Chinese Baked BBQ Pork Buns

These Chinese Baked BBQ Pork Buns are soft, yeasted buns filled with a sweet and savory BBQ roasted pork filling. They are baked in the oven until golden brown. It's a Chinese dim sum restaurant favorite and you can make them at home with ease. 

This first appeared on Sift & Simmer in February 2021. Updated September 2023.

What are Chinese BBQ pork buns?

Chinese BBQ pork buns are made of a yeasted wheat flour dough and contain a salty and lightly sweet, saucy diced roasted BBQ pork (char siu) filling.

There are 2 styles of Chinese BBQ pork buns.

One is baked, where the BBQ pork is wrapped with a yeasted all-purpose flour dough and baked until golden brown, with a shiny sweet glaze.

Steamed Chinese BBQ pork buns are made with a cake flour dough and steamed at high temperature to produce a soft, white and fluffy bun.

They're not the same as sheng jian bao, which are known as Chinese pan-fried pork buns and are smaller in size, and pan-fried/steamed.

Why you'll love this recipe

This recipe for Chinese pork buns is:

Worth the effort: the buns take a bit of time to make, but you'll be rewarded with a tasty and delicious Chinese bakery-style bun.

A classic: the sweet and salty flavor from the BBQ pork filling makes this bun a Chinese bakery classic, amongst others including cocktail buns, egg tarts, and curry beef buns.

Delectable: since the dough uses tangzhong (which is a water-roux), it helps keep the bun soft and fluffy, and has the perfect ratio of dough to filling.

Portable: these buns are easy to eat and great as a snack or lunch.

Ingredients you'll need

For the BBQ pork filling

• roasted char siu BBQ pork: diced into small cubes, about 1 cm wide; you can make your own, or use already roasted pork from a Chinese BBQ meat shop
• white onions: diced, about the same size as the pork
• garlic: minced finely
• Chinese five-spice powder: is a blend of 5 spices used in Chinese cuisine -- cinnamon, clove, fennel, star anise, and Sichuan peppercorn. You can find 5-spice powder in Asian supermarkets already packaged, near the spice aisle. If you can't find 5-spice powder, you can omit it.
• Chinese rose wine: "mei gwei lo" is a rose-infused liquor that is commonly used in Chinese cuisine, especially with roasted meats. It imparts a lovely rose essence and floral aroma. Again, you can find Chinese rose wine at Asian grocery stores, but you if you can't find it, you can substitute with shaoxing wine instead
• hoisin sauce: is a thick, dark sweet and salty sauce made with fermented soybean paste
• ketchup: adds a little tang and sweetness, along with some color to the BBQ pork filling
• granulated sugar: adds some sweetness and helps to caramelize the pork filling
• cornstarch/flour: I use a 1:1 ratio of cornstarch and flour for thickening power as well as shine for the sauce -- dissolve in cold water before adding to the pork
• sesame oil: adds extra aroma and flavor to the BBQ pork

You can find these ingredients at your local Asian grocery store or supermarket.

For the dough

Tangzhong: is a water-flour roux that is heated to a thick paste, which is then added to the flour mixture.

• all-purpose flour: regular plain flour
• water: or milk

Dough:

• whole milk: adds moisture and tenderness to the dough
• granulated sugar: flavors the dough
• active dry yeast: acts as the leavener
• all-purpose flour: regular flour, or you can also use bread flour
• egg: beaten, also for egg washing to produce shine on the buns
• avocado oil: or a light vegetable oil
• sea salt: for flavor

You can find these ingredients at your local grocery store or supermarket.

How to prepare the BBQ pork filling

Sauté the onions and garlic until translucent, about 3-4 minutes over medium heat.

Add in the diced BBQ pork and continue to sauté until the pork is heated through.

Next, add in Chinese five spice powder, Chinese rose wine, hoisin sauce, and ketchup.

Prepare the cornstarch and flour slurry by adding 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 1 teaspoon flour into a small bowl with 5-6 tablespoon water. Mix with a spoon until the starch and flour dissolves.

Pour the slurry into the pot and stir to coat the BBQ pork mixture. Lower the heat.

The mixture will begin to thicken and become glossy.

Remove the BBQ pork filling and transfer to a bowl. Cover with a lid and let cool.

Refrigerate the pork filling for at least 4-6 hours, or overnight.

