Soft Fluffy Char Siu Bao (Chinese Steamed BBQ Pork Buns)

Soft Fluffy Char Siu Bao (Chinese Steamed BBQ Pork Buns)- Juicy and sweet Chinese bbq pork (char siu) is wrapped in soft and pillowy Chinese steamed buns.

Table of Contents

Toggle

There’s something magical about biting into a soft, fluffy bao only to be greeted with that sweet-savory barbecue pork filling. Char siu bao is easily one of the most iconic dim sum dishes, and for good reason. The dough is light and pillowy, the filling is saucy and flavorful, and the combination is downright irresistible. My kids go crazy for these buns, and I’ll admit, so do I.

I know making steamed buns at home can feel intimidating, but this recipe is straightforward and beginner-friendly. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll realize it’s not nearly as fussy as it looks.

Why You’ll Like This Recipe

1. The dough is incredibly soft, fluffy, and slightly sweet, thanks to my go-to steamed bun recipe that works like a charm every time.
2. The filling has a smooth, clingy texture that stays put when you bite into the bun. Thickening the sauce ensures no messy spills.
3. The recipe only needs one proofing, which cuts down on time while still giving you buns that rise beautifully.

What makes char siu filling red

The red is really only for coloring. Red is one of the colors that is considered good or lucky for most Chinese. I use red yeast rice powder that my mom brought me from Singapore. I know some people just use red food coloring. You can totally not use any red color at all. The most important thing is the taste of the char siu itself. The color doesn’t alter the taste in any way. In the video, I did not use any coloring and the filling is brownish in color.

Ingredients and Substitutions

1. Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork): I usually make my own, but you can buy it from an Asian barbecue shop if you want to save time. Either works great. You can also use leftover shredded chicken meat, turkey. You can also use uncooked meat (more details in the recipe)
2. Seasonings: The filling gets its flavor from oyster sauce, soy sauce, hoisin, sugar, and sesame oil. If you don’t have oyster sauce, you can use more soy sauce with a touch of sugar, though the flavor won’t be quite as rich.
3. Red coloring (optional): Traditional char siu bao sometimes has a reddish tint, which comes from red yeast rice powder or red food coloring. This is optional—it doesn’t change the flavor.
4. Dough ingredients: All-purpose flour, instant yeast, sugar, oil, milk, and a bit of cornstarch to keep the buns soft. If you want that signature cracked top you see in dim sum restaurants, a small amount of baking powder in the dough helps.

Tips for making good char siu bao

1. The buns
You can read more in detail about how to make soft and fluffy steamed buns. I use this basic steamed buns recipe in all my other steamed buns with different filling varieties.
2. The filling
The nemesis of filled steamed buns is wet filling. The wet filling will cause the steamed buns to wrinkle and also creates some burn spots. The filling in this recipe is thickened with flour so it’s easier when you wrap and the buns whole its shape when being steamed.
3. Let the dough rise once
This recipe requires that you proof the buns only once.

Frequently asked questions

1. Can I use store-bought char siu? Yes! It saves a lot of time, and the buns will still taste amazing.
2. Do I need the red color? Not at all. It’s purely traditional for presentation. The buns will taste just as good without it.
3. Can I bake these instead? This version is meant for steaming, but if you want baked char siu bao, I have a separate recipe for that.

Storage

1. Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Re-steam for a few minutes until warm and fluffy again.
2. To freeze, steam the buns first, let them cool, and then freeze in a single layer before transferring to a freezer bag. Reheat directly from frozen by steaming again.

Homemade char siu bao may take a little effort, but the payoff is huge. The buns are light as a cloud, the filling is flavorful and sticky in the best way, and they’re guaranteed to disappear fast. Whether you’re making them for dim sum at home or just because you’re craving comfort food, this recipe will deliver every time.

Soft Fluffy Char Siu Bao (Chinese Steamed BBQ Pork Buns)

Prep 1 hour hr

Cook 30 minutes mins

Total 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Servings 12 steamed buns

4.9 from 21 reviews

REVIEW & RATE PRINT SAVE RECIPE RECIPE SAVED!

