Korean Chicken Bao Recipe

Introduction

Korean Chicken Bao combines soft, fluffy steamed buns with crispy, flavorful Korean-spiced chicken. This delicious fusion dish is perfect for a fun family meal or impressing guests with something a little different.

Ingredients

• 450 g (3 3/4 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tsp instant dried yeast (7g)
• 3 tbsp whole milk
• 210 ml (3/4 cup + 2 tbsp) warm water
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter (very soft)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 chicken breasts (sliced into bite-size chunks)
• 240 ml (1 cup) buttermilk
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp white pepper
• ¼ tsp garlic salt
• 180 g (1 1/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• ½ tsp garlic salt
• ½ tsp celery salt
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• Vegetable oil for deep frying (at least 1 litre / 4 cups)
• 2 tbsp gochujang paste
• 2 tbsp honey
• 4 tbsp brown sugar
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
• 2 tsp minced ginger
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 small red onion (thinly sliced)
• ¼ cucumber (chopped into small pieces)
• Small bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro, roughly chopped)
• 2 tsp black and white sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Step 1: In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast together. In a jug, combine the milk, warm water, and butter, stirring until the butter melts.
2. Step 2: Stir the liquid mixture into the flour mixture with a spoon, then knead with your hands on a floured surface for 10 minutes until smooth. Alternatively, use a mixer with a dough hook.
3. Step 3: Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm or a damp tea towel, and leave to prove until doubled in size (about 90 minutes to 2 hours).
4. Step 4: Meanwhile, put the chicken in a bowl with buttermilk, salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Mix, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
5. Step 5: Once the dough has proved, knead again and divide into 20 balls. Roll each ball on baking parchment into an oval about 6cm x 9cm.
6. Step 6: Brush each oval with olive oil, fold over using a chopstick in the middle to create a space inside the fold, then remove the chopstick and place each bun on baking parchment.
7. Step 7: Place buns on trays, cover loosely with clingfilm or a bag (not touching the dough), and prove for another hour until puffed up.
8. Step 8: Preheat oven to low heat to keep chicken warm later. Heat at least 1 litre of vegetable oil for deep frying until it bubbles rapidly when a bread cube is dropped in.
9. Step 9: Mix the crispy coating ingredients (flour, salt, black pepper, garlic salt, celery salt, thyme, paprika, baking powder, chilli flakes) in a small bowl.
10. Step 10: Remove chicken from marinade, let excess drip off, then dredge pieces thoroughly in the coating mixture. Repeat for all pieces.
11. Step 11: Fry the chicken in batches of 10-12 pieces, ensuring not to overcrowd the oil. Fry for 3-5 minutes until golden and cooked through (no pink inside).
12. Step 12: Keep cooked chicken warm in the oven while frying the rest.
13. Step 13: Boil a large steamer pan. Steam buns on their parchment in batches for 10 minutes until soft and puffy.
14. Step 14: Meanwhile, combine gochujang, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, vegetable oil, and sesame oil in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes until thickened.
15. Step 15: Toss the cooked chicken with the sauce to coat evenly.
16. Step 16: Open steamed buns carefully and fill each with Korean chicken, then top with red onion slices, cucumber, coriander, and sesame seeds before serving.

Tips & Variations

• Use a mixer with a dough hook to save time and effort kneading the bao dough.
• For extra heat, add more chilli flakes to the coating or sauce to suit your taste.
• If you don’t have a steamer, you can use a heatproof plate inside a large pot with a lid, adding water beneath.
• Substitute chicken breasts with thighs for juicier meat.

Storage

Store leftover cooked chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep steamed bao buns in a sealed container or wrapped to prevent drying out, best consumed within 1 day. Reheat chicken in an oven or air fryer to maintain crispness; steam buns briefly before serving to soften.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I make the bao dough ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare the dough the day before and keep it covered in the fridge overnight. Allow it to come to room temperature and prove fully before shaping the buns.

What can I use if I don’t have buttermilk?

Mix 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes to create a buttermilk substitute.

Korean Chicken Bao Recipe

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.5 from 67 reviews

This Korean Chicken Bao recipe combines soft, fluffy steamed buns with crispy, flavorful fried chicken coated in a spicy, sweet gochujang sauce. The bao buns are handmade and steamed to perfection, while the chicken is marinated in buttermilk and fried to a golden crisp. Topped with fresh cucumber, red onion, coriander, and sesame seeds, these bao sliders are a delicious fusion of Korean and Asian-inspired flavors perfect for a comforting meal or a fun party snack.

• Author: Mick
• Prep Time: 30 minutes (plus 1 hour marinating and 2-3 hours proving time)
• Cook Time: 30 minutes (including frying and steaming)
• Total Time: 4 hours (includes proving and marinating times)
• Yield: 20 bao buns 1x
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Frying and Steaming
• Cuisine: Korean Fusion
• Diet: Halal

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Bao Buns

• 450 g (3 3/4 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tsp (7g) instant dried yeast (equivalent to one packet)
• 3 tbsp whole milk
• 210 ml (3/4 cup + 2 tbsp) warm water
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter (very soft)
• 1 tbsp olive oil (for brushing)

Korean Fried Chicken

• 4 chicken breasts (sliced into bite-size chunks)
• 240 ml (1 cup) buttermilk
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp white pepper
• ¼ tsp garlic salt
• 180 g (1 1/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• ½ tsp garlic salt
• ½ tsp celery salt
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• Vegetable oil for deep frying (at least 1 litre/4 cups)

Sauce and Toppings

• 2 tbsp gochujang paste
• 2 tbsp honey
• 4 tbsp brown sugar
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
• 2 tsp minced ginger
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 small red onion (thinly sliced)
• ¼ cucumber (chopped into small pieces)
• Small bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro, roughly chopped)
• 2 tsp black and white sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Make the Bao Dough: In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and instant yeast. In a separate jug, mix whole milk, warm water, and softened butter until the butter melts. Gradually stir the liquid mixture into the flour mixture first with a spoon, then knead by hand on a floured surface for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Alternatively, use a mixer with a dough hook for kneading.
2. First Proving: Place the dough ball in an oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm or a damp tea towel, and leave in a warm place to prove until it doubles in size, roughly 90 minutes to 2 hours.
3. Marinate Chicken: While the dough is proving, place chicken pieces in a bowl with buttermilk, salt, white pepper, and garlic salt. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
4. Shape Bao Buns: After proving, turn the dough onto a floured surface, knead briefly, then divide into 20 equal balls. On baking parchment, roll each ball into an oval approximately 6cm x 9cm. Brush with olive oil, fold each oval over with a chopstick placed in the center to create a cavity inside the fold, then remove the chopstick and place each bun on individual parchment squares.
5. Second Proving: Arrange buns on trays with parchment, cover loosely with clingfilm or a carrier bag ensuring no contact with dough, and let them prove again for about an hour until puffed.
6. Prepare Frying Oil: Preheat vegetable oil in a large deep pan or deep fryer to hot (test with bread cube – it should bubble and rise quickly). Use at least 1 litre (4 cups) of oil for frying.
7. Mix Coating for Chicken: In a bowl, combine flour, salt, black pepper, garlic salt, celery salt, dried thyme, paprika, baking powder, and chili flakes to create the crispy coating mixture.
8. Coat Chicken: Remove chicken from marinade in batches, letting excess buttermilk drip off, then dredge pieces fully in the crispy coating mixture. Place coated pieces on a tray and repeat until all chicken is coated.
9. Fry Chicken: Fry 10-12 pieces of coated chicken at a time, avoiding overcrowding, for 3-5 minutes until golden brown and cooked through (no pink inside). Drain and place cooked chicken on a tray in a low heat oven to keep warm.
10. Steam Bao Buns: While frying chicken, bring a large steamer pan to a boil. Steam buns in batches (on parchment) for 10 minutes until puffed and cooked through. Remove and keep warm.
11. Prepare Sauce: In a saucepan, combine gochujang, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, minced garlic, minced ginger, vegetable oil, and sesame oil. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
12. Toss Chicken in Sauce: Place all cooked chicken pieces in a bowl, pour over the sauce, and toss to coat thoroughly. Optionally slice chicken pieces if preferred.
13. Assemble Bao: Carefully open steamed bao buns and fill each with the Korean sauced chicken. Top with thinly sliced red onion, chopped cucumber, fresh coriander, and sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds before serving.

Notes

• Use a dough hook in a stand mixer as a time-saving alternative for kneading the bao dough.
• Ensure the frying oil is hot enough to achieve a crispy coating without absorbing excess oil.
• Do not overcrowd the fryer to ensure even cooking and maintain oil temperature.
• The chopstick method in folding buns helps create a pocket for the filling without sticking.
• Keep steamed buns covered and warm to maintain softness until serving.
• The spicy gochujang sauce can be adjusted in heat by varying the amount of chili flakes used in the coating or sauce.
• Double steaming trays help cook more buns simultaneously and efficiently.

Keywords: Korean chicken bao, steamed bao buns, fried chicken bao, gochujang chicken, Asian fusion, homemade bao, Korean recipe