When I first started researching this recipe, I was genuinely shocked by the degree of variation across different versions. And we're not talking about fillings here - just the batter! Ingredients are generally consistent, though only some recipes called for eggs in the batter, and the type and quantity of starch varies quite a bit. But the biggest surprise was the ratio of flour to water, which varied enormously across the various recipes I looked at.  After some trial and error, I settled on ratios that make a thin, easily spread batter that's both easy to work with and easy to cook to the desired texture.  That said, the variations out there clearly suggest that the 'perfect' batter is very much a matter of personal opinion.

When you couple the huge potential for variation in the batter with the many different toppings and fillings, a supposedly simple little recipe like this can become a bit intimidating. But fret not, my friends - I've got your back.  In this section you'll find plenty of tips and tricks covering every aspect of the recipe.  Not only will this help first-timers, but it will help more adventurous home cooks figure out how best to tweak the recipe to perfect their very own personalized dan bing recipe.

The rest of this section is broken down into three main parts.  The first concerns the batter and the ingredients used in it. The second looks at how you cook the crepe and the egg, and how/why you might want to make modifications.  Finally, the last section looks at four different filling variations you can try out to get started. Enjoy!

The batter for this recipe is fairly thin and runny (if you've ever made European crepes, you'll find it pretty similar).  This allows it to spread thinly in the pan, and to cook fairly quickly.  This thin batter yields dan bing with a soft-yet-springy texture, but with a bit of practice you can also get a moderately crispy exterior, if you so desire.

I need to point out that if you're looking for the kind of dan bing with a really flaky, bread-like exterior similar to a scallion/green onion cake (蔥油餅), this recipe isn't going to get you there.  That kind of bing uses a base that's more like a dough, and requires an entirely different starting recipe.  However, if you want to get a crispy, semi-flaky crepe more akin to Chinese jianbing, you can modify this recipe in a few different ways to achieve your goals.

If you're trying to troubleshoot, or to modify your dan bing in some way, consider each of the following components.

1. Flour-water ratio - Adding more flour to your batter will make it thicker and starchy, yielding a crepe with a chewier, flakier, more bready consistency.  It will also make your batter less springy/soft, and harder to spread evenly around the pan.  There's no perfect variation that will work for everyone, but if you do want to modify the recipe, I'd suggest the following steps:
   
   1. Make a base batter with about half of the water called for in the recipe
   2. Separate this batter into 4-6 equal portions
   3. Add a measured quantity of water to each variation, then cook them one at a time to see which achieves the texture you're looking for.
      
      
2. Starch - Starch absorbs and holds water rather differently from wheat (and gluten), giving dan bing a soft, springy, Q texture.  I don't recommend adding more starch to this recipe, as it becomes difficult to mix in thoroughly, but you can experiment with using less of it and more wheat flour in order to achieve a crispier, more bread-like texture.  You can even omit the starch all together, if you want to try that option.  For more on starch and how best to use it, see the section below.
   
   
3. Eggs - You can't make dan bing without eggs... but you can make dan bing batter without eggs! Eggs aren't always used in dan bing batter, but I like the richness and flavour they add while also helping keep the cooked batter springy and soft.  If you want to try for something crispier, you can omit them.  If you do, you may need to add a little more water to get the batter consistency right.  Also worth noting - omitting the egg makes the recipe much easier to scale up or down incrementally!
   
   
4. Scallions - I like to cook the scallions (green onions) directly into the batter, but you can also sprinkle them onto the batter as it cooks, mix them with the egg, or use them as a filling. You can also leave them out altogether, if they're not your thing.

It's also worth checking out the notes on cooking time and temperature in the Cooking Tips & Variations section below, as these play a big role in the texture of the finished dan bing.

I use tapioca starch to make dan bing. It's neutral tasting, and it really lends to the springy/soft/QQ texture. Note that tapioca starch and tapioca flour ARE the same thing! You can also use sweet potato starch or cornstarch.  Cornstarch can also be used, but note that it tends to thicken a batter more than tapioca starch does, meaning that you might want to use a little less of it.

