Banh Bao - Vietnamese Steamed Pork Bun Recipe (savory, fluffy, and soft)

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Learn how you can make Vietnamese banh bao so you can taste the delicious, fluffy steamed pork buns!

For any Vietnamese immigrant, banh bao is comfort food at it's finest. Vietnamese banh bao are fluffy, soft steamed buns that are filled with ground pork, hard-boiled eggs, and Chinese sausage called lap xuong.

As a grandma, I always make this with my grandkids. I have the kids cut up the parchment paper that the banh bao sits on right before steaming the buns. There's often an assembly line and each of the kids has a station: one for rolling the dough, the second to add the pork, the next is to add the egg, the last and final one is to pinch the top of the banh bao and place it on the parchment paper.

You can often find pre-made banh bao at the grocery store in the freezer section or near the check-out line. Nothing compares to steaming these buns fresh!

I'm going to share with you in this post the details on what makes banh bao delicious and how you can make it easily on your own with details on what you need to pick up at your local grocer. You can make these in batch, wrap them in plastic wrap, and place them in the freezer for a snack later! All you'll need to do is put them in the microwave or the steamer to get the fluffy softness back!

All About Vietnamese Banh Bao

Steamed pork buns known as banh bao is one of the most popular Vietnamese street foods because of it's savory pork filling and soft, fluffy exterior.

Origins of Banh Bao

Banh bao was an adaptation from Chinese steamed buns, but without the fillings that are inside of the Vietnamese version.

It is often considered in Vietnam to be a fast, popular, and convenient breakfast that can be found in most Vietnamese supermarkets and in street vendor carts.

Other Names of Vietnamese Banh Bao

Vietnamese Bao
Vietnamese pork bun
Steamed pork bun
Banh bao
Vietnamese steamed buns
Steamed meat buns

Other Variations of Vietnamese Banh Bao

As with most dishes, there are many variations including:

vegetarian bun
mung bean bun
char siu bun
pork filling bun (the most popular)

Frequently Asked Questions About Banh Bao

What does banh bao mean?

Banh bao means "cake that is wrapped". It is based on the Cantonese dim sum called dai bao, which means big bun.

What are Vietnamese buns made of?

Vietnamese banh bao is made of flour and often filled with ground pork, wood ear mushroom, chinese sausage.

How do you eat Vietnamese banh bao?

Banh bao is served warm. The bun is generally served on a plate and eaten with one hand with no dipping sauces. Holding it with your hands, you eat it bite after bite.

Is banh bao a dumpling?

It can be considered a very large Vietnamese dumpling.

What culture or ethnicity does banh bao come from?

Banh bao hails from Vietnam. It's often referred to as Vietnamese steamed pork buns. The origins of banh bao takes it's history back to the Cantonese version of a steamed bun called dai bao.

Asian Grocery Store Shopping List for Banh Bao

Here are the ingredients I would recommend picking up specifically at your local Asian grocery store. Since you are stopping anyway, be sure to check out this list of some of the best things to get at the Asian grocery store.

Banh Bao Dough Flour (Pre-Mixed)

Here's the bag that I would recommend. You'll find this near all of the other flours. If you don't have it on hand or don't want to buy it, check out my banh bao dough flour mix from scratch.

Wood Ear Mushrooms

These come in a bag called "dried fungus". This is what the bags look like:

You'll need to soak the wood ear mushrooms for about 30 minutes prior to using them. Here's what they look like before soaking:

Here's how much they expand after soaking:

Chinese Sausage

This is what the Chinese sausage package looks like, and it's generally found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. Chinese sausage is a dried sausage (typically pork) that is fatty and sweet.

Oyster Sauce

I would recommend buying your oyster sauce at the Asian grocery because you'll get more oyster sauce than what you pay at your general local grocer.

Here's what wood ear mushrooms look like after soaking:

Ingredient Substitution Fillings Inside of Authentic Banh Bao

The ingredients inside authentic Vietnamese steamed pork buns (banh bao) are pork, wood ear mushrooms, oyster sauce, scallions, Chinese sausage (lap xuong), and hard boiled eggs (generally quail eggs). However, I get a lot of questions about substitutions and I wanted to make sure I share them with you as well.

Can I use fresh wood ear mushrooms for banh bao?

Yes, you can use fresh wood ear mushrooms as a substitute, but you'll need to add more for the recipe (about 1 cup).

