Introduction

These Korean Chicken Bao buns combine fluffy steamed buns with crispy, spicy fried chicken and a flavorful gochujang sauce. Perfect for a fun dinner or sharing with friends, this recipe brings delicious Korean-inspired flavors to your kitchen.

The image shows three steamed white buns filled with crispy golden-brown fried chicken pieces coated in a bright red spicy sauce. Each bun is topped with thin slices of fresh green cucumber, thin purple onion strips, and sprinkled white and black sesame seeds. Fresh green cilantro leaves add a pop of color on top. The buns and their fillings sit inside a round white bowl with a rough exterior texture, all placed on a white marbled surface in soft natural light. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

450 g (3 3/4 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
2 tbsp caster sugar
½ tsp salt
2 tsp (one packet or 7g) instant dried yeast
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

Step 1: In a bowl, combine the flour, caster sugar, salt, and instant dried yeast. Mix well.
Step 2: In a jug, stir together the whole milk, warm water, and very soft butter until the butter melts.
Step 3: Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture. Stir first with a spoon, then knead with your hands on a floured surface for about 10 minutes until smooth. Alternatively, use a mixer with a dough hook.
Step 4: Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm or a damp tea towel, and let it prove in a warm place until doubled in size (about 90 minutes to 2 hours).
Step 5: While the dough proves, place the chicken chunks in a bowl. Add the buttermilk, ½ tsp salt, white pepper, and garlic salt. Mix, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to marinate.
Step 6: Once the dough has doubled, turn it out onto a floured surface. Knead gently and divide into 20 equal balls. Place a piece of baking parchment on your work surface and roll each ball into an oval about 6cm by 9cm.
Step 7: Brush each oval with olive oil. Fold them over using a chopstick placed in the center to create a gap in the fold. Remove the chopstick and place each bun on a small piece of baking parchment.
Step 8: Arrange the buns on trays with their baking parchment. Cover loosely with clingfilm or a carrier bag, taking care not to let it touch the dough, and let prove for another hour until puffed.
Step 9: Preheat your oven to low heat to keep cooked chicken warm. Heat at least 1 litre of vegetable oil in a deep pan or fryer until hot (test by dropping a small cube of bread; it should bubble and rise immediately).
Step 10: In a small bowl, mix the crispy coating ingredients: flour, salt, ground black pepper, garlic salt, celery salt, dried thyme, paprika, baking powder, and chilli flakes.
Step 11: Remove chicken from the fridge. Let excess buttermilk drip off each piece, then dredge thoroughly in the coating mixture. Place coated pieces on a tray.
Step 12: Fry 10-12 pieces at a time without overcrowding until golden and cooked through, about 3-5 minutes. Check doneness by cutting a piece; the inside should not be pink.
Step 13: Keep cooked chicken warm in the oven while frying the remaining pieces.
Step 14: Bring water to a boil in a steamer. Steam the bao buns on their parchment in batches for 10 minutes until puffed and cooked through. Remove and keep warm.
Step 15: To make the sauce, combine gochujang paste, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, minced garlic, minced ginger, vegetable oil, and sesame oil in a saucepan. Stir well.
Step 16: Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes until thickened.
Step 17: Toss the cooked chicken in the sauce to coat evenly. You can keep the chicken chunks whole or slice them as preferred.
Step 18: Carefully open the steamed bao buns and fill with the sauced Korean chicken. Top with slices of red onion, chopped cucumber, fresh coriander, and sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.

Tips & Variations

For extra flavor, let the chicken marinate overnight in the buttermilk mixture.
You can substitute gochujang with a mix of sriracha and miso paste if unavailable.
Use a bamboo steamer or metal steaming rack to ensure even steaming of the buns.
Try adding pickled radish or carrots as crunchy toppings inside the bao.

Storage

Store any leftover cooked chicken and bao buns separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat the chicken in a skillet to retain crispiness and steam the buns briefly before serving to refresh their softness. Avoid soaking buns in the microwave to keep texture intact.

How to Serve

A close-up shows a small folded white steamed bun filled with three layers: the bottom layer has sticky glazed orange-brown fried pieces coated with sesame seeds; above that is a layer of thinly sliced light purple onions; the top layer consists of thin green cucumber strips and small green herb pieces sprinkled on top. The bun is soft and fluffy with a pale texture. A woman's hand gently holds the bun, and blurred buns filled with the same ingredients sit on a white marbled surface in the background. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I make the bao buns ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare and prove the dough a day in advance, then shape and steam the buns fresh on the day of serving for best results.

What if I don’t have buttermilk?

You can make a buttermilk substitute by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup of milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes before using.