Chinese Steamed Eggs (easy stove top recipe)

Name: Chinese Steamed Eggs (easy stove top recipe)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 eggs; 100 ml veg stock (lukewarm - heat in the microwave for 10-15 seconds); 100 ml milk; 1 tsp soya sauce; 1/2 tsp white pepper powder; 1 tbsp sesame seed oil; 1 tsp sesame seed; 1/2 tsp onion seeds; 1/2 tsp chili flakes; 1/2 tsp garlic granules; 1/2 tsp white pepper; Pinch of salt; 1 tbsp soya sauce; 2 tbsp scallions (sliced)

Smooth and soft Chinese steamed eggs that requires very few ingredients and little time to prepare. This traditional savory egg custard is the perfect meal.

I first had this dish in Singapore around 8 years ago and I was BLOWN AWAY. I have had egg custards before but nothing like this one which was savory and banging with flavor. This steamed egg dish was served with garlic soya sauce and chili paste. I made sure to eat it many times in various ways, you can have them with shrimps, mince pork or beef etc. i

I made this recipe 4 times before finalizing it. The first time I over cooked the egg which made it more like an overly steamed scrambled egg. The second time I made it – it was tasty but I wasn’t happy with the texture, I remembered it to be slippery smooth and soft which I didn’t achieve. The third time I made it it was good, the texture was where I wanted it to be but I thought I could’ve done better with the flavor components. Hence fourth times the charm. This recipe is now my weekly go to choice on how to eat eggs. It just happens to be Chinese new year soon making it very seasonal to make this time of year.

What are Chinese steamed eggs?

Chinese steamed eggs are basically a steamed savory egg custard. It is eggs mixed with stock/milk and little seasoning and steamed until set. Served with a few condiments and garnishes to finish off the dish.

What ingredients are needed to make this Chinese steamed eggs recipe?

We need eggs, stock, milk, soya sauce to make the custard. I have used a stock cube but you can use any stock you have. I like the addition of milk to make it extra creamy but you can use all stock if you prefer. For the top I have used a combination of sesame oil, sesame seeds, onion seeds, garlic granules, chili flakes and a little white pepper.

What equipment do you need to make this Chinese steamed eggs recipe?

We need a large stock pot with fitted lid, a little water and a little wire rack at the bottom on the pot to elevate the bowl you will steam the custard in. I like using a wide soup bowl which is around 7-8 inches in diameter. The bowl needs to fit in the stock pot, if you don’t have a large enough stock pot use a smaller bowl but that will reduce the cooking time. We also need a cling film or foil to cover the bowl before steaming. I used a whisk to beat the mixture but you can use chopsticks as well

How to make this Chinese steamed eggs recipe?

In a large stock pot add 3 inches of water, cover and let it come to a boil. We start by beating the eggs until they are broke up completely. In another bowl warm the stock and milk, it should be lukewarm around 45℃. Add soya sauce into the water mixture and add the beaten egg. Add a little white pepper and whisk again. Pour through a strainer into the bowl and cover the bowl with foil and pierce the top with a hole for the steam to escape. Cover the bowl with foil and pierce the top with a hole for the steam to escape. Place a small wire rack into the stock pot (to elevate the bowl so it is not touching the bottom of the stock pot or the water while steaming) and place the bowl onto the wire rack, cover with a lid and steam for 12-15 minutes on low – medium heat. While this is cooking, heat the sesame seed oil in a small sauté pan, add the sesame seeds, onion seeds, chili flakes and cook for 1 minute on medium heat, take off the fire and add the garlic granules, pepper and stir. Once the egg is cooked, remove the cover and pour over 1 tbsp soya sauce in the center. Spoon the sesame seed mixture on the sides and top with sliced scallions. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serving and storing this Chinese steamed eggs recipe?

I love this custard warm or hot but it is yummy at room temperature as well. You can serve it without the sesame seed mixture as well but I love the addition of the crunch with it. I have also stored this in the fridge once cooked and eaten it cold the next day but make sure to not add the sesame seed oil as it will get greasy once it is refrigerated.

Commonly asked questions about Chinese steamed eggs recipe:

How long does it take to steam egg?

This depends on the dish you are using to make the steamed eggs. The larger the dish the lesser the cooking time, the smaller the dish the longer the cooking time. I always like to use 6-8 inch bowls to steam them for 2 eggs worth of the custard mixture which takes around 10—15 minutes. Hence make sure to adjust the cooking time as needed based on the size of dish you will use.

Best ratio to make Chinese steamed eggs recipe?

The best ratio for a creamy steamed eggs custard is 1:2, which is egg:liquid. Hence my eggs weighed 100gm which means I used 100 ml stock and 100 ml milk, 200 ml liquid in total. That why you can scale up of down the recipe as needed for your use.

Is steamed eggs good for you?

Steamed is one of the best ways to cook food as it retains maximum amount of nutrition of the ingredients when cooked. Same theory goes with these steamed eggs, we don’t need any addition of fat to cook the mixture as well making for a lighter and healthier egg recipe.

How hot should my liquid be before adding the beaten eggs?

I like warming the stock to 45℃ with the milk. But you don’t have to get a thermometer out, just put your finger into the mixture and it should feel lukewarm.

Is it better to steam of boil eggs?

Depends on the types of eggs you want to eat and serve. I love boiled eggs that are jammy and delicious. You can steam whole eggs win the shell too but I love steamed eggs like this, it seems like it is very fancy but it sure it very simple to make.

Why is my steamed egg watery?

This means the eggs could’ve been cooked more. When we take the bowl out from the steamer we want to see a jiggle in the center of the bowl, when we touch it, the top should have bounce and not be wet wit raw egg custard that means it is not cooked.

Why is my Chinese steamed egg looking scrambled?

That means the water bubbling too much and was too hot, which scrambled the egg mixture/split it. The water shouldn’t touch the bowl we only want the gently steam of the hot water to cook the egg, not the hot water itself.

What to add in my Chinese steamed eggs recipe?

You can add shrimps, pork/beef mince or chicken strips as well. I have also eaten this with pork belly and it was delicious!

Looking for more Chinese recipes for Lunar new year?

Now that we have covered how to make these Chinese steamed eggs, you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.