The perfect beef xian bing should be so juicy that you have to suck out some of the flavorful savory juices as you take a bite. This straightforward recipe guides you through creating that kind of xian bing. You owe it to yourself to try this recipe!
This beef xian bing recipe is truly amazing, it's probably the best xian bing I've eaten. It's so delicious and flavorful by itself that you don't need any dipping sauce.
If you like Chinese buns and have wanted to try making them at home, xian bing is a good one to start with. Making xian bing is easier and faster than making steamed buns because there's less kneading involved and you don't need to wait for the dough to rise.
Why You Should Try This Recipe?
- This beef xian bing is super delicious! It tastes better than many you can get from restaurants.
- The step by step pictures and videos here will guide you through every step.
- This is pretty easy to make, suitable for beginners who want to learn how to make Chinese bao and buns at home.
Ingredients You'll Need
note
- Ground beef - use ground beef with 20%-30% fat for optimal flavor and juiciness.
- Rice cooking wine - you can also use Shaoxing wine.
- Soy sauce - I use regular Kikkoman soy sauce.
Step by Step Instruction
Step 1 - Soak Sichuan peppercorn in water for 30 minutes (at least) to a few hours.
This is the key to making flavorful and juicy xian bing, so don't skip it!
Step 2 - Make beef filling.
Mix ground beef with ⅓ cup of Sichuan peppercorn water from previous step (discard the peppercorn), stir with a pair of chopsticks until water is absorbed completely before adding egg and all the seasonings.
Stir the beef mixture in the same direction until it's sticky. Mix in chopped scallions. Cover and store it in the fridge.
Step 3 - Make the xian bing dough.
In a mixing bowl with flour and salt, pour in warm water (around 150°F / 65°C), stir until the water is all absorbed. Form mixture into a dough ball. Continue to knead for 2 minutes until the surface becomes smoother.
Coat the surface of the dough with a thin layer of oil, cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Step 4 - Assemble the xian bing.
Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and then form each piece into a ball by folding the edges to the center and pinching them together. Cover with damp towel and rest for 10 minutes.
Take out one piece of dough and place it on a lightly floured working surface, roll it out into a circle of about 5" (12cm) diameter that's thinner on the edges. (Watch video for demonstration.)
Place the beef filling in the middle, lift up the edge of the dough two sides at a time and pinch them together into the center tightly. Finally, rip off the extra dough and apply some flour on the top of the xian bing. Place it seam side down under the damp towel and repeat this for the rest of the dough.
Step 5 - Cooking xian bing
Heat a frying pan with 1 tablespoon of oil over medium low heat, once it's hot, place in the xian bing smooth side down and cook for 3 minutes or until lightly brown. Carefully flip the xian bing, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for another 3 minutes.
Now uncover the pan, raise the heat back to medium to medium high and cook until both sides become golden brown, about 1-2 minutes more.
Now it's time to enjoy warm, flavorful and super juicy beef xian bing! It goes very well with century egg congee and pork or chicken veggie congee
Tips and Tricks
- If you don't have a food thermometer, just boil the water until it's steaming and the bottom of the pan is covered with tiny bubbles.
- When you form the dough, it will seem sticky at first, but just keep kneading and you will get a soft and bouncy dough.
- Ripping off the extra dough prevents the xian bing from getting a thick disk of dough that's hard to cook through. You can also cut it off with a pair of scissors if you prefer.
- Always cover the dough/xian bing you are not working on to prevent the dough from drying out.
- Adjust the heat and cooking time if your xian bing is browning too quickly. Check the bottom of the xian bing occasionally to prevent it from burning.
Recipe FAQs
I strongly recommend using Sichuan peppercorn water as its nice aroma is the secret of making this xian bing so delicious. If you are afraid of the numbness from Sichuan peppercorn, I can assure you that you won't get that effect from this water at all.
Yes, you can!
You can store it in the fridge for 1-2 days or freeze it for up to a month. I usually just heat it up with a microwave as it's more convenient. It won't taste the same as freshly cooked but it's still very delicious.
I tried it and I would not recommend it because it takes a long time and is difficult to cook through. But if you really want to do it, here's the instruction: Add oil, cook the frozen xian bing for 15 seconds, add 4-5 tablespoon of water, cover and cook over low heat for about 8-10 minutes or until the water all evaporate. Turn the heat up to medium and continue to cook until both sides are golden brown.
Make Sure You Also Try
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Perfect Beef Xian Bing (Chinese Meat Pie)
Ingredients
Dough
- 400 g all purpose flour, about 3⅓ cup loosely measured
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 250 g hot water (see note), 150°F/65°C, 1 cup + 1tbsp
Beef Filing
- 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorn
- ⅔ cup water
- 1 lb ground beef, 20-30% fat
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice cooking wine, or Shoaxing wine
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper powder
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 scallion, chopped
Other
- vegetable oil
Instructions
Make Beef Filling
- Soak Sichuan peppercorn in water for 30 minutes (at least) to a few hours.
- In a mixing bowl, mix ground beef with ⅓ cup of the Sichuan peppercorn water from the previous step (discard the peppercorn), stir with a pair of chopsticks until water is absorbed completely. Add grated ginger, soy sauce, rice cooking wine, sea salt, sugar, white pepper powder, black pepper, egg and sesame oil.
- Stir the beef mixture in the same direction until it's sticky (about 2 minutes). Add in chopped scallions and mix well. Cover and store it in the fridge.
Make dough
- In a mixing bowl with flour and salt, pour in warm water (around 150°F / 65°C), stir until the water is all absorbed.
- Form mixture into a dough ball. Continue to knead for 2 minutes until the surface becomes smoother. The final dough should be soft but not sticky if you touch it with your clean hands.
- Coat the surface of the dough with a thin layer of oil, cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Assembling
- Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and then form each piece into a ball by folding the edges to the center and pinching them together. Cover with damp towel and rest for 10 minutes.
- Take out one piece of dough and place it on a lightly floured working surface, roll it out into a circle of about 5" (12cm) diameter that's thinner on the edges. (Watch video for demonstration.)
- Place the beef filling in the middle (about ¼ cup) , lift up the edge of the dough two sides at a time and pinch them together into the center tightly. Finally, rip off the extra dough and apply some flour on the top of the xian bing. Place it seam side down under a damp towel and repeat this for the rest of the dough.
Cooking
- Heat a frying pan with 1 tablespoon of oil over medium low heat. Once pan is hot, place the xian bing in smooth side down and cook for 3 minutes or until lightly brown. Carefully flip the xian bing, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Now uncover the pan, turn the heat back to medium/medium high and cook until both sides become golden brown, about 1-2 minutes more. Repeat the same to finish cooking the rest of the xian bing.
- Let the xian bing cool down a little before enjoying. I like to take a small bite, suck out some flavorful juices before enjoying the rest of the xian bing.
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