Lightly-spiced, crispy chicken breast served in steamed bao buns with coleslaw, cucumber, spring onion, hoisin sauce and Japanese mayo. An extremely tasty meal, perfect for feeding a crowd.
I love serving meals in bao buns. Not only do they taste great and hold their contents so well, but they also remind me of eating street food in Southeast Asia. These Crispy Chicken Bao Buns continue to be one of the most popular recipes on the website.
Other reader-favourite bao bun recipes on my website include Coconut Chicken Bao Buns and Pulled Pork Bao Buns.
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Ingredient notes:
- Chicken: I used chicken breast for this recipe. Chicken thighs would also work.
- Hoisin sauce: This is such a yummy pairing with chicken! You can find it in most supermarkets these days.
- Hot Sauce: I added a little sriracha sauce to my bao buns for some extra kick but this is entirely optional.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.
Step by step instructions:
Slice the chicken breast into 1 cm pieces. Add to a bowl with the soy sauce and spices then stir to combine.
Add the egg and cornflour and mix again. Marinate in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Add the oil to a large frying pan over a medium heat. Shallow fry the chicken pieces on each side until crispy and cooked through.
Steam the bao buns in a bamboo steamer and prepare the coleslaw.
Assemble the steamed bao buns by filling with hoisin sauce, crispy chicken, coleslaw, cucumber, spring onion, mayo and a little hot sauce if you like!
Serve immediately. The fillings could also be served on rice or just as a salad if you prefer.
Recipe FAQs:
These days, many major supermarkets stock these in the freezer section. If you can't find them there, your local Asian supermarket is your next best bet.
The crispy chicken and fresh salad would also taste amazing served in toasted roti, wraps (gluten free or regular), with steamed rice or just as a bowl of salad.
Storage:
Store any leftover ingredients in an airtight containers in the fridge for up to three days. You can reheat the chicken and eat it with fresh salad and buns for up to two days.
Top tips:
If you're feeding a crowd, you can double the recipe. Place all the components on a platter and serve that at the table for people to build-their-own meal.
Related Recipes:
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Crispy Chicken Bao Buns
Steamed bao buns filled with spiced, crispy chicken, hoisin sauce, cucumber, coleslaw, spring onion and Japanese mayo.
Ingredients
- 500g chicken breast
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- 1 tsp 5 spice powder
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup cornflour
- ¼ cup oil
To serve
- 8 bao buns
- 4 Tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 bag ready-made coleslaw
- ½ cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 spring onion, sliced
- 2 Tbsp Japanese mayo
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breast into 1 cm pieces. Add to a bowl with the soy sauce and spices then stir to combine.
- Add the egg and cornflour and mix again. Marinate in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Add the oil to a large frying pan over a medium heat. Shallow fry the chicken pieces on each side until crispy and cooked through.
- Steam the bao buns in a bamboo steamer and prepare the coleslaw.
- Serve the steamed bao buns filled with hoisin sauce, crispy chicken, coleslaw, cucumber, spring onion and mayo.
Notes
- You can swap the chicken breast for chicken thighs and swap the bao buns for roti or wraps.
- If you can’t find bao buns in the freezer at the supermarket you can get them in the freezer section at Asian specialty stores.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 953Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 28gCholesterol: 185mgSodium: 1609mgCarbohydrates: 90gFiber: 4gSugar: 16gProtein: 61g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya
Danni says
This may be a dumb question.. But how long do you steam the bao buns for?
VJ cooks says
Hi Danni, I usually just follow the packet instructions! But a general rule of thumb is 8-10 minutes. Depending on the sizer of your steamer, you will have to do these in batches.
Nicky says
These are delicious. Loved by the whole family and so easy to make.
VJ cooks says
I'm so happy to hear this, thank you for sharing.
Jen says
How hot should you have the element when frying the chicken??
VJ cooks says
Hi Jen, the chicken should be cooked over a medium heat. I've amended the recipe to state this.
Kristie says
Thanks for a delicious and versatile recipe VJ! Our family favourite is now switching the chicken for crispy pork belly cooked in the air fryer, it is so simple yet devine.
VJ cooks says
Sounds delicious!
Kathryn Round says
I made these so easy to do and the taste is bloody awesome
Isobel says
Delicious! Made these tonight and they were super easy
VJ cooks says
That's awesome, thank you for the feedback Isobel.
Kathryn Round says
I made these so easy to do and the taste is bloody awesome
Kate says
Can you cook the chicken in the air fryer? If so what settings?
VJ cooks says
I'm sure you could, but I haven't tried it myself sorry. I would refer to the guidelines on your air fryer manual.
Nicole says
Hey!
How can you ‘steam’ the Bao’s without a steamer?
VJ cooks says
Hi Nicole, you can either steam them in the microwave by wrapping them in damp kitchen paper/towel. Or you can use a colander and steam them over boiling water - there are lots of tips on the internet for how to do this.
Sandy Lala says
I made this tonight and it was delicious! However how did u get your chicken to be so crispy??
VJ cooks says
Well you do shallow fry the coated chicken over a medium-high heat so they should naturally get quite crispy...
Kirsty says
This chicken is so easy, super crispy and totally delicious! I didn't have bao buns so just used regular burger buns and topped with pineapple rings and asian slaw...my new favourite burger!!! Thanks for another fabulous recipe VJ. Love your recipes
VJ cooks says
That sounds delicious!