Crispy Fried Chicken Bao – the Korean Bao Buns Recipe

Soft and fluffy Korean Chicken Bao Buns are the fusion of the delightful crispy and savory goodness of Korean fried chicken combined with the comforting embrace of steamed bao buns. So what makes Crispy Fried Chicken Bao Buns so irresistible? Korean Chicken Bao never fails to impress when I prepare them.

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RELATED:

• Korean Fried Chicken Street Food (Dakgangjeong)
• PF Chang’s Crispy Honey Chicken

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Why you’ll like it

Korean Chicken Bao Buns offer a world of possibilities, allowing you to create a perfect dish that suits your taste buds:

1. Bao Bun fillings ideas: Get creative and feel free to add crispy pickled radishes, kimchi, a hard egg, or even a fried egg to elevate the flavors and textures.
2. Sweet and spicy Bao Buns: If you enjoy a fiery kick, increase the heat by adding extra gochujang to the marinade or adding kimchi to your toppings.
3. Party Pleaser: Korean-style fried Chicken Bao makes an excellent party or game-day snack. A nice idea is to provide a bao-bun station with various fillings, toppings, and sauces, allowing your guests to customize their buns to their liking.
4. Speed up preparation: If you want to speed up the process for this dish, prepare and freeze the bao buns ahead or buy them from the store.

Crispy Fried Chicken in Bao Bun Recipe

What are Korean Chicken Bao Buns?

A Korean Chicken Bao Bun brings together the rich flavors of Korean cuisine with the versatile nature of Asian bao buns. It features succulent, crispy fried chicken as the main filling, accompanied by a variety of vibrant Korean-inspired toppings and sauces. The bao bun serves as a fluffy, slightly sweet bed that encases the crispy, juicy, flavorful chicken, creating a delightful combination of textures and tastes.

Ingredients

For the Bao Buns

• All-purpose flour (3 ¾ cups/450g)
• Caster sugar (2 tablespoons)
• Salt (½ teaspoon)
• Instant dried yeast (2 teaspoons/7g)
• Full-fat milk (3 tablespoons)
• Warm water (¾ cup + 2 tablespoons/210 ml)
• Unsalted butter, soft (3 tablespoons)
• Olive oil (1 tablespoon)

For the chicken and marinade:

• Chicken breasts, sliced into bite-size chunks (4 chicken breasts)
• Buttermilk (1 cup/240ml)
• Salt (½ teaspoon)
• White pepper (¼ teaspoon)
• Garlic salt (¼ teaspoon)

For the crispy coating:

• All-purpose flour (1 ½ cups/180g) or 00 flour substitute
• Salt (1 teaspoon)
• Black pepper, ground (1 teaspoon)
• Garlic salt (½ teaspoon)
• Celery salt (½ teaspoon)
• Dried thyme (1 teaspoon)
• Paprika, (1 teaspoon)
• Baking powder (1 teaspoon )
• Chilli flakes (1 teaspoon)
• Vegetable oil (4 cups) for deep frying

For the Korean glaze

• Sesame oil (1 tablespoon)
• Vegetable oil (1 tablespoon)
• Gochujang paste (2 tablespoons) 
• Honey (2 tablespoons)
• Brown sugar (4 tablespoons)
• Soy sauce (4 tablespoons)
• Garlic cloves (2 cloves), peeled and minced
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger

For serving

• Green onion (½ cup), chopped and thinly sliced
• Lettuce or cabbage (½ cup), roughly chopped
• Korean spicy mayo sauce (¼ cup)
• Black and white sesame seeds (2 teaspoons)
• Pickled radishes (¼ cup optional)

Instructions 

For the bao buns dough

1. Combine flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a bowl.
2. In a separate jug, mix together milk, warm water, and butter until the butter melts.
3. Gradually add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture, starting with a spoon and then using your hands.
4. Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can use an electric mixer with a fitted dough hook.
5. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover it with a damp tea towel, and allow it to double in size for about 90 minutes to 2 hours.
6. While waiting for the dough to expand, move on to preparing the Korean Chicken.

