The rice bowl my nephew eats twice is this one – a Xufu braised rice, and this home cook’s version is the one-pot that puts rice on top of the braise. A home cook wrote it in six steps with the honey in the name: the sweet finish that makes it silky. I made it as written, and it is the bowl that braises beef and steams rice in the same pot.
Xu fu hui fan (徐福烩饭) is the Xufu braised rice – beef brisket, pumpkin, and carrots braised until glossy, then topped with soaked rice and steamed in the same pot, finished with a little honey. The original is a 6-step recipe with the rice-on-top and the honey as its craft.
What Is This Xufu Braised Rice?
This is a one-pot braise-and-steam: beef brisket cut into mahjong-sized cubes, seared for the Maillard crust, then braised with pumpkin, carrots, and aromatics until the sauce is glossy. Soaked rice is spread over the surface, the pot steams until the rice cooks in the rich braising liquid, and a little honey is stirred in at the end for the silky finish. It is a complete meal – meat, vegetables, and rice – from one pot.
The method is the braise, the steam, and the stir. The beef sears to build flavor, the pot simmers an hour until tender, the rice steams on top, and the final stir mixes everything into one glossy bowl.
For the rice-cooker sibling of the same one-pot idea, my one-pot rice cooker pork ribs and rice lets the cooker do the whole meal.
1One-Pot Rice Cooker Pork Ribs and Rice (排骨焖饭)Learn how to make 排骨焖饭 (Páigǔ Mèn Fàn), a savory and simple one-pot rice cooker meal. Juicy pork ribs, fluffy rice, and vegetables are braised together in a rich sauce. This is the perfect beginner-friendly recipe!Check out this recipe
Why This Version Works
- The seared beef. The Maillard crust is the flavor foundation.
- One pot, whole meal. Beef, vegetables, and rice steam together.
- Rice on top. The grains cook in the glossy braising liquid.
- The honey finish. The sweet note that makes it silky.
- The final stir. Everything mixed into one satisfying bowl.
Equipment Needed
- A heavy pot or Dutch oven with a lid
- A knife and cutting board
- A spoon or spatula
Ingredients
- 500 g (1 lb) beef ribs or brisket
- 1 potato
- 1 baby pumpkin (Beibei pumpkin)
- 2 carrots
- Enough rice (soaked 30 minutes)
- Oil, salt, and a little honey
- Ginger, scallion, and garlic, in portions
Ingredient Notes
Beef ribs or brisket: Cut into mahjong-sized cubes – the braise’s tender bite. My poached pork belly is the slow-meat sibling.
Beibei pumpkin: The sweet, dense squash that holds its shape. My soft pumpkin steamed cake is the sweet pumpkin side.
Rice: Soaked 30 minutes so it steams through with the braise.
Prep & Mise en Place
Cut the beef and vegetables into mahjong-sized cubes; soak the rice 30 minutes; portion the aromatics.
The sequence: sear the beef, add water and everything else, braise an hour, add the rice on top, steam, and stir with the honey.
Cooking Process
Step 1 – Choose beef ribs or brisket and cut into mahjong-sized cubes
Choose beef ribs or brisket and cut into mahjong-sized cubes; cut the other ingredients the same size. Heat oil in the pot, add the beef, and stir-fry until the surface turns lightly charred – the Maillard reaction.
Step 2 – Once the water boils, skim the foam, add all the ingredients
Once the water boils, skim the foam, add all the ingredients and salt; when it boils again, lay the ginger, scallion, and garlic on the surface, lower to a simmer, and braise one hour.
Step 3 – Open the lid, lift out the ginger, scallion, and garlic, red
Open the lid, lift out the ginger, scallion, and garlic, reduce the sauce until it just covers the ingredients, then spread the rice over the surface (soak the rice 30+ minutes first) and boil hard to reduce. (Honey, part 1.)
Step 4 – When the sauce is absorbed, open the lid and stir everything
When the sauce is absorbed, open the lid and stir everything together. (Honey, part 2.)
