Korean Air Fried Chicken Bao Buns
This Ramadan I am trying to go oil free and that doesn’t mean I will be harsh on myself, when situation persists, like being invited for iftar parties #iykyk😅
Bao buns or also known as “wrapped” buns are the easiest to prepare, the softest and fluffiest. There are many versions of this easy Chinese bun, where you shallow fry after steaming and variation in shapes. The most traditional shape being a spherical shape with tiny pleats on top. Also you can stuff it your choice of fillings, I like the classic Korean fried chicken, as I am going oil free this Ramadan tried air frying the chicken and it turned out good, you may also oil fry the chicken for better texture of course! 😀
Along with the Korean Fried Chicken I also added julienned veggies like cucumber, and purple cabbage, you may add julienned carrots too.
Ingredients:
Bao bun:
- 2 1/2 cups All purpose flour
- 3/4 cup Milk
- 1 tbsp Yeast
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Butter / 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- Salt
Korean Fried Chicken
- 200 gms Bonless Chicken
- Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper powder
- 3/4 cup all purpose Flour
- 2 tbsp Gochujang Korean Chilli paste *
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp Vinegar
- 2-3 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp Ketchup
- Cucumber and Purple Cabbage Julienned
- Sesame seeds
Instructions:
- In a beaker, combine slightly warm milk add sugar and yeast, to which add the butter and give it a mix and set aside.
- Next, in another bowl all the dry ingredients like the flour, baking powder and salt. Now pour the wet mix to the dry ingredients and combine well to form a smooth dough. Cover and set aside to rest the dough for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Scrape the dough onto your clean work surface and knead well. Make equal sized balls and flatten them into a 4 inch oval shape. Alternatively, you may flatten the whole dough and cut into equal shapes bun using a cookie cutter.
- Slightly brush half of the inside of the bun and fold into half. (Brushing with oil help to open the bun easily once steamed)
- Transfer the bun onto a square piece of baking paper and to make sure you have a smooth surface on your bun, slightly roll over the bun using a roller. And place them onto a tray and do the rest of it similarly.
- Place the Bao buns into your steamer and allow to steam for 12 minutes and after the 12 minutes switch off the flame and allow the bun to stay in the steamer for 5 minutes before you open the lid.
- Cut your boneless chicken into tiny cubes and and marinate them in salt and pepper.
- Next coat them in flour and then dip in cold water and again dip in flour and then place them onto your air fryer and spray oil all over. Allow to air fry at 200 for 20 minutes (flipping or shaking your airfryer in between).
- In a small saucepan combine the gochujang, soy sayce, honey, vinegar, garlic, and ketchup and a dash of water and bring it to an oil and set aside.
- Combine the sauce with the crispy air fried chicken.
- Once your Bao buns have cooled slightly, open the bun gently and spread the sauce inside the bun and place your veggies and the Korean fried chicken.
- Sprinkle sesame seeds and enjoy warm!
Notes:
* You may alternately you my homemade Szechuan sauce, but since it’s Korean fried chicken, I suggest to get gochujang itself.
