Description
Soft, fluffy bao buns filled with crispy fried chicken coated in a sticky, sweet-spicy gochujang sauce and topped with fresh, crunchy garnishes. A comforting, street food-inspired dish made at home.
Ingredients
450 g plain all-purpose flour
2 tbsp caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp instant dried yeast
3 tbsp whole milk
210 ml warm water
3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp olive oil
4 chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks
240 ml buttermilk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp garlic salt
180 g plain all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp celery salt
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp chilli flakes
Vegetable oil, for deep frying
2 tbsp gochujang paste
2 tbsp honey
4 tbsp brown sugar
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp minced ginger
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cucumber, finely chopped
Small bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped
2 tsp black and white sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Warm the milk, water, and butter until melted, then combine with the dry ingredients to form a soft dough.
- Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until smooth. Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size.
- Marinate the chicken in buttermilk, salt, white pepper, and garlic salt for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.
- Divide risen dough into 20 balls, roll each into an oval, brush lightly with olive oil, fold, and let rise again until puffed.
- Mix flour with spices for coating. Coat each piece of marinated chicken thoroughly.
- Heat oil and deep fry the chicken until golden and crispy. Keep warm in a low oven.
- Steam the bao buns until soft and fluffy.
- Prepare the sauce by simmering gochujang, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, vegetable oil, and sesame oil until thickened.
- Toss the fried chicken in the sauce until well coated.
- Assemble by filling each bao with sauced chicken and topping with red onion, cucumber, coriander, and sesame seeds.
Notes
Substitute chicken with shrimp or tofu for variation.
Adjust spice level by reducing gochujang or adding more honey.
Add pickled vegetables or lettuce for extra texture and tang.
Store chicken and buns separately in airtight containers for up to 3 days.
Reheat chicken in the oven and steam buns to restore softness.
Buttermilk can be replaced with milk mixed with lemon juice or vinegar.
Bao buns can be frozen after steaming and reheated by steaming again.
- Prep Time: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Deep Fry, Steam
- Cuisine: Korean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bao
- Calories: 289 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
