Pan Fried Buns
Pan fried pork buns or sheng jian bao (生煎包) is a classic Chinese cuisine and popular street. It’s great for breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack. 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.
Servings 6
Calories 431kcal
Equipment
- 1 Electric mixer
- 1 Bread mixer (Bosch)
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 cup Water
- ½ tablespoon Vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon Active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 2 cups All purpose flour
- ⅛ teaspoon Salt
Filling:
- 1 pound Ground pork
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon White pepper
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons Oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon Sesame oil
- ½ cup Water (Use the white part of green onions and 1 slice of grind ginger to make green onion ginger water.)
- 4 slices Ginger (1 oz, grind)
- 8 sticks Green onions (3.8 oz)
Dipping sauce:
- 1 tablespoon Soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Black vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Homemade chili oil
- 1 tablespoon Water
Pan frying:
- ½ tablespoon Vegetable oil
- ½ cup Water
- 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
Topping: (Optional)
- ½ teaspoon Black sesame seeds
- 1 stick Green onion (1 tablespoon)
Instructions
- 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.
- Meanwhile, put 2 cups of all-purpose flour into a bowl, add ⅛ teaspoon of salt, and mix it well.
- Turn on the mixer to the lowest setting #1, and slowly add the flour mixture from step 3. When the dough is formed, turn off the mixer. Then cover the lid and turn the mixer to medium-high speed # 3. Let it run for 15 minutes.
- Spray some oil in a bowl. After the dough is done, take it out and place it into a bowl. (The dough is sticky, so dip some water on your hands when you take out the dough.)
- Cover the dough with a wet cloth and let it rise. My trick for speeding up the rise time is to preheat the oven to 200°F. Then, turn off the oven. Put the dough into the oven and cover with a wet cloth for 20-30 minutes.
- Wash and cut 8 sticks (3.8 oz) of green onions. Cut the top white part into strips.
- Then, cut the rest of the green oniThen, cut the rest of the green onions into pieces. ons into pieces.
- Grind 4 slices (1 oz) of ginger.
- After that, put the white part of the green onion into a bowl and add 1 slice of grated ginger.
- 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.
- Drain the green onion and ginger, then set the green onion ginger water aside.
- Put 1 pound of ground pork (85% lean and 15% fat) into a mixing bowl.
- 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.
- Then, add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, 3 slices of grated ginger from step 9, and the green onion ginger water from step 12.
- Use the electric mixer to mix the ingredients well and beat the meat fine for 3-5 minutes.
- Put the green onions from step 8 into the meat mixture and mix the filling well.
- When the dough rises to double its size, take it out. The dough is soft and sticky, so wet your hands with water before taking it out.
- Dust 2 tablespoons of flour on the surface, divide the dough into 3 rolls.
- Stretch the dough a little bit and cut it 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.
- Take a piece of dough, stretch and slightly press it.
- Put a big tablespoonful of filling on the dough.
- Pull the side of the dough and fold it. See details in the video below the recipe card.
- Pour ½ tablespoon of vegetable oil into the non-stick pan. Then, use a brush to brush the oil around the pan.
- 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.
- In a container, put ½ cup of water and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch (you can use regular flour). Mix it well.
- Turn on a medium-small fire, place the pan over the stove, and let it pan-fry 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.)
- Open the lid, sprinkle ½ teaspoon of black sesame seeds and 1 tablespoon of green onion for decoration. (This is optional.)
- 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.
Video
Notes
Cooking Tips for How to Make Pan-Fried Pork Buns (Sheng Jian Bao)
Dough
- Knead the dough in a stand mixer for about 15 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- The dough will be soft and slightly sticky—lightly wet your hands when handling it to prevent sticking.
- Lightly grease a bowl with oil, place the dough inside, and cover it with a damp cloth or plastic wrap.
- Quick proofing tip: Preheat your oven to 200°F (93°C) for a few minutes, then turn it off. Place the covered dough in for 20–30 minutes to speed up the rise.
- Lightly dust your work surface with flour when dividing the dough into pieces.
Filling
- In a mixing bowl, combine ground pork, seasonings, and ginger-scallion water.
- Use an electric mixer to blend everything thoroughly until the mixture becomes sticky and well combined, about 3–5 minutes. This helps create a juicy and tender filling.
Wrapping
- Take one piece of dough and flatten it into a circle using your hand or a rolling pin.
- Place about 1 tablespoon of filling in the center.
- Carefully pleat and pinch the edges together to seal into a bun shape (see video below the recipe card for technique).
- Avoid overfilling—too little filling leaves leftovers, while too much makes the bun hard to seal and may cause it to burst during cooking.
Cooking
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium-low heat and add a thin layer of oil.
- Place the buns in the pan and let them rest for about 5 minutes (optional resting step for fluffier texture).
- Pan-fry for 2–3 minutes until the bottoms turn lightly golden.
- Pour in a cornstarch-water or flour-water mixture, then cover with a lid and steam until the liquid almost evaporates.
- Remove the lid and continue cooking until the bottoms become golden brown and crispy.
- Turn off the heat and optionally sprinkle with black sesame seeds and chopped green onions.
Dipping Sauce
- Mix together soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, homemade chili oil, and a little water.
- Stir well and serve alongside the buns.
- You can also keep it simple with just soy sauce or chili oil, XO sauce, or garlic chili sauce, depending on your preference.
Nutrition
Calories: 431kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 704mg | Potassium: 294mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 3mg
