Chinese Meat Pies (Xian Bing/馅饼) (2024)

What are Chinese meat pies

Chinese meat pies, known as Xiàn Bǐng/馅饼, are a type of stuffed flatbread popular throughout China. They offer a rich diversity of fillings, shapes, and flavors, catering to a wide range of tastes.

Imagine a cross between a giant dumpling and a flatbread, pan-fried to a golden shine. If you enjoyed my recipe for Crispy Stuffed Flatbread or Scallion Pancakes, you’ll find these meat pies to be an excellent alternative.

My version showcases how my parents make them, using a mixture of fatty ground meat and a generous amount of scallions. However, I’ve enhanced their dough recipe by adding extra water and a little oil, which results in a more tender mouthfeel.

Top tips

As usual, I’d like to first point out a few tips to help you achieve the best result.

• Allow enough time to rest the dough.
• Add water/stock to the filling for a juicy texture.
• Watch the tutorial to learn the assembly technique
• Freeze uncooked pies and cook whenever you wish.

Make the dough

For the dough, you only need three elements: all-purpose flour, water (both hot and room-temperature), and cooking oil. Through testing, I’ve found this combination to be the best formula for producing a soft, palatable texture in Chinese meat pies.

Here is how you make it by hand:

1. Firstly, add hot water (just boiled) to the flour. Stir to distribute. Then, add room-temperature water and cooking oil.
2. Mix and combine to form a soft, cohesive, rough-looking dough. Leave to rest, covered, for 20 minutes. Knead it again until perfectly smooth.
3. Divide the dough into equal pieces. Coat each with a little oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let them rest for 10 minutes before assembling.

🌟 NOTES:

• This dough is supposed to be quite soft (it has a higher liquid content than dumpling dough or bao dough). Dust your hands with flour when combining and kneading to prevent sticking.
• Resting is important because it allows the gluten bonds to develop, making the dough more elastic and stretchy.

Mix the filling

Here is a list of ingredients you need for the filling (substitutes included when possible):

• Ground meat. It can be pork, beef or lamb.
• Scallions. Chinese chives can be used as a substitute.
• Ginger.
• Light soy sauce & dark soy sauce. The former provides the key umami saltiness, while the latter offers a caramelized sweet undertone.
• Sesame oil, for extra aroma and nuttiness.
• Ground spices. I use a combination of Sichuan pepper and white pepper. Five-spice or cumin powder are good substitutes.

Like how I explained in my post on Dumpling Fillings, two factors contribute to a juicy, tender filling:

• Use ground meat that has a high-fat content. 15-20% of fat is what I usually choose.
• Add water, or unsalted stock if available, to the filling. Make sure to stir the mixture very well so the liquid is fully absorbed by the meat.

Assemble the pies

To shape a Chinese meat pie, you need to wrap the filling with a dough wrapper into a ball, similar to how you assemble a Baozi (stuffed bao bun).

Place it over a lightly oiled tray, with the sealed side facing down, before pan-frying starts. You don’t need to flatten the balls at this stage.

To clearly understand how it works, please watch the video tutorial inside the recipe card below. Here are a few tips you may find helpful:

• Use oil, instead of flour, to coat the work surface and your hands. This way the dough stays soft and easy to stretch.
• To achieve the optimal result of Pí Bó Xiàn Dà/皮薄馅大 (meaning thin skin and big filling), stuff the wrapper with plenty of filling. Wrap it with the dough as tightly as possible.
• If you find this method challenging, simply shape the pie into a flat half-moon, like how a Chinese Chive Pocket looks.

Pan-fry the pies

Choose a heavy-bottomed skillet/frying pan. Add enough oil to thinly cover its surface. Heat for half a minute then put in the assembled dough balls (do not overcrowd). Use your fingers, or a spatula, to flatten each into a disc.

Over low heat, fry them until the first side gains a golden color. Flip over then cover with a lid. Continue cooking until the other side browns nicely.

Finally, flip over the pies again to further crisp the first side before transferring them out to a tray lined with paper towels to soak up any excess oil.

Serving ideas

Enjoy these juicy meat pies while warm. They are great on their own as breakfast or snack. Dip them in Chinese chili oil if you crave something spicy.

My family also has them for dinners, paired with bowls of congee and a few refreshing cold dishes, such as Smashed Cucumber, Scallion Silken Tofu, Tiger Salad, etc.

Make ahead

If you wish to have these meat pies as breakfast on busy mornings, follow these make-ahead tips:

• Freeze uncooked pies. Flatten the assembled dough balls into discs. Place them on a tray and keep in the freezer until fully frozen. Transfer them into airtight bags and store for up to 2 months.
• Cook frozen pies. Without defrosting, pan-fry frozen pies over medium-low heat, with the lid on all the time, until both sides turn golden.

Other comforting staples

Looking for other classic Chinese bread recipes? Check out these popular ones:

📋 Recipe

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & if you REALLY like it, consider leaving a comment as well!