How to make the dough

Make the tangzhong

In a small saucepot, add in flour and water.

Whisk over low-medium heat for about 5 minutes, until thickened, like a paste. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Make the dough

Pour the warmed milk into a bowl, add in the sugar and yeast.

Give it a stir and let the yeast activate and bubble.

In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, add in the flour, about 75% of the egg (remember to save some for the egg wash later), oil and sea salt.

Start the mixer on low and pour in the activated yeast and milk. Add in the cooled tangzhong (Step 1 below).

Knead until the dough starts to come together and forms a smooth and shiny ball, about 7-8 minutes of kneading (Step 2 below).

Put the dough into a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm location and let the dough double in size (approximately 60-90 mins, depending on how warm your kitchen is) (Step 3 below).

Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Once the dough has risen, deflate the dough and divide into equal portions, about 62g each (Step 4 below).

Assemble

Divide the pork filling into 8 equal portions, about 55g each and place onto a plate.

Tip: Use a large ice cream scooper to portion out the filling, and that way you can transfer the filling onto the bun easily.

Use a rolling pin to roll out each portion of dough into a round disc, with the outer edges slightly thinner than the center (Step 5 above).

Place the BBQ pork filling in the center of the dough, being careful not to get any sauce near the edges. Any sauce or moisture will prevent the dough from sealing properly (Step 6 above).

Tip: Keep a clean paper towel nearby to wipe if you do get sauce on your fingers.

Carefully gather the edges of the dough and pinch and pleat to seal the bun (Step 1 & 2 below).

Place the bun seam-side down onto a piece of parchment paper and flatten slightly with your palm.

Repeat with the remaining buns.

Cover the buns loosely with plastic wrap and leave to rest for about 30 minutes in a warm location, or until fully proofed (Step 3 below).

How to check if the buns are proofed?

To check if the buns are proofed, gently poke the side of the bun and watch if it fills in quickly, or slowly.

• If it bounces back quickly, it needs a little additional time.
• If the indent fills in slowly, it's ready for the oven.
• If the indent remains, it's over-proofed and needs to be in the oven ASAP.

Bake the buns

Before the end of the proofing time, preheat the oven to 375F.

Use a pastry brush to brush the tops of the buns with the remaining beaten egg (Step 4 below).

Sprinkle the tops with sesame seeds (Step 5 below).

Bake the buns at 375°F/191°C for about 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown in color.

Prepare the sugar glaze by mixing 1 tablespoon sugar with 1 tablespoon hot water until the sugar is dissolved.

Remove the buns from the oven.

Brush the tops with the sugar glaze and return the buns into the oven for an additional 1-2 minutes.

Remove the baked buns from the oven and let cool on a wire rack (Step 6 below).

How to store roasted pork buns

If not consuming right away, stored baked BBQ Pork Buns in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

You can keep also store the buns in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How to reheat

To reheat the buns, simply microwave the buns for approximately 30-40 seconds until steaming hot.

Alternatively, you can also steam the buns by putting water into a pot, placing the buns onto a steaming rack, covering with a lid and steaming for 10-15 minutes.

Variations

For smaller Chinese pork buns usually seen at Chinese dim sum restaurants, you can divide the dough into 10 or 12 portions (as well as the filling).

You can omit the sugar glaze if you prefer.

If you prefer less filling to dough, you can reduce the amount of pork filling.

Expert tips & FAQs

If you get the meat from a Chinese BBQ shop, ask the butcher not to cut it and to give it to you in a large piece. That way, you can control the slicing of the pork at home.

It's also best to make the BBQ pork filling a day ahead, so that it has a chance to chill in the refrigerator for a number of hours.

Use a large ice cream scoop to easily portion out the filling.

Have clean paper towel on hand to wipe away any excess sauce.

Are Chinese pork buns healthy?

I wouldn't consider BBQ pork buns a health food. However, by making them from scratch, you have control over the ingredients that go into the buns.

Are they gluten-free?

No. The dough is made with wheat flour, so they are not gluten-free.

Other Chinese bakery recipes you may like

Be sure to try out these other recipes:

Steamed Red Bean Paste Buns

Chinese Curry Beef Buns

Coconut Cream Buns

Coconut Buns (Chinese Cocktail Buns) 雞尾包

Homemade Chinese Egg Tarts

Chinese BBQ Pork Pastry (Char Siu Sou)

Let me know if you try out this recipe -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!