Cha Trung Hap Quick Instant Pot Recipe (Vietnamese Egg Meatloaf)

Cha trung hap is also known as Vietnamese egg meatloaf. It is an easy savoury dish to make and to speed it up making this in the Instant Pot reduces the time by half. Made with ground pork, eggs, wood ear mushrooms, carrots, glass noodles and salted duck egg. This dish pairs great with rice and pork chops or you can eat this as a side dish with rice and your favourite green vegetable.

What is Cha Trung Hap (Vietnamese egg meatloaf)?

Cha trung hap (Vietnamese egg meatloaf) is a very comforting savoury dish. From the naked eye visually, I would say this meatloaf resembles a quiche but has similarities to a meatloaf.

It has simple ingredients and it is versatile where if you want to elevate it you can add some real crab meat and salted duck egg to add some major flavor punch to it. 

This is a recipe that is simple to throw together and is great for meal prepping.

Cha Trung Hap is a comfort food in my household. Anytime I want to add a simple high-protein dish without breaking the bank I rotate this recipe because my kids love it so much. 

Why make this?

It goes very well with a plate of pork chop and rice or it stands well as its own meat side dish for a quick simple dinner meal.

This is a great dish to make if you need to meal prep. Mix all the ingredients and have it ready on a plate to steam when you want it fresh from the instant pot. It’s also great if you want to steam it on a Sunday and have it ready to be warmed up and ready to be eaten in a matter of a few minutes in the microwave.

It is versatile in that it doesn’t require many ingredients, but can be elevated when you add some more luxurious ingredients like crab or salted duck egg.

How to save time using the Instant Pot?

Traditionally, cha trung hap is steamed in a pot with water for 30-45 minutes depending on the portion and the type of bowl you are using to steam.

With the Instant Pot, it is so easy because you can use any size container and use the trivet that is included with the machine and make a huge portion. If you are using a high glass container or a shallow plate it still saves a lot of time in the instant pot.

Generally speaking, using the Instant Pot cuts the steaming time by half. If this dish is traditionally steamed on the stovetop using a shallow plate it would take 30 minutes to steam. I would then adjust the time to 15 minutes in the Instant Pot using the same portion and plate size.

I really appreciate how the Instant Pot comes with a trivet so it’s easy to take out regardless of the size of the plate.

Check out my other Instant Pot recipes:

• Instant Pot Bitter Melon Soup (Canh Khổ Qua)
• Instant Pot Korean Pork Bone Soup (Gamjatang)
• Instant Pot Pork Carnitas.

Ingredients and variations

Ground pork: I’ve only ever made cha trung hap with ground pork. For other protein options, I cannot guarantee the same results. I would suggest ground chicken would work with some fat so using ground chicken thigh. Even tofu would work Adding crab meat works great with this dish as well. During blue crab season, my mother-in-law would buy fresh blue crab and steam it and pick the crab meat out. Very cumbersome to do this but it is so tasty!  

Eggs: The heart of this dish. The egg binds the cha trung hap together. Egg is a popular ingredient to use in Vietnamese cuisine because it is affordable and versatile. Check out my Vietnamese caramelized braised pork ribs with eggs recipe here for more egg recipes.

Carrots: Gives the dish a nice texture and some nice contrasting color. A great way for me to hide some vegetables in the dish for picky eaters.

Wood ear mushrooms: Wood ear mushrooms add an amazing crunch to the meatloaf. It has a really nice texture and absorbs a lot of flavor from all the seasoning. A good substitute for wood ear mushrooms is shitake mushrooms. Use 3-4 medium-sized mushrooms and finely chop them or slice them thinly.

Glass/bean thread noodles: The glass noodles also help absorb some of the flavors and give the meatloaf some added texture.

Green Onions, Shallots, and Garlic: Adding the herbs gives this dish more flavor and helps balance out the pork and egg which can be quite heavy.

Salt, Pepper and Sugar: Adds flavor

Fish sauce: Popular seasoning used in Vietnamese dishes. This dish is no different and I add it to give it an umami flavor. If you don’t have any on hand substitute with soy sauce.

Toasted sesame oil: Gives a nutty, toasty but neutral flavor to the dish. Pass on this if you don’t have any on hand. Skipping this ingredient doesn’t make a huge difference in taste.

Salted duck egg: If you decide to use duck egg I would only add half of one if you have never tried it. The salted duck egg is a bit of an acquired taste. The egg yolk adds a very rich and fatty taste, while the egg white has a sharp salty taste. Skip it if you don’t have it or this is your first time making this dish.