Step 5 – Add a little honey – it makes the bowl extra silky and delic
Add a little honey – it makes the bowl extra silky and delicious.
Step 6 – Mix all the ingredients together and eat – it is amazing
Mix all the ingredients together and eat – it is amazing.
Common Mistakes When Making This Rice
1. A greasy, un-seared pot. Cause: rushing the beef. Fix: the Maillard crust first.
2. A bitter broth. Cause: boiling the aromatics. Fix: float them on top, lift them out.
3. Raw, crunchy rice. Cause: skipping the soak. Fix: 30 minutes in water first.
4. A soupy pot. Cause: too much liquid under the rice. Fix: reduce until just covered.
5. A burnt bottom. Cause: the rice steamed dry. Fix: watch the liquid level.
6. A one-note bowl. Cause: no honey. Fix: the sweet finish is the recipe.
Variations
More vegetables: Add mushrooms or greens with the carrots. My chicken and vegetable stir-fry is the wok side.
Lamb: Replace the beef with lamb cubes.
Spicier: A spoon of doubanjiang in the braise.
The one-pot shelf: With one-pot rice cooker pork ribs and rice and poached pork belly, the family-pot drawer is complete.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why float the aromatics on top? They perfume the steam without boiling bitter into the broth – and lift out clean.
Why soak the rice? So it steams through in the braise’s time – raw rice would stay crunchy.
Can I use regular pumpkin? Yes – any dense, sweet squash works.
Is the honey necessary? It is the recipe’s finish – the silky sweet note.
How long does it take? About 90 minutes.
How to Serve
Serve the stirred bowl hot with the glossy sauce – with one-pot rice cooker pork ribs and rice and poached pork belly for a one-pot table, or with tomato egg noodles for variety. Or pair it with fish-fragrant pork shrimp cucumber and egg stir-fry silky scrambled eggs with shrimp for more ideas.
Storage & Reheat
Refrigerate 2 days; reheat gently with a splash of water. Never leave the pot out more than 2 hours.
Allergen Notice
This recipe contains beef. It is free of gluten, soy, dairy, egg, nuts, fish, and shellfish (verify stock if used).
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
About the Author & Recipe Development
I am Lin, a professional Chinese chef and food writer with a decade in restaurant kitchens before turning to recipes. This xiachufang cook’s Xufu braised rice is the one-pot bowl in my autumn rotation, and the recipe’s floating-aromatics logic is exactly why the broth stays bright. I tested it as written. I have not tested the lamb or spicy variations, so those are your experiments, not my claims.
Authoritative References
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service – Safe Temperature Chart for beef handling and storage guidance.
Xufu Braised Rice (Xu Fu Hui Fan): The One-Pot Beef Bowl
Equipment
- Heavy pot or Dutch oven with lid
- Knife and Cutting Board
- Spoon or spatula
Ingredients
For the Braise
- 500 g beef ribs or brisket 1 lb, cut into cubes
- 1 potato cut into cubes
- 1 baby pumpkin (Beibei) cut into cubes
- 2 carrots cut into cubes
- enough rice, soaked 30 minutes
- as needed oil and salt
- a little honey for the finish
- in portions ginger, scallion, and garlic floated on top
Instructions
- Choose beef ribs or brisket and cut into mahjong-sized cubes; cut the other ingredients the same size. Heat oil in the pot, add the beef, and stir-fry until the surface turns lightly charred – the Maillard reaction.
- Once the water boils, skim the foam, add all the ingredients and salt; when it boils again, lay the ginger, scallion, and garlic on the surface, lower to a simmer, and braise one hour.
- Open the lid, lift out the ginger, scallion, and garlic, reduce the sauce until it just covers the ingredients, then spread the rice over the surface (soak the rice 30+ minutes first) and boil hard to reduce. (Honey, part 1.)
- When the sauce is absorbed, open the lid and stir everything together. (Honey, part 2.)
- Add a little honey – it makes the bowl extra silky and delicious.
- Mix all the ingredients together and eat – it is amazing.
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