Most batter and baking recipes will call for you to combine all of the dry ingredients together ahead of time, but I found with a bit of trial and error that you get a better batter by whisking the starch into the water, then whisking this to the remaining dry ingredients.  Otherwise, the starch tends have a harder time incorporating, leading to lumps in the batter.

If you do get lumpy batter, it's not the end of the world.  Try to whisk it as thoroughly as you can, then either pour it through a coarse strainer, or pour the batter slowly so that the lumps stay settled at the bottom of the bowl.

Dan bing cooks very quickly, which means that you want to be organized and prepared before any batter touches the pan.  In this section I'll explain the cooking steps in more detail, and go over variations you can try out.

But, before we go any further, I will note that dan bing is MUCH easier to make if you have either a good non-stick frying pan, or a VERY well-seasoned skillet.  I don't use non-stick pans very often, but in this situation they really do make life a lot easier.  If you are using a skillet, keep a little extra oil on hand to brush onto the hot surface before adding any batter.

Cooking time - The batter will set in the pan pretty quickly - but when exactly it's 'done' is up to you to decide.  Try adjusting how long you leave the crepe in the pan before you add the egg topping to see if you can get the desired combination of softness and crispiness.  Leaving the crepe in the pan too long can make it dry and hard to roll, so you'll want to balance cooking time with the temperature (see below) for the perfect texture.

Cooking temperature - This goes hand-in-hand with cooking time.  Lower temperatures will set your batter without browning much or crispiness.  Higher temperatures make for a crispier, browner exterior, while still allowing for a short enough cook time to keep the inside springy and soft.  The perfect balance will depend on your tastes, your stove, and your cookware.

To Flip, or Not To Flip? - Once you've cooked one side of the dan bing crepe, you have a decision to make: do you want to flip it, or not? Flipping the crepe very briefly (~5 seconds) firms up any soft batter on the surface.  But if you don't flip the crepe, the egg will soak in a bit more, and the whole thing will stay a little softer on the inside.  I've done it both ways and the difference isn't enormous, but I usually flip the crepe very briefly.  If you like a softer/runnier egg, I'd flip the pancake first to make sure it sets nicely.  If you're going to cook the egg until it's more well-done, then I personally wouldn't bother.

When it comes to adding and cooking the egg, the whole process is actually quite simple. I recommend keeping a small bowl handy to whisk the egg with some sesame oil, then pouring this over the crepe when you're ready.  Try to spread the egg around the surface evenly.  If some egg escapes off the edge of the crepe and into the pan, just fold it back into the middle with a spatula.  You can see how this looks in the 'open-faced' photos of the different variations below.

I generally like to flip the whole thing (egg and crepe) for about 10 seconds after the egg has mostly set.  This firms up any remaining soft egg whites without overcooking the egg.  If you like a softer, runnier egg, you can skip the flip and just proceed to fillings.

The filling step is pretty straightforward, but it is essential that you're organized before you get cooking.  Set out all of the fillings you plan to use in small bowls (mise en place style), and have the sauces you want on hand.  Dan bing cooks quickly, and you don't want to be hunting down fillings when the egg and crepe are ready to go.  This is especially true if you're making a large batch, and/or if you're making a number of different kinds of dan bing for different people.  And hey, if you find yourself craving dan bing at all hours of the day (a perfectly reasonable thing mind you), you can even have all of the fillings ready to go in separate containers in the fridge so that you can whip up a batch at the drop of a hat.

Finally, you can use sauces inside or on the outside of your dan bing, as you prefer.  If you want to make a convenient 'to-go' dan bing, add sauce on the inside and wrap the whole thing up burrito-style.

There's really no limit to the culinary possibilities when it comes to dan bing fillings.  I've included four variations I enjoy here, but don't be afraid to try new options and combinations too.  The world is your oyster.  Come to think of it, Taiwanese oyster omelets (蚵仔煎) would probably be pretty good in dan bing too....

Before we get into the details about each variation, a quick note about the sauces that you'll see used frequently below:

1. Taiwanese Soy Paste - A semi-sweet soy sauce thickened with added rice flour.  Kimlan is probably the most popular brand, and the one I generally use.  If you can't find Soy Paste, you can use another thick sauce like oyster sauce, or you can make your own.  I've got also got a DIY mini-recipe for it in this recipe for soy-sauce noodles.
   
