Chinese Meat Pie (Xian Bing)
Chinese meat pie (Xian Bing in Mandarin) features a homemade bun and savory pork filling made with green onions, soy sauce, sesame oil and seasonings. Top it off with my homemade scallion ginger butter, and you’ve got a filling idea for dinner!
My repeat readers know how obsessed I am with Chinese cuisine! There are so many recipes to choose from here on the blog, such as this Chinese BBQ pork recipe, these saucy Chinese five spice ribs, or my Chinese roast chicken recipe. I’ve been perfecting the cooking methods over the years too and I’m consistently happy with the results.
This Chinese meat pie recipe is no different! Traditionally referred to as xian bing, this dish is juicy, flavorful, and filling. They are also super easy to put together. Check out the video below to see all the steps!
In my opinion, the shining star of this meal is the scallion ginger butter garnish. I also use a bit in the meat filling and boy, is it tasty.
INGREDIENT NOTES AND SUBSTITUTIONS
- All-Purpose Flour – Like all homemade dough, you’ll start with flour.
- Salt – This is the somewhat-secret ingredient in dough. Don’t skip it! You’ll also need a bit of salt for the pork filling.
- Water – Again, for the dough. You need some hot water (90 degrees F) as well as room temperature. You will also use a bit of cold water in the meat filling.
- Vegetable Oil – Another addition to the dough.
- Ground Pork – This dish can be made with several different types of meat: beef, lamb, or pork. I opt for pork in mine, but you can feel free to switch it up.
- Scallions – Sharp and peppery, this ingredient adds much to the Chinese meat pie filling. You’ll also (of course) need it for the scallion ginger butter.
- Soy Sauce & Sesame Oil – Staples in Asian cooking, you’ll use both for the filling.
- Pepper – Go for ground white pepper instead of black here.
- Brown Sugar – While you may not expect to find sugar in a savory recipe, it works wonderfully to balance the flavors in this Chinese meat pie recipe.
- Butter – The base of your homemade scallion ginger butter. Bring it to room temperature before you get started.
- Ginger – Use fresh ginger for your butter!
- Cilantro – This will add a bit more green color and earthy freshness to the butter.
HOW TO MAKE CHINESE MEAT PIE
1. Make The Dough. Add the all-purpose flour and salt into a mixing bowl to combine. Create a small well in the center, then pour in the hot water. Stir the dough until it comes together — you can use a special dough hook or a spatula. Add the room temperature water and oil, then knead the mixture to form your dough. Add a bit more water if necessary and knead for another 3 minutes (it should be smooth). Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
2. Create The Filling. Add the ground pork, scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, and brown sugar into a bowl and mix. The mixture should be thick and a bit resistant. Add in the water (1 tablespoon at a time) until it is fully absorbed and well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
3. Prepare The Scallion Ginger Butter. Place the butter and ginger into a food processor and pulse until the mixture is puréed. Add the remaining scallions and cilantro and pulse again until everything is well mixed.
4. Make The Chinese Meat Pie. Roll the dough into a 20-inch log and then cut it into 20 even pieces. Flatten each into a 6-inch disk, being careful to make the edges a bit thinner than the center. Scoop 2-3 tablespoons of the filling into the center, then fold the dough over it to create individual pies. Repeat with the rest of the dough and the filling.
5. Pan Fry Your Xian Bing. Add some vegetable oil to a cast iron (or non-stick) skillet over medium heat. Place the meat pies in the pan, seam side down, and fry until they become golden brown and crispy. Flip and fry the other side. Cover the pan and cook for an additional minute. Make sure not to crowd the pan — you can cook in batches if needed! Serve with a serving of scallion ginger butter and a few chili flakes if desired.
What Do You Serve With Chinese Meat Pie?
You can pick and choose what you serve with your meat pies. I like to keep things pretty classic: steamed rice and a few steamed veggies. You can also serve some Shrimp and pork shumai, Pork pot stickers or drizzle some Chinese Chili Oil on top, too for a Dim Sum Breakfast feast!
Where is Xian Bing From?
Xian bing hails from Northern China! It’s also referred to as meat pie, meat pockets, or even a big dumpling. They are often compared to pot stickers.
What Is A Chinese Bing?
This recipe for meat pies shouldn’t be confused with Chinese bing. The latter is a recipe for Chinese bread without any filling. It is sometimes prepared with scallions and sesame seeds.
Chinese Meat Pie (Xian Bing)
Ingredients
Dough
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup hot water over 90°F
- 1/2 cup room temperature water
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Pork Filling
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 cup scallions diced (4 green onions)
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp ground white pepper
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tbsp cold water
- Scallion Ginger Butter
Scallion Ginger Butter
Instructions
Dough
- In a mixing bowl add all-purpose flour and salt. Make a small well in the center and pour in the hot water. Using a dough hook or spatula, stir until dough starts to come together. Pour in the room temperature water, oil and roughly knead to form a dough. Add a tablespoon or two of more water if needed and knead for 3 minutes. Dough should be smooth. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes.
Filling
- In a bowl, mix ground pork, diced scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper and brown sugar. Keep stirring until you feel the mixture getting thick and resistant. Mix in the water, 1 tbsp at a time, until it’s fully absorbed and pork emulsified, about 30 seconds for each addition. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
Scallion Ginger Cilantro Butter
- In a food-processor, pulse butter with diced ginger until evenly pureed, scraping the sides a few times. Add the scallions, cilantro and purée until finely minced into the butter, set aside.
Assembly
- Knead the dough and roll into a 20-inch long log, it should be smooth. Cut into 20 pieces and then roll out to wrapper.
- Roll or flatten into a thin 6-inch disk with your hands, but making the edges gradually thinner than the center. Place about 2-3 tablespoons of pork filling in the center, then pull the sides of the dough up and pinch it tightly to seal on the top. Flip it over, seam side down, and gently flatten it into a round disc. Repeat with remaining dough and filling making 20 total.
Pan Fry (cooking in batches)
- Heat a cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Arrange the meat pies seam side down with about 1-inch space in between and fry until golden brown and crispy. Flip and cook other side for 1 minute. Cover pan and cook 1 more minute. Transfer to serving plate and top each with a teaspoon Scallion Ginger Cilantro Butter and chili flakes. Keep warm in oven while you repeat frying remaining pies.
- Serve warm with more Scallion Ginger Cilantro Butter and Red Chili Flakes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
The dough was excellent and the filling was so flavorful could not stop eating them