Vietnamese Bánh Bao with Pork
Soft, pillowy steamed buns filled with seasoned ground pork, hard-boiled eggs, and pickled vegetables. A Vietnamese street-food favorite that's surprisingly achievable at home in under 50 minutes.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 380
- Protein
- 16g
Ingredients
- 8 pieces store-bought bánh bao dough (frozen or fresh)
- ½ lb ground pork
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 whole hard-boiled eggs
- ½ cup quick-pickled daikon and carrot (store-bought or homemade)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- 1
If using frozen bánh bao dough, remove it from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes until soft enough to handle without cracking.
- 2
Mince the garlic until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice—about the size of pencil-tip dots—and set aside in a small bowl.
- 3
Peel the hard-boiled eggs and cut each one lengthwise from top to bottom into two equal halves, then place on a plate.
- 4
Drain the pickled daikon and carrot in a fine-mesh strainer, pressing gently with a spoon to remove excess liquid, and set aside.
- 5
Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds until it is hot, then add the ground pork.
- 6
Use a wooden spoon to break the pork into small crumbles as it cooks, stirring constantly for 5–6 minutes until no pink remains inside and the meat is light brown.
- 7
Add the minced garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds until the aroma becomes very fragrant, then add 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 teaspoon sugar.
- 8
Stir everything together for 1 minute until the sugar dissolves and the mixture looks glossy, then taste and add a pinch of salt and pepper.
- 9
Remove the skillet from heat and let the pork cool for 2 minutes, then transfer to a small bowl using a slotted spoon to drain excess liquid.
- 10
Place each bánh bao dough piece on a clean cutting board, pinched side facing up.
- 11
Use your thumbs to gently pry open each bun from the top seam, creating a pocket that opens like a book—do not tear the dough.
- 12
Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the cooked pork filling into the pocket of each bun.
- 13
Place one hard-boiled egg half into each bun, cut-side down, and finish with 1 tablespoon of the drained pickled vegetables.
- 14
Gently close the top of each bun by pressing the seam together with your fingers so it stays shut.
- 15
Fill a 3-quart pot with 2 cups of water and bring it to a boil over high heat, about 4 minutes.
- 16
Place a bamboo steamer basket over the pot, then arrange the filled bánh bao inside in a single layer, seam-side up, without touching.
- 17
Cover the steamer with its lid and steam for 8 minutes until the bun exterior looks shiny and slightly glossy.
- 18
Carefully remove the steamer basket from the pot using oven mitts and transfer the buns to a serving plate.
Tools you’ll need
- 10-inch skillet
- wooden spoon
- slotted spoon
- cutting board
- 3-quart pot
- bamboo steamer basket with lid
- oven mitts
- fine-mesh strainer
- small bowl
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