Chinese Beef Burgers in Mantou Buns

Name: Chinese Beef Burgers in Mantou Buns
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 42 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 2 small (about 5 oz total) (150 g) Persian (mini) cucumbers, sliced into thin rounds, about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick; 3 tbsp (45 ml) unseasoned rice vinegar; 1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar; ¼ tsp (1½ g) kosher salt; 3 tbsp (50 g) hoisin sauce; 2 tbsp (30 g) mayonnaise; 1 tsp (5 g) sriracha or chili garlic sauce (optional); 1 lb (454 g) 80/20 ground beef, cold, straight from the fridge; 2 medium (30 g) scallions, white and green parts finely chopped; 2 cloves (6 g) garlic, finely minced; 1 tbsp (6 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated; 1 tbsp (15 ml) light soy sauce; 1 tbsp (15 ml) Shaoxing rice wine; ½ tsp (1 g) Chinese five-spice powder; ¼ tsp (½ g) ground white pepper; ½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt; 1 tsp (3 g) cornstarch; 1 tsp (5 ml) toasted sesame oil; 1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil such as canola or avocado; 4 buns (300 g) plain mantou (steamed buns), about 3 inches / 7–8 cm wide, frozen or refrigerated, not thawed; ½ cup, loosely packed (10 g) fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, roughly torn

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Juicy five-spice beef patties seared until deeply browned, glazed with a hoisin mayo, and tucked into pillowy steamed mantou with crisp quick-pickled cucumber and cilantro. Soft, savory, tangy and fresh in every bite.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 12 min
Wait: 20 min
Total: 1 hr 2 min
Makes: 4 burgers

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the quick-pickled cucumber
2 small (about 5 oz total) (150 g) Persian (mini) cucumbers, sliced into thin rounds, about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick
3 tbsp (45 ml) unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar
¼ tsp (1.5 g) kosher salt
For the hoisin mayo
3 tbsp (50 g) hoisin sauce
2 tbsp (30 g) mayonnaise
1 tsp (5 g) sriracha or chili garlic sauce (optional)
For the patties
1 lb (454 g) 80/20 ground beef, cold, straight from the fridge
2 medium (30 g) scallions, white and green parts finely chopped
2 cloves (6 g) garlic, finely minced
1 tbsp (6 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 tbsp (15 ml) light soy sauce
1 tbsp (15 ml) Shaoxing rice wine
½ tsp (1 g) Chinese five-spice powder
¼ tsp (0.5 g) ground white pepper
½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt
1 tsp (3 g) cornstarch
1 tsp (5 ml) toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil such as canola or avocado
To serve
4 buns (300 g) plain mantou (steamed buns), about 3 inches / 7–8 cm wide, frozen or refrigerated, not thawed
½ cup, loosely packed (10 g) fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, roughly torn

Equipment (6)

Bamboo or metal steamer basket, 9–10 inches (23–25 cm), with lid, set over a pot or wok
12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet, cast iron or stainless steel
Parchment paper (for lining the steamer)
Instant-read thermometer
Medium mixing bowl and small bowl
Spatula

Steps

Before you start

Buy plain, unfilled mantou about 3 inches (7–8 cm) wide, found in the freezer or refrigerated section of Asian grocery stores. Filled buns (red bean, custard) won't work.
Use 80/20 ground beef. Leaner beef makes dry patties because there is no bun-soaking sauce to rescue them.
Pickling the cucumbers and chilling the patties happen at the same time, so start the cucumbers first and the timing works out to about an hour.
Have a steamer (or a wide pot with a rack) ready and a lid that fits snugly; you will start steaming just before you sear the patties.

