Description
This Korean Chicken Bao recipe features tender, crispy chicken coated in a flavorful Korean glaze, served inside soft steamed bao buns with fresh cucumber, red onion, coriander, and a creamy sesame sauce. Perfectly balanced with a spicy-sweet glaze and contrasting textures, these bao are ideal for a crowd-pleasing appetizer or casual meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Creamy Sesame Sauce
- ½ cup (125 g) whole-egg mayonnaise
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp all-purpose soy sauce
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
Chicken and Coating
- 500 g (1 lb) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces (can be substituted with chicken breast)
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp cold water
- ½ cup (75 g) plain (all-purpose) flour
- ½ cup (60 g) cornflour (cornstarch)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp sea salt flakes
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- Neutral oil of choice, for frying (I used light olive oil)
Korean Glaze
- 1 tbsp neutral oil of choice (I used light olive oil)
- 2 tsp freshly minced garlic
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp all-purpose soy sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Assembly
- 12 store-bought bao buns
- 2 small cucumbers, thinly sliced into ribbons
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ bunch coriander (cilantro), finely chopped (optional)
- 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds (for garnish)
Instructions
- Make the creamy sesame sauce: Whisk together the mayonnaise, sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice vinegar in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use to allow flavors to meld.
- Prepare the chicken coating: Place the chicken pieces in a medium bowl. Add the egg and cold water, then use tongs to mix well until the chicken is evenly coated.
- Prepare flour mixture: On a large sheet of parchment paper, combine the plain flour, cornflour, garlic powder, sea salt flakes, and white pepper. Spread the mixture flat and even.
- Coat the chicken: Using tongs, remove the chicken pieces from the egg wash, letting excess drip off. Place chicken onto the flour mixture on the parchment paper and fold the sides up to thoroughly coat each piece in the flour mixture.
- Cook the chicken: Frying option: Heat neutral oil in a deep, heavy-based pan over medium heat. Fry the chicken in batches for 5–6 minutes until golden, crispy, and cooked through. Drain on a wire rack or paper towels. Air frying option: Lightly spray coated chicken with neutral oil and air fry at 200°C (400°F) for 12–14 minutes, shaking halfway through for even cooking.
- Make the glaze: Add the oil and minced garlic to a small saucepan or non-stick pan off heat to avoid burning the garlic. Place over low heat and as garlic sizzles gently, stir in ketchup, gochujang, honey, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and water. Simmer for 2–3 minutes until the sauce is glossy and slightly thickened.
- Coat the chicken with glaze: Add the cooked chicken to the saucepan and toss well so each piece is evenly coated with the spicy-sweet glaze.
- Steam the bao buns: Steam the store-bought bao buns according to package instructions or using a steamer setup at home. Keep warm by covering with a clean tea towel and loosely with foil to maintain softness for up to 20–25 minutes.
- Assemble the bao: Spread a little creamy sesame sauce inside each warm bao bun. Layer with cucumber ribbons, red onion slices, coriander (if using), and the glazed chicken pieces.
- Serve: Garnish each assembled bao with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately while warm for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Gochujang varies in spice level; adjust the quantity to your heat preference or substitute with a milder chili paste if desired.
- For steaming bao, you can use a bamboo steamer, metal steamer over boiling water, or a microwave steamer if preferred.
- Using chicken thighs gives more moisture and flavor compared to chicken breast, but either works.
- Air frying is a lighter alternative to frying but yields slightly less crispiness.
