Description
Korean Chicken Bao is a delicious fusion dish combining crispy, flavorful Korean-style glazed chicken with soft, steamed bao buns. This recipe offers a crispy coating on tender chicken thighs tossed in a sweet and spicy gochujang glaze, paired with refreshing cucumber ribbons, red onion, and a creamy sesame sauce for a perfect balance of textures and flavors. Ideal for a crowd or meal prep, these baos are quick to assemble and full of vibrant flavor with simple ingredients.
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)
Glaze
- 1 tbsp neutral oil of choice (I used light olive oil)
- 2 tsp freshly minced garlic
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tbsp gochujang (Korean chilli 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
Bao Assembly
- 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 for garnish
Instructions
- Make the creamy sesame sauce: Whisk together whole-egg mayonnaise, sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice vinegar in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use, to let flavors meld.
- Prepare the chicken coating: Add the bite-sized chicken pieces to a medium bowl. Crack in the egg and add cold water, then use tongs to combine and coat the chicken well.
- Make the flour coating mix: On a large sheet of parchment paper, combine plain flour, cornflour, garlic powder, sea salt flakes, and white pepper. Spread flat to create an even coating surface.
- Coat the chicken: Using tongs, lift chicken pieces from the egg mixture, letting excess drip off. Place onto the flour mixture on parchment, then lift the sides of the paper to toss and coat the chicken evenly with the flour mix.
- Cook the chicken: Option a) Frying – Heat neutral oil in a deep, heavy pan over medium heat. Fry chicken in batches for 5–6 minutes until golden, crispy, and cooked through. Drain on wire rack or paper towel. Option b) Air frying – Lightly spray coated chicken with neutral oil, then air fry at 200°C (400°F) for 12–14 minutes, shaking halfway through. Slightly less crispy but lighter.
- Make the glaze: In a small saucepan or non-stick pan off heat, add oil and minced garlic. Place over low heat and once garlic starts sizzling, 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 in glaze: Add freshly cooked chicken to the glaze and toss to evenly coat each piece.
- Steam the bao buns: Steam according to package instructions or preferred steaming method. Keep warm by placing steamed bao on a plate covered with a clean tea towel and loosely tented with foil to retain softness and heat for 20–25 minutes.
- Assemble the bao: Spread a little creamy sesame sauce inside each warm bao. Layer with cucumber ribbons, sliced red onion, coriander if using, and the glazed chicken pieces.
- Serve: Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over the assembled bao and serve immediately while warm and fresh.
Notes
- Adjust gochujang amount to control spice level; it can be substituted with a mild chili paste if needed.
- For steaming bao, you can use a bamboo steamer over boiling water or a metal steamer basket in a covered pot.
- Chicken breast can be used in place of thighs for a leaner option but may be less juicy.
- Leftover glazed chicken can be refrigerated and warmed gently before serving.
- If air frying, spraying the chicken with oil helps achieve a more crispy texture.
