Pan Fried Buns

Pan fried pork buns or sheng jian bao (生煎包) is a classic Chinese cuisine and popular street food like scallion pancake, curry fish ball and pan fried sticky rice cake. It’s great for breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack. This sheng jian bao or Chinese pan fried pork buns recipe is similar to pan fried dumplings. However, the wrapper is a bun, the bread texture. Let’s learn how to make this delicious Chinese pan fried pork bao buns for your meal with detailed photo instructions and a video below the recipe card. 

Love Asian food? Check out these yam leaves stir fry, honeydew popsicles, tom yum kung, papaya milk, beef pho noodle soup, lobster yee mein and California rolls recipes.

What are pan fried buns?

Pan fried buns or bao, also known as sheng jian bao (生煎包) or shui jian bao (水煎包) in Chinese. It is originally from Shanghai, so some people call them Shanghai pan fried bork buns. Besides, these sheng jian bao are a popular street food in Taiwan and China. Also, they are often filled with ground pork, scallions, and ginger. They are a type of bun, bread that is first pan fried on the bottom to create a crispy crust, and then steamed to finish cooking. 

The process of making sheng jian bao or shui jian bao is similar to making pan fried dumplings. First, a small dough is flattened into a circle, and a spoonful of filling is placed in the center. The dough is gathered and pinched together to form a pleated pouch. Then, pan fried buns until crispy on the bottom and add water to the pan to steam it until the filling is cooked through. Once the buns are cooked, remove them from the pan and serve them hot with your favorite dipping sauce such as soy sauce, black vinegar, and chili oil.

What makes this Shanghai pan fried pork buns special?

Many people have come to love Shanghai soup dumplings because of the thin skin, juicy and soupy filling. They are pure delicate and skillful cuisine. On the other hand, Shanghai pan fried pork buns are like soup dumplings. But, it is crispy, crunchy and has a bread-like texture. It’s definitely a race when you put them side by side because they are equally good and skillful.  

These dumplings are unique and distinct from other types of dumplings or buns due to several factors and features that make them special such as the cooking method, crispy bottom, dough texture, filling and topping. 

Sheng jian bao (生煎包) use the combination of steaming and pan frying techniques.The  buns are placed on a hot pan or skillet with a thin layer of oil and fried until the bottoms become a little crispy. Then pour water into the pan and cover the lid to steam it until the water dries up and the bottom is golden brown and crispy. This pan frying process gives the buns a signature crispy bottom. Also, the buns top are soft and moist.

Besides, the dough for Shanghai pan fried pork buns is thicker than other dumplings and soft like a bread texture. This texture allows the buns to hold up during the pan frying process. Also, the filling typically consists of minced pork and flavorful seasonings. Using an electric mixer to beat the meat and add the ginger green onion water helps make the meat tender, soft, juicy and savory within the bun. In addition, sheng jian bao (生煎包) usually sprinkle black sesame seeds and scallions on top of the buns after they are pan fried. This adds a nutty aroma and additional flavor to the buns. 

How to pan fry buns crispy golden brown? 

Pour some oil and heat up a non-stick pan over medium small heat. Place the buns in the pan, bottom-side down, and let them cook until the bottom is golden brown and crispy. Then, add the cornstarch mixture to the pan, cover it with a lid, and let the buns steam until they are fully cooked. You can use cornstarch or regular flour with water.

Cooking tips for how to make pan fried pork buns: 

Dough: 

• The best is to let the dough run in the mixer for 15 minutes.
• The dough is soft and sticky, therefore; dip some water on your hands when you take out the dough. 
• Spray some oil in a bowl, put the dough in the bowl and cover it with a wet cloth. 
• My trick to speed up the rising time by preheating an oven for 200F. Then, turn off the oven. Put the dough into the oven and cover with a wet cloth for 20-30 minutes. 
• Dust some flour when cutting the dough into pieces. 

Filling: 

• Put ground pork, seasoning, grind ginger and green onion ginger water into the mixing bowl. Use an eclectic mixer to mix it well and fine. I did it for 3-5 minutes.

Wrapping:

• Take a piece of dough, stretch or use your hand, press it slightly and flatten it. Then, put a big tablespoon full of filling to the center of the dough. Pull the side of the dough and fold it. See video below the recipe card for details.
• If you put a little filling, you will end up with a lot of filling leftover. However, if you put too much, it will be full, the filling will come out and it will be hard to fold.  

