Description
A delicious Korean Chicken Bao recipe featuring crispy fried or air-fried chicken coated in a flavorful spicy glaze, served inside soft steamed bao buns with fresh cucumber, onion, and creamy sesame sauce for a perfect balance of textures and flavors. A crowd-pleasing appetizer or main dish that combines authentic Korean-inspired flavors with an easy-to-make assembly.
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 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
Frying & Glaze
- Neutral oil of choice, for frying (I used light olive oil)
- 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
To Serve
- 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
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 serve.
- Prepare the chicken coating: In a medium bowl, add the chicken pieces, then crack in the egg and add cold water. Use tongs to combine thoroughly.
- Prepare the flour mixture: On a large sheet of parchment paper, mix and spread out the plain flour, cornflour, garlic powder, sea salt flakes, and white pepper evenly.
- Coat the chicken: Using tongs, lift each chicken piece from the egg wash allowing excess to drip off, then place onto the flour mixture on the parchment paper. Fold up the sides of the paper to help coat the chicken evenly with the flour.
- Cook the chicken: (a) To fry: Heat neutral oil in a deep, heavy-based pan over medium heat, then fry chicken in batches for 5–6 minutes until golden, crispy, and cooked through. Drain on a wire rack or paper towels.
(b) To air fry: Lightly spray coated chicken with oil, 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 frying pan, add oil and garlic off the heat. Place over low heat; when garlic starts sizzling gently, stir in ketchup, gochujang, honey, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and water. Simmer for 2–3 minutes until glossy and slightly thickened.
- Coat the chicken with glaze: Toss the freshly cooked chicken in the glaze until evenly coated.
- Steam the bao buns: Steam according to package instructions or by your preferred steaming method. Keep warm wrapped in a towel and foil tent for up to 25 minutes.
- Assemble the bao: Spread creamy sesame sauce inside each warm bao, then layer with cucumber ribbons, red onion slices, coriander if using, and glazed chicken pieces.
- Serve: Finish with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately for best texture and flavor.
Notes
- You can substitute chicken thighs with chicken breasts if preferred, though thighs stay juicier.
- If you prefer a lighter option, use the air fryer method for cooking the chicken, though the texture will be less crispy than frying.
- For steaming bao buns, you can use a bamboo steamer, metal steamer rack over boiling water, or an electric steamer.
- Adjust gochujang quantity based on your spice tolerance since it varies between brands.
- Keep steamed bao buns covered and warm to prevent them from drying out before serving.
