Chinese Style Meat Buns
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
These Chinese Style Meat Buns are packed with juicy, seasoned pork and wrapped in a soft, pillowy dough. Trust me, once you try them, you’ll be making them on repeat!
If you’ve ever wandered into a Chinese bakery, you’ve likely spotted these delicious Chinese style meat buns, also known as Char Siu Bao. They’re filled with juicy, barbecued pork and wrapped in a soft, golden bun. This is an old recipe, I shared with you back in 2012 and I just had to rewrite it with new pictures because after all this time, it’s still a favorite.
Before You Start
- Activate the Yeast Properly: Make sure your water is warm, around 110℉, to properly activate the yeast. If it’s too hot, it will kill the yeast; too cold, and the yeast won’t activate, resulting in dough that doesn’t rise well.
- Marinate the Pork: For the most flavorful filling, let the pork marinate for at least an hour. If you have extra time, marinating overnight in the fridge will enhance the flavors even more.
- Knead the Dough Well: Take the time to knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic. This will give your buns the perfect soft and fluffy texture once baked.
- Sealing the Buns: When sealing the buns, make sure the edges are pinched together firmly to prevent them from opening during baking. This will help keep all that delicious filling inside.
- Baking vs. Steaming: While this recipe calls for baking, you can also steam the buns if you prefer a softer, chewier texture.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Flour: You’ll need all purpose flour to make the buns. If you want you can try mixing it with some whole wheat flour.
- Water: To activate the yeast and hydrate the dough. Warm water, around 110℉, helps kickstart the yeast, ensuring the dough rises properly.
- Active Dry Yeast: Leavens the dough, making it rise and giving the buns their light, airy texture. You can also use instant dry yeast, no need to activate it first.
- Sugar: Feeds the yeast, aiding in the rising process while adding a touch of sweetness to the dough. You can substitute with honey if you’d like.
- Egg: Adds extra richness to the dough, resulting in a tender crumb.
- Oil: Keeps the dough moist and tender. You can use vegetable oil or substitute with any neutral oil like canola or sunflower oil.
- Salt: Balances the flavors in the dough, enhancing the overall taste.
- Pork Loin: I chose to use pork loin but you can also use pork tenderloin or even pork shoulder.
- Garlic and Ginger Paste: Infuses the filling with a deep, aromatic flavor. You can use freshly minced garlic and ginger if you wish.
- Honey: To add a little sweetness and to help caramelize the pork, balancing the savory elements.
- Hoisin Sauce: Contributes a sweet and savory depth to the filling, a key flavor component in Char Siu Bao.
- Soy Sauce (Low Sodium): Adds umami and saltiness to our pork filling. Regular soy sauce can be used, but adjust the salt accordingly.
- Shaoxing Wine: This Chinese cooking wine which you can find in pretty much all grocery stores now. Dry sherry is a great substitute.
- Five Spice Powder: Adds warmth and aromatic spices, a signature flavor in Chinese cuisine.
- Sesame Oil: Provides a nutty, rich flavor that complements the pork perfectly.
In a small bowl, mix ½ cup of warm water with ¼ cup of sugar and 2½ teaspoons of dry yeast. Let it sit for about 15 minutes until it starts to foam. This step activates the yeast, getting your dough ready to rise.
Next, add 2¼ cups of all-purpose flour to a large bowl. Stir in 1 beaten egg, 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Once the yeast mixture is ready, pour it into the bowl and mix everything together. You can use a stand mixer, or knead by hands. If you use a stand mixer, make sure to mix everything until the dough comes clean from the side of the bowl. If the dough is too sticky, sprinkle in a bit more flour until it’s easy to handle. Knead the dough on a floured surface for a few minutes until smooth and elastic.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size. This could take 1 to 2 hours depending on your environment.
While the dough is rising, cut 1½ pounds of pork loin into small pieces. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 teaspoons of garlic and ginger paste, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons of honey, 2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce, 2 tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing wine, ½ teaspoon of freshly ground pepper, ¼ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of five spice powder, and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Add the pork to the marinade and let it soak up the flavors for about an hour.
Tip: The longer the pork marinates, the more flavorful it becomes, so if you can, marinate it longer.
Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the marinated pork, along with all the marinade. Cook the pork for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it’s fully cooked and caramelized. Just before turning off the heat, toss in 2 finely chopped green onion sprigs.
