Taiwanese Three Cup Chicken Buns

Just one of these massive buns can make for a hearty meal! The filling is one of my favorite traditional Taiwanese dishes. What could be better? Served with crispy oven baked chicken skin and flash fried basil leaves, this is a savory and sweet treat that is chock full of fragrant Thai basil!

A quick note: I debated for quite some time whether the measurements for the filling should be in weight or volume since traditionally this dish calls for one part soy sauce, one part rice wine, and one part sesame oil (but what does “one part” mean???). I ultimately decided that volume was the right answer so the measurements will be in cups.

Three Cup Chicken Filling

• 1 lbs Chicken Thigh (Boneless and Skinless)

  • If there is skin, then remove the skin. Place the skin on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Season with salt and pepper. Put another sheet of parchment on top and weigh it down with another baking tray. Bake in the oven at 350°F for 50 minutes to get super crispy chicken skin.

• 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce

• 1/4 Cup Rice Wine

• 1/4 Cup Sesame Oil

• 1/4 Cup Honey

• 1 bunch Thai Basil

• 10 cloves Garlic

• 4 Scallions

• 1 inch piece Ginger

• 1 Tbsp Dried Chili Flakes (Use less if you don’t like things too spicy)

• 1 Tbsp Cornstarch

  • Mix with 2 Tbsp Water to make a slurry

1. Roughly dice the chicken thigh. Then marinade the chicken thigh in soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, ginger, and baking powder overnight.

2. Separate the leaves of the Thai basil and reserve to be used later. Keep the stems.

3. Chop the scallions and separate the green part from the whiter part. Reserve the greener part to be used later.

4. Finely mince the garlic and ginger.

5. Put a sauté pan on medium-high heat. Once hot, put in 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil.

6. Toss the Thai basil stems into the pan and sauté for 1 - 2 minutes. Take out the basil stems. Then add in the whiter part of the scallion, ginger, and garlic and sauté until fragrant (4 - 5 minutes).

7. Add in the chicken thigh and cook until the meat is nicely colored.

8. Add in the soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, honey, and chili flakes. Let the sauce reduce a little.

9. Then add in the cornstarch slurry a bit at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Since this while be used as a filled, the sauce should be a bit thicker than it normally would be if you were just eating this as a dish by itself.

10. Turn off the heat and toss in the Thai basil leaves and the green parts of the scallions.

11. Let it cool and then refrigerate it for at least 2 hours to overnight before using it as bao filling.

Bao Dough

• 150 g AP Flour

• 110 - 120 g Whole Milk (This depends on the texture of the dough. The dough should be soft but not sticky)

• 30 g Milk Powder (Optional: I like the added bit of sweetness and richness but this can be omitted)

• 3 g Baking Powder

• 5 - 7 g Active Dry Yeast

• 30 g Sugar

• 9 g Oil

1. Combine all ingredients and knead until smooth.

2. Immediately divide the dough in half, shape, and fill.

3. Leave to prove for 50 - 60 minutes. The buns should increase in size. Also, use the dimple test by gently poking the side of the bun. If the indent immediately springs back, then it is not done proving. If the indent remains, then it is done.

4. Steam for 25 minutes from non-boiling to boiling water.