A Shenyang halal street snack of folded, pan-fried unleavened pastry stuffed with hand-chopped spiced beef and lamb. Named 'huitou' (turn back) from a Guangxu-era legend of a struggling baker whose improvised beef pastry won instant official acclaim. Golden, crackling on the outside, tender and juice-filled within — one of Shenyang's celebrated eight classic snacks.
By tradition, during the Guangxu reign (1875–1908), a Muslim family named Jin who ran a pastry shop near Shenyang's North Gate was struggling on a Mid-Autumn Festival with no customers. The owner spent his last copper coins on beef, minced it into filling, folded it into thin dough sheets and cooked them for his family. A passing government official tasted them, praised them to the official residence, and word spread rapidly. Officials and commoners alike sought the new snack; the owner named it 'huitou' — meaning 'turn back,' as customers kept returning. The halal restaurant Xieshunyuan later became the dish's most celebrated custodian and it was inscribed among Shenyang's eight classic snacks.
The semi-scalded pastry shatters at the first bite — the outer crust crisp and golden, the inner fold layers soft and yielding. The hand-chopped beef and lamb filling is juicy without being greasy; flower pepper broth gives it a quiet floral heat. A dip into rice-vinegar chilli sauce brings the whole pastry into sharp, bright focus.
The dough uses a half-scalded technique: boiling water is poured first to partially denature the gluten network, making the dough soft and translucent; cold water is then added to restore some elasticity, resulting in pastry that is pliable enough to fold without tearing but springy enough to hold its shape during frying. During pan-frying in a thin film of oil, the outer surface rapidly exceeds 140 °C and undergoes Maillard browning (amino acids reacting with reducing sugars from the flour). The folded pocket is not fully sealed at the ends, allowing a controlled release of steam so internal pressure does not burst the pastry while the filling's moisture keeps the inner layers tender.
Variations
Pure lamb halal version: traditionally the most orthodox form, still preferred at historic halal restaurants. Seasonal vegetable fillings: bean sprout-beef in spring; cucumber-beef in summer; Chinese cabbage-lamb in winter — the combination rotates with the harvest. Modern interpretations add soaked glass noodles to the filling for a springy textural contrast.
On the Palate
Where Shenyang Huitou (Halal Folded Beef Pastry) sits in the Chinese flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
7 steps · 25 min
- 130 min
Pour 125 ml boiling water into 500 g wheat flour, stirring immediately with a chopstick to scald part of the gluten; once steam dissipates, add 125 ml cold water and a pinch of salt; knead to the 'three-shine' standard (smooth bowl, smooth hands, smooth dough surface). Rest covered for 20–30 minutes.
Watch outScald part of the flour with boiling water first, then add cold water — the half-scald makes the dough soft enough to fold without tearing yet springy enough to hold shape.
- 210 min
Finely hand-chop 300 g beef chuck and 100 g lamb shoulder (do not use a grinder — hand-chopping preserves fibre texture); mix with minced scallion, onion, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, salt and 3 tbsp Sichuan-pepper-infused cold water; stir in one direction until the filling binds and holds shape.
- 310 min
Divide dough into 50 g portions; roll each into a thin oval about 15 × 10 cm.
- 410 min
Place about 40 g filling along the centre of the oval; fold one long side over the other to enclose; fold the short ends inward toward the centre but leave the very tips open (do not fully seal). Press the fold flat.
- 54 min
Heat a thin film of neutral oil in a flat-bottomed pan over medium-low heat; place the pastries fold-side down and fry undisturbed for 3–4 minutes until the underside turns golden.
- 63 min
Flip carefully; press lightly with a spatula and fry 3 more minutes. The pastry will puff slightly as steam builds inside — this signals the filling is fully cooked.
Watch outThe pastry puffing slightly as steam builds inside is the cue the filling is cooked through.
- 73 min
Remove when both sides are evenly golden; serve immediately with a dipping sauce of rice vinegar, chilli oil and a drop of sesame oil.
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