Cooking:

• Use a non-stick pan. 
• Grease some oil in the pan, place the buns in the pan. Then, cover it with a wet cloth and let it rise for 5 minutes. 
• Turn on the fire for medium small, pan fry the bao buns for 2-3 minutes. Then, pour the cornstarch mixture or flour mixture into the pan. Cover the lid and let it steam, cooking it until the water almost dries out. Open the lid and let the water dry up. 
• After that, turn off the fire, sprinkle some black sesame seeds and green onion. This can be optional. 

Dipping sauce:

• Put soy sauce, black vinegar, homemade chili oil and water into a container. Then, mix it well. You can just dip with soy sauce or chili oil if you like. 

FAQs:

Instructions for how to make Chinese pan fried pork buns: 

Dough:

1. Pour 1 cup of water into the Bosch mixer. 

2. Then, add ½ tablespoon of vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of yeast. Turn on the lowest setting #1, mix it a little bit. Turn off and wait for 5 minutes. 

3. Meanwhile, put 2 cups of all purpose flour into a bowl, add ⅛ teaspoon of salt and mix it well. 

4. Turn on the mixer to the lowest setting #1, slowly add the flour mixture from step 3. When the dough is formed, turn off the mixer. Then, cover the lid and turn on the mixer to medium high speed # 3. Let it run for 15 minutes. 

5. Spray some oil in a bowl. After the dough is done, take it out and place into a bowl. (The dough is sticky, so dip some water on your hands when you take out the dough.) 

6. Cover the dough with a wet cloth and let it rise. My trick to speed up the rising time by preheating an oven for 200F. Then, turn off the oven. Put the dough into the oven and cover with a wet cloth for 20-30 minutes. 

Filling:

7. Wash and cut 8 sticks (3.8 oz) of green onions. Cut the top white part into strips.

8. Then, cut the rest of the green onions into pieces. 

9. Grind 4 slices (1 oz) of ginger.

10. After that, put the white part of the green onion into a bowl and add 1 slice of grind ginger. 

11. Pour ½ cup of water into the bowl and rub the white part of the green onions and ginger very well. This helps to release the aroma of green onion and ginger into the water. 

12. Drain the green onion and ginger, then set the green onion ginger water aside. 

13. Put 1 pound of ground pork (85% lean and 15% fat) into a mixing bowl.

14. Next, put ½ teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar, ⅛ teaspoon of white pepper, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and 3 tablespoons of oyster sauce. 

15. Then, add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, 3 slices of grind ginger from step 9 and the green onion ginger water from step 12. 

16. Use the electric mixer to mix the ingredients well and beat the meat fine for 3-5 minutes. 

17. Put the green onions from step 8 into the meat mixture and mix the filling well.

Dividing dough:

18. When the dough rises to double size, take out the dough. The dough is soft and sticky, so dip some water on your hands and take out the dough. 

19. Dust 2 tablespoons of flour on the surface, divide the dough into 3 rolls.

20. Stretch the dough a little bit and cut into 12 pieces. It can make around 36-40 buns depending on the size. I did 36, therefore I cut them into 12 pieces each. 

Wrapping:

21. Take a piece of dough, stretch and slightly press it. 

22. Put a big tablespoon full of filling on the dough. 

23. Pull the side of dough and fold it. See details in the video below the recipe card. 

24. Pour ½ tablespoon of vegetable oil into the non-stick pan. Then, use a brush to brush the oil around the pan. 

Cooking:

25. Repeat folding the bao buns and place them into the greased pan. Cover the bao buns with a wet cloth and wait for 5 minutes. 

26. In a container, put ½ cup of water and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch (you can use regular flour). Mix it well. 

27. Turn on medium small fire, place the pan over the stove and let it pan frying the bao for 2-3 minutes. Then, pour the cornstarch mixture from step 26 into the pan. Cover the lid and let it cook until the water almost dries out. (It's around 6-8 minutes.)

28. Open the lid, sprinkle ½ teaspoon of black sesame seeds and 1 tablespoon of green onion for decoration. (This is optional.)

29. For the dipping sauce, put 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of black vinegar, 1 tablespoon of homemade chili oil and 1 tablespoon of water into a container. Mix it well and serve with the pan fried pork buns. 

Enjoy this delicious Chinese pan fried pork buns recipe! Also, check out these gai lan, turnip cake, garlic chives eggs, steamed pork patty, orange chicken adn boiled dumplings recipes.

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