Chinese Steamed Eggs Recipe (水蒸蛋)
This Chinese steamed egg recipe (水蒸蛋) is a silky, savory comfort dish made with just 2 eggs, water, soy sauce, and sesame oil—perfect for a quick, nourishing meal or side. With optional add-ins like tofu, century egg, or chili crisp, it’s easily customizable and comes together in under 15 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 largeeggs
- ⅝ cupwarm filtered water (or boiled water cooled for a minute)
- salt
- ¼ tspsesame oil (mixed into egg mixture)
- ½ tsplight soy sauce
- ¼ tspsesame oil
- 1scallion (thinly sliced)
- 1 tbspsoft silken tofu (cubed)
- century egg or salted egg yolk (chopped)
- ½ tsprehydrated dried shrimp or a dash of chicken bouillon
- a pinch of white pepper
- drizzle of chili crisp or garlic oil
- cilantro or fried shallots for garnish
Directions
- 1
Beat the eggs gently in a bowl until smooth—avoid over-whisking to reduce bubbles.
- 2
Add in warm water, salt, and ¼ tsp sesame oil, then mix. For an ultra-smooth texture, strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a shallow, heatproof bowl.
- 3
If you’re using add-ins like tofu, century egg, or dried shrimp, gently stir them into the egg mixture before steaming. (Toppings like chili oil or shallots should be added after.)
- 4
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and poke a small hole in the center using a chopstick or fork—this prevents condensation from dripping while letting steam escape, and it also makes the egg silky smooth.
- 5
To make a simple steamer setup, fill a deep pan with about 1–2 inches of water and place a heatproof rack, ring, or folded dish towel at the bottom. Carefully set the bowl on top.
- 6
Cover the pan with a lid. Steam on medium-low heat for 10–12 minutes, until the egg is just set with a slight jiggle in the center. 🔥 Important: Keep the heat gentle. If it’s too high, the egg may bubble or develop holes on the surface.
- 7
Carefully remove the bowl from the pan. If you want to, you can slice a grid through the surface of the steamed eggs to help it absorb the seasonings. Drizzle with soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and top with scallions and any additional garnishes like chili oil or fried shallots.
- 8
Serve hot with a bowl of steamed rice and enjoy.