Trader Joe's Taiwanese Green Onion Pancakes

The taste

So if savory pancakes are your thing, then you are in luck. This isn't the eggy type of pancake. And don't expect silver dollar-sized pancakes either. These pancakes measure just about 7 inches.

This pancake is unique as it is made from dough rather than batter. That gives you the opportunity to get layers and layers of flavor and texture. And in each bite is a bit of the green onion flavor. It's all savory but still delicious.

When you prepare this you'll get the extra crispiness from frying these up to make this a bit more complex on the tongue.

But whether you make this on the stovetop or in the air fryer these are very well done. They are right on par with what I'd expect to get in the Asian grocery store. This package is made in Taiwan so it would seem they are pretty authentic.

The most similar product in terms of texture that I can compare this to is Trader Joe's Malabari Paratha. It had similar layers but was quite different in terms of taste.

And did I mention how big these are? One would make a nice snack if not a meal along with some fried rice.

The packaging

The packaging here is pretty straightforward. The exterior bag is not resealable so if you aren't enjoying all the pancakes in a single sitting you'll need to seal these up again. Each pancake is separated by some wax paper.

If you are going to be making all of these then you'll want to temporarily put these back in the freezer as the dough becomes sticky as it thaws. While wax paper separates the pancakes you'll still want to take those extra precautions as

At nearly 7 inches this will probably require a bigger pan than you might normally go for which leads to just a bit more cooking time if you are making more than 1. You'll probably have to cook this one by one.

A quick comparison

So if you are saying to yourself, "doesn't Trader Joe's already sells a scallion pancake in the freezer already?" They do. Trader Joe's sells both this and Pa Jeon which is a Korean scallion pancake. This is Cong You Bing which is made from dough as opposed to the Korean pancake which is made from batter.

Pa Jeon is eggier in taste and this scallion pancake is made up of several flaky layers of crisp dough on the outside and a tender inside.

Which one is better to buy? I prefer this, however, both are totally solid choices in the freezer section to which I recommend both.

The directions

The directions are vague at best here and rely on the home user to eyeball it. So below are my recommendations for cooking this properly

Stove top

These are large pancakes at almost seven inches in diameter. Heat a frying pan until hot. Add a bit of oil to the bottom of a frying pan and cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat.

Air Fryer

Preheat the air fryer to 400F. While it is preheating, quarter your pancakes. This step reduces cooking time as the surface area is reduced. Place in air fryer basket. Cook for 4-6 minutes until the outside is golden brown.

The layers become more pronounced this way, but this way tastes less greasy. In my onion, air fry was better than pan fry.

Dipping Sauces

If you enjoy this then feel free to use soy sauce or some gyoza dipping sauce to enhance this further. My favorite Chinese restaurant used to use a bit of peanut butter with soy, rice vinegar, sesame oil, scallions, and some sesame seeds to dip theirs in.

Feel free to get creative and share in the comments how you would enjoy this.

Overall

For $2.49 these are an awesome find for an easy dinner or delicious appetizer. Five come in a package making this a pretty affordable item.

Would I buy this again? I've already purchased Trader Joe's Taiwanese Green Onion Pancakes a few times since they hit shelves. These are excellent. They are as good as any I've had from local Asian grocery stores' frozen food. And yes, these are made in Taiwan.

Did you try it?  Let me know what you think in the comments section!