Taiwan's sheng jian bao gets its crispy bottom from frying first, then steaming—backwards from every other dumpling method.
Pan Fried Pork Buns
Dive into the delightful world of Pan Fried Pork Buns, where each bite delivers a tantalizing blend of juicy, seasoned pork enveloped in a soft, chewy dough. Perfectly pan-fried to achieve a crispy bottom, these buns are a must-try street food favorite that’s sure to impress your taste buds. Get ready for a steamy, savory experience that brings the vibrant flavors of Taiwan right to your kitchen!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 4 large garlic cloves
- ginger (approx 4 X3 cm)
- 1 bunch of green onions
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 300g minced meat (pork or beef ideally) (0.66 lbs)
🫙Pantry Staples(5)
- 2 tspn baking soda (10 ml)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar (15 ml)
- chili oil (as much as you want)optional
- 650g flour (5.2 cup)
- oil for frying
🧂Spices & Seasonings(2)
- black pepper
- 6g salt (0.21 oz)
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 2 tbsp light soy (30 ml)
📦Other(2)
- unroasted sesame seeds
- 520g full fat yoghurt (18.4 oz)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Place all your flour into a mixing bowl, add your salt, baking soda and yoghurt. Mix into a shaggy dough then move to work surface, flour accordingly and knead for 10 minutes aggressively.
- 2
Oil a clean container, place in your dough, cover and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
- 3
In a ripping hot oiled pan, add your protein of choice. Season with black pepper, salt and sugar. Cook for two minutes then add your ginger, garlic and white pepper - cook until golden brown.
- 4
Add chili oil and sesame oil, cook for a further two minutes and remove from heat.
- 5
Separate your dough into balls that comfortably fit in the size of your palm. Cover and set aside.
- 6
Roll your dough flat and add your finely chopped scallion, continue to fold to incorporate evenly.
- 7
Again, roll your dough ball approximately one centimeter thick (the size of a pancake just bigger than your palm). Insert your filling then fold the corners of the center of your patty, repeat all around and pinch the top if required.
- 8
Brush your cake lightly with water and then cover with sesame seeds.
- 9
In a hot oil pan, fry until golden then add a tablespoon of water and cover to steam. Continue adding small amounts of water until the cake is adequately steamed or soft.
- 10
Dress with chili oil or freshly chopped green onions.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Heat your pan to 375-400°F before adding oil and buns - the high initial heat creates the signature crispy bottom crust through rapid Maillard reactions while preventing oil absorption.technique375-400°F
- ✓Roll dough to exactly 1cm thickness using guides because thinner breaks during filling, thicker creates doughy centers that won't cook through in the 8-10 minute pan-fry time.technique1cm thickness
- ✓Add 2-3 tablespoons water to the hot pan after initial browning and immediately cover - the steam-fry method cooks the top dough while maintaining the crispy bottom.timing2-3 tablespoons water
- ✓Let filling cool to room temperature before assembling because hot filling creates steam that weakens dough seams and causes bursting during cooking.timing
- ✓Brush buns with water before sesame seeds because the moisture acts as adhesive and creates steam for better seed adherence during the initial searing phase.technique
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Taiwan's sheng jian bao gets its crispy bottom from frying first, then steaming—backwards from every other dumpling method.
Pan Fried Pork Buns
Dive into the delightful world of Pan Fried Pork Buns, where each bite delivers a tantalizing blend of juicy, seasoned pork enveloped in a soft, chewy dough. Perfectly pan-fried to achieve a crispy bottom, these buns are a must-try street food favorite that’s sure to impress your taste buds. Get ready for a steamy, savory experience that brings the vibrant flavors of Taiwan right to your kitchen!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 4 large garlic cloves
- ginger (approx 4 X3 cm)
- 1 bunch of green onions
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 300g minced meat (pork or beef ideally) (0.66 lbs)
🫙Pantry Staples(5)
- 2 tspn baking soda (10 ml)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar (15 ml)
- chili oil (as much as you want)optional
- 650g flour (5.2 cup)
- oil for frying
🧂Spices & Seasonings(2)
- black pepper
- 6g salt (0.21 oz)
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 2 tbsp light soy (30 ml)
📦Other(2)
- unroasted sesame seeds
- 520g full fat yoghurt (18.4 oz)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Place all your flour into a mixing bowl, add your salt, baking soda and yoghurt. Mix into a shaggy dough then move to work surface, flour accordingly and knead for 10 minutes aggressively.
- 2
Oil a clean container, place in your dough, cover and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
- 3
In a ripping hot oiled pan, add your protein of choice. Season with black pepper, salt and sugar. Cook for two minutes then add your ginger, garlic and white pepper - cook until golden brown.
- 4
Add chili oil and sesame oil, cook for a further two minutes and remove from heat.
- 5
Separate your dough into balls that comfortably fit in the size of your palm. Cover and set aside.
- 6
Roll your dough flat and add your finely chopped scallion, continue to fold to incorporate evenly.
- 7
Again, roll your dough ball approximately one centimeter thick (the size of a pancake just bigger than your palm). Insert your filling then fold the corners of the center of your patty, repeat all around and pinch the top if required.
- 8
Brush your cake lightly with water and then cover with sesame seeds.
- 9
In a hot oil pan, fry until golden then add a tablespoon of water and cover to steam. Continue adding small amounts of water until the cake is adequately steamed or soft.
- 10
Dress with chili oil or freshly chopped green onions.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Heat your pan to 375-400°F before adding oil and buns - the high initial heat creates the signature crispy bottom crust through rapid Maillard reactions while preventing oil absorption.technique375-400°F
- ✓Roll dough to exactly 1cm thickness using guides because thinner breaks during filling, thicker creates doughy centers that won't cook through in the 8-10 minute pan-fry time.technique1cm thickness
- ✓Add 2-3 tablespoons water to the hot pan after initial browning and immediately cover - the steam-fry method cooks the top dough while maintaining the crispy bottom.timing2-3 tablespoons water
- ✓Let filling cool to room temperature before assembling because hot filling creates steam that weakens dough seams and causes bursting during cooking.timing
- ✓Brush buns with water before sesame seeds because the moisture acts as adhesive and creates steam for better seed adherence during the initial searing phase.technique