Chinese meat pie (馅饼, Xian Bing), sometimes called meat pocket or big dumpling, is a very popular and tasty comfort food in the northern part of China. The idea is similar to that of the potsticker, but you use a larger piece of dough to wrap in more filling. It has a super crispy crust and a juicy filling, like a giant dumpling. While Xian Bing is a cheap street food in China, you can easily find it in restaurants, too. It’s typically listed with the staple foods, which include dumplings and rice. I was quite surprised that dumplings have become so popular outside of China, but not Xian Bing. To a Chinese northerner, Xian Bing is as great as dumplings, and much more common than potstickers. Especially when cooking at home, Xian Bing is slightly easier to make because you only need to make a couple of them to feed a family, with leftovers, too. I like Xian Bing most of all, because it has a layered crispy surface, like pastry dough, with a meaty filling that is more substantial than in potstickers.
Xiang Bing Filling
There are countless ways to make a great Xiang Bing Filling, but some of the most popular ones are beef, pork, and chive and egg. To make the beef filling: To make the juiciest Xiang Bing, make sure you use a ground beef that’s slightly fattier, and not the super lean type.
Xiang Bing Dough
The crucial part of making a tasty meat pie is the dough. Unlike potstickers and dumplings, it uses a layered oily dough to create a super crispy surface that also holds up the filling. The process is a bit similar to making scallion pancakes. The process might look a bit daunting, but trust me, it is actually very easy and straightforward once you try it out. I personally like to serve meat pies instead of dumplings. They are larger in size, which means you will roll less dough and wrap fewer times than you would if you were making dumplings. There are several ways to fold a meat pie. The recipe below uses the simplest, no-fail way, which will result in a pie with an even thin, crispy crust and lots of filling. The wrapping process is like making a quesadilla, but you take it one step further and press the edges of the dough together to seal the pie.
Cooking xian bing
The cooking method is similar to that used for potstickers, too – using a soft piece of dough to wrap raw filling and grilling it in a frying pan. The key is to use a hot pan with low heat, so the surface will crisp nicely while cooking through the filling, without burning the dough.
How to serve Xian Bing
Xiang Bing is best served hot, when they’ve just come off the stove. Luckily, they hold up well (thanks to the layered dough) and will stay very crispy after reheating. The filling is well seasoned and can be served by itself. However I do like to serve it with some Chinkiang vinegar or a gingery dipping sauce (see the ginger soy sauce from this recipe). You can also use chili oil or a bit of hot sauce to spice it up. In China, Xiang Bing is a staple that we eat at any time of day. In the morning, we might grab one from a breakfast vendor on the way to work. My mom likes to serve it with millet congee and cucumber salad for a full dinner. You can easily heat up one for lunch or a snack. If you like Chinese dumplings, I recommend you try making Xian Bing once. You will definitely love it!
Dishes that go well with Xian Bing
Plain CongeeMillet CongeeTiger Salad (老虎菜)Cucumber Salad4-Ingredient Baby Bok Choy Stir FryChinese Egg Drop SoupChinese Pickled Cabbage (A Quick Pickle Recipe)
The post was published Oct. 1, 2015 and was updated Apr. 26, 2022 with new pictures and video.
