Keto Eggplant Burgers Recipe [Chinese Qiezi He]

You’d never have thought that Chinese cuisine would naturally produce delicious Keto burgers, but there it is!

This has been one of my favorite dishes growing up in a Chinese household, and I’m really excited to finally share it with you.

This keto eggplant burgers recipe sticks pretty closely to the traditional Chinese recipe (often called Qiezi He or Qie He).

Check out this list of keto eggplant recipes for even more ways to add this purple beauty into your diet.

What are Eggplant Burgers (or Qie He)?

A better translation of the traditional Chinese dish is probably Eggplant. buns but honestly, it’s like mini burgers that use eggplant slices as the “buns.”

There’s usually a flavorful pork filling (although you can use chicken or beef instead). And the entire thing is either pan-fried or steamed and then served with a dipping sauce.

The dipping sauce traditionally includes soy sauce, rice vinegar, diced garlic, and toasted sesame oil.

It might sound like an odd dish if you’re not used to it, but it’s really quite delicious!

How to make these Keto Eggplant Burgers

Step 1:

Chop up your eggplant into 1-inch thick slices. Then make another cut in those thick slices but make sure those slices are still joined together (see photo below).

Step 2:

Stuff these eggplant “buns” or “baos” with the meat filling. Don’t overstuff them as then it’ll spill out too much. And try to make all the eggplants and fillings similar so that they will take the same amount of time to cook.

Step 3:

Place into your steamer and steam for 20 minutes.

Step 4:

Make the dipping sauce and serve with the steamed eggplant burgers.

What to eat with your Keto Eggplant Burgers?

This keto eggplant burgers recipe is great as a snack or appetizer to impress guests at a party, but they are very light if you’re hungry. Feel free to make a bigger batch of these eggplant burgers or else enjoy them as a starter to a complete Chinese meal.

Here are some other Keto Chinese recipes you can enjoy with your burgers:

• Chinese Pork Spare Ribs
• Broccoli Beef
• White Cauliflower Rice

And if you have any eggplants leftover in your fridge, then why not give this other Chinese eggplant recipe a try.

Bread eating members of the family might prefer this eggplant burger recipe… if they really need the extra carbs.

Keto Eggplant Burgers Recipe [Chinese Qiezi He]

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• Author: Louise Hendon
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 2 servings 1x
• Category: Dinner, Lunch
• Cuisine: Chinese

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Ingredients

For the eggplant burgers (qiezi he):

• 1/2 lb (225 g) ground pork
• 1 lb Japanese (smaller) eggplants (approx. 2 eggplants)
• 2 green onions, diced small
• 1 Tablespoon ginger, minced
• 2 Tablespoons of gluten-free tamari sauce or coconut aminos (30 ml)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Dash of pepper

For the dipping sauce:

• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4 Tablespoons of gluten-free tamari sauce or coconut aminos (60 ml)
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) vinegar (apple cider, white wine)

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Instructions

1. Cut the eggplants into 1-inch thick slices.  Then make a small cut through them to form “burger buns” that are still joined together.
2. Mix the ground pork, green onions, ginger, tamari sauce, salt, and pepper together.  Stuff this meat mixture into the “buns.”
3. Steam for 20 minutes.
4. To make the dipping sauce, mix together the garlic, tamari sauce, sesame oil, and vinegar in a small bowl.
5. Serve the cooked eggplant burgers with the dipping sauce.

Notes

All nutritional data are estimated and based on per serving amounts.

Net Carbs: 6 g

Nutrition

• Calories: 205
• Sugar: 6 g
• Fat: 5 g
• Carbohydrates: 14 g
• Fiber: 8 g
• Protein: 26 g