Peking Duck Pancakes: How to Make Them at Home

Peking duck pancakes, also called Mandarin pancakes, are thin, tender wheat-flour wrappers traditionally served with Peking duck in northern Chinese cuisine. A simple hot-water dough and a clever paired-rolling method make them soft and flexible, ready to wrap around duck, cucumber, scallions, and hoisin sauce.

Ingredients

2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, plus a little extra for dusting
3/4 cup (180 ml) freshly boiled water
2 tablespoons (30 ml) neutral oil, such as canola or sunflower oil, for layering
1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) fine salt, optional

Instructions

Mix the dough. Put the flour and optional salt in a heatproof mixing bowl. Pour in the freshly boiled water gradually while stirring with chopsticks or a sturdy fork. Keep stirring until shaggy clumps form and most of the loose flour has been taken up. The dough should look rough rather than wet or glossy. If a little dry flour remains at the bottom, press it into the clumps before adding anything more; flour brands and measuring methods vary, and the dough will come together as you knead.
Knead until smooth. When the dough is cool enough to handle, bring it together with your hands. Knead on a clean counter for about 8 minutes, pressing and folding until it feels smooth, supple, and only slightly tacky. If it is genuinely crumbly, wet your fingers and knead again rather than pouring in extra water. If it sticks to the counter, dust with a small amount of flour. Shape it into a ball, cover the bowl, and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. This rest relaxes the dough so the pancakes roll out without springing back.
Divide the dough. Lightly dust the counter with flour. Roll the rested dough into a short log and cut it into 16 equal pieces. For the most even pancakes, divide the dough in half, then keep halving each portion until you have 16 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and keep the balls covered with a clean towel so their surfaces do not dry out while you work.
Make pairs. Take two dough balls and press each into a small, flat disc. Brush a very thin coating of oil over one side of one disc, then place the other disc on top so the oiled sides face one another. The oil should cover the surface lightly without pooling at the edges. Repeat with the remaining dough to make eight pairs. This oil layer is what lets you roll two pancakes together and separate them neatly after cooking.
Roll each pair thin. Dust the counter and rolling pin lightly with flour. Roll one pair from the center outward, turning it frequently, until it forms a round about 7 inches (18 cm) across. Aim for an even, thin disc, but do not worry if the edge is not perfectly circular. Turn the dough rather than pulling it, and use only enough extra flour to prevent sticking; too much flour between the layers can make them dry. Keep the remaining pairs covered as you roll.
Cook in a dry skillet. Heat a clean, ungreased skillet or griddle over medium heat. Place one rolled pair in the pan and cook for about 30 to 45 seconds, until the surface begins to bubble and a few pale golden spots appear underneath. Flip it and cook the second side for about 20 to 30 seconds. The pancakes should remain pale and pliable, not crisp or deeply browned. Adjust the heat if they color quickly before bubbles form. A nonstick pan is convenient, but a well-seasoned skillet also works.
Separate and keep warm. Transfer the cooked pair to a plate. While it is still warm enough to handle, gently peel the two pancakes apart at the edge; use a thin spatula to start the separation if needed. Stack the separated pancakes under a clean towel or in a covered dish to retain their softness. Repeat with the other seven pairs, allowing the skillet to return to temperature between batches if it cools. Serve warm, or cool and store as described below.

Tips

Use genuinely hot water. Freshly boiled water partially cooks the flour and helps make a tender, flexible dough. Add it carefully and stir with a utensil at first; do not reach into the bowl until the dough has cooled enough to handle comfortably.
Keep the dough covered. Exposed dough forms a dry skin that can crack when rolled. Cover the main dough ball during its rest and keep the individual pieces under a towel as you work. If a disc has dried slightly, cover it for a few minutes before rolling rather than adding lots of water.
Brush, do not pour, the oil. A thin, even film between the paired discs is enough to help them separate. A puddle can make the layers slide around while rolling and can cause uneven cooking. Neutral oil is useful because it does not add a strong flavor to the wrappers.
Cook gently and separate while warm. High heat can brown or crisp the outside before the layers cook through. If the pancakes cool completely while still stuck together, the layers may be harder to peel apart. Work in small batches and cover the cooked stack promptly.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the pancakes warm alongside thin slices of Peking duck, cucumber cut into narrow matchsticks, and scallions sliced into short fine strips. Put hoisin sauce in a small bowl so each person can spread a little on a pancake before adding the fillings. A useful starting portion for four people is about 1 pound (450 g) cooked duck, 1 medium cucumber, 4 scallions, and 1/3 cup (80 ml) hoisin sauce, though appetites and the amount of other food on the table will affect what you need.

