Chicken Bao Buns with Sweet Soy Sauce
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Chicken bao buns are soft steamed buns filled with stir-fried chicken, vegetables, and a light sweet soy glaze. They are quick to make, use simple ingredients, and work well for lunch, dinner, or casual entertaining. The contrast between fluffy buns, warm chicken, and fresh toppings makes this a very satisfying handheld meal.
Serve these bao buns straight from the pan while the filling is hot and the buns are warm. They work well with simple sides like fried rice, noodles, or a cucumber salad. For drinks, iced tea, sparkling water, or a light beer all pair nicely.
How to Make Chicken Bao Buns
The chicken is cut into small pieces and stir-fried with garlic, onion, bell pepper, and chili. Sweet soy sauce and a little cornstarch create a light glaze that coats the chicken. The bao buns are steamed and filled with the chicken, lettuce, and finishing toppings.
If you don’t have a steamer pan, a simple metal steamer insert fits in most saucepans and is useful for bao, dumplings, and vegetables. You can also use a bamboo steamer basket.
You can use iceberg, arugula, or romaine for the lettuce, skip the chili for a mild version, or add hoisin or sriracha for more flavor. You can also use chicken thighs instead of breast for a juicier filling.
Continue below for the full recipe with ingredients and step-by-step instructions.
Quick Tips
- Cut the chicken into small pieces so it fits easily inside the buns.
- Don’t overfill the bao buns, or they will tear.
- Steam buns right before serving for the best texture.
- Parchment liners prevent the bao buns from sticking during steaming.
Chicken Bao Buns
Soft steamed bao buns filled with sweet soy chicken, bell pepper, lettuce, cilantro, and sesame. A simple meal, ready in 30 minutes, that works for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast (about 2 large breasts), cut into small pieces
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp oil (vegetable or sunflower)
- 1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 small chili pepper, finely chopped (optional)
- 5 tbsp sweet soy sauce (Indonesian kecap manis)
- 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water
- 8 bao buns
- 2 cups lettuce
- cilantro (1/2 cup loosely packed, finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into small bite-sized pieces.
- Season chicken with garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add chicken and cook for about 5 minutes until done.
- Add onion, bell pepper, and chili. Cook 4-5 minutes until softened.
- Add sweet soy sauce and cornstarch mixture. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes, until slightly thickened.
- Steam bao buns according to package instructions.
- Fill each bun with lettuce, warm chicken, cilantro, and sesame seeds.
Notes
Store the chicken filling in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep buns separate. Reheat the chicken in a pan or microwave until hot.
For freezing: freeze only the chicken filling for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat in a pan. Do not freeze assembled bao buns.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 2 bao bunsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 1142Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 5gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 194mgSodium: 2113mgCarbohydrates: 131gFiber: 12gSugar: 38gProtein: 95g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated. These figures should be considered estimates.