How I make Vietnamese egg meatloaf (Cha Trung Hap)

Rehydrate the vermicelli noodles and wood ear mushrooms for at least 15 minutes. I do this step first before I start prepping all the other ingredients.

Take the ground pork and add sugar, fish sauce, salt, black pepper and sesame oil. Mix well and let it marinate for 5 minutes. The longer you marinade it the better.

Finely chop the green onions, shallots and garlic. Peel and finely cut the carrots. Use a julienned peeler to get a consistent-sized shredded carrot. Add to the ground pork.

Once the vermicelli noodles are rehydrated using scissors cut them into 3-inch lengths. Chop the wood ear mushrooms. If using the salted duck egg cut it into small pieces. Add them to the pork mixture and mix well.

Add the 4 eggs to the pork mixture. Mix it well and pour the cha trung hap mixture into the plate or bowl you will be using to steam in.

Prepare the Instant Pot and add approximately 2 -3 cups of water. I have the 8-quart so I use 3 cups of water. Place the Instant Pot trivet in first and slowly place the plate of cha trung hap. I recommend using aluminum foil to cover the plate to reduce the amount of water that pools on top during the cooking process. Place the lid on top and set the Instant Pot to steamer function for 15 minutes and natural release for 10 minutes.

While the cha trung hap is cooking separate the egg whites from the yolk. For the top, we will only be using the egg yolk. Set aside the egg whites for another recipe.

Once the Instant Pot is done and the lid is ready to be removed. Take the Instant Pot lid off and slowly lift the trivet. Using a spoon or a silicon brush pour the two egg yolks on top and evenly spread it all over. 

Place the trivet and plate back into the Instant Pot and cover the Instant Pot with the lid on and set to steamer for 1 minute and release immediately. 

Remove the cha trung hap from the Instant Pot and serve with your favorite side dish and rice.

How to serve

Best serve with a Vietnamese grilled pork chop, rice and some fresh vegetables or do chua. I have an air fryer char siu pork chop recipe that pairs well with it.

Alternatively, I serve this as a main protein dish when I am tight on time during the weekdays. I serve up the whole plate that I take out from the Instant Pot and everyone around the table self-serves and grabs whatever they want.

How to store

There are two ways you can store this. 

Uncooked

Combine all the ingredients and keep it uncooked for up to 3 days in the fridge. Make sure to keep it in an air-tight container and when you are ready to steam it pour it on the plate or bowl to steam.

Cooked

Cha trung hap is great as leftovers. Store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

How to reheat

Cooked leftovers can be steamed again. This will vary depending on how thick your cha trung hap is. Steam between 5-10 minutes. Microwaving for 3-4 minutes with a cover also works very well. 

Expert tips

When purchasing ground pork. I generally lean towards getting regular ground pork with some fat. If you want to be healthier going extra lean still works with this recipe. Where I am located regular ground pork is slightly less expensive than extra lean. 

If you would like to make this dish slightly lighter I would suggest adding crab meat or shrimp. Use less of pork and substitute with crab meat or shrimp. With the shrimp peel, devein and chop up finely.

Using high-grade eggs with a more deep yellow-orange colour helps bring out that nice colour on the top. When I purchase eggs I buy the best high-grade eggs possible like pasture-raised or free-range.

To speed up the time use a shallow round plate. If the egg and pork mixture is steamed in a shallow plate it takes less time but I find this works well if you are eating it as a main dish. If you are looking to get the same large square pieces you see in restaurants, use a loaf pan 8.5 X 4.5 to get that nice. If you are using the loaf pan increase the steam time to 20 minutes in the Instant Pot. 

If you are in a rush and don’t have time to add the egg yolk on top after you can even skip this step. This is more of a nice aesthetics to the eyes for guests or for photos but when I’m off work and just getting home and trying to get food on the table for my family I skip this step. It does not change the taste or feel of the dish. However, if you skip this step, it does leave a dull color cha trung hap. So be warned!

Use aluminum foil to cover the plate to reduce water from pooling on top during the steam process.

Recipe FAQ

How will I know if it is fully cooked?

If you’re scaling up or down the recipe the best way to know if it is fully cooked is by using a knife and poking it. If there is no liquid that comes up that means it’s fully cooked.

Did you make this Cha Trung Hap recipe? I would love to hear from you! Comment below and rate this recipe!

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