Crispy Pan-Fried Pork Buns

Pan-fried Pork Buns with a soft and fluffy bao bun wrapping, and a golden and crispy bottom! Make these delicious Shanghai bao buns at home with this step-by-step recipe.

Crispy Pan-Fried Pork Buns

A few years ago, a small Japanese festival was held in our neighbourhood, much to my delight, as well as for my sushi-loving kids. I spontaneously announced a break from the kitchen that weekend and we happily ate tasty Japanese food non-stop for lunch and dinner both days. I was rather sad when the festival came to an end!

One food truck which I kept returning to was from Wesley’s Kitchen. They served a variety of Japanese and Chinese dishes, and one dish which was particularly memorable for me were the Pan-Fried Pork Buns, or Shanghai Bao. Though strictly not Japanese, these crispy Chinese-style dumplings were served alongside the more familiar Japanese gyozas.

At first, they looked like any regular dumpling to me, except with a crispy bottom like you might find on a Potsticker Dumpling. But the moment I bit into the dumpling, I was pleasantly surprised that it was in fact a mini bao bun. I had never tasted such a small bao bun before, and not one which had been pan-fried to give it a crispy bottom. I was in love.

What are Shanghai Pan-Fried Pork Buns?

Shanghai Pan-Fried Pork Buns are dumplings made using a bao bun dough, filled with a savoury mixture of pork, and pan-fried to give it a crispy bottom. They are typically smaller than your average filled bao buns (such as a Steamed BBQ Pork Bun) – think mini bao buns which are the size of Chinese soup dumplings.

They are absolutely delicious to eat, and can be more filling than your traditional dumplings because of the yeasted dough wrapper.

Pan-Fried Pork Bun Recipe

My recipe for Pan-Fried Pork Buns starts with my easy and foolproof recipe for Steamed Bao Buns.

The filling is very similar to that used for my Pork & Vegetable Potstickers.

Once you have shaped and assembled the buns, I like to proof the buns again to ensure that the buns are as soft and fluffy as possible. Some other recipes for Pan-Fried Pork Buns skip this second proofing, which you can also do, but the buns will not be as fluffy.

Also, in contrast to other similar recipes, I like to steam the buns first to cook them through. Steaming the buns will also help with the fluffy texture.

Once the buns have been steamed, the final step is to pan-fry them in some oil to give the buns a crispy bottom.

Traditional Recipe for Pan-Fried Pork Buns

A traditional recipe for Pan-Fried Pork Buns will require you to cook the buns using the same method as for potstickers, i.e. pan-fry the un-cooked buns to get a crispy bottom, then add water to the pan to steam the buns.

The buns are also tightly nestled together in the pan, so that they stick together as they steam and rise.

Although this method is more traditional and actually easier than my own recipe below, I rather think it is worth the extra effort to make the buns as fluffy as possible. But if you are pushed for time, you can absolutely make these buns the traditional way.

How to Make Pan-Fried Pork Buns

Step 1

Start by making the bao bun dough. You can find my recipe for Steamed Bao Buns with step-by-step photos here.

Step 2

While the bao bun dough is proving, make the filling. Simply place all of the ingredients into a large mixing bowl, and use chopsticks to mix everything together in a clock-wise direction until everything is well combined and the mixture has a paste-like consistency.

Step 3

When the dough has doubled in size, gently remove it from the bowl. Use a rolling pin to gently roll it into a large rectangular shape. Roll up the dough into a long cylinder. Use a sharp knife to divide the dough into 20 pieces.

Use a small rolling pin to gently roll out a piece of dough until it is about 10cm/4 inches in diameter. Ideally, the edges of the dough should be thinner than the centre, which will make pleating the buns easier.

Place 2 tablespoons of filling into the centre of the dough and pleat the edges of the dough together. Once all of the edges have been pleated together, pinch and twist the edges to seal the bun.

Step 4

Place the buns onto a large baking sheet lined with baking paper. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.

Step 5

Once all of the buns have been shaped, place them somewhere warm for about 30 minutes, or until they have puffed up slightly.

Step 6

Steam the buns for 10 minutes, either on the stove in a bamboo steamer or in a steam oven at 100°C/210°F.

Step 7

Heat some vegetable oil a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Place the buns in the pan with the pleat-side up, and cook until the bottoms are golden and crispy. Serve immediately.

Tips for Making Pan-Fried Pork Buns

• Make the buns large or small. The recipe below makes 20 snack-sized buns (3-4 buns per adult is a decent portion). To make the more traditional dumpling-sized buns, divide the dough into 40 pieces to make smaller buns.
• Customise the filling. Substitute the pork for chicken, or use cabbage in place of bok choy. If you prefer more meat, reduce the amount of vegetables. You can also add finely diced carrots, shitake mushrooms, or other vegetables of your choice.
• Pan fry the buns just before serving. This will ensure that the buns are served piping hot and crisp.

How to Freeze the Pork Buns

This recipes makes 20 medium-sized pork buns, or 40 small pork buns. I recommend steaming all of the buns as per the recipe below. However, do not pan-fry the buns which you want to freeze.

You can freeze the cooked buns in ziplock freezer bags or in vacuum-sealed plastic bags.

Defrost the frozen buns overnight in the fridge, or you can steam or microwave them until they have defrosted and are warmed through.

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