Best Chinese Burger Recipe: Crispy and Fluffy Burgers!
Burgers are one of the most popular fast foods in the world. They are also popular in China, but the traditional burger buns in Chinese cuisine are more commonly used here. These burger buns require some serious effort to make. Once baked, these burger buns have a crisp texture on the outside and the inside is very fluffy.
Let me show you the Chinese burger recipe in detail where I will tell you how to make the dough for the bun. Gradually, I will show the intricate steps that go into making this special type of bun. Let’s get started.
Table of Contents
Intro Table Of The Recipe
You need to go through multiple waiting phases to make these burger buns. Get a hint of time in the following chart.
| Course: Main | Cuisine: Chinese | Difficulty: Difficult | ||
| Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes | ||||
| Serving | Preparation Time | Cooking Time | Calories | |
| 4 persons | 2 hours | 15 minutes | 482 kcal | |
Tools and Utensils You Need
You need some special tools to make this burger bun. Check out the following list.
- An electric dough mixer
- A rolling pin
- A spaghetti cutter
- A kitchen knife
- A brush
Ingredients Needed for the Recipe
This pastry-like bun can be made with just five ingredients. I listed them below for your convenience.
- Flour: 500g of all-purpose flour
- Alkali: 0.5g of edible alkali
- Baking Powder: 4g
- Water: 250g of warm water
- Lard: 50g of melted lard
Chinese Burger Recipe: Step-By-Step Instructions
If you don’t have an electric mixer, the process might be a bit more complex. Let me show you the detailed steps.
Step 1: Mix the Ingredients
Take all-purpose flour in the mixer bowl. Add edible alkali, baking powder, and warm water to it. Then, start the mixer and wait until the ingredients are mixed evenly. You will get the basic dough in a few minutes.
You Can Also Try: Chinese Egg Burger Recipe
Step 2: Knead the Dough
The dough you get from the mixer isn’t that smooth. Start kneading it on the tabletop using your hands. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes. Then, cover and rest the dough for 20 minutes.
Step 3: Knead the Dough Again
After 20 minutes of resting, knead the dough again. This time, the dough should be super smooth. Knead it for about ten minutes and then let it rest for about one hour.
Step 4: Divide and Roll the Dough Balls
Make 3 or 4 portions of dough balls. Take one ball and roll it with your hands to make a thick strip. Then, flatten the strip with your palms. Start rolling the strip lengthwise so that you get a long, flat sheet.
If you have a noodle press, the process will be easier. Keep rolling the sheet until it gets almost transparent.
Step 5: Spread Lard and Roll the Sheet
Use a brush to spread melted lard on the sheet and start rolling it from one side. While rolling the sheet, tilt it to the right and left. When you have rolled about halfway, use a spaghetti cutter to cut the sheet into thin noodles. Then, keep rolling the sheet and the noodles will wrap the top of the sheet.
Step 6: Flatten the Dough and Roll It
Press the rolled dough with your palms to flatten it a bit. Then, roll the dough with a rolling pin to give it the shape of the burger bun.
Step 7: Fry the Bun and Bake It
Heat oil in a pan and put the burger buns in the pan. Fry them over low heat so that the surface is lightly colored. Then, put the buns in a preheated oven and bake them at 230 degrees for 10 minutes. Then, tear the bun and load it up with braised pork belly filling.
Chinese Burger Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Take all-purpose flour in the mixer bowl. Add edible alkali, baking powder, and warm water to it. Then, start the mixer and wait until the ingredients are mixed evenly. You will get the basic dough in a few minutes.
- The dough you get from the mixer isn’t that smooth. Start kneading it on the tabletop using your hands. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes. Then, cover and rest the dough for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes of resting, knead the dough again. This time, the dough should be super smooth. Knead it for about ten minutes and then let it rest for about one hour.
- Make 3 or 4 portions of dough balls. Take one ball and roll it with your hands to make a thick strip. Then, flatten the strip with your palms. Start rolling the strip lengthwise so that you get a long, flat sheet.
- If you have a noodle press, the process will be easier. Keep rolling the sheet until it gets almost transparent.
- Use a brush to spread melted lard on the sheet and start rolling it from one side. While rolling the sheet, tilt it to the right and left. When you have rolled about halfway, use a spaghetti cutter to cut the sheet into thin noodles. Then, keep rolling the sheet and the noodles will wrap the top of the sheet.
- Press the rolled dough with your palms to flatten it a bit. Then, roll the dough with a rolling pin to give it the shape of the burger bun.
- Heat oil in a pan and put the burger buns in the pan. Fry them over low heat so that the surface is lightly colored. Then, put the buns in a preheated oven and bake them at 230 degrees for 10 minutes. Then, tear the bun and load it up with braised pork belly filling.
Nutrition Facts of the Recipe
Chinese burgers have 482 calories in each serving. Besides, you get the following nutrients.
- Total Carbohydrates: 55g
- Protein: 10g
- Total Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 6g
- Total Dietary Fiber: 2g
- Total Sugar: 20g
- Cholesterol: 29mg
- Sodium: 1741mg
- Potassium: 185mg
- Calcium: 36mg
- Iron: 3mg
- Vitamin A: 26IU
- Vitamin C: 1mg
This burger has a lot of carbohydrates, with a good amount of protein and fat. Though the cholesterol is low, you should be careful about the sodium intake. Just one serving of this burger will fill your daily needs for sodium.
Do’s and Don’ts of the Recipe
If you follow these secret tips, you can make Chinese burgers with less hassle.
Do’s
- Resting the dough is important. It lets the gluten develop and makes the burger buns better.
- Use a noodle press if you want to roll the dough thinly and evenly.
Don’ts
- Don’t fry the burger buns for too long. Otherwise, the outside will be darker and the bun won’t look good.
- Don’t bite the burger bread right after taking it out of the oven. The residual heat might burn your mouth.
What Flour Is the Best for This Recipe?
All-purpose flour is the best choice for making Chinese burgers. This flour has gluten, which makes the layers of the burger stretchy. The complexity of layers and the smoothness make these burgers stand out.
If you use gluten-free flour, the texture of these burger buns won’t be the same. So, I recommend using all-purpose flour for making Chinese burgers.
What Filling Should I Use for Chinese Burgers?
You can use a wide variety of filling options for Chinese burgers. The most traditional filling is stuffing the buns with braised pork. Cut a braised pork belly into small pieces and then put them inside the bun. You can also use a pulled pork filling for these burgers.
If pork or beef filling isn’t available, you can even put small pieces of roasted chicken in these burgers.
Do I Need to Bake These Burger Buns Instantly?
Yes. Chinese burger buns are usually made before serving the burgers. Often, cold meat is served with hot buns. If you bake the burger buns much before you serve the burger, the buns might not be as fluffy as expected.
So, plan your schedule and bake the burger buns a few minutes before you are going to serve the burgers.
Is Chinese Burger or American Burger Better?
It depends on personal preferences. For me, a Chinese burger is always a better option because it has a unique flaky texture that American burgers don’t have. Chinese burgers also taste better to me, mostly because of the layers in them.
However, American burger buns are much easier to bake. You just need to knead and rest the dough and then bake the buns directly.
My Last Lines
From appearance to texture, from preparation to flavors, Chinese burgers have unique attributes that make them highly popular. These burger buns taste awesome on their own, but making them isn’t that easy. You need to go through a lot of different steps to get the bun right.
In my Chinese burger recipe, I showed every little detail so that you can make Chinese burgers with ease. I also mentioned the secret tips so that your burger bun turns out crispy and fluffy. Give it a try.
