Crispy Vietnamese Inspired Rice Flour Crepes (Vegan Option!)
Crispy on the outside and slightly chewy in the center, these Vietnamese inspired rice flour crepes are filled with ground pork or turkey (you can also make them vegan!) and are served with fresh lettuce leaves, mint, cilantro and a punchy dipping sauce. It's a hands-on meal that’s totally irresistible. Don’t miss the step-by-step VIDEO below!
I fell head-over-heels in love with Vietnamese crepes (called bánh xèo) when I lived in New York City in my early twenties. The rice flour crepes are often filled with bean sprouts, ground pork and/or shrimp and are eaten in lettuce wraps. It’s one of my favorite dinners of all time.
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Vietnamese crepes (bánh xèo)
If you’ve never had them, bánh xèo are savory crepes made with rice flour and turmeric. They’re deliciously crispy—the name refers to the sizzle in the pan when the batter hits the oil—and they’re usually filled with meat or fish.
Gluten free rice flour crepe recipe
These crepes are made with Bob’s Red Mill Stone Ground White Rice Flour and Bob's Red Mill Arrowroot Starch/Flour, making them naturally gluten free. The rice flour is key, as it allows the crepes to turn deliciously crispy. It’s important to use Stone Ground White Rice Flour, not sweet rice flour, which is too gelatinous for these crepes.
Vietnamese crepe ingredients:
- Stone Ground White Rice Flour: White rice flour provides the base for the crepes. Be sure to use stone-ground white rice flour, not brown rice flour or sweet rice flour.
- Arrowroot Starch/Flour: The crepe batter is bound with arrowroot starch (you can use cornstarch instead), making these crepes egg-free!
- Turmeric powder: Turmeric gives the crepes a beautiful golden hue.
- Unsweetened Full-fat coconut milk: Coconut milk not only contributes to the texture, but it lends a subtly sweet flavor.
- Water: Water thins the batter and helps hydrate the rice flour.
- Scallions: Scallions give the crepes a delicious flavor.
Vietnamese dipping sauce
The crepes are served with an easy, umami-packed dipping sauce made with fresh lime juice, coconut sugar (or granulated sugar), garlic, serrano pepper and fish sauce.
How to make Vietnamese inspired rice crepes:
Like all crepes, these crepes take a bit of practice, but you’ll get the hang of it as you go. Also, keep in mind that these crepes are meant to be eating torn up inside of lettuce leaves, so if they tear in the skillet, it’s no big deal!
- Make the crepe batter: Whisk together the crepe ingredients (the batter is much thinner than a French crepe batter), then let the batter sit for 30 minutes (or you can refrigerate it overnight).
- Make the dipping sauce: Whisk together the dipping sauce ingredients.
- Cook the ground pork (or turkey): Divide the ground pork into six portions. Cook a portion in a 10-inch non-stick skillet until it's browned.
- Swirl in the batter: Swirl in a scant ½ cup of batter, then sprinkle bean sprouts over half of the crepe (the bean sprouts are optional).
- Cover and cook: Partially cover the pan and cook until the bean sprouts are slightly softened. Uncover the pan, loosen the edges of the crepe with a thin spatula, then continue cooking until the bottom of the crepe is golden brown and crispy.
- Transfer to a rack: Fold the crepe over like an omelet and transfer it to a wire rack set inside a baking sheet. Slide the pan into the oven to keep warm while you make the rest of the crepes.
Vegan rice flour crepes
Since the crepes are bound with Bob’s Red Mill Arrowroot Starch instead of eggs, you can easily make them vegan! Swap out the ground meat for tofu or tempeh crumbles and increase the oil to 2 tablespoons per crepe (to prevent sticking). Also, use tamari instead of fish sauce in the dipping sauce.
How do you eat crispy rice crepes?
The crepes are served with lettuce leaves along with fresh cilantro and mint (or you could try Thai basil). Wrap a piece of the crepe in a lettuce leaf, tuck in a few herbs, then dunk it into the sauce. The juxtaposition of the cool, juicy lettuce with the crispy warm crepe and the salty-sweet sauce is HEAVEN.
FAQs
The crepes can be kept warm in the oven for up to 1 hour before serving. Leftovers also store well!
Store any leftover crepes in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Before serving, heat them in a toaster oven or regular oven until warmed through and crisp.
Ground pork (or turkey), chopped shrimp, bean sprouts, and/or firm tofu crumbles are all delicious in savory rice crepes.
Tips for making savory rice crepes:
- It’s important to use a good non-stick skillet for these crepes. I love my Scan Pan, which has a fantastic non-stick surface and is teflon free.
- Be sure to use Bob’s Red Mill Stone Ground White Rice Flour, not sweet rice flour or brown rice flour in these crepes.
- You can swap out the Arrowroot Starch/Flour for Cornstarch.
- Use full-fat coconut milk (not light) in the crepe batter and stir it well before using.
- If you’d like, you can swap out the ground pork or turkey for chopped fresh shrimp (or do a mix of shrimp and pork!).
- If your ground meat is really lean, feel free to add more oil to the pan as needed (conversely, if your meat is fatty you can cut back on the oil).
