The Bao Squad is the plate that turns first-time customers into regulars: three soft steamed buns, smothered in our secret sauce and loaded with cucumber, carrot, spring onion and crispy onions. This is how to build them at home — pillowy buns, properly crisp chicken and a creamy sriracha sauce that ties it all together.
It looks like a project. It is not. The dough is one bowl and genuinely forgiving, and the only slow part is waiting for it to prove. If you want to skip that entirely, frozen bao buns steam in about eight minutes and nobody at the table will complain. Set aside around an hour and forty minutes from scratch, most of which is the dough doing its own thing.
This is a home recipe inspired by the Bao Squad at The Cozy Bowl. It is not the restaurant’s exact commercial recipe.
Why this recipe works
- One-bowl dough. No stand mixer needed and no complicated shaping — you roll, fold over a piece of greased paper, and prove.
- The buns can be made entirely in advance. Steam them, cool them, freeze them, and re-steam from frozen in about five minutes.
- The chicken stays crisp inside a soft bun because it is double-coated and fried hot, then sauced at the table rather than in the pan.
- Three proteins, one method. Chicken, beef or king prawn all work with the same sauce and the same salad.
- You can buy the buns. Frozen bao are widely stocked now, and using them turns this into a twenty-minute recipe with no loss of dignity.
Ingredient notes
Plain flour works, but low-protein flour is better. Bao buns want to be soft and white rather than chewy. Plain flour gives a good result; if you can find Chinese bao flour or a low-protein cake flour, the crumb is finer and paler still. Strong bread flour will make them chewy and slightly grey.
Baking powder alongside the yeast is not a mistake. The yeast does the flavour and the main rise; the baking powder gives a final lift in the steamer, which is what stops the buns from feeling dense.
A little oil in the dough keeps the crumb tender and stops the buns drying out as they cool.
Chicken thigh, not breast. Thigh survives frying without drying, and the slightly uneven shape catches more coating, which means more crunch.
Cornflour in the coating is what gives you the light, craggy crust rather than a heavy batter. Do not skip it.
Kewpie-style mayonnaise makes a noticeably better secret sauce than standard British mayo — it is richer and slightly tangier because it uses egg yolks and rice vinegar. Ordinary mayonnaise plus a squeeze of lemon gets you most of the way.
Crispy fried onions from a tub are exactly right. They are the topping that makes it taste like ours.
Substitutions and variations
Shop-bought frozen bao. Steam from frozen for 8 to 10 minutes. This is a completely legitimate shortcut and cuts the recipe to about twenty minutes.
Beef instead of chicken. Use thin strips of sirloin or rump, coated the same way and fried for 2 to 3 minutes. Beef needs less time than chicken and will toughen if you push it.
King prawns. Coat and fry raw peeled prawns for 2 to 3 minutes until pink and firm. Lighter, faster, and very good with extra lime in the sauce.
Oven or air fryer instead of deep frying. Spray the coated chicken generously with oil and air fry at 200°C for 12 to 14 minutes, turning halfway. The crust is thinner and less craggy than deep fried, but it holds up inside the bun.
Milder sauce. Halve the sriracha and add an extra teaspoon of honey. The sauce should taste creamy first and hot second.
Meat-free. Firm tofu, pressed hard and coated the same way, fries beautifully. Note that the buns, the sauce and the coating all need checking against your own requirements, so read every label rather than assuming.
Step-by-step guidance
The full method is in the recipe card below. These are the points where bao buns are won or lost.
Knead until smooth, then stop. Eight to ten minutes by hand is plenty. The dough should be smooth, soft and only slightly tacky — if it sticks to your hands in strings, add flour a tablespoon at a time.
The first prove. Around an hour in a warm spot, until roughly doubled. The reliable test is to press a finger into the dough: if the dent springs back slowly and only partly, it is ready. If it springs straight back, give it longer.
Fold over greased paper. Roll each piece into an oval, brush lightly with oil, lay a small piece of greaseproof paper across the middle and fold it over. The paper is what stops the two halves fusing shut in the steamer.
Steam gently, and lift the lid slowly. Ten minutes over a steady simmer, not a furious boil. When the time is up, turn the heat off and wait a minute before lifting the lid, and lift it away from you at an angle. A blast of cold air or a drip of condensation onto a hot bun is what causes wrinkling and collapse.
Fry hot, drain on a rack. 180°C for 5 to 6 minutes, until deep golden and firm. Kitchen paper traps steam under the chicken and softens the crust; a wire rack lets it escape.
Professional tips
Weigh the dough into equal pieces. Eight buns from this dough means roughly 55 to 60g each. Uneven buns steam unevenly.
