Sizzling turmeric-rice crepes stuffed with shrimp, pork, and sprouts — wrapped in lettuce and dunked in nuoc cham.

Where does Bánh Xèo come from?

Bánh Xèo is a Vietnamese (Southern) dish from Mekong Delta, Vietnam.

Can Bánh Xèo be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?

Yes. This Bánh Xèo recipe includes ingredient substitutions to make it vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, or egg-free — including several of those at once, such as gluten-free and dairy-free together.

How long does Bánh Xèo take to make?

About 50 minutes total (25 minutes prep, 25 minutes cooking), serving 4.

Recipe

Name: Bánh Xèo
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Vietnamese (Southern)
Ingredients: 2 cups rice flour; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 1 cup coconut milk; 8 oz shrimp, peeled; 8 oz pork belly, thin slices; 3 cups bean sprouts; 3 scallions, sliced; 3 tbsp fish sauce (for nuoc cham); 2 lime; 2 tbsp sugar; 2 cloves garlic; 1 chili (for nuoc cham); a big platter lettuce leaves + mint + cilantro, to wrap; for the pan neutral oil

Asia → 🇻🇳 Vietnam → Mekong Delta

Bánh Xèo

Vietnamese (Southern) · medium · serves 4

prep 25 min · cook 25 min

~625 cal · 37g protein · 66g carbs · 24g fat (estimated, per serving)

🍽️

Golden crispy folded crepe with shrimp, herbs, and lettuce

🇻🇳 Mekong Delta

Bánh xèo means "sizzling cake," named for the sound the batter makes hitting a hot pan. The Mekong Delta makes them huge and lacy, eaten the local way: torn, bundled into lettuce with herbs, and dipped — never eaten plain, never with a fork.

Make it yours

Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.

🥕 Vegetarian

🌱 Vegan

🌾 Gluten-Free

🥛 Dairy-Free

🥜 Nut-Free

🥚 Egg-Free

Ingredients

Serves 4 —

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2 cups rice flour

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1 tsp ground turmeric

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1 cup coconut milk

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8 oz shrimp, peeled

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8 oz pork belly, thin slices

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3 cups bean sprouts

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3 scallions, sliced

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3 tbsp fish sauce (for nuoc cham)

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2 lime

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2 tbsp sugar

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2 cloves garlic

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1 chili (for nuoc cham)

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a big platter lettuce leaves + mint + cilantro, to wrap

•

for the pan neutral oil

Instructions

Whisk rice flour, turmeric, coconut milk, 1.5 cups water, scallions, and salt into a thin batter; rest 30 minutes.

Stir the nuoc cham: fish sauce, lime, sugar, garlic, chili, and 1/4 cup water.

Sear a few shrimp and pork slices (or mushrooms and tofu) in a hot oiled skillet; ladle in a thin swirl of batter — listen for the xèo.

Scatter sprouts on one half, cover 2 minutes, then uncover and crisp until the edges lace and lift. Fold and slide out.

Repeat. Eat torn into lettuce bundles with herbs, dunked deep in the nuoc cham.

Mekong Delta tradition.

Ratings & reviews

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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination

📍

Mekong Delta. The rice bowl of Vietnam, where crepes crackle at dusk.

🗺️

Vietnam. A cuisine of broth, herbs, and balance perfected on plastic stools.

🌍

Asia. From street-cart woks to slow monastery kitchens.

The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.

👩‍🍳

Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker

Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →