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Craving a completely different take on sandwiches? Try bao, soft and fluffy steamed buns. Fill them with crispy chicken in hoisin sauce, fresh cucumber, Chinese cabbage, and spring onions. The sweet-salty flavor of the sauce, sesame aroma, and crunchy vegetables complement the delicate dough perfectly. These bao are perfect for lunch, dinner, or as a quick snack throughout the day.
2 tablespoons House of Asia Hoisin Sauce
1 teaspoon House of Asia roasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon House of Asia white sesame seeds
120 g chicken breast fillet cooked in broth and cut into smaller pieces along the grain
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
½ red onion, sliced into strips
1 spoon House of Asia lime juice
1 onion, thinly sliced
½ fresh cucumber, sliced
4 small, firm Chinese cabbage leaves
2 tablespoons of spring onions, cut diagonally into thin strips
4 bao buns
1 tablespoon of oil
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the red onion and garlic and sauté until fragrant.
Add the shredded chicken and hoisin sauce. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the lime juice and sesame oil. Add half the spring onions, mix thoroughly, and remove the pan from the heat.
Steam the bao buns according to the instructions on the package.
Place Chinese cabbage leaves, shredded chicken, cucumber slices and onion rings on the bottoms of the warm rolls.
Top the bao with the remaining scallions and white sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Place the bao buns in the steamer, leaving space between them. While steaming, the water under the steamer should be boiling to generate steam. It's best not to lift the lid while steaming.
Soft, fluffy bao are like a pocket made for stuffing – delicate and neutral in flavor, allowing what's inside to take center stage. And there's quite a bit going on here. Pulled chicken, sautéed with garlic and onion, combines with a thick hoisin sauce, which gives it a characteristic sweet-salty flavor, umami depth, and pleasant intensity. A few drops roasted sesame oil it's enough to give the whole thing another dimension – a delicate, distinctly roasted and nutty aroma that goes perfectly with the chicken.
Fresh ingredients also play an important role. Cucumber, Chinese cabbage, onion, and spring onion bring freshness and balance the sauce's intensity, while lime juice adds a slight acidity. This prevents the sweet and salty hoisin sauce from overpowering the other ingredients, and the chicken bao retains a pleasant lightness. If you enjoy this flavor combination, check out our section for more inspiration. Chinese cuisine.
In this recipe, each ingredient plays a role in terms of texture. The bao are soft and springy, the chicken is tender and easy to pull apart, and the fresh vegetables add a pleasant firmness. It's best to prepare the whole thing just before serving, while the buns are still warm and the toppings are still fresh. Sesame seeds and spring onions top the finished bao, adding a delicate crunch.
This recipe is easy to fit into your daily routine. The chicken and vegetables can be prepared ahead of time, and the assembly of the bao can be left until just before the meal. It doesn't take much time to transform a few prepped ingredients into a warm, easy-to-eat sandwich. This bao is perfect for lunch, a light dinner, or anytime you're craving something other than classic bread. For more ideas on how to serve it, check out: bao buns with chicken and vegetables and bao buns with chicken and pickled onions.
Bao is a term used for various types of fluffy steamed buns, while gua bao most often have a distinctive, folded, pocket-like shape. Gua bao can therefore be considered a specific type of bao, designed to be filled with various toppings. In both cases, the key is the soft, springy dough structure achieved through steaming.
Bao buns taste best right after steaming. To reheat them, it's best to follow the instructions on the specific product packaging. After reheating, it's a good idea to keep the buns covered until ready to assemble and serve. This will prevent them from drying out and will maintain their characteristic softness and springiness.
Yes, both the meat and vegetables can be prepared in advance. However, it's best to warm the filling before serving, and steam the bao buns and assemble them just before eating. This reduces the risk of the buns becoming soggy with sauce, and the fresh ingredients retain their firmness and crunch.
You can substitute tofu or pulled jackfruit for the chicken, leaving the other ingredients unchanged. Hoisin sauce, sesame oil, lime, and fresh vegetables pair well with plant-based meat substitutes. If you're looking for a strictly vegan version, check the labels of all your chosen products before using them.
Chicken bao pairs well with light toppings that add freshness, acidity, or extra crunch. This could be slaw, pickled vegetables, or a simple cucumber salad. However, there's no need to overdo it with the number of toppings – hoisin sauce gives the filling a distinctive character, so it's best to complement it with ingredients that enhance it rather than compete with it.
Chicken 
Chinese 
15-30 minutes 
Vegetables 
Japanese 
Pasta 