Mapo Tofu Steamed Egg

If Sichuan mapo tofu and Chinese steamed egg had a baby, it would be this dish! Silky and jiggly steamed egg topped with a rich, spicy mapo tofu topping made with minced pork, doubanjiang and Sichuan peppercorn. It’s cozy, packed with protein and ready in less than 30 minutes!

Table of Contents

• Watch How to Make It
• What is Mapo Tofu Steamed Egg?
• Why I Love This Recipe
• Ingredients for This Dish
• How to Make Mapo Tofu Steamed Egg
• Karen’s Top Tips
• Frequently Asked Questions

Watch How to Make It

What is Mapo Tofu Steamed Egg?

Mapo Tofu Steamed Egg combines two classic Chinese dishes I absolutely love: silky Chinese steamed egg (蒸水蛋) and spicy Sichuan mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐). The result is a smooth, custardy steamed egg at the bottom, topped with a savoury, numbing and slightly spicy mapo tofu sauce.

It’s a great way to turn something simple into a more filling meal that goes really well with rice. You have tofu, minced pork and egg, so you’re getting lots of protein all in one dish, all coated with the delicious mapo sauce that’s perfect for soaking into rice!

Ingredients for This Dish

For the steamed egg

• 3 large eggs
• Warm water, 1.5 times the volume of the beaten eggs
• 300g soft or medium tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes

For the mapo tofu topping

• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 160g minced pork
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• ½ tsp minced ginger
• 1 green onion, white and green parts separated, finely chopped
• 1½ tbsp doubanjiang
• 2 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tsp sugar
• ¾ cup (180ml) water
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorn powder
• ½ tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water

To serve

• Steamed white rice
• Extra chopped green onion

Eggs and warm water

The egg-to-water ratio is super important! I use 1 part beaten egg to 1.5 parts warm water (e.g. 100ml beaten egg + 150ml water), which gives you a smooth, silky custardy texture rather than something rubbery or full of holes.

Using warm water (not hot, not cold) also helps the egg set more evenly.

Tofu

When making mapo tofu, I usually prefer to use soft or medium tofu and chop them into 1-inch cubes. I prefer the tender texture of soft tofu and I find that it soaks up the mapo sauce really well.

Minced pork

The base for mapo tofu is usually minced pork or beef, but feel free to substitute to minced chicken, turkey or whatever protein you like. Stir fry until it’s browned and has slightly crispy edges for better texture and flavour to the sauce.

Doubanjiang

Doubanjiang (豆瓣醬) is the backbone of authentic mapo tofu, so it’s not something you can swap out.

It’s a fermented broad bean and chilli paste from Sichuan and gives mapo tofu its signature deep red colour, savoury umami and spicy kick. Doubanjiang is the soul of mapo tofu and also used in other classic Sichuan dishes like Dan Dan Noodles, Twice-Cooked Pork and Fish Fragrant Eggplant.

You can usually find doubanjiang at your local Asian supermarket or online on Amazon.

This Chuan Lao Hui (川老匯) Pixian doubanjiang is the exact brand I use and it’s the most authentic doubanjiang!

Sichuan peppercorn powder (花椒粉)

This is what gives mapo tofu its signature málà (麻辣) flavour, a combination of numbing and spicy. It’s made by grinding dried Sichuan peppercorns, creating a distinctive tingling, almost vibrating sensation on your tongue.

You can find it pre-ground at Chinese supermarkets, or you can grind whole Sichuan peppercorns yourself at home.

How to Make Mapo Tofu Steamed Egg

1) Prepare the Egg Mixture

Beat the eggs in a bowl until combined. Measure the volume of the beaten eggs, then add 1.5 times that amount of warm water (e.g. 100ml beaten egg + 150ml water). Gently whisk until combined, trying to avoid creating too many bubbles.

2) Steam the Egg

Place a steaming rack in a deep wok and add about 2 inches of hot water. Place a deep, heatproof plate on the rack, cover with a lid and steam over high heat for 1–2 minutes to preheat the plate.

Carefully pour the egg mixture into the hot plate. Cover and steam over high heat for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the egg covered for 7–8 minutes, allowing the residual heat to gently finish cooking it. The egg should be just set and still have a slight jiggle.

3) Cook the Pork

Whilst waiting for the egg, make the mapo tofu. Heat neutral oil in a wok or deep frying pan over high heat. Add the minced pork and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks, until browned and slightly crispy.

4) Build the Sauce

Add the garlic, ginger, white parts of the green onion and doubanjiang. Stir-fry for about 1 minute until fragrant and the oil turns a deep red.

Add the dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar and water. Add the tofu cubes and gently move the cubes around with a spatula so they are submerged and evenly coated in the sauce. Cover and simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes, allowing the tofu to absorb the flavour.

Add the Sichuan peppercorn powder and gently stir to combine. Cover and simmer for another 2 minutes.

5) Thicken the Sauce

Give the cornstarch slurry a quick stir, then gradually pour it into the wok while gently stirring the sauce. Cook for about 1 minute, or until the sauce thickens to your preferred consistency

6) Assemble and Serve

Gently pour the mapo tofu over the steamed egg and garnish with the green parts of the spring onion. Serve immediately with freshly steamed white rice.

More Steamed Egg Recipes You’ll Love!

• Simple Chinese Steamed Egg
• Chinese Steamed Egg with Minced Pork
• Chinese Steamed Trio Egg
• Secret Steamed Golden Eggs

Frequently Asked Questions

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