Chinese Steamed Egg (蒸水蛋)

This is Grandma’s ultra easy and healthy Chinese Steamed Egg recipe for the silkiest eggs you’ll ever have! Lightly seasoned savory custard is steamed to golden perfection then drizzled with soy and sesame oil, which pairs beautifully with a chopped spring onion garnish.

Make it festive with our Three Colored Eggs (三色蒸水蛋) or add some ground pork. For a dessert version, try our Silky Egg Pudding (冰花燉蛋)!

The silkiest spoonful

Grandma might call her Chinese Steamed Egg recipe an emergency life saver, but for me it’s the BEST comfort food over a bowl of hot rice.

It’s my all time favorite egg dish. I absolutely love the simplicity of it, its velvety soft texture and how it complements my rice so, SO well.

Not only that, it pairs incredibly with any other Chinese side dishes, from Honey Glazed Ginger Chicken to Stir Fried Pea Shoots with Garlic and even with tangier dishes like Tomato Tofu With Minced Pork!

There are a few reasons as to why such an easy recipe works with EVERYTHING and here’s what it boils down to:

• It’s fuss-free with minimal effort. I cannot stress this enough. Just whisk, steam and voilà!
• The flavors are simple and wonderfully eggy, championed by the most luxurious savory custard.
• The recipe is easily adaptable. Skip the chicken bouillon powder and replace the fish sauce with salt and you’ll end up with a delicious vegetarian side dish.

No matter when you make this recipe or what you enjoy it with, it’s definitely one to keep in your back pocket!

What can I use instead of a steamer?

You’ll be surprised at how many ways you can DIY a steamer if you don’t have one at home. Here are some ways you can get straight to cooking Chinese Steamed Egg.

Pre-made

• Electric steamer – These are great for heating up things like vegetables or dumplings. All you need is a dish to put the ingredients in and you’re good to go. I’ve used it when steaming my taro and sweet potatoes for the classic Taiwanese dessert while Dad has used it for frozen dim sums.
• Bamboo steamer – You’ll generally find these in Chinese households and they come in various sizes. The great thing about these is that you can stack multiple layers on top of each other over a wok/pot. It’s great for baos like pork belly or pork buns.

How do you make a home steamer?

The foundation of these is simple: Get a wok or pan, fill it up with water and place a lid on top to seal in the steam. All you need is a base to support the dish.

• Steamer rack – You can find a few different versions from Asian supermarkets. They have prongs as legs and will be sold at different heights and sizes. Just choose the one that will keep the dish away from the water while the lid is completely closed.
• Collapsible steamer. These are compact and great for storage because they’re tightly packed when closed but will open up like a flower when ready to be used. Just be mindful of the ones that have a rod in the center. You won’t be able to place a dish on that.
• A pot/wok with a bowl in the middle. Dad sometimes gets a deep pan or wok, then turns a bowl upside down. He’ll place the turned bowl in the middle of the pan, pour water in the wok until it’s 3/4 of the way up the bowl and set the dish to be cooked right on top.
• Aluminium foil balls. If you can’t get your hands on any of the tools mentioned above, get some foil and roll it into a tight ball. Do it again to make another one identical to the first, then place them in the wok or pan on opposite ends. It will be a balancing act when you try to put the dish on top, but they will support the weight and keep it stable above the water. The Justine Chapple from FOOD & WINE has a great video that demonstrates this.

With all these options, there’s really no reason why you can’t make this side dish. You’lll only need a few kitchen tools for Grandma’s Chinese Steamed Egg!

Why this recipe works

• Using fish sauce to season the eggs adds a subtle umami essence salt alone cannot achieve.
• Adding chopped spring onions gives a freshness to this homey dish.
• Mixing in chicken bouillon powder intensifies the flavor and takes it to another level.

What you’ll need

For the eggs

About the ingredients

We try to aim for fresh free range chicken eggs for our recipe. Make sure to let the eggs come closer to room temperature before whisking.

Since the savory custard is seasoned before steaming, pouring sauce on top is entirely optional. If you find the balance to salty, add a hint of sugar to the sauce mix.

Chinese Steamed Egg is the base for many toppings that you can add on top after it has cooked 80% of the way. If you want to add extra ingredients on top, steam the eggs for 8 minutes, add your toppings and steam it for another 5 minutes. You can add ingredients like mushrooms, shrimp/prawns or carrot slices.

About the liquids

This Chinese Steamed Egg recipe calls for water, chicken stock or milk. To get the ideal balance, you need to double the amount of liquid compared to eggs (a 2:1 ratio in favor of liquid).

Another method is to keep half an egg shell and fill it up to pour in four times the number of eggs used. For example, if you used 5 eggs then you would add 20 half shells of warm water.

How to make this recipe

In a bowl, mix together the eggs, fish sauce, chicken bouillon powder and water.

Use a sieve to strain the mixture through and onto a steam-safe dish, removing any clumps.

Tip: Pour it through slowly to minimise the number of bubbles.

Scoop out any bubbles on the surface.

Cover the dish with plastic glad wrap or a plate. This step is vital for a smooth surface. It stops water droplets from dripping onto the surface, which is the main cause of unevenness.

Bring the steamer to a boil then lower the heat to low and steam for 13 minutes or until just cooked.

Take the steamed eggs out and enjoy immediately as is or with rice.

For extra flavor, pour over the light soy sauce mixture and sesame oil, then garnish with spring onions!

FAQs

Tips for the silkiest eggs

This might seem like the easiest recipe to make, but there are some kitchen techniques that will guarantee a velvet-like experience every time.

• Use warm water. This will help the liquid and egg combine better. If you’re using the egg shell method, add 10 half shells of hot water into a bowl with 10 egg shells of cold water.
• Steam using a thin dish. You want the custard to cook through from the outer rim to the center as evenly as possible. We generally opt for a thin metal dish.
• Use a bamboo steamer. Bamboo steamers are designed to let some of the steam to escape, leaving dishes free from dripping condensation so you don’t have to wrap or cover it prior to steaming. Another bonus is it infuses a wonderful earthy aroma.

More egg dishes for the family!

• Vietnamese Braised Pork Belly and Eggs in Coconut Water (Thịt Kho) – A sweet and savory soy base with fall apart pork is what makes this classic recipe a family favorite.
• Vietnamese Steamed Egg Meatloaf (Chả Trứng Hấp) – Moist, simple and beautifully textured, you’ll love this homey side dish.
• Dried Scallop and Egg White Fried Rice (瑤柱蛋白炒飯) – Pair this quick and delicious fried rice with any meal for a winning combination.
• Century Egg and Pork Congee (皮蛋瘦肉粥) – There’s nothing quite like a warm, creamy bowl of congee with
• Salted Egg Chips – Snack on crispy fried potato chips coated in a luscious salted egg sauce!

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This post was originally published on 7/7/20 and updated with new tips in July 2022.

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