Description
Korean crispy chicken nestled in pillowy bao buns brings street food magic to your kitchen. Crunchy golden chicken meets tender steamed buns, creating an irresistible fusion of textures and flavors you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 4 chicken breasts
- 240 milliliters (1 cup) buttermilk
- 0.25 teaspoon white pepper
- 0.25 teaspoon garlic salt
Bao Bun Dry Ingredients:
- 450 grams (3.75 cups) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons caster sugar
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons instant dried yeast
- 180 grams (1.5 cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 0.5 teaspoon garlic salt
- 0.5 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
Liquid and Oil Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
- 210 milliliters (0.75 cup + 2 tablespoons) warm water
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Vegetable oil for deep frying (at least 1 liter)
- 2 tablespoons gochujang paste
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Craft the dough by blending flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a mixing bowl. Whisk warm water, milk, and butter until fully incorporated.
- Gradually merge wet and dry ingredients, kneading for 10 minutes until achieving a silky, elastic texture. Allow dough to rest and expand for 90 minutes at room temperature.
- Deflate risen dough, portioning into 20 uniform spheres. Roll each into delicate oval shapes, brushing with oil and gently folding using a chopstick.
- Permit bao buns to proof for another 60 minutes until visibly puffy. Steam for precisely 10 minutes in a bamboo steamer.
- Submerge chicken pieces in buttermilk marinade, infusing with salt, pepper, and garlic salt for minimum 1 hour to tenderize.
- Create crispy coating by thoroughly mixing dry ingredients. Extract chicken from marinade, allowing excess liquid to drip, then comprehensively coat with seasoned flour mixture.
- Heat vegetable oil to 350°F in a deep skillet. Fry chicken in controlled batches for 3-5 minutes until achieving golden-brown crispiness and internal doneness.
- Construct Korean sauce by combining gochujang, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, minced garlic, grated ginger, vegetable oil, and sesame oil. Simmer for 5 minutes until reaching glossy, thick consistency.
- Enrobe fried chicken completely in prepared sauce, ensuring thorough and even coating.
- Delicately separate steamed bao buns, nestling crispy Korean chicken inside. Embellish with thinly sliced red onion, cucumber slivers, fresh coriander, and sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Notes
- Ensure the water and milk are warm (not hot) to activate yeast without killing it, maintaining perfect bao bun texture.
- Knead dough thoroughly to develop gluten, creating soft and fluffy bao buns with a delicate, airy consistency.
- Rest dough in a warm, draft-free area to help it rise evenly and achieve maximum volume for light buns.
- Fold bao buns with a chopstick to create the classic restaurant-style shape and prevent them from unfolding during steaming.
- Pat chicken dry before marinating to help the buttermilk coating adhere better and create a crispier exterior.
- Use a thermometer to check oil temperature around 350°F for even, golden-brown chicken without burning.
- Adjust Korean sauce sweetness by balancing honey and gochujang for personalized heat and flavor profile.
- Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Steaming
- Cuisine: Korean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 65g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 80mg