Silky Chinese Steamed Eggs – Vicky Pham

What is Chinese steamed egg?

Chinese steamed eggs are made by whisking eggs with water and seasonings, then gently steamed until it sets into a silky, smooth custard. The texture is light and delicate, almost melt-in-your-mouth.

You can enjoy it as is, or dress it up with a sprinkle of green onions and a light drizzle of sesame oil, soy sauce, and your favorite chili oil for even more flavor.

You can even add other protein and vegetables to make it heartier.

What You Will Need to Make Steamed Eggs

Ingredients

• Eggs: Fresh, room temperature eggs work best but cold eggs straight from the fridge work too.
• Water: The ideal egg-to-water ratio is 1:1/2. That means one medium egg uses 1/2 cup water. Use warm water for best result.
• Salt, chicken bouillon powder or other umami seasonings: Salt is enough if you want to keep it simple. For more umami—especially if you’re enjoying it plain without extra sauces at the end—also add a small amount of Vietnamese umami seasoning secret, chicken bouillon powder, or mushroom seasoning powder. You can also use Japanese hondashi powder, or simply, MSG.
• Garnishes: Thinly sliced green onions, light soy sauce (or Maggi sauce or liquid seasoning), sesame oil and your favorite chili oil if you like it spicy.
• Optional additions for a heartier version: The options for add-ons are limitless but my favorites are ground pork, shrimp, mushrooms or soft tofu.

Equipment

• Shallow heatproof bowl: A wide, shallow bowl helps the eggs cook evenly and set with a smooth texture. Avoid deep bowls, which can lead to uneven cooking.
• Steamer pot with lid: A pot deep enough to hold a steaming rack and wide enough to fit a shallow bowl. I love using an Asian-style bamboo steamer because it absorbs the moisture nicely. This means there’s no water droplets from under the lid that may fall onto the dish and ruin the texture.
• Dish clip: A tong-like tool designed to safely lift hot bowls or plates out of a steamer without tipping. One of my must-have tools when it comes to steaming!

How to Make Steamed Eggs

Step 1: Set up your steamer

Bring water to a boil in your steamer pot. Place a steaming rack inside and lower the heat to a gentle simmer while you prepare the eggs.

Step 2: Mix the eggs

Crack eggs into a shallow, heatproof bowl. Beat with chopsticks or a fork. Add water and seasonings then mix until evenly combined.

Step 3: Remove surface bubbles

Use a spoon to push all the bubbles to the edge of the bowl then skim them off.

Step 4: Steam gently

Carefully place the bowl onto the steaming rack. Cover and steam over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes.

In the last 2 minutes, sprinkle sliced green onions over the top, if using.

To test for doneness: Gently jiggle the bowl. The center should wobble like soft tofu but not look liquid.

Step 5: Finish and serve

Use the dish clip to safely remove the bowl from the steamer.

FAQs

Why is my custard full of holes or appear rough instead of smooth?

This usually happens when the heat is too high. Steam gently over medium to low heat.

Plus, using warm water in the egg mixture also helps greatly. Heat water in the microwave for a minute, if needed.

When do I add the optional toppings?

If you want to add ground pork or other proteins, cook it on the side in a small skillet and season it to your liking. Add it to the steamed eggs halfway through steaming. This keeps it from sinking for a more beautiful presentations.

For other toppings such as mushroom or tofu that don’t require additional cooking, add them directly to the steamed eggs midway through steaming as well.

In my pictures of the steamed eggs with ground pork, I waited too long to add the ground pork, so it’s kind of sitting on top of the eggs rather than being inside. So, don’t wait too long or else the eggs will set too much.

Does straining the egg mixture make it silkier?

I’ve tried straining the egg mixture through a fine sieve into a shallow bowl before steaming, and it didn’t make much difference in terms of texture. So I’d skip the extra step.

Can I use the microwave instead?

When I tried this, it obliterated the eggs and made a mess. I think it may be possible to use the microwave for steamed eggs if we can reduce the power setting.

I still haven’t figured out how to use the defrost setting properly, so my technically-challenged self recommends using the steamer and calling it a day.