To assemble a wrap, spread a modest stripe of sauce down the center of a pancake, add a few pieces of duck, cucumber, and scallion, then fold or roll it around the filling. Avoid overfilling: these are delicate wrappers, and a smaller amount makes a tidier bite. Serve the pancakes soon after warming so they stay soft. If preparing duck at home, use a food thermometer to verify that it reaches the USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), including when cooking a whole duck.

Variations

For a slightly richer, savory wrapper, keep the salt in the dough and brush the finished pancakes lightly with sesame oil just before serving. Sesame oil has a pronounced flavor, so use it as a finishing touch rather than as the main oil between the layers. You can also leave out the salt for a more neutral pancake that works with other fillings.

All-purpose flour gives a tender, familiar texture. If you have access to Chinese wheat starch or low-gluten flour, some cooks use it for a softer result, but it is not necessary for this home method. Replacing all the flour with rice flour is not a direct substitute: rice flour lacks the same gluten structure, so the dough is more fragile and the wrappers are less stretchy. For a practical pantry alternative, stick with all-purpose flour rather than changing the flour type.

For a smaller batch, halve every ingredient and make eight pancakes by forming four pairs. The rolling and cooking technique stays the same, although the skillet batches will take less time. If you want slightly smaller wrappers, roll the pairs to about 6 inches (15 cm) across; keep them thin and adjust the filling size to suit. These changes affect size and yield, not the basic method.

Storage and Reheating

Let leftover pancakes cool, then store them in a sealed container or zip-top bag, with a small piece of parchment between every few pancakes if you want to make them easier to separate. Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking and use within 3 to 4 days. They can also be frozen for about 2 months for best quality; separate them with parchment, seal them well, and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

To warm refrigerated or thawed pancakes, place them in a steamer over simmering water for about 3 to 5 minutes, just until soft and hot. Alternatively, wrap a small stack in a barely damp paper towel and microwave in short intervals, checking after 20 seconds so the edges do not dry out. USDA FSIS guidance is to reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C); warm the stack thoroughly and check its center with a food thermometer when practical. Do not leave cooked pancakes at room temperature for more than 2 hours. If they smell off, feel unusually sticky, or show mold, discard them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why use boiling water instead of cold water?
Hot water changes how the flour hydrates and helps produce a dough that rolls thin and stays pliable after cooking. Cold-water dough is more elastic and can be harder to roll into tender wrappers. Add the water gradually, since flour absorbs moisture differently depending on how it is measured.

Can I make the dough ahead?
For the best texture and easiest rolling, make the dough, give it its 30-minute rest, and cook the pancakes the same day. If you need to prepare ahead, wrap the dough tightly and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. Let it sit at room temperature for about 20 to 30 minutes before rolling so it is not stiff; if the surface feels dry, keep it covered while it warms.

Why are my pancakes sticking together?
The paired pancakes are meant to be joined by a thin oil layer, then peeled apart after cooking. If they are difficult to separate, they may have cooled too much, the oil layer may have been patchy, or the pan may not have cooked them long enough. Separate each pair while warm, starting at the edge, and use a thin spatula gently if the layers resist.

Can I cook the pancakes without pairing them?
Yes. Roll each dough ball into a thin round and cook it individually in a dry skillet, flipping once when bubbles and pale spots appear. This removes the separation step, but takes more rolling and pan time, and the individual pancakes can be easier to overcook. Keep the same medium heat and take them out while they are still soft.

Can I use a tortilla press?
A tortilla press can flatten the dough balls, but it may not make the wrappers thin or wide enough on its own. For the paired method, press the oiled discs together only lightly, then finish rolling them with a pin to about 7 inches (18 cm). Line the press with parchment if the dough sticks, and avoid pressing so hard that oil squeezes out between the layers.

What if I do not have hoisin sauce?
Serve the pancakes with another thick, savory-sweet dipping sauce, or mix a little soy sauce with a small amount of honey and sesame oil for a quick alternative. The flavor will not be the same as hoisin, which is a distinctive sweet-salty fermented bean sauce, but the pancakes will still work well with duck and crunchy vegetables. Use a light hand so the filling does not become too wet.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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