Macanese Minchi
Diced beef and potatoes braised in a salty-sweet sauce of soy and peanuts, served over rice with a fried egg.
About This Recipe
Minchi is comfort food at its finest — minced beef and potatoes softened in a rich, slightly sweet sauce flavored with soy and peanuts, crowned with a runny-yolked fried egg. It's humble, satisfying, and unmistakably Macanese, originating from Portuguese workers who adapted their cooking with available Chinese ingredients to create this beloved dish.
Ingredients
Serves 2
- 250 gground beef
- 2 mediumpotatoes, diced
- 1 smallonion, diced
- 3 tbspsoy sauce
- 2 tbsppeanut butter
- 2 largeeggs
Instructions
- 1
Cook potatoes
Boil diced potatoes in salted water until just tender, 8 minutes. Drain.
- 2
Brown beef and onion
Heat oil and brown ground beef with onion, breaking it into small pieces, 4 minutes.
- 3
Add sauce ingredients
Add cooked potatoes, soy sauce, and peanut butter mixed with 1/4 cup water. Simmer 5 minutes until sauce thickens.
- 4
Fry eggs and serve
Fry eggs in a separate pan. Serve minchi over rice and top each portion with a fried egg.
Did you make this?
Rate it and help other cooks find the recipes that actually work.
One tap to sign in, and we'll save the rating you just picked.
Everything you need to plan your week — free
- Meal calendar
- Grocery list
- AI recipe ideas
Track what you eat
Snap your meal to log calories and macros, run fasting timers and track water in the free SnapCal app.
Pro Tips
- →
Peanut butter adds sweetness and body to the sauce.
- →
Keep potatoes chunky, not too small or they'll dissolve.
- →
The egg yolk should be runny to sauce the rice.
- →
Taste and adjust salt at the very end — flavors concentrate as liquids reduce, and a final pinch of flaky salt sharpens the whole dish.
Variations
- •
Make with pork or lamb instead of beef
- •
Add peas for color and sweetness
- •
Use almond butter instead of peanut
- •
Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.
Storage
Refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat gently on stovetop.
History & Origin
Minchi is a Macanese invention created when Portuguese workers adapted their meat and potato dishes using Asian ingredients like soy sauce and peanut. It became so beloved that it's now synonymous with Macanese cuisine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why peanut butter?
It adds subtle sweetness, body, and umami that's characteristic of Macanese cooking. It also thickens the sauce.
Can I make without eggs?
Yes, though the runny egg yolk is traditional. Serve with extra sauce instead.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes — most of the components can be prepared up to a day in advance and refrigerated separately. Reheat gently and assemble just before serving so textures stay distinct.
What can I substitute if I don't have all the ingredients?
Stay close to the role each ingredient plays: swap aromatics for similar ones (shallot for onion, lime for lemon), and keep the fat-acid-salt balance intact. Spice blends can usually be approximated with what's in the cupboard.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving · 2 servings total
Time Summary
Have Questions?
Ask our AI cooking assistant anything about this recipe — substitutions, techniques, scaling.
Chat with AI Chef →Featured in Guides
This recipe is featured in the following curated guides:
More Macanese Recipes
You Might Also Like
Similar dishes from other cuisines around the world.
Free Kitchen Tools
Calculators and converters that pair with this page — no signup needed.
Put This Into a Plan
Schedule it, shop for it, and track what you already have.
Read Next
Longer reads that go deeper on the ideas behind this dish.
Community
Join the conversation
Sign in to leave a comment and save your favourite recipes