Banh xeo (pronounced “bahn say-oh”) is a Vietnamese sizzling crepe made from a crispy rice-flour batter colored golden with turmeric, filled with shrimp, pork, and bean sprouts. It’s torn into pieces, wrapped in lettuce and herbs, and dipped in nước chấm. The name means “sizzling cake,” after the sound the batter makes in the pan.
Bánh xèo is one of Vietnam’s most fun dishes to eat — a large, crispy crepe with a golden color that comes from turmeric, not egg. The thin batter is poured into a hot pan where it sizzles (“xèo!”), then folded over a filling of shrimp, thinly sliced pork, and crunchy bean sprouts. The edges crisp up while the center stays tender.
You don’t eat it with a fork and knife. Instead, you tear off a piece, tuck it into a lettuce leaf with a handful of fresh herbs, roll it up, and dip it in nước chấm. The contrast of hot-crispy crepe, cool herbs, and tangy sauce is what makes it special.
Bánh xèo is pronounced roughly “bahn say-oh.” The word xèo imitates the sizzling sound the batter makes when it hits the hot pan — so the name literally means “sizzling cake.” See our pronunciation guide.
More detail in banh xeo ingredients.
Yes — bánh xèo’s batter is made from rice flour and turmeric, with no wheat, so the crepe itself is naturally gluten-free. The one thing to check is the dipping sauce: nước chấm is usually gluten-free, but always confirm the fish sauce contains no wheat if you’re strictly avoiding gluten. Full details in is banh xeo gluten-free?
For more, see how to eat banh xeo.
| Southern style | Central style | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Large | Smaller |
| Texture | Thin and very crispy | Slightly thicker |
| Coconut milk | Usually included | Often less or none |
Bánh xèo is a beloved street food across Vietnam, with roots in the country’s rice-based cooking and a name drawn from the dramatic sizzle of batter meeting a hot pan. Southern versions tend to be large and crisp with coconut milk in the batter, while central Vietnamese versions are smaller. As Vietnamese cuisine spread to the United States, bánh xèo became a favorite for its interactive, wrap-it-yourself style.
Find authentic Vietnamese restaurants serving bánh xèo near you, across all 50 US states.
Find Banh Xeo Near Me →Banh xeo is a Vietnamese sizzling crepe made from a crispy, turmeric-colored rice-flour batter filled with shrimp, pork, and bean sprouts. It’s wrapped in lettuce and herbs and dipped in nước chấm.
It’s pronounced roughly “bahn say-oh.” The word xèo imitates the sizzling sound the batter makes in the hot pan, so the name means “sizzling cake.”
Yes — the batter is made from rice flour and turmeric with no wheat, so the crepe is naturally gluten-free. Just confirm the dipping sauce’s fish sauce contains no wheat if you’re strictly gluten-free.
The batter is rice flour, turmeric, coconut milk, and water; the filling is typically shrimp, pork, and bean sprouts. It’s served with lettuce, herbs, and nước chấm.
Banh xeo gets its golden-yellow color from turmeric in the batter — not from eggs, which it doesn’t contain.
Tear off a piece of the crepe, wrap it in a lettuce leaf with fresh herbs, roll it up, and dip it in nước chấm. It’s best eaten while still crispy.
Explore more in our Vietnamese food guide, or read about Vietnamese spring rolls.
