This easy mo hanh recipe makes a bright and fresh Vietnamese scallion oil in under 5 minutes. It’s an easy vegan condiment you’ll love spooning over rice, noodles, or grilled dishes.
🤔 What is mo hanh?
Mỡ hành is a Vietnamese scallion oil made by pouring hot oil over chopped green onions with a bit of salt, creating a bright, savory flavor. In Vietnamese, mỡ means oil and hành means scallion.
🍚 Ingredient tips & substitutes
- Oil The best oil to use for scallion oil is a neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola oil, because it has a clean taste and a high smoke point that lets the fresh scallion flavor shine through.
- Scallions Also called green onions, they add a mild, slightly sweet onion flavor and a bright green color to the oil; use only the green parts for a fresher taste, or include some white parts for a stronger flavor.
- Salt (optional) Enhances the savory taste and balances the mild sweetness of the scallions.
🫙 More condiments to try
This Vietnamese mo hanh recipe takes just minutes to make, and you’ll love how it transforms plain rice or noodles! Let me know how it turned out for you in the comments.
Mo Hanh Recipe (Vietnamese Scallion Oil)
Equipment
- Cutting board and knife
- Measuring cups
- Small saucepan
- Heatproof bowl
Ingredients
- 4 scallions
- ¼ cup neutral oil
- ⅛ tsp salt optional
Instructions
- Rinse and trim the scallions, then slice into 0.5 cm (¼ inch) pieces and place in a heatproof bowl.
- Heat the neutral oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until hot but not smoking.
- Carefully pour the hot oil over the scallions. Stir in salt if desired.
Video
Notes
- Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and should be considered approximate.
👩🍳 How to make scallion oil
- Rinse and trim the scallions, then slice them into pieces about 0.5 cm (¼ inch) thick and place them in a heatproof bowl. Chop the scallions evenly so they cook at the same rate and don’t burn.
- Pour the neutral oil into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until hot but not smoking.
- Carefully pour the hot oil over the sliced scallions in the bowl. The scallions will sizzle and release their fragrance. Stir in the salt if using.
❗Recipe tips
The right temperature oil for making scallion oil is hot but not smoking, around 175–190°C (350–375°F), so it sizzles the green onions without burning them and brings out their bright, onion-like flavor.
You should refrigerate scallion oil to keep it fresh and safe. Store it in a clean, airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let it come to room temperature or gently warm it before using to bring back its pourable consistency.
You can freeze scallion oil in small portions (like in an ice cube tray) for up to 2 months, then thaw as needed.
