Steamed BBQ Pork Buns (Char Siu Bao) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is Char Siu Bao made of? ›

Baked char siu bao (also sometimes spelled cha siu bao), or Chinese BBQ Pork Buns, consist of soft milk bread and a savory filling of Chinese BBQ Pork. They're a Chinese bakery favorite!

To cook the buns bring a pan of water to the boil and place the buns into a bamboo steamer. Steam in batches over rapidly boiling water for around 15 minutes, until the buns are no longer sticky to the touch. Be careful not to scald yourself on the steam when checking the buns!

Pick it up: Hold the bun with one hand and gently squeeze it to create an opening. Add condiments: Some people like to add condiments like hot sauce or soy sauce, depending on their preference. Take a bite: Take a bite of the bun, ensuring you get a combination of the fluffy steamed bun and the flavorful pork filling.

You can replicate a steamer with very little effort by placing your buns in a common kitchen sieve or colander, then suspending it over boiling water. Creating a tower from plates and tea towels will stop the steam from escaping, causing your buns to steam cook!

Char siu literally means "fork roasted" (siu being burn/roast and cha being fork, both noun and verb) after the traditional cooking method for the dish: long strips of seasoned boneless pork are skewered with long forks and placed in a covered oven or over a fire.

Steamed buns, also known as "baozi," are a popular type of Chinese bun that are often filled with meat, vegetables, or sweet fillings like red bean paste. Steamed buns made with lean meats and vegetables can be a healthy option, as they are typically low in fat and calories and high in protein and fiber.

An alternative version of the steamed char siu bao is a baked version. While the dough is very similar, the baked char siu bao is more similar to a baked bun with the same char siu filling. It is often coated with an egg and sugar wash before baking, resulting in a slightly sweeter, more bready char siu bao.

The char siu buns taste best when they are hot or warm. If you made them in advance, you can warm them up in the microwave or in a steamer. Once the buns have cooled completely, place them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can store the cooked buns in the freezer for up to a month.

Let cool slightly then remove from the steamer so you can steam the next batch, you may need to top up the water to prevent it running dry (you can take the dough straight from the fridge, no need to let it come to room temperature). Eat the buns warm!

When it comes to the dip, hoisin sauce, sweet chilli or a simple soy sauce with sesame oil make great pairings. We love to eat bao alongside some bouncy or zingy veggies. For zingy veg, we suggest some quick pickled cucumber.

Can you make bao in a regular steamer? ›

At home, the easiest way is with a vegetable steamer, either metal or one of those bamboo jobs. Put a little water in a pan, place the steamer basket inside and then put the buns in the basket. Bring the water up to a boil and then you can turn it off. The steam trapped inside will warm the buns.

There are a few methods you can try if you don't have a steamer. One option is to use a colander or sieve placed in a pot with boiling water. You can also use a bamboo or metal steaming rack placed inside a large pot. Another method is to use a microwave-safe plate covered with a microwave-safe lid or plastic wrap.

Bao Buns (pronounced “bow”), but also known as a 'steamed buns' or 'baozi' 包子, are a delicious, warm, fluffy treat of stuffing wrapped inside a sweet, white dough. Made with a mix of flour, yeast, sugar, baking powder, milk and oil, the bao is a tad sweeter than its closely related cousin, the dumpling.

Succulent pork belly marinated in a sweet and sticky Malaysian-style sauce, then grilled or roasted to perfection for a delicious and flavorful meal.

Bao Buns Ingredients:

It is more commonly known to be filled with pork, however, as the bao bun has become more popular worldwide, the bao bun fillings have become much more diverse. Let's take a look at some of the fillings that you can serve with your bao dough.

Broadly speaking, bao buns (or simply “bao/包”) refer to a type of Chinese food made of wheat flour-based, leavened dough filled with savory or sweet fillings.

Pork is literally just “the meat of a pig” in the most general sense. Char siu is the anglicized rendering of the name of a Cantonese style of roasted pork (usually belly, back, loin, or neck), flavored with Chinese 5 spice and glazed with honey and red rice yeast that produces a rich, red color.