This is an ultra easy and healthy Chinese Steamed Egg recipe for the silkiest eggs you’ll ever have! Lightly seasoned custard is steamed to golden perfection then drizzled with soy sauce and sesame oil, which pairs beautifully with a chopped spring onion garnish.
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!
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.
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
– If the custard did not have a chance to cook using a consistent heat from start to finish, it could come out a little bumpy. Make sure to avoid lifting the lid up until the dish is completely cooked.
– Remember to use a sieve to remove lumps or large particles that might affect the smoothness of your dish.
– If the recipe is not completely cooked before removing from the heat, any movement (such as taking it out of the steamer to check) will wobble the uncooked custard and form curds.
When I trialled different stove settings for this recipe, I found that using a high heat cooked the eggs too quickly. The more they cooked, the puffier they became.
That’s why we suggest to steam using a low-medium heat.
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 5 half shells of hot water into a bowl with 5 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
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Chinese Steamed Egg (蒸水蛋)
Equipment
- Steamer
- Sieve
Ingredients
For The Eggs
- 5 eggs
- 500 mL water/chicken stock/milk
- 1 tbsp fish sauce (or to taste)
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder
For The Sauce (Optional)
- 1 1/2 tsp light soy sauce (or to taste)
- 1 tbsp water (optional)
- 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
- spring onion (finely chopped)
Instructions
- 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!
Notes
- Use warm water. This will help the liquid and egg combine better. If you're using the egg shell method, add 5 half shells of hot water into a bowl with 5 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.
- 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.
- To get the ideal balance, you need a 2:1 ratio in favor of liquid OR 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.
Wow! This looks insanely delicious and so creamy! Can’t wait to try it.
I hope you enjoy it 😀
Something new for me to try with eggs. Great recipe. Looks so delicious
Thanks, Kushigalu!
I’m always looking for new egg dishes to try. This one looks amazing. Can’t wait to try it!
I hope you love it, Kara! 😀
This is calling my name. It looks so delicious and tasty! I can’t wait to give this a try!
Thanks, Beth!
wow this looks so good..thanks for sharing your tips..I will try it
You’re welcome, Priya!
if you used 5 eggs then you would add 10 half shells of warm water
Hi, thanks for your recipe, but as above copied, if you put 10 half shells water, that is 5 whole eggs, 1:1, so you mean 20 half shells?
Hi Jay! Thanks for that. I’ve fixed the recipe 😀