Keep the dough covered at every stage. A skin forms in minutes and shows up as pale patches and cracks on the finished bun.
Line the steamer with paper or lettuce leaves. Bao dough sticks to bamboo and to metal with real enthusiasm.
Do not crowd the steamer. Buns need at least 2cm between them because they expand a lot. Steam in batches.
Sauce at the last second. Have everything laid out — buns open, chicken fried, salad shredded — and build them just before eating. A sauced bun left standing for five minutes is a soft bun.
Shred the vegetables finely. Cucumber and carrot cut into thin matchsticks fit the bun and give crunch in every bite. Thick chunks fall out of the first mouthful.
Season the chicken twice. Once in the marinade and again with a pinch of salt straight out of the fryer, while it is still hot.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | Solution | Prevention |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buns came out wrinkly | Lid lifted too fast, or condensation dripped on them | They still taste fine | Turn off the heat, wait a minute, then lift the lid slowly and at an angle |
| Buns are dense and heavy | Under-proved, or steam was too weak | Not fixable once steamed | Prove until a finger dent springs back only slowly; keep a steady simmer |
| Buns fused shut | No paper between the folded halves | Prise apart carefully with a knife | Brush with oil and fold over a small piece of greaseproof paper |
| Buns stuck to the steamer | Steamer not lined | Soak the steamer to release them | Line with greaseproof paper or lettuce leaves |
| Grey or chewy crumb | Strong bread flour, or over-kneaded | Nothing to do this time | Use plain or low-protein flour and knead for 8 to 10 minutes only |
| Chicken coating fell off | Chicken was wet, or the coating was not pressed on | Re-coat the remaining pieces | Pat the chicken dry, then press the coating on firmly and rest for 5 minutes before frying |
| Chicken went soft in the bun | Sauced too early, or drained on kitchen paper | Serve the sauce on the side next time | Drain on a wire rack and assemble at the table |
| Sauce is too hot to enjoy | Too much sriracha | Stir in more mayonnaise a spoonful at a time | Start with half the sriracha and taste before you commit |
What to serve with them
Bao buns are a starter, and they are much better with something sharp alongside. Crispy naga chilli sliced potatoes are the obvious partner and the pairing we sell most often. If you are feeding people properly, follow the buns with a bowl of miso chicken ramen and you have a full Cozy Bowl spread on your own table.
To drink, something fruity and cold cuts through the creamy sauce better than anything milky. There are more sharing plates in our bao and starters recipes.
Storage and reheating
Store the components separately. Buns in one bag, chicken in another, sauce in a jar, salad undressed. Assembled bao buns do not keep.
Steamed buns. Cool them completely on a rack first — warm buns in a bag go sticky. Keep them in a sealed bag at room temperature and eat the same day, or freeze them.
Freezing buns. This is the best option and the one we would recommend. Freeze the cooled buns in a single layer, then bag them. Re-steam from frozen for 5 minutes and they are close to fresh.
Fried chicken. Refrigerate within two hours and use within two days, in line with standard UK food safety guidance. Reheat in an air fryer at 200°C for 4 to 5 minutes or a hot oven — never a microwave, which turns the coating to paste.
The sauce. Keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to three days. It will thicken; loosen it with a teaspoon of water.
What changes. Re-steamed buns are very slightly denser than fresh. Reheated chicken is crisp but a shade drier. Both are still good.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make bao buns without a steamer?
Yes. Set a metal colander or a heatproof plate on a small trivet inside a large lidded pan with 3cm of simmering water. Line it, leave space between the buns, and wrap the lid in a tea towel to catch condensation. It works perfectly well.
Can I use shop-bought frozen bao buns?
Absolutely, and plenty of people should. Steam them from frozen for 8 to 10 minutes. The recipe still gives you the chicken, the sauce and the loading, which is where most of the flavour lives.
Can I freeze homemade bao buns?
Yes, and they freeze better than almost any other bread. Steam, cool completely, freeze flat, then bag. Re-steam from frozen for about 5 minutes.
Why did my bao buns go wrinkly?
Almost always a temperature shock. Either the lid came off too quickly, or a drop of condensation landed on a bun. Turn the heat off, wait a minute, then lift the lid slowly and away from you.
What is in the secret sauce?
Ours is a house recipe and we are not giving it away. The version here is a creamy sriracha mayonnaise with a little honey, garlic and lime — it does the same job, and it is genuinely good.
Chicken, beef or king prawn?
On our menu the chicken is the one people order most, the beef is the richest and the king prawn is the lightest. At home, chicken thigh is the most forgiving if you are frying for the first time.
How many bao buns per person?
We serve three as a starter portion. This recipe makes eight, which works as a starter for two to three people or a light meal for two.
