How Many Calories in Steamed Pork Ribs?

Bite-sized pork ribs steamed in garlic and black bean sauce. High protein, no deep frying, one of the smarter picks.

200kcal / 1 small plate

A small plate of dim sum steamed pork ribs (the bite-sized spare ribs in black bean and garlic sauce) is about 200 calories. They are steamed, not fried, and they are genuinely meat, so for the calories you get a solid hit of protein. The main thing to watch is the fattier cuts and the oil in the sauce, but overall this is one of the better-value orders.

Nutrition facts

Per 1 small plate (120g)	Amount	Per 100g
Calories	200 kcal	167 kcal
Protein	16 g	13 g
Carbs	6 g	5 g
Fat	12 g	10 g

Where the calories come from

Pork rib pieces100g

170 kcal

Black bean and garlic sauce20g

30 kcal

The real talk

Steamed pork ribs are an underrated smart order bro. No batter, no deep frying, just bite-sized pork steamed in garlic and black bean sauce. A small plate is around 200 calories and gives you a proper 16g of protein. That ratio is good, the kind of thing you want more of when you are trying to stay full on fewer calories.

The only catch is the cut. These are usually fatty rib pieces, so there is fat marbled in, and the sauce has a bit of oil. But compared to a fried taro puff or a sweet bun, this is the kind of plate you can lean on. Order this and the steamed dumplings, go easy on the fried trolley, and you have eaten well.

How the portions compare

100 kcal

Half plate

200 kcal

1 small plate

300 kcal

Large plate

How to eat it lighter

Make this one of your protein anchors alongside har gao and siew mai.
Pick the meatier pieces over the pure fat-and-bone ones if you are choosing off the plate.
Spoon the ribs out and leave most of the pooled oil behind in the dish.

Common questions

Are steamed pork ribs a good dim sum choice?

Yes, one of the better ones. They are steamed rather than fried and they are real meat, giving about 16g of protein for roughly 200 calories a plate. That is a strong ratio for dim sum.

Why are dim sum pork ribs fatty?

They use small, fattier rib cuts so the meat stays tender when steamed. The fat marbling plus a little oil in the black bean sauce is where most of the calories sit, but it is still a lean order by dim sum standards.

How much protein is in dim sum pork ribs?

About 16g per small plate, almost all from the pork. Combined with the low carbs, that makes steamed ribs one of the more protein-dense things on the trolley.

Go Deeper

Read the full dim sum calorie guide: what to order and skip →

Related foods

See all Dim Sum calories, ranked →

Calorie and macro figures are estimates for a typical hawker or kopitiam serving. Actual numbers vary by stall, recipe and portion size. Use them as a guide, not gospel.

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