Nikuman (Japanese Steamed Beef Buns)
Nikuman (Japanese Steamed Beef Buns) feature pillowy-soft dough encasing a juicy filling of ground beef, shiitake mushrooms, and aromatic seasonings. Each bite balances gentle sweetness from the dough with umami depth from soy, oyster sauce, and sesame oil, accented by five-spice. Serve these warm for lunch, dinner, or as a satisfying snack when you want something comforting and flavorful.
- Prep1 hr
- Cook50 mins
- Serves6
- DifficultyMedium
easyChef Pro health score
Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Nikuman (Japanese Steamed Beef Buns), not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.
- Glycemic ImpactFair
- 45 / 100
- Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
- Nutritional DensityPoor
- 7 / 100
- Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
- Energy DensityFair
- 44 / 100
- Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
- NOVA Processed Culinary Ingredients
- 2 / 4
- Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.
How it scores for each health goal
The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.
- 36
- Heart Health
- 60
- Metabolic
- 28
- Digestive
- 22
- Inflammatory
- 31
- Performance
- 30
- General Wellness
- 1
Mix the milk and sugar for the dough in a bowl. In a separate bowl, add the bun flour and gradually pour in the milk mixture while stirring with a spatula.
- 2
Shape the dough into a ball and knead it by hand for about 20 minutes. Add the olive oil and knead for 10 more minutes.
- 3
Move the dough to a dry bowl, cover it with a towel, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- 4
Using your hands, mix the beef, mushrooms, green onions, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, salt, five-spice powder, and pepper in a bowl until well combined. Shape the filling into 12 equal meatballs.
- 5
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough and cut it into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece with a rolling pin into a circle no larger than 5 inches across.
- 6
Wrap each meatball with a dough circle, pinching the edges to seal.
- 7
Set a steamer insert in a saucepan and add water until it sits just below the steamer’s bottom. Bring the water to a boil. Add the beef buns in batches as needed, cover, and steam until the meat is no longer pink, about 45 minutes.
- Calories 568.23 kcal High 28%
- Protein 24.21 g Good Source 48%
- Carbohydrate 74.6 g 27%
- Total Fat 17.71 g High 23%
- Saturated Fat 6.51 g High 33%
- Trans Fat 0.0 g Low Source 0%
- Cholesterol 54.89 mg Moderate 18%
- Sodium 198.77 mg Moderate 9%
- Dietary Fiber 3.27 g Moderate 12%
- Total Sugars 19.02 g --
- Added Sugars 0.21 g Low Source 0%
- Calcium 68.59 mg Low Source 5%
- Iron 3.98 mg Good Source 22%
- Potassium 74.14 mg Low Source 2%
- Vitamin A 26.44 mcg Low Source 3%
- Vitamin C 0.0 mg Low Source 0%
- Vitamin D 0.48 mcg Low Source 2%
Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Milk 🥛
- Soy 🌱
- Wheat 🌾
- Gluten
- Sesame
About This Recipe
Nikuman (Japanese Steamed Beef Buns) is made with 14 ingredients and serves 6. It takes about 1 hr 50 mins and is rated medium. Key ingredients include Black Pepper, Bread Flour, Cornstarch, and Five Spice. Each serving provides about 568.23 kcal, and is a good source of protein.
Recipe Questions
- What is Nikuman (Japanese Steamed Beef Buns) made of?
- The main ingredients are Black Pepper, Bread Flour, Cornstarch, Five-Spice, Green Onion. The full list of 14 is above.
- How long does it take to make Nikuman (Japanese Steamed Beef Buns)?
- About 1 hr 50 mins in total: 1 hr to prepare and 50 mins to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 568.23 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is Nikuman (Japanese Steamed Beef Buns) easy to make?
- This recipe is rated medium, with 14 ingredients and 7 steps.
- Is Nikuman (Japanese Steamed Beef Buns) healthy?
- Nikuman (Japanese Steamed Beef Buns) has an easyChef Pro health score of 36/100. Per serving, it provides 568.23 calories and 24.21 g of protein, or 48% of the Daily Value. It is a good source of iron. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 198.77 mg (9% of the Daily Value) and saturated fat at 6.51 g (33% of the Daily Value). It contains Milk, Soy, Wheat, Gluten and Sesame, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.
How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products
easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.
The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.
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