Preheat your oven to 350℉. Punch down the risen dough and divide it into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then use a rolling pin to flatten each one into a disc about 4-5 inches in diameter.
Place a heaping tablespoon of the pork filling in the center of each disc. Gather the edges of the dough, pinch them together tightly, and place the buns seam-side down on an ungreased baking sheet.
Tip: Make sure to seal the buns well to keep the filling from leaking out during baking.
Brush the tops of the buns with a beaten egg to give them a shiny, golden finish. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until the buns are golden brown and cooked through.
If you prefer a softer, chewier texture, you can steam these buns instead of baking them. After assembling the buns, place them on small squares of parchment paper to prevent sticking, then arrange them in a steamer basket, leaving some space between each bun for expansion. Cover and steam over boiling water for about 15-20 minutes, until the buns are puffed and cooked through.
Tip: Avoid lifting the lid during steaming, as the sudden drop in temperature can cause the buns to collapse. Once done, serve them warm.
How To Serve
These Chinese Style Meat Buns are perfect on their own, but I love serving them with a few simple sides to make a full meal. Here are some of my favorite recipes to serve alongside:
Chicken Fried Rice
Thai Cucumber Salad
Wonton Soup
Sesame Noodles
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes, you can prepare the dough ahead of time. After the first rise, cover it tightly and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to use, let it come to room temperature and rise again before assembling the buns.
How do I store leftover buns?
Store leftover buns in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, you can steam them for a few minutes to restore their soft texture or warm them in the microwave.
Can I freeze the buns?
Absolutely! After baking, let the buns cool completely, then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. They can be frozen for up to 2 months. To reheat, steam them straight from the freezer or thaw in the refrigerator first and then warm in the microwave or oven.
Can I use a different type of meat?
Yes, you can substitute the pork with other meats like chicken, beef, or even tofu for a vegetarian option. Just adjust the cooking time accordingly to ensure the meat or tofu is fully cooked.
More Delicious Asian Style Recipes
- Katsu Sando (Japanese Pork Cutlet Sandwich)
- Szechuan Pork
- Char Siu Pork (Chinese BBQ Pork)
- Fresh Spring Rolls
- Asian Ground Beef Noodles
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Chinese Style Meat Buns
Ingredients
Dough
- ½ cup water (water)
- 2½ teaspoon active dry yeast
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg (beaten)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
Filling
- 1½ pounds pork loin
- 2 teaspoon garlic and ginger paste
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium)
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- ½ teaspoon pepper (freshly ground)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon five spice powder
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 sprigs green onion (finely chopped)
Egg wash
- 1 egg (beaten)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix the warm water, sugar and yeast and let it sit until it starts foaming, for about 15 minutes.
- In a large bowl add the flour, egg, 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil, salt and the yeast mixture. Mix it all together using your hands, if you find the dough too sticky just add more flour. Knead the dough on a floured surface for a few more minutes, until it becomes elastic. Alternatively, you could use a stand mixer to mix the dough.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and let it rise until doubled in size, in a warm spot. This could take 1 to 2 hours.
- Cut up the pork loin in small pieces and set aside. In a medium sized bowl, add the garlic and ginger paste, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, honey, Hoisin sauce, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, pepper, salt, five spice powder, and sesame oil. Whisk everything all together and add the pork to it. Let the pork marinate for about 1 hour, or until the dough is almost ready.
- Heat a skillet, over medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to it. Add the pork mixture including the marinade to it and cook until the pork is cooked thoroughly, for about 5 minutes. Before removing it from heat, add the green onions to it and mix well.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Using a rolling pin, roll out each ball into a disc, so that it's about 4 or 5 inches in diameter. Place heaping tablespoon of the meat mixture in the middle of it. Seal the bun by gathering up the edges of the disc.
- Place the sealed side down bun, on an ungreased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining balls and meat mixture.
- Brush the buns with the beaten egg. Transfer the baking sheet to the preheated oven and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the buns are nice and golden brown.
Equipment
Notes
- For extra flavor, marinate the pork overnight in the refrigerator.
- If the dough is too sticky, gradually add more flour until it’s easy to handle.
- To prevent the buns from opening during baking, pinch the edges tightly and place them seam-side down on the baking sheet.
- You can steam the buns instead of baking them for a softer, chewier texture. Steam for 15-20 minutes until fully cooked.
- Store leftover buns in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze them for up to 2 months.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
