Jian Bing, Chinese crepes (煎饼) (2024)

What is Jian Bing

Known as Chinese crepes, Jian Bing/煎饼(or Jian Bing Guozi/煎饼果子) is one of the most popular breakfasts sold at street stalls in China.

It consists of wheat and grain-based crepe, an egg, deep-fried crackers (known as Bao Cui/薄脆 in Chinese), 2-3 savoury/spicy sauces, chopped scallions & coriander. Folded into an envelope, Jian Bing is usually eaten as finger food while people travel to work/school on busy mornings (Watch the video in the recipe card below to see how street vendors make them).

As a humble and cheap food, Jian Bing won its nation-wide popularity for its freshness (always made in front of the customers) and its complex, multi-layered flavour and texture. It’s an absolute must-try when visiting China! In recent years, it’s also getting international recognition. You can find it in eateries in megacities like London, New York, Sydney, etc.

How to make it at home

Easily accessible and affordable, Jian Bing is seldom made at home in China. However, if you are away from China and crave this unique street food, you should definitely try recreating it in your own kitchen. When I figured out how to cook it effortlessly without using any special equipment, I was overjoyed!

The cooking procedure

Step 1: Fry the crispy crackers

1. Stick two pieces of ready-made wonton wrappers with a little water
2. Deep fry until lightly golden (you don’t need much oil if using a small saucepan).

Step 2: Cook the crepes

1. Combine all-purpose flour, wholemeal flour (or flour made of other grains) and water into a thin batter.
2. Pour the batter into a frying pan to form a crepe.
3. Crack an egg on top of the crepe then spread. Add sesame seeds & scallions.
4. Flip over when the crepe firms up. Brush sauces of your choice. Add coriander & lettuce leaves. Then top with two crispy crackers.
5. Fold the crepe around the crackers and enjoy!

No special equipment required

If you have eaten Jian Bing in China, you know that the vendors usually have a unique setup (Watch the video in the recipe card below):A flat, edgeless crepe maker attached to the stove which produces even heat; awooden rectangle scraper to spread the batter, as well as the cracked egg; ametal triangle scraper for lifting and cutting the crepes.

My home-version Jian Bing doesn’t require these special tools. To make it a stress-free experience using ordinary kitchenware, here are my tricks:

• Use a non-stick frying pan, ideally not smaller than 28cm/11inch in diameter.
• Make the batter thin so it can flow on its own into a circle.
• Use the back of a spoon to spread the egg.
• Use a lid to help flipping without tearing the crepe.

How to make perfect crepes

What flour to use

To make the batter for the crepes, you will need three simple ingredients: all-purpose flour, wholemeal flour and water. This is not a traditional/classic combination but I love its accessibility and the taste is great too.

The typical batter for Jian Bing sold in china is made of a mixture of white flour, mung bean flour (绿豆面) and water. Flour of other grains is sometimes used to replace mung bean flour, such as soybean flour, millet flour, cornmeal, etc. If you have easy access to these ingredients, please feel free to use as a substitute for wholemeal flour in my recipe.

The ideal batter ratio

As I mentioned above, you would need a fairly thin and runny batter for homemade Jian Bing. This way you don’t have to use a crepe spread to make a round crepe. Through tests, I’ve come to an ideal ratio (by volume):

• 2 parts all-purpose flour
• 1 part wholemeal flour
• 5 parts water

Cooking techniques

It can be tricky to make a perfect crepe as several factors affect the performance and the final result: the type of pan, the temperature of the heat, the cooking time, the flipping technique, etc. Here are a few tips that you might find useful.

• Use a non-stick pan if possible. If using other types of pan, brush a thin layer of oil before pouring in the batter.
• Cook over medium-low heat throughout.
• Pour in the batter when the pan is warm to touch but not burning. Otherwise, the batter will become solid immediately thus impossible to flow into a nice circle.
• Spread the egg over the crepe once the batter turns solid. If you do it too early, you might break the crepe.
• When the crepe slides in the pan freely, it’s time to flip over. Do not rush and move the pan to test.
• To avoid tearing while flipping, I use a large lid to help. Slide the crepe onto the inner side of the lid then put it back to the pan (Please refer to the tutorial video in the recipe card below).

How to make crispy crackers

The crispy crackers wrapped inside the crepes make Jian Bing extra appealing. Not only does it add another layer of flavour, but it also creates a very pleasurable crunchiness when you bite into it. By deep-frying ready-made wonton wrappers, you can make these crackers in just a few minutes.

• The type of wrapper I use looks yellow as it contains alkaline (same as the ones I use for my Easy Pork Wonton Soup). You can also use whiter-looking wonton wrappers. Usually, they can be found in the frozen food section in Chinese supermarkets. Defrost in the fridge before using.
• I like using two pieces of wrappers to make one cracker. Simply stick them together with a little water then secure by pressing with a rolling pin.
• Since the wrappers are pretty small and it takes only 30-40 seconds to fry one, I suggest you use a small saucepan to deep fry. This way you wouldn’t have to use too much oil (By the way, it’s ok to reuse the oil a second time).

In some regions of China, you may find Jian Bing with another type of crispy filling. Instead of the square/rectangle crackers, the vendors put You Tiao (油条, Chinese doughnut sticks) inside the crepes. Equally delicious! Check out my recipe and give it a try.

Which sauces to use

Now let’s talk about the sauces brushed over the crepes. They make great contributions to the level of deliciousness of your Jian Bing. Here is a list of popular Chinese sauces that you can choose and mix.

• Soybean paste (Huang Dou Jiang/黄豆酱). You may also find it named as (Da Jiang/大酱).
• Chilli garlic sauce (蒜蓉辣酱). I have a recipe for Hunan-style Chili Garlic Sauce which can be used in many other dishes.
• Fermented bean curd (Fu Ru/腐乳) It’s also known as “Chinese cheese” (but it’s not a dairy product). It comes in cubes. Mash it into a paste before using.
• Sweet bean paste (Tian Mian Jiang/甜面酱). Sometimes it’s translated into sweet flour paste.
• Laoganma black bean in chilli oil (老干妈风味豆豉). Laoganma is the brand name of a series of spicy sauces. Other sauces under this name are good too.

When shooting this recipe, I used the first two types of sauces which are the most commonly used at Jian Bing stalls in China.

Make in advance

Want to serve Jian Bing as breakfast on busy mornings? It’s definitely feasible if you do some preparation beforehand.

• Fry the crackers in advance. Once completely cool, store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
• The crepe batter can be kept in the fridge overnight. Stir well before pouring into the pan.
• Wash and chop scallions, coriander and lettuce leaves then keep in a container in the fridge.

Other Chinese breakfast ideas

Jian Bing tastes wonderful on its own, but you could pair it with other dishes to make a complete meal. For example, with a bowl of 15-minute easy congee, , egg drop soup with tomato, etc. I’ve alsohave a collection of classic Chinese breakfast recipes. Check them out!