Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons gochujang paste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 8 steamed bao buns
- 1 cucumber, julienned
- 1 large carrot, julienned
- Handful fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- Lime wedges, for serving
- 1/4 cup spicy mayo (mayo mixed with gochujang or sriracha)
Instructions
- Set up your steamer and bring water to a simmer. Let bao buns thaw if frozen.
- Mix gochujang, soy sauce, honey, garlic, and rice vinegar in a bowl. Add chicken and marinate for 30 minutes.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and lightly oil it.
- Cook marinated chicken for 4–5 minutes per side until caramelized and fully cooked. Slice into bite-size pieces.
- Steam bao buns for 5–7 minutes until soft and warm.
- Fill each bun with chicken, cucumber, carrot, spicy mayo, sesame seeds, and cilantro.
- Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.
Notes
- Use store-bought frozen bao buns to save time.
- Double the chicken for future meals like rice bowls or wraps.
- Keep buns covered while steaming to prevent drying out.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Steamed and Pan-Fried
- Cuisine: Korean Fusion
- Diet: Low Lactose
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 buns
- Calories: 390
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 720mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
Keywords: gochujang chicken bao, steamed buns, Korean bao, spicy chicken buns, Asian street food