There are recipes that change the way we think about street food. Rou Jia Mo, also known as “Chinese Burger”, is one of them. A golden mo bread, slightly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, stuffed with melting Meat simmered in spices, flavored with Shaoxing wine and Sichuan pepper. It’s a mouthful of China, a concentrate of flavors that sums up the art of Chinese-style braising.

What is Rou Jia Mo? A love story between Breads and Meat

Rou Jia Mo (肉夹馍), literally “Meat in Bread”, is often considered the ancestor of the burger. Born in Shaanxi province, northwest China, it is said to have a history of over 2,000 years.
During the Warring Kingdoms, soldiers and merchants needed an easy meal to take with them: a Flatbread topped with Meat simmered in spices. Simple, nourishing and incredibly tasty.

The traditional version uses pulled pork simmered for a long time in a fragrant broth – a technique similar to “red braised pork” (hong shao rou). In some Muslim regions of China, pork is replaced by spice-braised beef or lamb, accompanied by coriander and Chili Peppers.

The bread, called mo (馍), is similar to a lightly leavened flatbread, dry-cooked in a frying pan or stone oven. It splits, then opens to receive the meat.
It’s a sandwich of contrasts: the crispness of the bread, the tenderness of the Meat, the deep fragrance of the spices… a total sensory experience.

Recipe for Rou Jia Mo: a melt-in-the-mouth Chinese burger with spices

The ingredients

For the Meat (6 people)

• 900 g pork or beef belly (whole or in 10-12 cm pieces)
• 700 mlwater
• 60 ml Shaoxing wine
• 12 g candy sugar (or 1 tbsp white sugar)
• 2 tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. dark soy sauce
• 4 spring onions, halved
• 3 thin slices fresh ginger
• 2 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 black cardamom pod
• 2 Slices galanga (or sand-ginger if available)
• 1 tsp Sichuan pepper
• 3 bay leaves
• Salt to taste
• 1 bunch fresh coriander, coarsely chopped

For the mo Breads (12 rolls)

• 525 g wheat flour (T45 or T55)
• 8 g active dry yeast
• 4 g fine salt
• 240 to 300 mllukewarm water, depending on ambient humidity

Preparation

1. Prepare Meat

Blanch the Meat in boiling water for 3 minutes, just until opaque. Drain, rinse and clean the pan.
Return the Meat to the pan with the 700 ml water, Shaoxing wine, sugar, soy sauces, spices and herbs. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low.
Simmer for 1? to 2 hours, until the Meat melts with a fork. Taste and season with salt.

Tip: the gentler the cooking, the juicier and more fragrant the Meat.

2. Make the Breads mo

Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
Gradually add the warm water while kneading. Form a soft, homogeneous ball, then knead for 10 minutes to activate the gluten.
Cover and leave to rise for 1 hour, until the Dough has doubled in volume.

3. Shaping the mo

Deaerate the Dough, knead for 5 minutes, then divide into 12 balls.
For each ball :

• Roll into a stick,
• Spread in strips,
• Fold in half,
• Roll into a snail (end down),
• Flatten into a 10 cm disc.
  Leave to rest for 20 minutes under a damp cloth.

4. Cook the mo

Heat a flat-bottomed frying pan over medium heat (without fat).
Cover and cook the Breads for 2 minutes on each side, then 1 minute uncovered to brown.
The outside should be slightly crisp, the inside still tender.

5. Assembling the Rou Jia Mo

Remove the Meat and chop coarsely. Mix with a little of the cooking juices and fresh coriander.
Open the Breads halfway, garnish generously and serve hot.

Street Food option: add a few slices of green Chili Pepper, a dash of chili oil or a pinch of ground cumin.

Tips for a successful Rou Jia Mo at home

• Bread too dense? Leave it to Levant longer. The mo should be supple, almost elastic, before baking.
• Dry Meat? Add a little Broth to the ground Meat just before assembling. The secret is the juice.
• No Shaoxing wine? Replace with a sweet dry white wine or a little mirin.
• No pork? Try it with beef or chicken: the principle remains the same, only the cooking time changes.
• Crusty Bread? Put it in the oven for a minute just before serving.

Variations on Rou Jia Mo

Each Chinese region has its own version of Rou Jia Mo :

• Shaanxi (original version): simmered pork, dense, slightly crusty mo bread.
• Northwestern Muslim: beef or lamb meat, spicier, garnished with coriander and Chili Peppers.
• Vegetarian version: braised mushrooms or fried tofu, marinated in the same fragrant Broth.

