Jianbing (Chinese Savory Breakfast Crepe)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 35 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 9
About this dish
Jianbing is a northern Chinese street breakfast crepe assembled on a flat griddle within minutes.
Read more
A thin batter of mung bean flour and wheat flour is spread into a wide circle, then an egg is cracked directly on top and smeared across the surface while still liquid. Chopped scallion is scattered over the egg before the crepe is flipped briefly to set the other side. Sweet bean sauce and chili sauce are brushed on, followed by fresh cilantro and a crispy fried wonton sheet that provides the signature crunch. The mung bean flour gives the batter a distinctive nutty flavor and slightly crisp edge that plain wheat flour cannot replicate. The whole assembly is folded into a neat rectangle meant to be eaten by hand. Timing is critical for the wonton cracker, which should be added last to prevent sogginess, creating a layered contrast of soft crepe, runny egg, sharp sauce, and shattering crunch.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Step
Whisk 80g all-purpose flour with 40g mung bean flour first, then add 220ml water gradually to avoid dry pockets.
Rest the smooth, loose batter for 10 minutes; it should run thinly from a spatula, not fall in clumps.
- 2Heat
If the batter looks thick after resting, loosen it with 1 tablespoon water at a time until it spreads easily.
Finely chop 20g scallion and 15g cilantro now so the toppings can go on before the crepe overcooks.
- 3Control
Preheat a nonstick pan over medium-low heat for about 1 minute, then pour in half the batter.
Working quickly from the center outward, spread it into a thin 22 to 25cm circle before the surface begins to set.
- 4Heat
While the surface is still wet, crack 1 egg on top and spread it thinly across the crepe.
Scatter 10g scallion over the egg so it sticks, then cook until the edges look dry and lift easily.
- 5Season
Slide a wide spatula underneath and flip carefully so the thin crepe does not tear.
Cook the egg side for about 20 seconds, continuing briefly if liquid egg remains, then flip back so the sauce side faces up.
- 6Finish
Spread 1 tablespoon sweet bean sauce and half the chili sauce over the hot crepe, then add half the cilantro and 1 crispy wonton sheet. Fold into thirds before the wonton softens, serve hot, and repeat with the remaining batter.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Northern Chinese Jianbing crepes incorporate mung bean flour for nuttiness and a crisp bite.
- Finish cue
- Spread 1 tablespoon sweet bean sauce and half the chili sauce over the hot crepe, then add half the cilantro and 1 crispy wonton sheet.
- Avoid this
- Whisk 80g all-purpose flour with 40g mung bean flour first, then add 220ml water gradually to avoid dry pockets.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
35min, 9 ingredients
Category median
30min, 8 ingredients
Based on 80 recipes
Official cooking and safety guidance
-
Storage and reheating
Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours and use them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat the center to 74°C.
Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Leftovers and Food Safety
Sources checked 2026-07-22
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