When meatballs and burgers comes together and have a steamed product out of the two, it is going to be a Cantonese steamed minced patty!!

Steamed patties are a staple in Cantonese home-cooked dishes. It makes use of minced meat, aromatic and/or varied texture ingredients, as well as binders and fillers. Essentially, it is like a steamed burger but more delicate with delicious juices that goes well with any plain side dishes!

{This site contains Amazon affiliate links. Every purchase made through the link would mean a percentage of income for us. This does not cost you anything extra but it supports this site to bring you more amazing allergen-free content.}

What protein should I use in Cantonese steamed minced patties?

Minced pork is a common protein choice for steamed patties. Cantonese families like to use steamed pork for its versatility for flavorings, as well as being budget-friendly.

You may also swap minced pork and opt for minced chicken or beef instead. Yet, make sure you are getting the minced meat from a fattier cut or the patty will turn out hard and dry.

Traditionally the minced meat is prepared from manually chopping a cut of meat until reaching a fine texture. (Imagine grandma double-chopping meat in the kitchen and the rhythmic sound echoes throughout the house!) However with less time in hand and availability of more convenient option, people usually go for mechanically minced meat these days.

Cantonese steamed minced patty in landscape image

How about meat-less options?

You may replace the minced meat in this recipe with crushed firm tofu or mashed brown lentils. You will probably have to adjust the amount of other ingredients like oil and filler ingredients for the right consistency.

For delicious result in an Hong Kong-style dish with meat-less spin, check out this Portuguese sauce chickpea on rice!

What aromatic and varied textures ingredients can I add to the patty?

You can definitely get creative here. Some traditional options are diced shitake mushrooms, diced water chestnuts, diced dried squid, diced salted fish and even diced cooked salted egg.

If you cannot find the Asian groceries as above, don’t worry you can always substitute with something else. In this recipe, I substituted the water chestnuts with radishes that came with my CSA farmshare box!

What filler ingredient should I use in Cantonese steamed minced patties?

The most traditional filler ingredient used in Cantonese steamed patties is cornstarch. It provides a tender and smooth texture to the patty while binding the ingredients together. You can also substitute with arrowroot starch to make it paleo.

I also like to add some fillers with hearty texture that almost resembles minced meat in a steamed patty, thus significantly increases the serving size!! My favorite go-to are old-fashioned rolled oats and quinoa flakes for paleo.

Finally, for keto, the closest substitute I would suggest would be crushed pork rind for the best tender and smooth texture after steaming.

Cantonese steamed minced patty from the top

Looking for more gluten-free, dairy-free Hong Kong-style classic recipes?

Check out the Belated kitchen recipe collection!

Hong Kong-style Pork Chop on Rice with tomato onion sauce — Hong Kong Style Pork Chop on Rice

Portuguese sauce chickpea on purple rice — Hong Kong Style Pork Chop on Rice

Cantonese steamed minced patty at an angle

Print Recipe

5 from 5 votes