   
2. Chili Sauce - A thin, spicy-sweet tomato and chili pepper sauce.  Not too spicy, and not too sweet, this sauce works with all kinds of recipes (and not just Taiwanese ones).  I like AGV Sweet Chili Sauce (爱之味甜辣酱), but it can be tricky to find offline outside of Taiwanese stores.  In a pinch, you can use a mixture of ketchup (yes, ketchup) and a spicy chili sauce, thinned with a little water.  Alternatively, use any sweet/spicy chili sauce that you personally like.
   
   
3. Japanese Mayo - Exactly what it sounds like.  Japanese mayo, sometimes called kewpie mayo, is a richer, more flavourful version of mayonnaise made with egg yolks instead of whole eggs.  You can find it at most Asian grocery stores and at many well-stocked grocery stores in general.  If you can't find Japanese mayo, you can use conventional mayo too.

As the name suggests, this is a much-loved go-to dan bing filling option.  It's simple, savoury, and extremely easy to prepare.  Pork floss, also called rousong (肉鬆), is cooked, dried pork that's been finely shredded until it's soft and cottony.  Picture jerky that's been turned into fluff and you'll get the idea.  It's salty, savoury, a little sweet, and easy to use. Pork floss can generally be found at well-stocked Asian grocery stores. It's a shelf-stable dried good, so it's also pretty easy to buy online.

If you don't eat pork, you can also find similar products made from beef and fish.  If you want to try a vegetarian variation, you can buy a great product that's very similar to pork floss, but made with burdock.  I used it in the Chinese donut (youtiao) variation below, and I'm a fan.  I'm lucky enough to have access to a substantial Taiwanese grocery store that carries this awesome vegetarian option, but you can also track it down online.

This rather Western-inspired combination is increasingly popular at commercial dan bing shops and stands. I've noticed that a lot of Taiwanese and Japanese restaurants really seem to crush hard on the combination of corn, ham, and cheese... and I mean, who can blame them? It's richly delicious, easy to source, and easy to work with.  I also find this combination a little more filling than some of the other choices.  Not surprising, given that this is also the highest fat/calorie option I've listed here.

If you want to go vegetarian, you can omit the ham, or consider trying the burdock floss mentioned in the variation above.

Extra scallions and/or cilantro both add a great little pop of flavour to this one!

This one might sound a bit crazy, but hear me out.  My wife first introduced me to this combination when she encountered it in a cheesy variation of Japanese tamagoyaki, and it's bizarrely amazing.  It's a tough flavour combination to describe, but something about nori just works so nicely with the melty-but-mild cheesiness of mozzarella.  I personally think that the cilantro is a must-have here, but if you're cilantro-averse you could use flat-leaf parsley or scallion greens.

Sometimes you've just got to throw caution to the wind, roll the dice, and smash a bunch of culinary traditions together.  Give it a shot, and I think you'll love it.

Do you like your carbs with a side of carbs? ME TOO.

To be fair, this variation is really just the 'classic' option with a Chinese donut (youtiao - 油條) added - but what an addition! For the unfamiliar, don't let the 'donut' names fool you - youtiao aren't sweet. Instead, think of them as a big, crunchy-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside blank canvas that's begging to soak up sauces and flavours.

Dipping youtiao in warm, semi-sweet or salty soy milk is a classic and comforting breakfast option - and one that extends rather nicely to this dan bing variation.  To see what I mean, omit the added sauces, wrap up some youtiao with your dan bing, and dip that whole bad boy into a cup of warm soy milk (I prefer sweet, but to each their own).  It's breakfast perfection.

Not into soy milk? No problem - add those sauces back in and you're good to go.  I do recommend some sauce of some kind, otherwise the whole combination comes across as a bit overly bread-heavy.  I used burdock floss while making this variation, but you can use pork floss, or just go without.

You can find youtiao at Chinese bakeries.  Make sure they're fresh.  The image below actually shows half of a youtiao - they're generally sold in a 'double-barreled' shape that's meant to be torn in half lengthwise.