Char siu bao, or steamed BBQ pork buns, are one of my favorite foods of all time. Fluffy Chinese steamed buns or Mantou stuffed with sweet-savory Char Siu pork filling are completely irresistible.
Apparently, I once had a lot more time than I do now. If memory serves me, I once spent of spending countless hours in the kitchen. I happily infused oils, kneaded dough, and hand-assembled fussy little morsels without a care.
Making dim sum from scratch was a favorite hobby. I tried my hand at every sort of Chinese dumplings from deep-fried wontons to shrimp dumplings (har gow) and Chinese buns like char siu bao. On a regular basis! Like I was someone’s Chinese grandma (well, without the decades of experience and skill!)
In need of some kitchen inspiration recently, I pulled out some of my old dim sum
Is There an Easier Way to Make Cha Siu Bao Filling?
My Instant Pot Char Siu recipe makes a great bao filling. You could also use diced Air Fryer Pork Belly.
The traditional filling—pork in a rich, salty-sweet sauce—requires an overnight marinade and long, slow cooking on a barbecue.
Marinating was easy enough. I mixed up hoisin sauce and other seasonings, tossed the meat in the mixture, and refrigerated it overnight. But there was no way I was going to tend a barbecue all day.
Instead, I transferred the marinated meat to the Instant Pot and let it cook for a good 90 minutes. The meat came out fork-tender and it even had those delectable blackened bits in places where the meat was sticking out of the liquid during cooking.
I highly recommend making this Instant Pot Char Siu for your next bun-making day.
How long does it take to make Chinese steamed buns?
Then there was the bun. My old standby steamed bun recipe required a 12- to 15-hour cold rise. I opted instead for a quick-rise recipe that included baking powder. After some testing, I settled on a 1-hour countertop rise.
To simplify things even more, I made “fold-over” Chinese Steamed Buns or Mantou—empty, taco-shaped buns ready to be stuffed at the table by diners. These are cooked in bamboo steamers, which can be done while the meat is cooking.
This saved me the effort of filling and forming each bun. It also meant I could make the buns while the meat and sauce were finishing.
Start to finish, the active time for this Char Siu Bao recipe is less than 40 minutes. The 10 hours of marinating and 90 minutes of pressure cooking are hands-free.
Is it worth it? Tooootallllly. Now if only I could get back all those wasted hours of my youth.
what to serve with them
Dim sum meals are my favorite meals! These Char Siu Bao are a great centerpiece. To round out the offering, add Har Gow, Crystal Dumplings, Chicken Potstickers, and Spring Rolls. For a refreshing side, Spicy Cucumber Salad or Cucumber Kimchi are perfect. Or offer Dry Fried Green Beans.
To make it a full meal, you can add a stir fry like Szechuan Shrimp, Kung Pao Chicken, or Hoisin Beef. Or try Singapore Noodles, Dan Dan Noodles, or Pork Fried Rice.
Char Siu Bao (Steamed BBQ Pork Buns)
Ingredients
For the filling
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
- 4 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 3 tablespoons shaoxing or mirin rice wine
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- 2 ½ pounds boneless pork butt trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
For the buns
- 1 envelope 1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ¾ cup warm tap water plus additional as needed
- 2 tablespoons plus a pinch sugar divided
- 2 tablespoons neutral flavored oil such as grapeseed sunflower seed, or safflower, plus more for oiling the bowl
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 ½ cups 12 ½ ounces all-purpose flour
Optional garnishes
- 4 scallions thinly sliced
- Hot chili oil
Instructions
- To make the filling, combine the honey, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, garlic, and five-spice powder in a large bowl and stir to combine well. Add the meat and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Transfer the meat to a slow cooker and cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours, or to a pressure cooker and cook for 90 minutes on high pressure and let the pressure release naturally.
- When the meat is cooked, transfer it to a bowl using a slotted spoon. Spoon off excess oil from the sauce in the slow cooker or Instant Pot. If you have time, transfer the sauce to a glass container and chill it in the refrigerator or freezer to help the fat separate out of the sauce (cover and refrigerate the meat as well if it won’t be served for more than 30 minutes.) Spoon off and discard the layer of fat that solidifies on the top.