Why is my dough not rising?
Usually the yeast, the liquid temperature or the room. Check the yeast is in date, use liquid that feels barely warm rather than hot, and find somewhere genuinely warm to prove. Cold kitchens can easily double the proving time.
PrintChicken Bao Buns with Cozy Secret Sauce
- Total Time1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield8 bao buns 1x
Pillowy steamed bao buns loaded with crispy fried chicken, a creamy sriracha secret sauce, cucumber, carrot and crispy onions. Our Bao Squad, rebuilt for your kitchen.
Ingredients
For the bao dough
- 300g plain flour
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 tsp fast-action dried yeast
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 170ml whole milk, warmed to blood temperature
- 1 tbsp neutral oil, plus extra for brushing
For the crispy chicken
- 500g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into strips
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 4 tbsp cornflour
- Sunflower oil, for frying
For the secret sauce
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- 1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp runny honey
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
To load them up
- 1/2 cucumber, cut into matchsticks
- 1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
- 3 spring onions, finely sliced
- 3 tbsp crispy fried onions
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Mix the flour, sugar, yeast, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Pour in the warm milk and oil and bring together into a shaggy dough.
- Knead on a lightly oiled surface for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and springy. Return to the bowl, cover, and leave somewhere warm for about 1 hour, until doubled.
- Knock the dough back and divide into 8 pieces. Roll each into an oval about 3mm thick, brush lightly with oil, lay a strip of baking paper across the middle and fold in half. Sit each one on its own square of baking paper.
- Cover and prove for a second time for 25 to 30 minutes, until visibly puffy.
- Steam the buns in batches in a covered steamer over simmering water for 10 minutes. Do not lift the lid, and turn the heat off before you open it so they do not collapse.
- While the buns steam, toss the chicken with the soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper and garlic powder. Leave for 10 minutes, then coat thoroughly in the cornflour.
- Heat 3cm of oil in a deep pan to 180C. Fry the chicken in batches for 5 to 6 minutes, until deep gold and cooked through. Drain on a wire rack.
- Whisk all the secret sauce ingredients together until smooth. Loosen with a teaspoon of water if it is too thick to drizzle.
- Open each warm bun, spread a little sauce inside, then load with cucumber, carrot and hot crispy chicken.
- Drizzle generously with more sauce and finish with spring onions, crispy fried onions and sesame seeds. Serve straight away, with napkins.
Notes
Shortcut. Shop-bought frozen bao buns steam from frozen in 8 to 10 minutes and turn this into a 20-minute recipe. No shame in it.
The mistake to avoid. Lifting the steamer lid too quickly. Turn the heat off, wait a minute, then lift the lid slowly and away from you, or the buns will wrinkle and collapse.
Make ahead and freeze. Steam the buns, cool them completely on a rack, freeze flat and then bag them. Re-steam from frozen for about 5 minutes. They freeze better than almost any other bread.
Timing note. The total time includes roughly 40 minutes of proving, during which you are not doing anything. Active work is about an hour.
Swaps that work. Thin strips of sirloin (fry 2 to 3 minutes) or raw peeled king prawns (fry 2 to 3 minutes) in place of the chicken, matching the beef and king prawn versions on our menu.
Equipment. A bamboo or metal steamer (or a colander set over a lidded pan), greaseproof paper, a rolling pin, a deep heavy pan for frying, a cooking thermometer, a wire rack for draining, and digital scales for dividing the dough evenly.
Allergens. This recipe contains wheat (gluten), milk, egg and soya, and the toppings may contain sesame. Sriracha, mayonnaise and crispy fried onions vary considerably by brand. Always check the label of every ingredient you use, as recipes and allergen information can change. People with food allergies or intolerances must also consider cross-contamination.
This is a home recipe inspired by the Bao Squad at The Cozy Bowl. It is not the restaurant’s exact commercial recipe.
Or come and let the Bao Squad do the work
If you have read this far and decided that steaming your own buns is a Sunday problem rather than a Tuesday one, we understand completely. The Bao Squad is on our menu at 172 Biscot Road in Luton, in chicken, beef or king prawn, and the buns are steamed to order.
Order for collection or delivery, or join Cozy Rewards and get something back every time you do.
If you make these at home, print the recipe, stick it on the fridge, and let us know how the buns turned out with a star rating.
More from our kitchen: serve these alongside a dumpling ramen bowl, or make a whole starter spread with Demon and Angel wings and crispy panko onion rings.
Newer From Our Kitchen
Once you have the bun method down, try the beef option: our sticky beef bao buns use a fast-seared glaze and the same cold cucumber and carrot finish. A batch of homemade chicken dumplings for the freezer is the natural next step.