1
Pickle the cucumbers
- In a small bowl, stir the rice vinegar, sugar and ¼ tsp kosher salt until the sugar and salt dissolve.
- Add the sliced cucumbers and toss to coat.
- Press them down so most are submerged.
- Set aside at room temperature while you prepare everything else.
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Ready when: Cucumbers look slightly translucent and taste bright and tangy, still crisp
Tip: Slice evenly thin; thick slices stay raw-tasting in this short time.
2
Stir the hoisin mayo
- In a second small bowl, whisk the hoisin, mayonnaise and sriracha (if using) until smooth and uniformly brown.
- Taste; it should be sweet, savory and creamy.
- Refrigerate until assembly.
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Ready when: No streaks of white mayo remain
3
Mix the patty seasonings
- In a medium bowl, combine the scallions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, five-spice, white pepper, ½ tsp kosher salt, cornstarch and sesame oil.
- Stir into a loose paste.
- Add the cold ground beef and mix gently with your hands for about 30 seconds, just until the seasonings are evenly distributed.
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Ready when: Mixture looks evenly flecked with scallion, with no dry pockets of seasoning
Tip: Overmixing makes dense, rubbery patties. Stop as soon as it comes together.
4
Shape and chill patties
- Divide the beef into 4 equal portions (about 4 oz / 113 g each).
- Gently shape each into a patty about 3½ inches (9 cm) wide and ¾ inch (2 cm) thick, slightly wider than the mantou because patties shrink as they cook.
- Press a shallow dimple into the center of each with your thumb.
- Place on a plate and refrigerate 10 minutes.
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Ready when: Patties feel firm and cold to the touch
Tip: The dimple stops the center from puffing into a dome.
5
Start steaming the mantou
- Fill a pot or wok with about 1½ inches (4 cm) of water and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Line the steamer basket with parchment, poked with a few holes, and arrange the unthawed mantou with space between them.
- Set the basket over the boiling water, cover, and reduce heat to medium so the water stays at a steady simmer.
- Steam frozen mantou 10 minutes (refrigerated ones 6 minutes).
- Start this just before you sear the patties.
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Ready when: Buns are puffed, glossy, and spring back when gently pressed; the center is hot
Tip: Keep the lid on. Once steamed, turn off the heat and leave covered; they stay warm and soft for 10 minutes.
6
Sear the pattiesOven 160°F / 70°C
- Heat the neutral oil in a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, about 2 minutes.
- Add the patties, leaving space between them.
- Cook undisturbed 3½–4 minutes until a deep brown crust forms, then flip and cook another 3–4 minutes.
- Check the center with a thermometer; it should read 160°F (71°C).
- Brush the tops with about 1 tbsp of the hoisin mayo during the last minute, or skip if you prefer to keep the sauce fresh.
- Transfer to a plate and rest 2 minutes.
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Ready when: Dark brown crust, juices run clear, and an instant-read thermometer reads 160°F (71°C)
Tip: Don't press down on the patties; that squeezes out the juices.
7
Split the mantou
- Remove the steamed mantou from the basket.
- Using a small sharp knife, slice each bun horizontally, nearly through, leaving a hinge on one side so it opens like a clam.
- Handle carefully; the buns are hot and delicate.
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Ready when: Buns open wide into a pocket without tearing
Tip: Use a serrated knife if the bun is dense or tears.
8
Assemble and serve
- Drain the cucumbers well.
- Spread about 1½ tsp of the remaining hoisin mayo on both cut sides of each mantou.
- Place a patty in each bun, top with a generous pile of pickled cucumbers and torn cilantro, and close.
- Serve immediately while the buns are warm and soft.
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Tip: Drain the cucumbers on a paper towel so the buns don't turn soggy.

Good to know

Tips

Keep the beef cold and handle it minimally for tender patties.
Steam the mantou while the patties sear so everything finishes at the same time; steam is what makes the buns soft and fluffy, so don't toast them.
Make the patties slightly wider than the buns; they shrink as they cook and need to fit the bun after browning.
Add a fried egg or a smear of chili crisp for a richer, spicier burger.

Make ahead

"Pickle the cucumbers up to 2 days ahead and keep refrigerated in their brine. Mix the hoisin mayo up to 3 days ahead. Shape the raw patties up to 8 hours ahead, covered in the fridge."

Storage & reheating

"Best eaten right away. Store cooked patties, buns and cucumbers separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat patties in a skillet over medium heat 2–3 minutes per side until 165°F (74°C) in the center, and re-steam mantou 3–4 minutes. Cooked patties freeze up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge. Don't freeze the assembled burgers or the pickled cucumbers."

Substitutions

plain mantou (steamed buns), about 3 inches / 7–8 cm wide → Soft potato buns or gua bao (lotus leaf) buns. Gua bao buns steam in 5–6 minutes and fold around the patty; potato buns should be lightly toasted instead of steamed.
Shaoxing rice wine → Dry sherry. Use the same amount; avoid sweet cooking wines.
80/20 ground beef → Ground pork or ground dark-meat turkey. Pork is cooked to 160°F (71°C); turkey must reach 165°F (74°C).
Persian (mini) cucumbers → Thinly sliced English cucumber, seeded. Salt lightly and drain a few minutes more since English cucumbers are wetter.