Best 3 Chicken Bao Buns Recipes

KOREAN CHICKEN BAO

Steps:

• 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. Alternatively, you can do this in a mixer fitted with a dough hook.
• Place the dough in an oiled bowl. Cover (with clingfilm or a damp tea toweand leave to prove until doubled in size - about 90 minutes - 2 hours).
• Meanwhile, start on the Korean Chicken. Place the chicken in a bowl. Add the buttermilk, salt, pepper and garlic salt. Mix together, cover and place in the fridge to marinade for at least 1 hour.
• After the dough has proved, tip it out of the bowl onto a floured surface. Knead the dough again and split into 20 balls. Place a piece of baking parchment on your work surface and roll each ball into an oval on top of the parchment, using a rolling pin - approx. 6cm x 9cm.
• Brush the ovals with the olive oil and fold each oval over, using a chopstick in the middle to fold over to leave a little space in the fold (so the oil is on the inside of the fold). Remove the chopstick and place each bun onto a small piece of baking parchment.
• Place the buns on the trays - still on the the baking parchment - as this will help you to move them later. Cover each tray with clingfilm or a carrier bag (ensuring the clingfilm doesn't touch the dough - or it will stick) and leave to prove for a further hour, until puffed up.
• Preheat the oven to a low heat (to keep cooked chicken warm). Heat a large pan of vegetable oil (or preheat your deep fat fryer) until hot (you can test by dropping a small cube of bread in there, if it rises immediately to the top and starts to bubble rapidly, it's hot enough). You'll need at least 1 litre (4 cups) of oil.
• Mix together the crispy coating ingredients in a small bowl. Take the chicken out of the fridge. Lift a piece from the buttermilk and allow the excess to drip off. Dredge the chicken in the crispy coating mixture - ensuring it's fully covered. Place on a tray and repeat until all of the chicken is coated.
• Once the oil is hot enough, add in 10-12 of the chicken pieces. You can add more or less depending on the size of your pan, just be sure not to overcrowd the chicken. Cook for 3-5 minutes until golden brown and cooked in the middle. You can check this by cutting open a piece of chicken, if it's no longer pink in the middle, it's cooked.
• Place on a tray in the oven to keep warm whilst you cook the rest of the chicken.
• Meanwhile, put a large steamer pan on to boil. Working in batches, place the buns in the steamer (you can keep them on the baking parchment and steam for 10 minutes. I use a double layer steam pan - placing four buns in each layer. Once steamed, place on a warm plate.
• While the chicken and bao buns are cooking, make 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.
• Place all of the cooked chicken in a bowl and pour the sauce over the chicken. Toss together to coat. You can leave the chicken chunks whole, or slice up if you prefer.
• Carefully open the steamed bao buns and stuff with the Korean chicken. Top with slices of red onion, cucumber, fresh coriander (cilantro) and sesame seeds before serving.

SPICY FRIED CHICKEN BAO BUNS | MARION'S KITCHEN

Steps:

• Step 1.For the pickled red onion, combine the ingredients and set aside for at least 10 minutes. This will keep well for 2-3 days also.
• Step 2.For the coconut sriracha mayonnaise, combine the ingredients and set aside until ready to serve.
• Step 3.Place the chicken, Marion's Kitchen Coconut Sriracha, chilli powder, garlic powder, sweet paprika and vodka in a large bowl. Mix until well combined. Set aside to marinate overnight or at least 10 minutes.
• Step 4.To prepare the chicken for cooking, place the flour in a large bowl or tray. Pour the chicken and the marinade into the flour. Mix and push the crumbly bits of flour so they stick to the outside of the chicken to form a craggly, bumpy coating.
• Step 5.Fill a saucepan or wok to about 1/3 capacity with the vegetable oil. Heat over high heat. Once the oil is hot (320°F or 170°C or when a wooden spoon dipped into the oil forms small little bubbles), add half the chicken pieces and cook for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towel and sprinkle with sea salt. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Cut each of piece of chicken into 3 chunks.
• Step 6.To serve, open up each bao bun and spread bottom with coconut sriracha mayonnaise. Top with the fried chicken pieces. Drizzle with more coconut sriracha and top with pickled red onion and spring onion.

MOCHIKO FRIED CHICKEN BAO WITH GOCHUJANG AIOLI

Steps:

• Spread Gochujang Aioli inside the Bao Buns. Fill Buns with about 3 ounces of Fried Chicken each. Top with scallions and Pickled Fresno Chiles.
• Combine yeast and warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Let yeast bloom 5 to 10 minutes, then stir.
• Combine all-purpose flour, bread flour, sugar, salt, milk powder, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl. Add to the water and yeast mixture.
• Mix on low speed until the ingredients start to come together and form a ball. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix for 5 minutes. Dough is ready when slightly tacky and elastic, but not sticky.
• Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface, work into a ball, then put in a bowl lightly coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise until it is doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Gently punch down dough to get rid of excess air.
• Cut dough into 2-ounce portions and roll into balls. With a rolling pin, roll out each ball into oblong rounds on a lightly floured surface. Spray one side with nonstick spray. Fold in half oiled side in.
• Line a steamer basket with parchment paper and place buns on top. Set over simmering water and cover, then let steam until fluffy and slightly shiny, 6 to 7 minutes.
• Combine whole peeled garlic cloves with canola oil in small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer until soft, about 25 minutes. Strain (reserve oil for other use) and cool.
• Combine mayo, gochujang, sambal, chives, vinegar and poached garlic cloves in a food processor. Process until smooth.
• Combine all-purpose flour and mochiko flour in a large bowl and set aside.
• Combine soy sauce and sugar in a large bowl. Stir to dissolve sugar. Add the garlic, ginger and chicken. Cover and marinade in the fridge for 1 hour.
• Remove chicken from marinade and toss in flour mixture; shake off excess flour.
• Heat oil to 350 degrees F in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Deep fry in batches until cooked through and golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Put chiles in a small heatproof bowl. Combine sugar, vinegar and 1/2 cup water in a small pot. Bring to a boil and pour over chiles.
• Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.