Authentic Chinese Breakfast Dishes

Chinese breakfasts are on another level. You will not find sugary treats like cereals, donuts, and muffins. Most Chinese breakfast foods are savory and often intensely flavored, uncommon to American breakfast.

The breakfasts also maintain a balanced mix of nutrients, including protein, carbohydrates, and even fiber. If you are sick of the cloying sweet boxes, here are 15 authentic Chinese breakfasts you could try. 

1. Congee

One of the most traditional Chinese breakfast foods is perhaps a Chinese rice porridge, also known as congee or zhou in Chinese. Having rice for breakfast might be questionable, but the rice has a pudding-like consistency reminiscent of oatmeal or grits. This consistency can differ widely based on the boiling time. 

A congee is served with various toppings like preserved eggs, pickled vegetables, peanuts, and cilantro, all of which add flavor. Some people like drizzling vinegar and soy sauce for extra savoriness in their congee.

2. Chinese Fried Dough

Chinese fried dough, or Youtiao, is a reliable breakfast item in China. It is a long fried stick of dough that's crispy on the outside and chewy within. Flour, salt, and eggs are combined and left to leaven. 

The dough sticks are then deep fried, which gives them their distinct golden brown color. Once fried, they become fluffy and airy and have a slightly salty, alkaline flavor. It is often eaten with congee or soy milk. The dough sticks soak up the warm liquids like a sponge, and the variety of flavors that dance in your mouth is why it is so alluring. 

3. Chinese Steamed Meat Buns

Chinese steamed meat buns are one of the most sought-after Chinese breakfast dishes. Flour, sugar, and baking powder are combined for an almost elastic type of dough. When steamed, the dough becomes soft and pillowy. 

These buns are filled with anything from pork and cabbage to thinly sliced vegetables. If you want to try a bao for breakfast, the Char Siu bao is a good option. It is stuffed with roasted pork cooked in soy sauce and oyster sauce. The pork is mildly sweet, savory, and smoky. It contrasts beautifully with the slightly sweet bun.

4. Sesame Flatbread

Sesame flatbread is a flaky and aromatic baked or pan-fried flatbread studded with sesame seeds on the outside and multiple flaky layers inside. It is flakier than regular pastry thanks to a folding process that combines a layer of dough with a layer of fat.

There are two common ways to consume it. The first way is to eat them plain with soy milk. The second way is to slice it open in the middle and stuff the bread with whatever you like, such as meats, vegetables, or sweet bean paste. 

5. Chinese Egg Crepe

Chinese egg crepes, or Jian Bing, is perhaps the most Western-like breakfast that the Chinese consume. It is a crispy wheat and grain-based crepe filled with eggs, green onions, a special cracker from a wonton wrapper, and cilantro. 

The eggs add a bit of richness, and the crackers make the crepes crispy. A layer of soybean paste and chili garlic paste is brushed onto the crepes before serving to improve the savoriness of this dish.

6. Scallion Pancake

If the thin Chinese crepes or Jian Bing was not hearty and filling enough for breakfast, let me introduce you to scallion pancakes or Cong You Bing. This pancake is savory and salty, unlike the sweet pancakes in America. 

It is made with a more solid dough and not a wet batter, which gives the pancakes a chewier texture. It does not have the usual airiness of most pancakes. Chopped scallions are incorporated into the dough with salt and pan-fried. It is served by itself or with soy sauce.

7. Savory Milk Soup

You have probably never heard of milk soup, but that is exactly what the Chinese are having for breakfast. Savory milk soup, or Xian Dou Jiang, is a popular breakfast drink in Taiwan. It is simply fresh soy milk with vinegar. The vinegar induces curdling and makes the milky silky smooth. 

It is served hot with condiments of choice, such as chopped pickled vegetables, teeny tiny translucent dried shrimp, browned shallots, and chopped scallion. The vinegar, pickled veggies, and shrimp give the soy milk a Slightly tangy, salty, and umami flavor. 

