This recipe for Chinese Pork & Vegetable Steamed Buns (豬肉蔬菜包) features a tender, juicy generous meat and vegetable filling encased in soft and fluffy dough.
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Why you'll love this recipe
These pork and vegetable steamed buns are a variation of Chinese "dai bao," also known as "big bun," which is a savory, large, hearty meat-filled bun.
Simple to make: using a mixture of ground pork and vegetables makes the filling easy to assemble.
Delicious: the tender ground pork and sweetness from the vegetables adds flavor to the buns.
Adaptable: swap out the meat filling and fill it with red bean paste to make red bean buns instead, or add lap cheong sausage, chicken, and egg to make a dai bao. Alternatively, make them into smaller buns, pan-fry in oil and turn them into pan-fried pork buns.
Ingredients you'll need
- ground pork: I like using an 80/20 mixture
- seasonings: light soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, sea salt, black pepper, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil
- aromatics: garlic, ginger
- sand ginger powder: also known as lesser galangal and has a warm, peppery flavor, you can omit if you don't have it
- cold water: adds moisture to the meat filling
- bok choy: (about 150g uncooked) blanched, squeezed of excess water, and chopped finely; or other Chinese green veggies
- carrot: shredded
- cornstarch: acts as a binder
Dough/starter:
- warm water: lukewarm, about 100F/38C
- granulated sugar
- active dry yeast
- all-purpose flour: regular flour
- milk powder: adds flavor to the dough
- pork lard: or coconut oil; use refined coconut oil if you don't like the flavor/scent
- baking powder: acts as a leavener and ensures the buns are light and fluffy
- white vinegar: helps keep the buns white and adds helps retain fluffiness
Where to find?
You can find these ingredients at your local grocery store.
How to make steamed pork and vegetable buns
Prepare the filling by mixing seasoned ground pork with water until it forms into a cohesive gel.
Then add vegetables and cornstarch, and divide the filling into 8 portions.
Make the dough starter, let it rise, and incorporate it into the dough with other ingredients.
Divide the dough, rest, roll out into discs, and wrap around the filling with pleats to seal.
Allow buns to proof, then steam in a bamboo steamer for 20 minutes, resting for a few minutes before removing.
How to serve & reheat
Enjoy the steamed buns as a snack, lunch, breakfast or even dinner.
To reheat, steam the buns for 5 minutes, or until warmed through.
If reheating from frozen, add 5-10 minutes to the heating time.
Serve with your favorite tea, warm soy milk, or bubble tea.
How to store
Store the steamed buns in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
You can freeze the buns in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Other steamed bun recipes you may like
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Pork & Vegetable Steamed Buns (豬肉蔬菜包)
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For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
Filling:
- 300 g ground pork
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon minced ginger
- ½ teaspoon sand ginger powder
- ½ teaspoon Shaoxing wine
- 3 tablespoon cold water
- 100 g bok choy blanched, squeezed of excess water, and chopped finely
- 40 g carrot shredded
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Dough starter:
- 100 g warm water
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 6 g active dry yeast
- 100 g all-purpose flour
Dough:
- 70 ml warm water
- 10 ml white vinegar
- 30 g granulated sugar
- 200 g all-purpose flour
- 7 g milk powder
- 20 ml lard or coconut oil
- 4 g baking powder
Instructions
Prepare filling:
- In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, combine ground pork, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, salt, black pepper, garlic, ginger, sand ginger powder, Shaoxing wine and mix for about 8 minutes, adding water in gradually in 1 tablespoon increments, until the mixture forms with a gel-like consistency.
- Add in the bok choy, carrot, cornstarch, and mix for another 2 minutes.
- Drizzle in sesame oil, and mix until incorporated.
- Divide the meat into 8 even portions, with an ice cream scooper.
- Cover and chill in the fridge.
Prepare dough starter:
- Place all the starter ingredients in a medium bowl, mix to combine with chopstick.
- Cover and rest for 30 minutes, until tripled in volume.
Prepare dough:
- In a stand mixer bowl, add all of the starter, warm water, vinegar, sugar, all-purpose flour, milk powder, coconut oil and baking powder.
- With the dough hook attachment, turn on low speed for 3 minutes, then turn higher speed for 7 minutes.
- Remove dough onto the counter, knead to form smooth dough.
- Divide into 8 portions and form into very small tight round balls. Cover with cling wrap to rest for 15 minutes.
- Highly dust counter with flour. Flatten each dough ball into 6" disc with rolling pin. Repeat with the rest.
- Re-roll dough, thinner on the edges into 6.5" diameter. Place a meat filling in the center. Gather edges, pleat and pinch 16-18 pleats to enclose the filling. Continue to pleat on the 2nd tier, to completely seal the hole.
- Place bun on a 3.5" parchment square on a large baking sheet pan.
- Place the pan in a warm location to proof for 40 minutes, until almost doubled in size.
- Place buns into bamboo steamer (you may need more than 1 layer). Stack onto a large pot or wok with 2" of cold water underneath. Turn on highest heat.
- Once steam is coming out of the lid, steam the buns for 20 minutes. After steaming for 5 minutes at high heat, turn heat down to medium high for 15 minutes, for a total of 20 minutes.
- Turn off heat and let it sit for 5 minutes on the stove. Then remove bamboo steamer out of the stove to a cooling rack.
- Slightly open the steamer lid a little bit to let steam dissipate, about 5 minutes, before removing the buns.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
Raymund | angsarap.net
These steamed pork and vegetable buns sound absolutely delightful! The combination of tender pork with the fresh vegetables and savory seasonings makes for such a comforting and flavorful filling. I love how adaptable the recipe is too, whether you want to go with a classic red bean paste filling or add a bit of lap cheong sausage or chicken, there's so much room for customization. The dough seems easy enough to work with, thanks to the milk powder and pork lard for that perfect, fluffy texture. These would make a great snack, breakfast, or even a light dinner. I can already imagine how satisfying those warm, fluffy buns would be with a cup of tea!
Michelle
Thanks Raymund, it really is such a light and fluffy bun that you can adapt to other fillings 🙂
David @ Spiced
These buns really do seem very easy to make at home. I've always ordered items like this rather than attempt to make a homemade version. Now I'm intrigued!
Michelle
Yes, it does take a little time (but no more than making other yeasted doughs) but it's so straightforward and easy to do at home 🙂 Hope you give it a try, David!
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
I've never had a steamed bun, and these look quite tempting! Loving this flavourful and juicy filling, too.