- For vegan rice crepes, swap out the ground meat for tofu or tempeh crumbles and increase the oil to 2 tablespoons per crepe (to prevent sticking). Also, use tamari instead of fish sauce in the dipping sauce.
- For a stronger garlic flavor in the dipping sauce, grate the garlic clove instead of slicing it.
*This post contains Amazon and other affiliate links to products I use and love (from which I earn income, at no cost to you). Thank you for supporting From Scratch Fast!
Other recipes you might like:
- Vietnamese Inspired Rice Noodle Salad
- Thai Style Veggie Massaman Curry (Slow Cooker!)
- Spicy Salmon Sushi Wraps
- Gochujang Grilled Pork Tenderloin Salad
- French Crepes
- Easy Crepe Cake
Watch the video!
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Get the recipe!
Vietnamese Inspired Crispy Rice Crepes
Equipment
- 10 inch non-stick skillet
Ingredients
Crepe batter
- 1 cup (148g) Bob’s Red Mill Stone Ground White Rice Flour
- 2 tablespoons (13g) Bob’s Red Mill Arrowroot Starch/Flour
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsweetened full-fat coconut milk (well stirred)
- 1 ½ cups water
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
Dipping sauce
- 3 tablespoons warm water
- 3 tablespoons coconut sugar or granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons lime juice (from 1-2 limes)
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce, or to taste
- 1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
- 1 serrano pepper or 1 small jalapeño, thinly sliced
Crepe filling
- 1 pound ground pork or dark meat ground turkey
- 6 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil (such as grapeseed or safflower oil)
- Salt
- 2 cups bean sprouts (optional)
For serving
- Red or green lettuce leaves
- Fresh mint and cilantro leaves
Instructions
Make the crepe batter
- In a bowl, whisk together the rice flour, arrowroot starch, turmeric and salt. Add the coconut milk, water and scallions, and whisk until smooth (the batter will be quite thin). Cover and let rest for 30 minutes (or refrigerate overnight). Do Ahead: The batter can be refrigerated for up to 1 day.
Make the dipping sauce
- In a small bowl, whisk together the water and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Whisk in in the lime juice and fish sauce to taste (different brands of fish sauce vary in their intensity). Stir in the garlic and serrano pepper. Do Ahead: The sauce can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day.
Cook the crepes
- Preheat the oven to 200˚F (90˚C). Place a wire rack in a large baking sheet.
- Divide the pork or turkey into 6 portions on a piece of parchment paper or on a plate.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add one portion of the ground meat and season with salt. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until it’s browned and cooked through, about 1-2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and spread the meat out over the bottom of the pan.
- Give the crepe batter a good stir (the rice flour will settle to the bottom). Pour a scant ½ cup of the batter into the skillet, swirling it to evenly coat the bottom (the batter should should start to sizzle immediately). Sprinkle about ⅓ cup of the bean sprouts over one side of the crepe (if using). Cover the pan, leaving the lid slightly ajar to let the steam escape, and cook until the bean sprouts are slightly softened, about 2-3 minutes.
- Uncover the pan and loosen the edges of the crepe with a thin spatula. Let the crepe cook until the bottom is golden brown and crispy, about 1-3 minutes longer (be patient and don’t fuss—the crepe will loosen from the pan once it’s browned). Slide the crepe onto the prepared rack, folding it in half (it’s okay if it breaks!). Place the pan in the oven to keep warm.
- Repeat with the rest of the batter, stirring the crepe batter and adding another tablespoon of oil between each batch. Adjust the heat as needed (trust your instincts!).
- Serve the crepes with lettuce leaves, mint, cilantro and the dipping sauce. To eat, tear off a piece of crepe and wrap it in a lettuce leaf with a few herbs, then dunk the bundle in the dipping sauce. HEAVEN!
Notes
- It’s important to use a good non-stick skillet for these crepes. I love my Scan Pan, which has a fantastic non-stick surface and is teflon free.
- Be sure to use Bob’s Red Mill Stone Ground White Rice Flour, not sweet rice flour or brown rice flour in these crepes.
- You can swap out the Arrowroot Starch/Flour for Cornstarch.
- Use full-fat coconut milk (not light) in the crepe batter and stir it well before using.
- If you’d like, you can swap out the ground pork or turkey for chopped fresh shrimp (or do a mix of shrimp and pork!).
- If your ground meat is really lean, feel free to add more oil to the pan as needed (conversely, if your meat is fatty you can cut back on the oil).
- For vegan rice crepes, swap out the ground meat for tofu or tempeh crumbles and increase the oil to 2 tablespoons per crepe (to prevent sticking). Also, use tamari instead of fish sauce in the dipping sauce.
- For a stronger garlic flavor in the dipping sauce, grate the garlic clove instead of slicing it.
Vietnamese sources to explore!
It’s important to acknowledge that while cooking and eating have always been my favorite ways to learn about other cultures and traditions, I'm in no way an authority on Vietnamese cooking. These crepes are not meant to be authentic, but I hope they will inspire you to dive deeper into Vietnamese cuisine at home. I encourage you to visit the work of some of my favorite Vietnamese sources, including as Andrea Nguyen, Charles Phan, Hungry Huy and Vicky Pham.
