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Korean Chicken Bao

Korean Chicken Bao

Soft and fluffy steamed bao buns filled with crispy Korean chicken - a fantastic party food idea to impress your guests!
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Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Proving Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours
Course Appetizer, Party Food
Cuisine Asian
Servings 20 buns
Calories 350 kcal

Equipment

  • mixing bowl
  • jug
  • rolling pin
  • steamer pan
  • deep fryer or large pan

Ingredients
  

Bao Buns

  • 450 g plain (all-purpose) flour
  • 2 tablespoon caster sugar
  • 0.5 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon instant dried yeast equivalent to one packet or 7g
  • 3 tablespoon whole milk
  • 210 ml warm water (¾ cup + 2 tbsp)
  • 3 tablespoon unsalted butter very soft
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Chicken and Marinade

  • 4 pieces chicken breasts sliced into bite-size chunks
  • 240 ml buttermilk (1 cup)
  • 0.5 teaspoon salt
  • 0.25 teaspoon white pepper
  • 0.25 teaspoon garlic salt

Crispy Coating

  • 180 g plain (all-purpose) flour (1 ½ cups)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 0.5 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 0.5 teaspoon celery salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
  • 1 litre vegetable oil for deep frying

Korean Sauce

  • 2 tablespoon gochujang paste
  • 2 tablespoon honey
  • 4 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 4 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
  • 2 teaspoon minced ginger
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil

To Serve

  • 1 small red onion thinly sliced
  • 0.25 cucumber chopped into small pieces
  • 1 small bunch fresh coriander roughly chopped
  • 2 teaspoon black and white sesame seeds

Instructions
 

Make the Bao Buns

  • Start by making the bao buns, Place the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a bowl and mix together.
  • Add the milk, warm water, and butter to a jug and stir together until the butter melts.
  • Stir the liquid mixture into the flour mixture at first with a spoon, and then with your hands. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes.
  • Place the dough in an oiled bowl. Cover and leave to prove until doubled in size - about 90 minutes to 2 hours.
  • After the dough has proved, tip it out onto a floured surface. Knead again and split it into 20 balls.
  • Roll each ball into an oval approximately 6cm x 9cm, brush with olive oil and fold over, placing onto small pieces of baking parchment.
  • Cover and leave to prove for a further hour until puffed up.

Cook the Chicken

  • Preheat the oven to a low heat to keep the cooked chicken warm.
  • Heat a large pan of vegetable oil until hot.
  • Mix together the crispy coating ingredients in a small bowl.
  • Take the chicken out of the fridge, dredge in the coating mixture, and place on a tray.
  • Once the oil is hot, add in 10-12 pieces of chicken and cook for 3-5 minutes until golden brown.
  • Place on a tray in the oven to keep warm while cooking the rest.

Steam the Buns

  • Put a large steamer pan on to boil and steam the buns for 10 minutes.

Prepare the Sauce

  • Place the gochujang, honey, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, vegetable oil and sesame oil in a saucepan and stir together.
  • Bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 minutes until thickened.
  • Toss the cooked chicken with the sauce.

Serve the Dish

  • Stuff the steamed bao buns with the Korean chicken and top with sliced red onion, cucumber, fresh coriander, and sesame seeds.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bunCalories: 350kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 25gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 700mgPotassium: 250mgFiber: 2gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 200IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 2mg
Keyword Asian cuisine, bao, chicken, Korean Chicken Bao, party food, steamed buns
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