Scallion Pancake Pizza with Chili Crisp and Fried Egg
Frozen scallion pancakes crisp in a skillet, then get a savory hoisin sauce, melted mozzarella, a sunny fried egg, and a spoonful of chili crisp. It takes about 30 minutes and uses one pan.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 18 min
- Total
- 28 min
- Makes
- 4 small pizzas (6-inch / 15 cm), serves 2
Steps
Before you start
- Use frozen scallion pancakes about 6 inches (15 cm) across, and cook them straight from the freezer. Thawed pancakes turn floppy and greasy.
- Shred the mozzarella yourself from a block of low-moisture mozzarella if you can. It melts more smoothly than pre-shredded cheese.
- You will cook the pizzas in 2 batches of 2 in a 12-inch skillet. Have a plate ready for the finished pizzas.
- Stir the chili crisp before measuring it so you get both the oil and the crunchy bits.
Mix the sauce
- In a small bowl, stir together the hoisin, rice vinegar, and toasted sesame oil until smooth and spreadable.
- Set aside.
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Ready when: Sauce is glossy and spreads like thick ketchup.
Prep the toppings
- Shred the mozzarella if needed and divide it into 4 equal piles of about ⅓ cup (40 g) each.
- Slice the scallion greens thinly.
- Crack the 4 eggs into 2 small bowls (2 per bowl) so they slide into the pan together.
- Line up the chili crisp, sesame seeds, and a plate near the stove.
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Tip: Once the pancakes are cooking, things move fast, so get everything ready first.
Crisp the first side
- Heat 1 tbsp (15 ml) of the oil in the 12-inch skillet over medium heat for about 1 minute, until it shimmers.
- Add 2 frozen pancakes side by side.
- Cook for 2 to 3 minutes without moving them, until the underside is deep golden and the pancakes have softened enough to bend.
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Ready when: Underside is deep golden brown and crisp, and the edges look flaky.
Tip: If the pancakes brown in under 2 minutes, lower the heat slightly so the centers can warm through.
Top and melt
- Flip the pancakes with a spatula.
- Quickly spread 1 tbsp of the hoisin sauce over each one, leaving a ½-inch (1 cm) border, and scatter one pile of mozzarella over each.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the skillet, and cook for 2 minutes.
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Ready when: Cheese is fully melted and bubbling at the edges, and the underside is crisp.
Tip: Don't overload the sauce. Too much makes the pancake soggy.
Rest the first batch
- Slide the 2 pizzas onto the plate.
- Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel if any cheese or sauce has burned.
- Repeat steps 3 and 4 with 1 tbsp (15 ml) of fresh oil, the remaining 2 pancakes, the remaining sauce, and the remaining cheese.
- Move the second batch to the plate too.
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Ready when: Second batch looks like the first: golden crisp base and melted cheese.
Tip: Don't stack the pizzas. The steam will soften the bottoms.
Fry the eggs
- Wipe the skillet clean.
- Heat the remaining 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil over medium heat for 30 seconds.
- Slide in the 4 eggs, 2 at a time if they crowd.
- Sprinkle with the salt.
- Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the whites are opaque and set but the yolks are still glossy and runny.
- For firmer yolks, cover the pan for the last minute.
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Ready when: Whites are fully set with crisp lacy edges, and yolks are still runny.
Tip: Lower the heat if the egg edges brown faster than the whites set.
Assemble the pizzas
- Set one fried egg on top of each pizza.
- Spoon about 2 tsp of chili crisp over each, including some of the crunchy bits.
- Scatter with the sliced scallion greens and the sesame seeds.
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Ready when: Each pizza has a glossy egg, red chili crisp, and green scallions.
Tip: Add the chili crisp and scallions just before serving to keep them crunchy and fresh.
Serve right away
- Serve the pizzas hot, 2 per person.
- Cut them into wedges with a knife or fold them and eat by hand.
- Break the yolk and let it run over the crisp pancake.
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Tip: The pancakes are crispiest in the first 5 minutes.
Good to know
Tips
- Cook the pancakes from frozen. This keeps the layers flaky and the outside crisp.
- Use a lid to melt the cheese. It traps steam, so the cheese melts without burning the base.
- Keep the sauce layer thin and leave a border so the edges stay crunchy.
- For extra crunch, finish the pizzas with a pinch of flaky salt or a few more chili crisp solids.
Make ahead
Shred the cheese, slice the scallions, and mix the sauce up to 2 days ahead. Keep each in a covered container in the fridge. Cook the pancakes and eggs just before serving.
Storage & reheating
Best eaten right away. Leftover pizzas without the egg keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 6 to 8 minutes, until crisp and hot. Don't store at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Freezing assembled pizzas isn't recommended because the pancakes lose their crispness.
Substitutions
- hoisin sauce → Tomato paste mixed with 1 tsp soy sauce and ½ tsp sugar. Gives a more classic pizza taste with a lighter, less sweet flavor.
- low-moisture mozzarella → Monterey Jack or a mozzarella and white cheddar mix. Both melt well. Use the same weight.
- chili crisp → Sriracha or chili garlic sauce, about 1 tbsp. Less crunch and more heat per spoonful, so start with less.
- large eggs → Soft-scrambled eggs or omit. Scrambled eggs are easier to eat by hand. Leaving the egg out still makes a good vegetarian pizza.