For the Korean chicken

1. Place the chicken in a bowl and add buttermilk, salt, pepper, and garlic salt.
2. Mix well and cover.
3. Let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

To shape the bao buns

1. Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and knead it again once the dough has doubled in size
2. Divide the dough into 20 balls and place on a piece of parchment paper.
3. Roll each ball into an oval shape, approximately 6cm x 9cm, using a rolling pin.
4. Brush the ovals with olive oil and fold each one over so that the oil remains inside the fold. Leave a small space in the fold using a chopstick in the center (so the oil remains on the inside of the fold) removing the chopstick after folding.
5. Arrange the buns on the parchment paper and then place them in trays that fit the oven or steamer.
6. Cover each tray with clingfilm or a carrier bag, ensuring the clingfilm doesn’t touch the dough
7. Set aside for another hour until they have puffed up.

For the Korean fried chicken

1. Preheat the oven to low heat to keep the cooked chicken warm.
2. Heat a large pan of vegetable oil (or preheat a deep-fat fryer) until it reaches the desired temperature.
3. Combine the ingredients for the crispy coating in a small bowl.
4. Take a piece of chicken from the buttermilk mix, allowing the excess to drip off, and coat it in the crispy coating mixture, ensuring it is fully covered.
5. Place it on a tray and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.
6. Add 10-12 chicken pieces to the frying oil, ensuring not to overcrowd the pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through. See tips below for ensuring the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
7. Keep the cooked chicken warm in the oven while you cook the remaining pieces.

To steam the buns

1. Meanwhile, bring a large steamer pan to a boil.
2. Steam the buns in batches, using the baking parchment to hold them, for approximately 10 minutes. Once steamed, transfer them to a warm plate. See tips below for steaming.

For the glaze

1. While the chicken and bao buns are cooking, prepare the sauce.
2. Combine gochujang, honey, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, vegetable oil, and sesame oil in a saucepan.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes until it thickens.
4. Place all the cooked chicken in a bowl and pour the sauce over it. Toss everything together to coat. You can leave the chicken chunks whole or slice them, depending on your preference.

To assemble the Korean fried chicken bao buns

1. Carefully open the bao buns and stuff them with the Korean fried chicken topping with green onion, lettuce or cabbage, radishes, sesame seeds, and Korean spicy mayo.
2. Serve and enjoy.

Tips

• For extra flavor, marinate the chicken overnight
• To check if it’s cooked, cut open a piece – if it’s no longer pink in the middle, it’s done.
• You can use a double-layer steamer pan, placing four buns in each layer.

Variations

1. Air-fried Bao Buns: Try air-frying the marinated chicken for a healthier version but still crispy and tasty.
2. Vegetarian Option: For a vegetarian twist, substitute the fried chicken with crispy tofu or tempeh.
3. Bao Bun Variations: Experiment with different types of bao buns, such as whole wheat or ube bao buns with purple sweet potato to add visual appeal and unique flavors to your traditional Korean chicken bao dish.

How to serve Korean Chicken Bao Buns

1. Bao Bun dipping sauces galore: Expand your flavor options by serving an array of dipping sauces alongside your bao buns. Consider traditional Korean dipping sauces like soy-based ganjang or tangy ssamjang, as well as classic Chinese options like black bean sauce or sweet chili sauce.
2. Refreshing Side: Serve your Korean Chicken Bao Buns with a side of refreshing crispy Asian slaw, a light cucumber salad, or pickled vegetables providing a refreshing contrast to the rich flavors of the bao buns.
3. Bao Bun Dessert: After enjoying the savory Korean Chicken Bao Buns, satisfy your sweet tooth by preparing a dessert version. Fill the steamed buns with sweet red bean paste or Nutella, and sprinkle them with powdered sugar for a delightful treat.
4. Beverage Pairings: Pair your Korean Chicken Bao Buns with a refreshing beverage such as Korean soju, a chilled glass of light beer, or a citrusy iced tea to complement the flavors and enhance your overall dining experience.

You might like more…

For more party food ideas:

• Mary Berry Sausage Rolls using sausage meat
• Mary Berry Sausage Plait
• Cantonese Sweet and Sour Chicken
• Turkish Beyti Kebab with roasted peppers and yogurt dressing
• Fried Chicken Meatballs

How about these street food ideas:

• Mexican Birria Tacos
• Korean Rabokki with Tteok and Ramyon
• PF Chang Kung Pao Chicken
• PF Chang’s Crispy Honey Chicken
• Keto Chicken Quesadilla
• Chicken Satay Skewers Recipe with Peanut Sauce