Juicy five-spice beef patties glazed with garlic and soy, served in soft steamed bao buns.
This recipe reworks the flavors of Chinese five-spice beef, commonly found in home stir-fries and skewers, into a burger built on soft, pillowy steamed bao instead of a Western bun. The patties are seasoned with garlic, ginger, five-spice powder and a splash of soy and Shaoxing wine, and finished with a quick glaze of soy, garlic and a touch of hoisin that caramelizes against the hot pan. Steamed bao buns are the key textural choice here: their soft, slightly sweet, pillowy texture is very different from a toasted burger bun, and it's what makes this feel distinctly Chinese rather than a beef patty with Asian seasoning tucked into a regular bun. If you don't want to make bao from scratch, store-bought frozen steamed buns work well and only need a few minutes in a steamer. Pickled cucumber and cilantro on top add the acidity and freshness that cuts through the rich, glazed beef, the same balance found in many Chinese braised and glazed meat dishes.
Serves 4
Combine ground beef, half the garlic, ginger, five-spice, soy sauce and Shaoxing wine. Mix gently and shape into 4 patties slightly wider than the bao buns, since they'll shrink as they cook.
Whisk together hoisin sauce, remaining garlic, soy sauce and honey in a small bowl.
Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook patties 4 minutes per side until well browned and internal temperature reaches 71C (160F).
In the last minute of cooking, brush the glaze over both sides of each patty, letting it caramelize slightly against the hot pan without burning.
Keep the heat at medium, not high, once the glaze goes on — the honey scorches quickly.
Steam bao buns according to package instructions, about 6-8 minutes, until soft and puffed.
Split each bao, tuck in a glazed patty, pickled cucumber and cilantro. Serve immediately while the buns are warm and soft.
Shape patties about 1cm wider than your bao buns — beef shrinks noticeably as it cooks, and you don't want a too-small patty lost in the bun.
Brush the glaze on only in the final minute of cooking; adding it earlier causes the sugars to burn before the beef finishes cooking.
If using frozen bao, steam them straight from frozen rather than thawing first, adding a couple extra minutes to the steam time.
Use ground pork instead of beef for a lighter, slightly sweeter patty that pairs well with the same glaze.
Add a slice of melted, torched cheese for a fusion twist that plays off the sweet-savory glaze.
Swap bao for lettuce cups for a lower-carb version while keeping the same glazed patty and toppings.
Refrigerate cooked patties up to 3 days; store bao separately. Reheat patties in a skillet over medium heat and re-steam bao for a couple minutes to soften before assembling.
Five-spice powder, a blend typically of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper and fennel, has flavored Chinese braises and roasted meats for generations, and steamed bao buns have been a staple bread across Chinese regional cooking since at least the Song dynasty.
Yes, a basic yeasted, slightly sweetened dough steamed in rounds works well; just make sure the dough proofs until visibly puffy before steaming or the buns turn dense.
A mix of soy sauce, a little peanut butter and brown sugar approximates hoisin's sweet-savory profile in a pinch.
Honey and hoisin both contain sugar that scorches quickly over high heat — brush the glaze on only in the final minute over medium heat, not earlier.
Per serving (300g / 10.6 oz) · 4 servings total
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