Chinese Steamed Eggs – 20 Minutes ONLY!
Chinese Steamed Egg 蒸蛋 is the most delicate, melt-in-your-mouth 20 minute dinner dish! This nostalgic childhood dish uses only eggs and broth for that light, custardy egg base. Plus, drizzle on a simple, savory-sweet sauce all over that makes these eggs extra delicious with rice. I have all the tips and tricks for extra-smooth, extra silky eggs with a velvety texture, so it is absolutely beginner friendly! Give Chinese Steamed Eggs a try, and I promise it will also be your new household favorite!
Perfect Chinese Steamed Egg Every Time
Chinese Steamed Eggs are delicate, healthy, delicious, and vegetarian-friendly. This Chinese Steamed Egg is often the dish my mom would make when she wants to add a flavorful and cozy, but healthy dish. Or, if I need something more gentle but nutritious on my stomach. This recipe uses a similar base to Japanese steamed eggs, too!
Even though Chinese Steamed Eggs is a simple dish to make, keeping it perfectly silky-smooth is actually pretty hard to perfect. Whether you’re dealing with uncooked centers, or a spongy texture, don’t worry! I am here to share all of my mom’s secrets to guarantee the perfect Chinese Steamed Eggs every single time!
Ingredients For Silky Steamed Eggs
- 5 Eggs
- 2 cups Dashi Vegetable, or Chicken stock
- Green Onion
Savory Steamed Egg Sauce
- 1.5 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 0.5 tbsp Sugar
Silky Egg Base Ratio
The perfectly silky egg based requires a perfect ratio of 1:2 for that velvety soft texture. This is about 1 part egg to 2 part liquid by volume, or about 5 eggs to 2 cups of broth. And, make sure it is warm broth. This will pre-cook the egg throughout, so it’s easier to fully look later. You can even use water instead of broth, but trust me, using broth gives the a much tastier flavor!
I like to strain my eggs after beating them. This will ensure no lumps or bubbles, so the eggs come out extra silky and soft. At the bottom of your dish, you can also add seafood, meat, shiitake mushroom, or any other toppings for your choice. Make sure to also strain any excess bubbles on the top if you want a super smooth surface.
Using The Steamer For Silky Eggs
Steaming uses hot, trapped steam from boiling water to cook food to tender perfection. Typically, this uses a steamer, which is a pot with two layers. The second layer has holes on the bottom for the steam to rise up, which cooks the food without getting it soaked in boiling water. The two brands I definitely recommend are SUPOR steamer and Concord Steamer.
If the Steamer is shut tight, the egg to overcook, and the texture will be more similar to quiche versus a silky egg custard. So, my mom’s trick is set two chopsticks on the edge under the lid for airflow. That way, the egg will cook more evenly,
No Steamer? No problem
If you don’t have a steamer, or prefer a different, fluffier texture for your eggs, I recommend making my Korean Steamed Eggs – Gyeran Jjim recipe instead.
Korean Steamed Eggs is a popular side dish that uses similar ingredients nd takes less than 15 minutes to make. It’s packed with umami-flavors!
Simple Savory Sauce
On top of the steamed eggs, I use easiest sauce for an extra layer of flavor. With this recipe, mixing in seasoning early can mess up the smoothness of the base. So, I use a simple mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar to drizzle on after steaming for some fragrant, savory-sweetness. Sometimes, for a spicier kick, I also mix in some of my homemade chili oil! For extra infused flavors, I sometimes like to score the surface so the sauce has more surface area to spread and absorb.
How To Make Chinese Steamed Eggs
- Prepare the steamer by adding water at the bottom and turning the heat to medium-high heat. Once the water is simmering, the steamer is ready.
- Whisk eggs and warm stock together. Whisk until everything thoroughly combined.
- Strain the egg and remove any bubbles on top.
- Place egg in the steamer for 15 minutes. Before closing the lid on the steamer, add two chopsticks on each side of the steamer; that way, air can flow in and cook the Steamed eggs evenly.
- Mix soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil together. Whisk until sugar is fully dissolved
- Place a spoon lightly on top of the egg; if it doesn’t sink, that means the egg is cooked.
- Drizzle the sauce all over the egg and garnish it with green onion. Pair with rice or other vegetables! ENJOY!
Chinese Steamed Eggs
By Tiffy Cooks
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 Eggs
- 2 cups Dashi Vegetable, or Chicken stock
- Green Onion
Savory Steamed Egg Sauce
- 1.5 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 0.5 tbsp Sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the steamer by adding water at the bottom and turning the heat to medium-high heat. Once the water is simmering, the steamer is ready.
- Whisk eggs and warm stock together. Whisk until it is thoroughly combined.
- Strain the egg and remove any bubbles on top
- Place egg in the steamer for 15 minutes. Before closing the lid, add two chopsticks on each side of the steamer; that way, air can flow in and cook the Steamed eggs evenly.
- Mix soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil together. Whisk until sugar is fully dissolved
- Place a spoon lightly on top of the egg; if it doesn’t sink, that means the egg is cooked.
- Drizzle the sauce all over the egg and garnish it with green onion. Pair with rice or other vegetables! ENJOY!
Hi Tiffy! I love your recipes- everything looks so amazing! Is there a way to bookmark, save or print your recipes? I want to go back to them easily, and I haven’t been able to. Steamed eggs was my daughter’s favorite when we were in China when we adopted her!
Also, what is the best dish to use for the eggs to put in the steamer? What size?
Hi Cheryl! I’m so glad you’re enjoying these recipes. The easiest way to bookmark these recipes is scrolling down to the recipe card at the bottom of the blog post and pin it on pinterest, there’s a button for that to make it super easy!
For the best dishes, look for a deep dish plate (typical dinner plate size) or a short, wide bowl. it’s the best kind of dish to make sure the egg steams evenly!
These eggs are SO YUMMY!! Incredibly soft and creamy, while the sauce adds a nice subtle salty-sweet flavor that really enhances the dish! I found this recipe on my Instagram discovery page a few days ago and I KNEW I needed to give it a try! It is honestly so easy to make, and I ended up making some quick scallion pancakes while the eggs steamed. Topped with some finely chopped chives, and BOOM! A delicious meal. I will be making this again for sure… thanks for sharing this awesome recipe!!
Absolutely delicious! I ended up mixing the sauce that was supposed to be on top into the egg mixture by accident but it actually turned out so delicious! Every bite was flavorful. And straining it did make the steamed egg so smooth and velvety. Perfect with hot rice and we also ate it with pickled radishes. This one’s a winner.
Tasted amazing, thx for the recipe ^^
10/10 I used a slightly different sauce and used water instead of broth, but overall it was still good for my first time making it!
So good and so easy! I really appreciate your receipes i think this one could be great for low carb option to rice on a high protein diet!