I love my baos, but sometimes I simply cba to be making them from scratch. Ain't nobody got time to be waiting around for dough to rise! These Vietnamese-inspired lemongrass chicken “baos” come together in less than 30 minutes, thanks to a super simple yoghurt and baking powder dough hack. They're filled with juicy, savoury lemongrass chicken, pan-fried until golden on the bottom, then steamed until soft and fluffy. Finish them with coriander, spring onion, black sesame and a drizzle of chilli oil or nuoc cham and you've got yourself a very easy little bao situation.
1 servings
Some secret knowledge
These are best eaten fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days but it could affect the texture of the bao.
To reheat, you can also add a splash of water and cover with a lid to steam them through before removing the lid and crisping the bottoms again.
These are best eaten fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days but it could affect the texture of the bao.
To reheat, you can also add a splash of water and cover with a lid to steam them through before removing the lid and crisping the bottoms again.
Add the chicken mince, garlic, lemongrass, coriander, oyster sauce, fish sauce, MSG, black pepper, light soy sauce and honey to a bowl.
Mix everything in one direction until well combined and the mixture becomes slightly sticky.
Keep refrigerated while you make the dough as this helps make wrapping much easier.
Add the plain flour and baking powder to a bowl and mix together.
Add the yoghurt and mix until a dough forms. If the dough feels too dry, add a little more yoghurt, a teaspoon at a time, until you have a soft, workable dough.
You can also use self-raising flour instead of plain flour + baking powder.
Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a log.
Cut into 7 equal pieces.
If you want slightly bigger baos, divide the dough into 5–6 pieces instead.
Take one piece of dough and roll it into a ball.
Flatten it with your palm, then roll it out into a circular wrapper.
Don't roll it too thin, we want enough dough to give us that soft, fluffy bao texture.
Repeat with the remaining pieces, keeping the wrappers covered while you work so they don't dry out.
Add around ½ tbsp of chicken filling into the centre of each wrapper.
Bring the edges up around the filling and pleat the dough closed, making sure it's properly sealed.
If you're finding it difficult to pleat with ½ tbsp of filling, use a little less!
Don't stress about making them perfect because we're placing them pleated-side down anyway!
Lightly flour a surface and place each finished bao pleated-side down while you finish wrapping the others.
Heat a little neutral oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
Carefully place the baos into the pan, pleated-side down, and pan-fry for 2–3 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown.
Once the bottoms are browned, add around 4 tbsp of water to the pan.
Immediately cover with a lid and let the baos steam for 6–7 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked through.
Remove the lid and let any remaining water evaporate.
Once the pan is dry, allow the baos to cook for another minute or so to crisp up the bottoms again.
Transfer the baos to a plate and top with black sesame seeds, fresh coriander and spring onion.
Serve with chilli oil or nuoc cham for dipping and enjoy!
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