Description
This Korean Chicken Bao recipe offers a delightful combination of soft, steamed bao buns filled with crispy, flavorful Korean-style fried chicken. The chicken is marinated in buttermilk and coated in a spicy, herbaceous mix before deep-frying to golden perfection. A sweet and savory gochujang-based sauce ties everything together with fresh garnishes of red onion, cucumber, cilantro, and sesame seeds, offering a perfect fusion of textures and tastes in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Bao Buns Dough
- 450 g (3 3/4 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp (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 (for brushing)
Korean 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
Crispy Coating
- 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)
Sauce and Garnishes
- 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
- Make the Bao Dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and instant yeast. In a separate jug, mix the whole milk, warm water, and softened butter until the butter melts. Slowly stir this liquid into the flour mixture first with a spoon, then knead by hand or with a dough hook attachment for 10 minutes until smooth.
- First Proofing: Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it with clingfilm or a damp tea towel, and leave it to rise until it doubles in size, about 90 minutes to 2 hours.
- Marinate Chicken: While the dough is rising, place the chicken chunks in a bowl and coat with buttermilk, salt, white pepper, and garlic salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to tenderize and flavor the chicken.
- Shape Bao Buns: Once the dough has risen, tip it onto a floured surface and knead it again briefly. Divide it into 20 equal balls. Place each on baking parchment and roll into ovals approximately 6cm by 9cm. Brush each oval with olive oil.
- Form Bao Buns: Fold each oiled oval in half using a chopstick in the middle to create a hollow fold, then remove the chopstick. Place each folded bun on a piece of baking parchment on a tray. Cover with clingfilm or a plastic bag that does not touch the dough. Prove again for 1 hour until puffed.
- Prepare Oil for Frying: Preheat vegetable oil in a deep pan or fryer to about 180°C (356°F). Test by dropping a small piece of bread into the oil — if it rises quickly with bubbles, the oil is ready.
- Mix Crispy Coating: In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, black pepper, garlic salt, celery salt, dried thyme, paprika, baking powder, and chilli flakes to create the seasoned flour mixture for the chicken coating.
- Coat Chicken: Remove chicken from the marinade, letting excess buttermilk drip off. Dredge each piece fully in the crispy coating mixture and place on a tray. Repeat until all chicken is coated.
- Deep Fry Chicken: Fry chicken in batches, 10-12 pieces at a time without overcrowding, for 3-5 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Check by cutting a piece to ensure no pinkness remains. Transfer fried chicken to a tray in a warm oven to keep hot.
- Steam Bao Buns: Bring water to a boil in a large steamer. Working in batches, steam the bao buns (with parchment) for 10 minutes until puffed and cooked through. Remove buns and keep warm.
- Prepare Sauce: In a saucepan, combine gochujang paste, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, minced garlic, minced ginger, vegetable oil, and sesame oil. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Toss Chicken in Sauce: Place the warm fried chicken in a large bowl and pour the thickened sauce over it. Toss well to coat all pieces evenly. Optionally slice the chicken chunks smaller if desired.
- Assemble Bao Buns: Gently open each steamed bun and fill with the sauced Korean chicken. Top with thinly sliced red onion, chopped cucumber, fresh coriander, and sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Bao dough can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight for enhanced flavor development.
- Ensure oil temperature is maintained during frying for crispy, non-greasy chicken.
- If you don’t have a steamer, a wok with a steaming rack or bamboo steamer can be used for the buns.
- Adjust chilli flakes in the coating and sauce to control the heat level.
- Gochujang can be substituted with a mix of chili paste and miso for a similar flavor if unavailable.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Deep Frying
- Cuisine: Korean
Keywords: Korean chicken bao, bao buns recipe, Korean fried chicken, steamed buns, gochujang chicken, Asian street food, crispy fried chicken, homemade bao