Ingredients

0.5x1x2x

• ▢ 1 Basic steamed buns recipe

Filling:

• ▢ 400 gr Chinese bbq pork about 1 lb, dice into small pieces. See notes
• ▢ 1 Tbsp cooking oil
• ▢ 1 small onion peeled and finely chopped
• ▢ 1 tsp ginger grated or finely chopped
• ▢ 1 tsp red yeast rice powder optional, for red color

Seasonings for filling:

• ▢ 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
• ▢ 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• ▢ 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
• ▢ 1 tsp dark soy sauce optional
• ▢ 3 Tbsp sugar
• ▢ 1 tsp sesame oil
• ▢ Salt to taste
• ▢ ¼ cup water
• ▢ 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

Instructions

 

Making the filling (can be made ahead):

• Mix all the ingredients for seasonings, except for the flour, in the bowl. Set aside. Preheat your wok or skillet over high heat. Add in the oil. Add onions and ginger and saute until fragrant and soft, about 3 minutes. Add the BBQ pork (or uncooked chicken meat if that' what you are using, and cook until they turn opaque in color). Pour in the seasonings, water, and red yeast rice powder (if using) and stir to mix. Sprinkle in the flour. The pork mixture will start to thicken and glue together. Have a taste and add more sugar if needed. It should be more sweet than savory. Turn off the heat and let it completely cool before wrapping
• Pour in the seasonings, water, and red yeast rice powder (if using) and stir to mix. Sprinkle in the flour. The pork mixture will start to thicken and glue together. The filling should be moist but not watery. Have a taste and add more sugar if needed. It should be sweeter than savory. Turn off the heat and let it completely cool before wrapping

Wrapping:

• Once you have the basic steamed buns dough , divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Lightly flour your work surface. Work with one dough at a time and cover the rest. Flatten the dough with your palm and then use a rolling pin to roll it out to form a circle about 4-5 inches, with a slightly thicker middle part. This is to support the weight of the filling. Don't roll the dough too thin. If you roll the dough too thin, the filling might make the steamed buns "wrinkle" later when you steam
• FOR ROUND SHAPE: Place about 1 to 2 Tbsp of char siu filling in the middle and gather the edge to enclose into a round ball and place the seam side down. Cup the dough with both palms and move the dough in a circular motion to shape it taller. This part is important so your steamed buns come out tall instead of spreading to the side after steaming
• Place on a piece of parchment paper. Lightly dab the surface of the bun with some milk using your finger to smooth the surface. Loosely cover with a clean cloth to prevent drying. Work with another dough and do the same
• IF YOU WANT TO PLEAT SOME PATTERNS: Place the char siu filling in the middle. Create a fold around the edge and then pinch to seal. Cup the dough with both palms and move the dough in a circular motion to shape it taller. This part is important so your steamed buns come out tall instead of spreading to the side after steaming
• Place on a piece of parchment paper. You don’t need to dab the surface with milk if you have patterns. Loosely cover with a saran wrapper to prevent drying. Work with another dough and do the same

Proofing:

• Let the shaped buns proof until about 50% double its original size. They don't have to double in size. This may take about 15 minutes, but please don't go by the time, just observe to make sure the buns have puffed up to half its original size and feel lighter, before steaming or the buns will be tough. Don't overproof them as well.

Steaming:

• Most likely your steamer won’t be able to accommodate steaming all buns at one go. You may need to steam in 2-3 batches, which means, the rest of the batches will sit longer and continue to proof while waiting for the steamer. Not good for the buns! Here’s what you can do: Make sure the cover them with plastic wrap and then place them in the refrigerator to slow down the yeast activity or halt it all together until they are ready to be steamed
• Bring the water in a steamer to a boil. Wrap the lid with a cloth. This will prevent water dripping from the lid creating burn spots. Place some of the buns on the steamer. Lower the heat to MEDIUM. Close the lid and leave about 1/4-inch of gap to let some steam escapes. Steam on MEDIUM heat for about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and wait for 5 minutes and then remove steamed buns from the steamer to cooling rack. This will prevent the bottom from getting wet and soggy.

Storing:

• If you make extra and plan to store them, once the steamed buns have cooled down, place them on a baking sheet not touching each other and put them inside the freezer for 1 hour then transfer to a freezer bag

Reheating:

• They can be reheated in the steamer without thawing. Steam over high heat for 5 minutes

RECOMMEDED TOOLS

Kitchen Aid Standmixer

Dough Hook Attachment

Food Steamer

Marv’s Recipe Notes

If you don’t have BBQ pork on hand, you can also use about 500  grams of uncooked chicken meat  (thighs would be best if possible) or other meat, like pork tenderoin, or meatless protein of your choice. Cut into small pieces and cook as per recipe instruction

Did you make this recipe?Let me know how you like this recipe and consider rating it! Tag me @whattocooktoday I’d love to see your photos/videos on Instagram

Check out this Soft and Fluffy No-Yeast Chinese Steamed Buns. These are so good and super easy to make! I have used this no-yeast steamed buns recipe to make char siu bao and all kind of steamed buns with sweet or savory fillings.