Chinese home cooking

Chinese Steamed Eggs

Name: Chinese Steamed Eggs
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: eggs; 1.5 times the egg liquid volume warm water; salt; light soy sauce; sesame oil; scallions; 1 spoonful, optional lard

水蒸蛋 · Zhēng dàn

Eggs are mixed with warm water, strained and gently steamed into a soft custard finished with soy sauce, sesame oil and scallions.

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Also known as Chinese steamed egg custard · Zheng Dan.

Published 2026-10-12

English adaptation and editing of authorized supplied recipes: Chinese Home Cooking.

Smooth yellow steamed egg custard topped with chopped scallions and oil in a white bowl. — Chinese Steamed Eggs

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About This Recipe

This Chinese steamed egg custard uses warm water at 1.5 times the volume of the beaten eggs. Straining the mixture and skimming away foam come before steaming. A cover protects the surface from dripping water; light soy sauce, sesame oil and scallions finish the custard after it sets.

Why This Version Works

Straining and removing surface foam prepares a smooth mixture. A cover keeps condensation off the surface, and the shallow ceramic bowl recommended in the supplied instructions helps the mixture heat evenly.

Ingredients

Quantities are included where specified in the original recipe.

eggs
1.5 times the egg liquid volumewarm water
salt
light soy sauce
sesame oil
scallions
1 spoonful, optionallard

Spoonfuls retain the Chinese recipe measures 勺/匙. Small and large spoonfuls retain 小勺 and 大勺; their volume is unspecified and is not converted to teaspoons or tablespoons.

Ingredient Notes

Use an egg-liquid to warm-water ratio of 1:1.5.
The source recommends a shallow ceramic container for even heating.
Steaming time varies with the amount of egg liquid, container thickness and depth, and heat level.
Use a shallow ceramic bowl. Steaming time varies with the amount of egg mixture, bowl depth and thickness, and heat level; the supplied 10-minute steam and 3-minute rest are not a verified time for every batch.

Step-by-Step Instructions

01
Beat the eggs with salt.
02
Add warm water equal to 1.5 times the egg liquid volume and mix. Strain and skim off the surface foam.
03
Cover with a heat-safe plate or the source's perforated wrap to keep water from dripping in.
04
Once the steamer water boils, steam over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave covered for 3 minutes.
05
Add light soy sauce and sesame oil to preference, sprinkle with scallions and cut through the custard. The source also mentions an optional spoon of lard.

Illustrated Cooking Guide

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English-captioned photographs showing ingredient preparation and cooking for Chinese Steamed Eggs. — Cooking illustration 1 · Open full size ↗

Cooking Method

Steaming ↗

FAQ

What egg-to-water ratio does this recipe use?

Measure the beaten egg liquid, then add 1.5 times that volume of warm water: an egg-to-water ratio of 1:1.5.

What container and steaming time does this version use?

Use a shallow ceramic container. The supplied method steams for 10 minutes over medium-low heat, followed by a 3-minute covered rest. The amount of egg mixture and the depth and thickness of the container affect the time; these timings are not universal.

Recipe card