Rou Jia Mo cousins around the World

Rou Jia Mo is not alone in its family of simmered sandwiches:

• American pulled pork
• Roast mojo pork Cuban
• Greek gyros or shawarma:

They all share the same principle: a marriage between Bread and melting Meat, the universal symbol of the comforting meal.

Rou Jia Mo FAQ

Can Meat be prepared in advance?
Yes, it can be preserved for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, and even better the next day, as the flavors develop.

Can you freeze mo breads?
Yes, once cooked and cooled. Just toast them or pop them in the oven before serving.

What’s the best topping?
Classic: melting Meat + coriander. But you can add pickled cucumber, red onion or Chili Pepper.

Is it very spicy?
No, Sichuan pepper brings aromatic, slightly Lemon heat, not intense fire.

Can you use a pressure cooker?
Yes, 40 to 45 minutes is all it takes to get a very tender Meat.

Rou Jia Mo is a gateway to Northern Cuisine in China, a popular tradition rooted in “street food” culture even before the word existed.

In this melt-in-the-mouth Chinese burger with spices, every element has its purpose: the tenderness of the braised meat, the lightness of the mo bread, the fragrance of the rice wine, the balance between sweetness, salt and spices.

To prepare Rou Jia Mo at home is to travel without moving, it’s the pleasure of homemade food pushed to perfection.

So go ahead, knead, simmer, assemble – and let yourself be surprised by this gem of Chinese cuisine.

Print Recipe

Rou Jia Mo: the melt-in-the-mouth Chinese burger with spices

Prep time45 minutes mins

Cooking time2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Type of dish: Sandwich

Cuisine: Chinese

For: 12 Mo

Author: dumplingsandmore

Ingredients

For the Meat (serves 6):

• 900 g pork belly or other piece of fatty Meat
• 700 ml water
• 60 ml Shaoxing wine
• 12 g of Sweet candy sugar or 1 tbsp white sugar
• 2 tbsp clear soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy Sauce
• 4 spring onions cut in two
• 3 thin slices of fresh ginger
• 2 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 black cardamom pod
• 2 galangal slices or sand-ginger
• 1 tsp Sichuan pepper
• 3 bay leaves
• Salt according to taste
• 1 bunch fresh coriander coarsely chopped

For the mo Breads (12 rolls) :

• 525 g wheat flour T45 or T55
• 8 g active dry yeast
• 4 g fine salt
• Approx. 240-300 ml warm water

Preparation

Preparing Meat

• Blanch pork belly in boiling water for 3 minutes, just until opaque. Drain, rinse and clean the pan.
• Return the Meat to the pan with the 700 ml water, Shaoxing wine, sugars, soy sauces, spices and herbs. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low.
• Simmer gently for 1h30 to 2h, until the Meat is ultra-melting with a fork. Be careful not to boil too hard to preserve the juices.
• Add salt to taste at the end of cooking.

Making the Breads mo

• Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
• Gradually add warm water while kneading. Form a soft, homogeneous ball of Dough.
• Knead for 10 minutes to activate the gluten (by hand or in a food processor with a dough hook).
• Cover and leave to rise for 1 hour at room temperature, until the Dough doubles in volume.

Shaping the mo

• Deaerate the Dough and knead for 5 minutes.
• Divide into 12 equal balls. Keep balls covered under a tea towel.

For each ball

• Roll into a stick shape.
• Roll out into a long strip, fold in half lengthwise.
• Roll into a snail shape, with the end underneath.
• Flatten into a 10 cm disc.
• Cover and leave to stand for 20 minutes.

Cook the mo

• Heat a flat-bottomed (or cast-iron) frying pan, without fat, over medium heat.
• Cook the Breads for 2 minutes on each side, covered, then for a further 1 minute on each side, uncovered, to obtain a beautiful golden color.

Assemble the rou jia mo

• Remove Meat from Broth and chop coarsely.
• Mix with fresh coriander and a little cooking juice, depending on whether you prefer a juicy or more compact result.
• Slice Breads halfway up, garnish generously, and serve while still warm.

Notes

Dumplings & More tips

For an extra kick: add a dash of Chili Pepper oil just before serving.

Vegan option? Swap the Meat for a shredded mushroom (shiitake + oyster mushroom) simmered in the same Broth.

Accompanied by a small smoked black Tea or a cold beer.

Print recipe Pin Recipe