8. Scallion Oil Noodles

Another scallion-based breakfast dish popular in China is the scallion oil noodles or You Mian. This noodle dish is a variation of the Chinese You Mian or oil noodles. Oil noodles do not sound palatable early in the morning, but it is not as heavy or overwhelmingly rich.

When the scallions are mixed with the oil, the herb will absorb much of the oiliness and make a fragrant sauce. The sauce is then folded in the noodles and finished with sugar and soy sauce to balance the flavors with a blend of sweetness and savoriness.

9. Steamed Egg

Chinese steamed eggs are perfect when you are craving Chinese for breakfast but still want something light and easy on the stomach. It is smooth, slippery, and heavenly soft. It will just slide down your throat without you having to chew.

The eggs have a unique texture, achieved by straining whipped eggs multiple times until it is smooth. They are served with a drizzle of sesame oil and soy sauce and topped with shrimp or veggies. 

10. Glutinous Rice Dumpling

Glutinous rice dumplings are an everyday breakfast affair, but it is especially eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on the 5th day of the 5th month of the Lunar calendar. They are made of steamed glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves with tasty fillings like red bean paste, salted egg yolk, lotus seeds, fatty pork, or chestnuts.

It has a distinct pyramid shape, which stays in place even when it is steamed because of the bamboo leaves. The sticky rice is wrapped tightly to maintain its shape. Using the bamboo leaves also gives the rice a unique hint of grassy scent.

11. Flat Rice Noodles

Flat rice noodles are a quintessential Chinese noodle dish. They are eaten throughout the day, not just breakfast. They come in many variations because of the condiments, meat, and vegetable combinations. 

The noodles are typically stir-fried in soy sauce, but some recipes include black rice vinegar, sesame oil, salt, sugar, Chinese chili oil, and many more. A protein and a veggie usually accompany the noodles, but during breakfast, eggs, and spinach are the go-to choices.

12. Plain Steamed Buns

Chinese steamed buns, or mantou, refer to plain steamed buns that are made into all kinds of shapes, like flowers or animals. The buns are shaped in that fashion during Chinese New Year. Otherwise, they are round.

They are made with wheat flour, yeast, sugar, and milk but sometimes include corn flour, sweet potato, and pumpkin. The steamed buns have a sweet and milky flavor, while the texture is pillowy soft, and slightly chewy.

13. Mung Bean Cake

Mung bean cake, or Lu Dou Gao, is a sweet and chewy dessert made from mung beans. Mung bean powder, pea powder, sugar, and sweet-scented osmanthus flowers are mixed with water to form a dough and steamed. They are usually green or yellow with a subtle, fresh taste.

The Chinese usually eat this cake during summer because, according to traditional Chinese healing practices, mung beans help relieve internal heat, quench thirst, and detoxify the body. Thus, these cakes, unlike sugar-loaded American cakes, are healthy food. 

14. Sticky Rice Rolls

Sticky rice rolls are a classic Chinese breakfast filled with ingredients like pickled vegetables, preserved meats, and sometimes sweet fillings. Some will add fried eggs or hard-boiled eggs. When you bite into it, an exciting mixture of flavor and texture stimulates your taste buds. 

The sticky, chewy, and mildly sweet rice has three different grains: Japanese short grain, Thai long grain, and black and purple colored grain. The flavor of the rice complements the aromatic, umami, and crunchy veggies and meat. 

15. Shui Mai

Shumais are a type of steamed dumplings that are an important part of the Dim Sum cuisine. Yellow wonton egg pastry wrappers are stuffed with pork and shrimp paste and steamed in a traditional bamboo steamer. The meat paste is flavored with Chinese condiments, like Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, and oyster sauce. 

Unlike most dumplings, they are open, meaning you can see the filling on top. They are served with chili oil and vinegar soy sauce. The Chinese usually eat this dish during brunchtime.