Meat, Grills & Lauk · Vietnam

How Many Calories in Banh Xeo?

Also known as Bánh xèo, Vietnamese Sizzling Pancake, Vietnamese Crepe, Banh Xeo Mien Tay.

A crisp turmeric rice flour and coconut milk crepe fried in a hot pan with pork belly, prawns and bean sprouts folded inside, torn up and wrapped in mustard leaf and herbs, then dipped in nuoc cham. Big and thin in the south, small and thick in the centre. About 20,000 to 40,000 dong each.

350kcal / 1 medium pancake
A medium banh xeo is around 350 calories. The batter is rice flour with coconut milk and turmeric, about 170 for one pancake, and it is fried in enough oil to make it crisp, which adds 90. The prawn and pork inside are about 70, the bean sprouts 15. Small central Vietnam ones are 250; the huge southern ones are 500.

Nutrition facts

Per 1 medium pancake (200g)AmountPer 100g
Calories350 kcal175 kcal
Protein14 g7 g
Carbs40 g20 g
Fat15 g8 g

Where the calories come from

Rice flour and coconut milk batter90g
170 kcal
Frying oil absorbed10g
90 kcal
Prawns and pork belly40g
70 kcal
Bean sprouts and spring onion40g
15 kcal
Herbs and mustard leaf20g
5 kcal

The real talk

Banh xeo looks like a light, vegetable heavy snack and it is really a fried pancake. The batter for one medium pancake is about 60g of rice flour and 40ml of coconut milk, 170 calories before it hits the pan. Then it hits the pan with a ladle of oil, because the crispness comes from shallow frying, and a medium pancake absorbs about 10g, 90 calories. That is 260 before the filling.

The filling is the healthy bit. Two or three prawns and a few slices of pork belly are about 70 calories for 40g, and the bean sprouts are 15. The published figure of 315 to 350 for a medium pancake with 11g fat, 40g carbs and 14g protein lines up with that. What changes it is size. A Hue or Da Nang banh xeo is palm size and 250; a Mekong style one is the size of the pan and 450 to 500.

Nobody eats one. The typical order at a banh xeo quan is two per person, with a plate of mustard greens and herbs and a bowl of sweet fish sauce, about 40 calories per bowl. Two medium pancakes plus sauce is 740. Two southern ones is 1,000. The greens are free and the pancake is meant to be wrapped in them, so at least the meal has volume.

How the portions compare

250 kcal
Small central style pancake
350 kcal
Medium pancake
500 kcal
Large Mekong style pancake

Banh Xeo variants, ranked by calories

VariantCaloriesNotes
Banh xeo mien Trung (central)250 kcalSmall, thick
Banh xeo chay (vegetarian)300 kcalMushroom and tofu
Banh khot (mini cups, per 5)350 kcalSmall fried cups with shrimp
Banh xeo tom thit (medium)350 kcalPrawn and pork
Banh xeo mien Tay (large)500 kcalPan sized, extra pork

How to eat it lighter

Common questions

How many calories in one banh xeo?
About 350 for a medium pancake with prawn and pork. Small central Vietnam ones are around 250 and the large Mekong style ones about 500.
Is banh xeo healthy?
It has some protein and comes with a lot of raw greens, but the pancake is fried in oil and made with coconut milk, so 15g of fat per medium piece. One is fine; two or three is a heavy meal.
Is banh xeo gluten free?
Usually yes. The batter is rice flour, turmeric and coconut milk. Some stalls add a little wheat flour or beer for crispness, so ask if it matters.
How much oil is in banh xeo?
A medium pancake absorbs about 10g of frying oil, roughly 90 calories, which is a quarter of the total.

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Calorie and macro figures are estimates for a typical street stall or quan serving. Actual numbers vary by stall, recipe and portion size. Use them as a guide, not gospel.

Calorie figure based on Long Chau and Huggies VN (315 to 350 medium, 250 small); component cross-check. Macros estimated from the ingredients.

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