Rou Jia Mo may seem difficult to make at first, but with my step-by-step guide, you’ll find it easy to create this delicious dish at home. Follow along, and you won’t just succeed—you’ll impress yourself and your family with your culinary skills!
What is Rou Jia Mo
Rou Jia Mo (肉夹馍), often referred to as the Chinese Hamburger, is a popular street food originating from Shaanxi province in China.
It consists of two main parts: a fluffy, crispy flatbread (mo) and a savory, tender filling, typically made with braised pork (rou).
The flatbread is chewy with a slight crispness on the outside, while the filling is juicy, rich, and aromatic.
The pork is slow-cooked with spices and seasonings until it becomes soft and flavorful, then chopped finely and stuffed inside the flatbread.
A Taste of Shaanxi with a Dough Lover’s Twist
The first time I tasted Rou Jia Mo was during a trip to Shaanxi, China, and I can still remember the incredible flavor. The tender, juicy pork wrapped in that soft yet slightly crisp flatbread was unforgettable.
Even now, I find myself craving it. But since I can’t visit Shaanxi often, I decided to bring the taste of Rou Jia Mo to my own kitchen.
As a huge fan of dough-based dishes, it felt like a natural addition to my cooking.
Over the years, I’ve shared numerous dough-based recipes, and some of my favorites include:
- Purple Sweet Potato Buns
- Noodle Buns with Tofu
- Walnut Buns
- Mushroom Steamed Buns
- Chinese Flaky Bread
- The simple joy of No-Yeast Flatbread
There’s something so satisfying about creating homemade bread, buns, and pastries from scratch.
Now, I’m excited to add Rou Jia Mo to that lineup.
To my delight, when I made Rou Jia Mo at home, my husband said it was even better than the store-bought version!
That kind of compliment is always the best motivation to keep experimenting and improving.
Making the Filling
Don’t be overwhelmed by the ingredient list—it’s actually quite common in Chinese cooking.
You can easily find most of the ingredients online or at an Asian grocery store.
The process for cooking the pork belly is very similar to hong shao rou (Chinese braised pork belly), so if you’ve made that before, you’ll find this familiar.
I prefer to use a pressure cooker to save time, which makes the meat incredibly tender in a fraction of the time.
Making Rou Jia Mo at home is not as difficult as it might seem, and the result is well worth the effort. Once you take that first bite of the juicy pork sandwiched inside a homemade flatbread, you’ll understand why this dish is such a beloved street food in China.
Ingredients:
For the Flatbread:
- 500g flour
- 5g sugar
- 5g yeast
- 280g water
For the Braised Pork:
- 500g pork belly (adjust according to preference)
- 20g rock sugar (for caramelizing)
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 star anise
- 1 small piece of cinnamon stick
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp chicken bouillon powder
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
- 1 scallion (tied into a knot)
- 1 piece ginger (sliced)
Optional:
- Green peppers (chopped, for extra flavor and crunch)
Instructions:
Prepare the Braised Pork:
- Cut 500g pork belly into 2–3 cm cubes for even cooking.
- In a pot, add enough water to cover the pork, bring it to a boil, then cook for another 2–3 minutes. Drain the pork.
- Heat a pan with 1 tbsp cooking oil, then add 20g rock sugar. Stir over low heat until the sugar melts and turns a caramel brown.
- Add the drained pork cubes to the pan, stir well to coat the meat evenly with the caramelized sugar.
- Transfer the caramelized pork to an electric pressure cooker. Add enough water to cover the pork, ensuring the water level is even with the meat.
- Add 2 star anise, 1 small cinnamon stick, 3 bay leaves, 2 tsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp chicken bouillon powder, 1 tsp oyster sauce, 1 scallion(tied), and ginger slices.
- Set the pressure cooker to the “Meat” or “Stew” mode for 30–40 minutes(adjust cooking time based on the cooker’s power and desired tenderness).
- Once done, let the pressure release naturally. The pork should now be tender and flavorful. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can simmer the pork in a regular pot for about 5–2 hours until tender.
Prepare the Flatbread:
- In a large bowl, combine 500g flour, 5g sugar, and 5g yeast. Slowly add 280g water, mixing until the dough forms and there’s no dry flour.
- Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for 5–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Roll the dough into a long log and divide it into 12 equal portions, each weighing around 40–45g.
- Roll each portion into an oval shape, about 15–20 cm long and 5–6 cm wide.
- Starting at one end, roll the oval dough into a cylinder, then flatten it. Use a rolling pin to shape it into a round disc.
- Cover the dough discs with plastic wrap and let them rise for 20 minutes.
Cook the Flatbread:
- Heat a dry pan over low heat (no need for oil). Place one of the risen dough discs into the pan.
- Cook on low heat until the surface begins to bubble, then flip. Continue to cook and flip for about 3–5 minutes until the bread puffs up and is fully cooked.
- Repeat for all the remaining dough discs. Cut an opening in each flatbread with scissors to prepare for stuffing.
Assemble the Rou Jia Mo:
- Remove the braised pork from the cooker. Chop it finely on a chopping board, and if you like, mix it with some chopped green peppers for extra flavor.
- Stuff the chopped pork and peppers into the cooked flatbread, then drizzle 1 tbsp of the braising liquid into each sandwich for extra richness.
- Your homemade Rou Jia Mo is ready to serve!
Notes:
- Caramelizing the sugar for the pork is essential to give the dish its deep color and rich flavor.
- The filling can be customized to your taste. Feel free to add other vegetables like cilantro or onions.
Rou Jia Mo (Chinese Pork Burger) Recipe
Ingredients
For the Flatbread:
- 500 g flour
- 5 g sugar
- 5 g yeast
- 280 g water
For the Braised Pork:
- 500 g pork belly adjust according to preference
- 20 g rock sugar for caramelizing
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 star anise
- 1 small piece of cinnamon stick
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp chicken bouillon powder
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
- 1 scallion tied into a knot
- 1 piece ginger sliced
Optional:
- Green peppers chopped, for extra flavor and crunch
- cilantro
Instructions
Prepare the Braised Pork:
- Cut 500g pork belly into 2–3 cm cubes for even cooking.
- In a pot, add enough water to cover the pork, bring it to a boil, then cook for another 2–3 minutes. Drain the pork.
- Heat a pan with 1 tbsp cooking oil, then add 20g rock sugar. Stir over low heat until the sugar melts and turns a caramel brown.
- Add the drained pork cubes to the pan, stir well to coat the meat evenly with the caramelized sugar.
- Transfer the caramelized pork to an electric pressure cooker. Add enough water to cover the pork, ensuring the water level is even with the meat.
- Add 2 star anise, 1 small cinnamon stick, 3 bay leaves, 2 tsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp chicken bouillon powder, 1 tsp oyster sauce, 1 scallion(tied), and ginger slices.
- Set the pressure cooker to the "Meat" or "Stew" mode for 30–40 minutes(adjust cooking time based on the cooker's power and desired tenderness).
- Once done, let the pressure release naturally. The pork should now be tender and flavorful. If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can simmer the pork in a regular pot for about 5–2 hours until tender.
Prepare the Flatbread:
- In a large bowl, combine 500g flour, 5g sugar, and 5g yeast. Slowly add 280g water, mixing until the dough forms and there's no dry flour.
- Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for 5–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Roll the dough into a long log and divide it into 12 equal portions, each weighing around 40–45g.
- Roll each portion into an oval shape, about 15–20 cm long and 5–6 cm wide.
- Starting at one end, roll the oval dough into a cylinder, then flatten it. Use a rolling pin to shape it into a round disc.
- Cover the dough discs with plastic wrap and let them rise for 20 minutes.
Cook the Flatbread:
- Heat a dry pan over low heat (no need for oil). Place one of the risen dough discs into the pan.
- Cook on low heat until the surface begins to bubble, then flip. Continue to cook and flip for about 3–5 minutes until the bread puffs up and is fully cooked.
- Repeat for all the remaining dough discs. Cut an opening in each flatbread with scissors to prepare for stuffing.
Assemble the Rou Jia Mo:
- Remove the braised pork from the cooker. Chop it finely on a chopping board, and if you like, mix it with some chopped green peppers for extra flavor.
- Stuff the chopped pork and peppers into the cooked flatbread, then drizzle 1 tbsp of the braising liquid into each sandwich for extra richness.
- Your homemade Rou Jia Mo is ready to serve!
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