- Transfer the sauce to a saucepan or turn the Instant Pot on to saute. Bring to a boil. Let simmer for several minutes to reduce the sauce a bit. A few minutes before serving, add the cornstarch and water mixture to the boiling sauce and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Add the reserved meat to the sauce and cook, stirring, until heated through.
- To make the buns, in a glass measuring cup with a spout, combine the ¾ cup warm water, yeast, and pinch of sugar. Stir to combine. Let sit for 10 minutes or so, until the mixture is frothy. Stir in 2 tablespoons oil.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, Cuisinart, or a large bowl and mix to combine. With the mixer running (or while stirring by hand) add the yeast mixture in a slow, steady stream, mixing until the dough comes together in a ragged ball. The dough should hold together and be a bit sticky to the touch. If needed, add an additional 1 to 4 teaspoons of warm water while mixing. Turn the dough out onto a board and knead by hand 3 or 4 times to form a nice, smooth ball.
- Oil a large bowl and place the dough in it, turning once to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the dough. Set in a warm place, such as on your kitchen countertop, and let rise for 1 hour, during which time it should at least double in size.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and split it into to 2 roughly equal-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a log and, using a knife, cut each log into 8 roughly equal-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and then, using a rolling pin, roll each into an oval about 3 inches wide by 4 ½ inches long and ¼-inch thick. Fold each oval in half to make a semi-circle. Set each bun on a small square of parchment paper.
- To cook the buns, place them in a steamer basket (Don’t crowd the basket as the buns will puff up as they cook and will stick together if they are too close. You may need to cook them in several batches. If you have stacking bamboo baskets, you can stack 3 baskets at a time.) Set the steamer over boiling water and cook for about 10 minutes.
- Serve the buns with the meat and allow diners to fill their own. If desired, offer sliced scallions and/or hot chili oil to garnish.
- Note: The meat can be made a day or two ahead and kept in the refrigerator, or it can be frozen for up to 3 months. Heat up on the stovetop before serving.
- The buns can also be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months. To serve, steam them until the are soft and hot throughout. Microwaving is not ideal, but if you wish to heat up one or two buns quickly, it will do. Wet the buns slightly, wrap in a paper towel, and microwave on high for about 30 seconds.
Video
Nutrition
That looks really great. I will definitely try making it. Thanks for sharing.
I LOVE char siu bao… never made them myself before though. This is definitely a recipe I need to make!
When I transfer the meat to the slow cooker, do I also transfer the sauce with it?
Are you referring to the marinade? If so, then yes, put it in the slow cooker with the meat.
Delicious! I used just 1.25 lbs of pre-cut pork stew meat from Aldi with 1/2 recipe marinade and it was just the right amount. Cooked it in my instant pot for 10 min on high (I added 1/2 cup water because I wasn’t sure if there was enough cooking liquid), then removed the meat. Sauteed for a few minutes to reduce the liquid, then added the corn starch slurry. Poured the sauce over the cooked meat, then served it in the buns. It was perfect! Meat very tender.
This was fun, easy, and delicious. My niece and I made a vegetarian version with jackfruit, mushrooms, and onions instead of pork. So good.
This was a delicious recipe. I did it in a crockpot on high for hrs, then drained of sauce and left in the fridge a few hours until I could skim the fat off. Meanwhile, I turned the crockpot to low let the meat remain in it. After skimming fat, reducing and adding cornstarch, I added back to the crockpot. Had this with Ottolenghi’s Gochujang Asparagus Pancakes, and as a vegetarian, I made mine with some homemade sesame hoisin roasted tofu.
Great ideas! Thank you for sharing!
Can this meat mixture be made in n the oven or stove top instead of slow cooker, hot pot or pressure cooker?
yes
Your instant pot char sui and you directions for instant pot for thus recipe have different cook times…how long is right time to cook this in instant pot? 90 min seems long time for this much pork.