What can I use for the banh bao liners?

You can use parchment paper or cupcake liners. Most modern Vietnamese families that grew up making this used lined notebook paper like I did (but I can't vouch for the safety of the ink and paper).

How much do the dough premixes vary from brand to brand?

Generally, the brands don't vary very much at all. It calls for mixing the pre-mixed banh bao flour with a cup of milk, a little sugar, and a bit of oil.

Do I need the Chinese sausage in this recipe?

No, but having it definitely makes it more flavorful, filling, and absolutely more savory! I left it out because I didn't have any, but I think that the sausage takes the flavor over the top.

Equipment You'll Need to Make Banh Bao

You won't need a lot of equipment and tools for making banh bao. The only one I would call out specifically would be having a good steamer. Here are some recommendations to making banh bao easier at home.

Good Layered Steamer

I have a metal one that I use a lot that has three layers. Steamers can come in handy for other dishes as well as just steaming vegetables in a regular plate.

Small Pastry Rolling Pin

It took me way to long to invest in a small pastry rolling pin, so make it easy on yourself and pick one up.

Pastry Mat

Wood mats and plastic mats do not compare when it comes to rolling small flour pieces. I would recommend a pastry mat in a heartbeat.

About My Version of Vietnamese Banh Bao

In the photos that I share, I left out the Chinese sausage because I didn't have any at home. The recipe I share definitely calls for it because the Chinese sausage is what provides that extra level of flavor when you bite into these soft, fluffy buns!

For my version, I didn't have any Chinese sausage at home, which I know is what makes these steamed buns, but still delicious. Secondly, I steam the pork filling first because it prevents the buns from becoming soggy, it allows you to cleanly put the dough around the filling, and then allows the filling to get firmer and cooked all the way through (which is important especially because you are using ground pork).

In my recipe, I often prefer to grind pork loin fresh rather than buying ground pork because I think it's all around healthier.

But if you don't have the time and patience to clean grinding tools, I don't blame you, and I think that pre-ground pork is definitely okay to use in this recipe.

Recipe for Vietnamese Banh Bao

Ingredients for Vietnamese Banh Bao

Dough

Banh bao pre-mixed flour
1 cup of milk, warmed
½ cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of oil

Pork FIlling

1 pound of ground pork
½ cup of wood ear mushrooms, diced
½ cup of green peas, frozen
½ cup of onions, diced
2 tablespoons of oyster sauce
½ tablespoons of granulated sugar
1 teaspoon of ground black pepper

Steamer

2 tablespoons of vinegar
water

Instructions for Making Vietnamese Steamed Buns (Banh Bao)

Mix the ground pork, scallions, oyster sauce, sugar, onions, and peas together.

Separate into 12 round, small balls and compact them.

Steam the balls for 10 minutes.

Mix together the dough ingredients by using the pre-mix banh bao flour, sugar, oil, and milk.

Knead the dough well into a long cylinder.I like to use my mixer with a dough hook:

Cut the dough in halves into you get 12 separate dough pieces.

Allow the steamed pork filling to cool.

Roll the dough pieces into 12 round circles using a rolling pin.

Gently wrap the dough around the pork filling, egg, and chinese sausage slices.

Pinch the dough at the top to make pleats at the very top to seal.

Put the assembled banh bao buns onto the liners and transfer them into a steamer, allowing room for the buns to expand.

Allow the buns to steam for 15 minutes. Serve!

Fluffy and delicious!

With savory goodness amongst the soft clouds.

Preserving Banh Bao

Refrigerating Banh Bao

Cooked banh bao can be kept in an airtight container for at maximum 4 days. Since the pork, eggs, and chinese sausage are already cooked, they could be eaten cold if desired.

To reheat, just put them in the microwave for 30 seconds and add additional time until warmed all the way through.

Freezing Banh Bao After Steaming

After steaming your banh bao, if you want to store them for later, wrap them in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer bag. Store them up to 2 months.

To reheat, put frozen banh bao in the microwave for 1 minute. Check on it, and keep microwaving for another 15 seconds until warmed all the way through.

A steamer can also be used to warm the buns as well.

Summary of Banh Bao, Vietnamese Steamed Pork Bun

This soft, fluffy steamed buns filled with savory pork filling, hard boiled eggs, and Chinese sausage are authentic and delicious!

I hope you love this recipe as much as my family does!

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