Description
Korean Chicken Bao is a flavorful and crispy fried chicken sandwich served in soft, steamed bao buns. This recipe features tender chicken thighs coated in a seasoned flour mixture, fried or air-fried to golden perfection, then glazed with a sweet and spicy Korean-style sauce. Topped with fresh cucumber ribbons, red onion, cilantro, and a creamy sesame mayo, these bao buns offer a perfect balance of textures and bold Asian-inspired flavors in an easy-to-make street food style snack or 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)
- 1 tbsp neutral oil of choice (for glaze)
- 2 tsp freshly minced garlic
Glaze Sauce
- 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 (see note for steaming options)
- 2 small cucumbers, thinly sliced into ribbons
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ bunch coriander (cilantro), finely chopped (optional)
- 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Make the creamy sesame sauce: Whisk together mayonnaise, sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice vinegar in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Prepare the chicken coating: Place chicken pieces in a medium bowl and add the egg and cold water. Use tongs to mix well until chicken is evenly coated.
- Prepare the flour coating: On a large sheet of baking parchment paper, combine the plain flour, cornflour, garlic powder, sea salt flakes, and white pepper. Spread the flour mixture evenly flat.
- Coat the chicken: Using tongs, remove chicken from the egg mixture allowing excess to drip off. Place pieces onto the flour mixture on the baking paper, then lift the sides of the paper to help coat the chicken evenly in the flour mix.
- Cook the chicken: a) To fry: Heat neutral oil in a deep, heavy-based pan over medium heat. Fry chicken in batches for 5–6 minutes until golden, crispy, and cooked through. Drain on a wire rack or paper towel. b) To air fry: Lightly spray coated chicken with neutral oil and air fry at 200°C (400°F) for 12–14 minutes, shaking halfway through cooking.
- Make the glaze: In a small saucepan or non-stick pan, add the oil and minced garlic off the heat to avoid burning. Place over low heat and as garlic starts sizzling gently, stir in ketchup, gochujang, honey, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and water. Simmer for 2–3 minutes until sauce is glossy and slightly thickened.
- Coat the chicken with glaze: Transfer the cooked chicken to the glaze and toss until pieces are evenly coated.
- Steam the bao buns: Steam the store-bought bao according to package instructions or using steaming methods like a bamboo steamer or metal steamer over boiling water. Once steamed, keep warm covered with a tea towel and foil tent to prevent drying.
- Assemble the bao: Spread a little creamy sesame sauce inside each warm bao bun. Layer with cucumber ribbons, sliced red onion, chopped coriander if using, and the glazed chicken pieces.
- Serve: Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top and serve the Korean chicken baos immediately while warm and fresh.
Notes
- Gochujang is a Korean chili paste with varying heat levels. Adjust quantity to taste or substitute with sambal oelek for a different flavor. Store extra in the fridge for future use.
- For steaming bao, you can use a bamboo steamer, a metal steamer basket over a pot of boiling water, or microwave steaming methods. Avoid over steaming to keep them soft and fluffy.
- Using chicken thighs ensures juicy, flavorful results, but chicken breast can be substituted for a leaner alternative.
- Air frying is a lighter option than deep frying but will produce slightly less crispy chicken.
- Keep bao warm covered with a towel and foil tent to maintain softness up to 20–25 minutes before serving.
