Said to be invented in China in the 3rd century, bao buns were originally named ‘Mantou’. Over time, the name evolved to ‘baozi’ or ‘bao’ which translates as ‘to wrap’ in Mandarin. Nowadays, many different types of bao are sold all over Asia under various names with different cooking styles and both sweet and savoury fillings.

Where can I buy bao buns?

Bao buns are now pretty widely available in most large supermarkets. Alternatively, you can find them in Asian grocery shops or online.

Why do you score the duck breasts?

Scoring the skin before pan-searing helps the fat render down during cooking, maximising the tenderness, intensifying the flavour and helping to create that all important crispy skin. It is very simple to do, use a sharp knife to make small, sharp slits - take care not to stretch the skin or cut into the flesh. If you skip this step, the fat has nowhere to go so it will stay in the meat and can become quite greasy.

Other Ideas for Bao Bun fillings?

There are many delicious ways you can fill bao buns. Some other suggested fillings for bao buns would be to use shredded pulled pork, beef brisket or chicken to fill your bao buns. I love the pulled pork with a cabbage and carrot slaw. A sticky teriyaki sauce would work really well with some crispy skinned chicken thighs, that's another favourite of mine. I also like using vegetables and making a quick tempura batter, fill the buns with a little sriracha mayo, a quick cabbage slaw and then fill with the crispy tempura. The possibilities are endless for ways to fill these bao buns and they're just so convenient you can buy the bao buns ready made.

Duck Bao Buns

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Soft bao buns filled with perfectly pan-seared hoisin-honey glazed duck breasts, topped with crunchy veggies and sesame seeds, drizzled with spicy sriracha mayonnaise... need I say more?

Author: Margie
Prep Time: 5
Cook Time: 20
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: Makes 6 bao buns 1x
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

Scale

For the duck:

2 duck breasts
Pinch of flaky salt
4 tbsp hoisin sauce
4 tbsp runny honey

To assemble:

6 bao buns
1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced into matchsticks
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
2 radishes, thinly sliced
1 tbsp sesame seeds
Sriracha mayonnaise, to drizzle

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Instructions

Place the duck breasts on a chopping board and pat the skin dry with some kitchen paper. Using a sharp knife, score the skin lightly and sprinkle it with salt.
Put a medium-sized non-stick frying pan on the hob. Place the duck breasts in it, skin-side down, and slowly increase the heat. Fry gently, letting the fat melt out and the skin crisp up - this can take about 10 minutes but will depend on the size of your duck breasts and the heat of your pan.
Once the skin is gorgeously golden and crispy, turn over the duck breasts and cook for another 3-5 minutes. I like my duck quite pink so 3 minutes is enough for me.
Remove the duck breasts from the pan and set onto a plate to rest for 10 minutes. Pour the duck fat from the pan into a bowl and save for amazing roast potatoes.
Return the pan to the heat and add the hoisin sauce and honey. Stir well to combine, then bubble away for a couple of minutes until it thickens slightly - watch closely and moderate the heat so it doesn't burn. Turn off the heat.
Slice the rested duck breast, add to the pan with the hoisin-honey sauce and coat well.
To assemble: warm the bao buns in the microwave according to packet instructions. Spread some of the sauce from the pan onto each bao bun and top with some cucumber, spring onions, sliced radishes and a few slices of sticky duck. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and drizzle with a little sriracha mayo. Enjoy!

Notes

The fat from the skin can be reserved to make the most amazing roast potatoes or chips.
You can make these bao buns vegetarian by swapping the duck for sliced tofu or oyster mushrooms. You will need to adjust the cooking time and method slightly but the flavour will still be delicious.
You can make these bao buns vegan by swapping the duck for sliced tofu or oyster mushrooms and the runny honey for maple syrup. You will need to alter the cooking time and method slightly. The recipe won’t be quite the same but they will still taste so good.
If you have any filling leftover, spoon into a tupperware and leave to cool completely before covering and chilling in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can then serve with more bao buns, use it to fill Chinese pancakes, or serve with your favourite Asian rice or noodle dishes.

Find it online: https://desertislanddishes.co/duck-bao-buns/