Minced beef with egg over rice (煎蛋免治牛肉飯) is one of my favourite Hong Kong cha chaan teng comfort foods. The savoury minced beef mixed into hot rice with a fried egg on top is so cozy and nostalgic, and makes you want to eat bowl after bowl of rice.
Originally published in March 2023. Updated with photo and recipe changes in May 2026.
Table of Contents
- Watch How to Make It
- What is Minced Beef with Egg Over Rice?
- Why I Love This Recipe
- Ingredients for This Dish
- How to Make Minced Beef with Egg Over Rice
- Karen’s Top Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
Watch How to Make It
What is Minced Beef with Egg Over Rice?
Minced beef with egg over rice (煎蛋免治牛肉飯) is a classic Hong Kong cha chaan teng dish made with savoury minced beef simmered in a rich sauce with onions and peas, then served over hot rice with an egg on top.
This delicious and comforting dish is another great example of Hong Kong-style Western fusion during the British colonial era. In this dish, you’ll find ingredients like ketchup, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, minced beef, and peas paired with soy sauce and oyster sauce, which are commonly used in Cantonese cooking.
Traditionally, the dish is served with a raw egg on top, but you can cook your egg however you like: fried, poached, or sunny side up.
Why I Love This Recipe
● Quick and easy – This dish comes together in less than an hour and uses simple ingredients. It’s perfect for a weeknight dinner!
● So cosy and comforting – The savoury minced beef mixed into steamed rice is SO good. This is the kind of dish you’ll want a few bowls of rice with.
● High protein and super filling – It’s one of those meals that’s hearty, satisfying and actually keeps you full for hours.
Ingredients for This Dish
You’ll find the full ingredient list and quantities in the recipe card below.
For the beef marinade
The marinade is what makes the minced beef tender and flavourful. It’s a simple mix of your usual Chinese seasonings like light soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, a little sugar and cornstarch, which helps keep the beef soft and juicy when you stir-fry it.
I also like adding a drizzle of sesame oil to help lock in the marinade and add extra aroma.
You don’t need to marinate it for long either. I usually leave it for about 10–15 minutes while I chop and prepare the other ingredients.
For the meat sauce
The sauce is where the signature cha chaan teng flavour comes in!
It’s a mix of Western-inspired ingredients like ketchup, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce, combined with Chinese seasonings like soy sauce, a little sugar, and cornstarch slurry to thicken it up. Together, it creates a sweet-savoury base that makes this dish so delicious.
How to Make Minced Beef with Egg Over Rice
1) Prep
In a bowl, marinate the minced beef with all the marinade ingredients listed above. Set aside for at least 15 minutes.
While the beef marinates, prepare the rest of the ingredients by finely dicing the carrots and onion, and mincing the garlic.
2) Cook the beef
Heat some oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion and garlic for about 1 minute until fragrant.
Turn the heat to high and add the minced beef. Stir-fry until browned and cooked through, then add the carrots and cook for another minute.
3) Build the sauce
Stir in the tomato paste, ketchup, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar. Mix well until the beef is evenly coated.
Pour in the water and add the bay leaves. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
4) Finish & serve
Turn the heat back up to high and add the frozen peas. Stir for 1 minute. Mix together the cornstarch slurry, then pour it into the sauce. Cook for another 2–3 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Serve over hot rice and top with a fried egg. Mix everything together and enjoy!
Karen’s Top Tips
1) Cook the beef on high heat
Make sure your wok is very hot before adding the beef. This helps it brown properly and builds more depth of flavour instead of just steaming it.
2) Let the sauce simmer
I would recommend simmering the sauce with the lid on for around 30 minutes for the best result, but if you’re in a rush, 15 minutes still works. This is what turns the sauce into a rich and glossy cha chaan teng-style sauce.
3) Adjust the seasoning to your taste
You can add more ketchup or Worcestershire sauce if you like it sweeter or tangier, or more soy sauce if you prefer it saltier.
More Cha Chaan Teng Dishes You’ll Love
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use minced pork, chicken or turkey. I’ve personally never tried them for this recipe, because I think beef has more depth of flavour and works best with the sweet, tangy tomato and ketchup base in this cha chaan teng-style dish.
Minced Beef with Egg Over Rice (煎蛋免治牛肉飯)
2
servings10
minutes30
minutesMinced beef with egg over rice is a classic Hong Kong cha chaan teng dish with savoury beef sauce served over rice with an egg on top. A cosy HK-Western fusion comfort meal.
Keep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
- Main ingredients
300 g minced beef
1/2 cup carrots, finely diced
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1/2 white onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 eggs
Rice, to serve
- Sauce seasoning:
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp sugar
200 ml water
2 bay leaves
- Cornstarch slurry:
2 tbsp water
1/2 tbsp cornstarch
- Beef marinade:
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine
2 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp water
2 tsp sesame oil
Directions
- In a bowl, marinate the minced beef with all the marinade ingredients listed above. Set aside for at least 15 minutes.
- While the beef marinates, prepare the rest of the ingredients by finely dicing the carrots and onion, and mincing the garlic.
- Heat some oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion and garlic for about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Turn the heat to high and add the minced beef. Stir-fry until browned and cooked through, then add the carrots and cook for another minute.
- Stir in the tomato paste, ketchup, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar. Mix well until the beef is evenly coated in the sauce.
- Pour in the water and add the bay leaves. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
- Turn the heat back up to high and add the frozen peas. Stir for 1 minute. Mix together the cornstarch slurry, then pour it into the sauce. Cook for another 2–3 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
- Serve over hot rice and top with a fried egg. Mix everything together and enjoy!
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @daigasikfaan on Instagram and post it to your story!
Disclaimer: Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you click and buy something, I may earn a small commission from Amazon or other retailers — always at no extra cost to you. It’s just one of the ways you can support me (Karen, aka daigasikfaan) and help keep the kitchen running with new recipes. Thank you so much for your love and support!
){kind=link}