egg water mixture and add the salt. Use a spatula to stir in the flour. Then use the spatula to press the lumps onto the edge of the bowl to dissolve as much flour as you can. Do not over stir. Then run the batter through a colander and use a spatula to press it through. The lumps will disappear easily. The batter should be very thin, barely coating the back of a spoon, and easily spread out when added to a hot skillet. Add more water if needed.
- Add the green onion and mix well.
- Spray a 9” cast iron pan (*Footnote 3) or nonstick skillet with a thin layer of oil and heat the pan until hot. Turn to medium heat. Add 1/4 cup of batter to the skillet and immediately swirl the skillet to spread the batter into a thin, round-shaped crepe. You can drizzle a bit more batter into the gaps to patch them up. Cook over medium heat until the bottom side is just set and there’s little wet batter on top, about 30 seconds. Use a spatula to nudge the crepe to test whether it’s set. Flip with the spatula in a swift motion. Cook the other side until just cooked through and tiny brown spots show up, about 20 to 30 seconds. Immediately transfer the crepe to a plate and set aside (*Footnote 4).
- Continue to cook the rest of the crepes in the same manner. If the batter cooks too fast before spreading, lower the heat. If the crepe does not get any brown spots and is very pale, turn to higher heat. Stir the batter during the process because the flour will start to sink to the bottom of the bowl. If the batter becomes too thick to spread, add a bit of water to the batter, mix well and try again.
- Serve hot as breakfast or side dish. These crepes are designed to be eaten by themselves. If you want to serve them with toppings, check out this post for pairing ideas. Hoisin sauce and hot sauce go well with these crepes.
Notes
- Start with 1 cup of water and add more if needed.
- If you plan to serve this dish by itself, use 3/4 teaspoon salt. If you plan to serve it with a sauce and toppings such as sausage, use 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- I highly recommend a cast iron skillet if you have one, so the batter can spread thinly and evenly. If using a nonstick skillet, the surface may be too smooth and the batter might not set properly.
- You can taste the crepe and further adjust seasoning by adding more salt.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
I’d love to hear how it turned out for you! Please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating ⭐️ and share your thoughts in the comments further down the page. It really helps others discover the recipe too.
Dale Tucker
This was the first recipe of Maggie’s I’ve tried. Fixed the crepes this morning and just finished having them for breakfast. Wow! Texture is smooth; they are fragrant and simple; and they have the definite flavor of the East. What I really appreciate, Maggie, is that you explained the making of these crepes so well that mine turned out perfectly the first try. I’m really excited about this site. Please keep up the good work. This morning, you not only fed my body but you fed my soul as well. Thank you!
Ling
I used a cup of flour (1/2 chinese wheat flour and half all purpose flour) my pancakes are too chewy. but still good to eat.
Britt
Thanks for a great recipe Maggie! Perfection as written, your proportions are spot-on, although sometimes I add a pinch of 5 spice powder and a few drops of sesame oil for a flavour boost. These are fabulous with mu-shu pork.
Maggie
A pinch of five spice and some sesame oil sounds delicious! I”m so glad to hear you enjoyed the dish. Thanks for leaving a comment and have a great weekend 🙂
Melissa
The flour portion definitely do not use even close to a cup, it will be way too thick – use perhaps 2/3 and then add more water consistently. The first few I made following this recipe to the letter, made my eggs come out part eggs – part thickness of onion pancake (but now an eggier) pancake. So modify that accordingly or increase the amount of water you put in to be at least 1 cup for this mixture.
Heidi
You say to add about 4oz or 1 cup of flour….4oz’s is 1/2 cup. Just making sure before I try this recipe out because it sounds delicious!!
Maggie
Hi Heidi, it should be 120 grams (4.2 oz.). For liquid ingredients 1 cup equals 8 ounces, but for whole wheat flour, 1 cup sifted flour equals to 4 or 4 1/2 ounces (Although when I actually measure it at home, 1 cup flour always weighted about 5 ounces). If you use cup to measure, I suggest you to start from 2/3 cup, and add more if the batter turns out too thin. Like the pictures show, the batter should be thin enough so it expand to a thin crepe when you swirl the pan while the bottom sets. But it should be thick enough to coat a spoon.
I hope my answer is not too confusing! Happy cooking and hope the dish turns out great 🙂
Tweety
this is another recipe that brights! thank you maggie!
Maggie
I’m so glad to hear you like this one Cheryl! It might be too simple than most of western version of crepe, but it’s one of my favorites! So simple to make and very comforting 🙂
Regina
Hello Maggie.
I was look for a new & delicious recipe for breakfast, and finally I found it. I have to make this, it sounds so yummy, and I love green onion :))
Kathleen | HapaNom
I love crepes, but I have never made my own! And I am a huge fan of savory dishes – so this is perfect for me! I can’t wait to give these a try!
Lisa @ Healthy Nibbles & Bits
What a great idea to crack a few eggs into the green onion crepes! I need to try this when I’m out of ideas in the kitchen!
Kathleen | HapaNom
OMG… this looks incredible! Seriously, my mouth is watering and you’re making me SO hungry!!!
Helen @ Scrummy Lane
I’d love to try these, Maggie. I love ‘regular’ crepes with milk added too, and so I’m intrigued to try these without any milk in – and those wonderful onions, of course.
Nagi@RecipeTin Eats
Oh wow! The instructions are magical – thank you so much! I am no confident making crepes but with these instructions I am sure I can make them. These are magical! I love the shallot (green onion) addition to these! I want these right now 🙂 Do you have a filling to suggest to make these as a dinner?
mira
I love crepes, but rarely make savory ones! These look perfect, I wish I had some for breakfast right now! Great tips Maggie! Pinned and will try them!