How spicy are the buns?

Gochujang definitely has a kick of heat to it, but you can temper that by adding more honey to your sauce. Just keep tasting, and reduce the amount of gochujang to 1 tablespoon if you're really worried.

Yes! These freeze incredibly well and I'll actually often make a double batch so I can stock the freezer. Just put on a lined tray after steaming and pop in the freezer until solid, then transfer into zip lock bags to store. You can then steam them straight from frozen whenever you like!

I don't have a bamboo steamer, what else can I use?

You can just use an ordinary metal steaming pan, or you can make do with some foil, a pot and a plate! For that, make a few big balls of foil - they need to be big enough for the plate to sit on top of them inside a large pot with a lid. Then pop your plate on top, making sure it's one with a little space around the edges so steam can circulate properly and cook the buns. Then just add a little water, get simmering, line the plate with baking paper and get the buns on there. Cover with a lid and you've made yourself a steamer!

What else could I fill them with?

Honestly, the sky's the limit here. I love using leftover meat - pulled pork or roast chicken is great - as is roasted or stir-fried veggies or tofu. I've even used leftover curry before! Butter chicken and chicken saag make wonderful fillings.

Sticky Korean Chicken Steamed Buns

Description

These sticky Korean chicken steamed buns are frankly, irresistible. An unreal sweet, spicy JUICY gochujang chicken filling is stuffed into super soft, fluffy dough for an absolute explosion of flavour. They’re the perfect bite of deliciousness and are much easier to make than you’d think.

The dough uses yeast AND baking powder which means the prep time is cut in half! And once you get the hang of this dough, you’ll want to make it again and again.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the bun dough –

350g plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1.5 tablespoons neutral oil
180g lukewarm water

For the chicken –

11oz/300g boneless, skinless free-range chicken thighs (you can also use pre-cooked chicken or use leftovers from a roast chicken)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon ginger, grated (or use paste)
2 tablespoons gochujang paste
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 tablespoons honey (or use sweet chilli jam)

To serve –

1 tablespoon chilli oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
2 scallions (spring onions), finely sliced
A handful of fresh cilantro (coriander)

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Instructions

Make the chicken. Get the chicken thighs into a large mixing bowl and add 1 teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper (roughly 2 teaspoons). Add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and toss to coat the chicken well. Transfer to a lined oven tray or dish, and bake at 210C/410F fan for 15 minutes, until the chicken has changed colour (it’ll look white), the juices run clear and there are no pink bits when you cut into it. Let cool for a few minutes, then roughly shred with 2 forks.
Make the gochujang sauce. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan, then add the crushed garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons of gochujang paste, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 3 tablespoons honey, and 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar and cook, stirring, until bubbly and glossy. Remove from the heat, then mix through the chicken, transfer to a container or bowl and pop in the fridge to cool.
Make the dough. I’m sharing instructions for both using a stand mixer for this and if you’re doing it by hand. If you’re using a stand mixer: combine 350g plain flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 2 teaspoons instant yeast, 2 teaspoons of salt, 1.5 tablespoons sunflower oil and 180g lukewarm water in the bowl of your mixer. With the dough hook attached, knead at a medium speed for about 6 minutes, until the dough is soft, supple and not sticky to the touch. If you’re kneading by hand: combine 350g flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 2 teaspoons instant yeast and 2 teaspoons of salt in a large bowl. Mix together with a large wooden spoon or spatula then add 1.5 tablespoons sunflower oil and 180g lukewarm water. Keep mixing with the spoon until it comes together into a rough, shaggy dough. At this point, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 7 minutes, until it’s soft, supple and smooth. It shouldn’t be sticky.
Form the buns. Get the cooled sticky chicken out of the fridge. Roll the dough into a long sausage, then cut it into 12 equal pieces. You can weigh the dough to make the pieces super accurate, but don’t worry if you don’t have a scale. Working with one piece at a time and keeping the others under a clean tea towel to prevent them from drying out, form them into a ball. Flatten the ball out into a circle, then using a rolling pin, roll it out to a circle about 10cm/4″ in diameter. If you can, try to make the edges thinner than the middle. Place a heaped teaspoon of sticky chicken into the middle of the dough, then pleat it together and seal it closed at the top. Place into a lined steamer basket and repeat with the remaining dough.
Steam the buns. Once all the buns have been formed, they need to rest for 30 minutes and puff up a little bit. This can take longer or shorter depending on the temperature in your kitchen. PRO TIP: Take a photo of the buns as they go into the steamer basket so you can easily compare how they’re looking. You want them to have puffed up slightly. At this point, they’re ready to steam. Place the steamer on top of a pot of boiling water, and let steam for 10 minutes. Remove the basket from the pot and set it aside to cool slightly.
Garnish and serve. I like to serve these directly from the steamer basket as it’s easier and looks fun! Drizzle over 1 tablespoon of chilli oil (or more if you like), the chopped scallions, cilantro and sesame seeds and dig in.

Notes

ON PLEATING THE DOUGH: I know this might seem a little tricky at first, but I promise it gets easier the more you do it. It’s basically a little ‘pinch and seal’ movement (take a look at the process shots earlier in this post for a demo of how I do it). The dough sticks to itself which makes it easier. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look super pretty, it’ll still taste delicious!

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: The buns freeze really well. After cooking, pop them onto a baking paper lined tray and put in the freezer until solid, about 30 minutes. Then just transfer them to zip-lock bags to store in the freezer. You can steam them straight from frozen for 10 minutes.

INGREDIENT NOTES: Switch up the filling! I love using leftovers in steamed buns and it’s a great way to make a little bit go a long way. Pulled pork, roast chicken or roasted or stir-fried veggies are great. Even leftover curry, like butter chicken or chicken saag, is great stuffed in buns.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: I love to serve the buns with a fresh, zingy smacked cucumber salad and lots of chilli oil for drizzling and dipping.

Prep Time: 15
Rising time: 30
Cook Time: 25
Category: fakeaways
Method: steamer
Cuisine: asian

Nutrition

Serving Size: 2 buns

Keywords: bao, steamed buns, stuffed buns