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Korean Chicken Bao

3h 15m Total time
2h 30m Prep
4 Serves
medium
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About

Born in America, of course fried chicken has a special place in my heart. When I moved to the UK in 2008, I was horrified that it just wasn’t a thing unless you were at a trendy specialist restaurant in London. Thank god globalisation seems to have sorted that one out. And in kind, it also introduced me to something not available to a kid in rural New Hampshire - Korean fried chicken bao.

This is a firm favourite in our house and I promise it’s not as out-of-reach for homecooking as it might sound. Once you get over the fear and slight disgust of deep frying in boiling oil (that took me several years), you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.

For this recipe, you’ll need bamboo steamers, parchment paper, and a dutch oven or large pot and ideally a slotted or colander spoon (tongs can be substituted but way more fiddly and more likely to burn yourself) and a meat thermometer.

Top tip: I use fermented carrots and radishes instead of a quick pickle for a slightly healthier and, I think, tastier option.

Method

  1. Cut chicken thighs into one inch pieces and toss with soy sauce, ginger, garlic and black pepper. Leave to marinate for at least four hours.
  2. 2.5 hours before you’re ready to cook, start your bao. Activate yeast by combining the warm water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl and leaving it to foam (5-10 minutes). Add your flour, baking powder, salt and oil and mix to form a shaggy dough. Pour out onto a surface and knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth.
  3. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and leave to rise in a warm place (I turn my oven light on and leave it in there) for 1.5 hours until doubled in size.
  4. While the dough is rising, make your glaze. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for 5-7 minutes, whisking often until it thickens. Add into a large bowl and leave it on the side until you’re ready to toss your fried chicken.
  5. Punch down the dough and divide into about 12 pieces. Stretch each into an oval and brush half with vegetable oil. Place a small piece of parchment paper on top of the oil and fold the dough over it to make the bao shape. Brush the bottom of the bao with oil and place on another square of parchment paper. This will stop it sticking to itself and the steamer.
  6. Arrange the buns in the steamers (I used two stacked), cover, and let rise for 30-45 minutes.
  7. While they’re doing their final rise, batter and fry your chicken. Whisk your eggs in a small bowl and combine your flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt in another.
  8. Heat your cooking oil to 160 C. While it’s heating up, coat your chicken in the egg and then the flour mixture. Fry in batches for 5-7 minutes or until your meat thermometer tells you the chicken is cooked to at least 74 C. Remove each batch from the oil and place on a wire rack to rest.
  9. When you’re on your last 1-2 batches, steam your bao over boiling water for 8-10 minutes and remove immediately.
  10. Once all the chicken is cooked, toss it in your bowl with the sauce and stir in some sesame seeds.
  11. Gently remove your parchment paper from the bao, open them and fill with the fried chicken and top with fermented carrots and radishes, coriander, and spring onion. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • I oil my surface before dividing the dough and shaping the ovals for the bao. This stops it from sticking without the dryness of adding more flour.

  • I’m not a fan of leftover/cold bao, but I love this chicken with some salad, fermented veg and ranch dressing for lunch the next day.