Vegan Char Siu Bao (Chinese Steamed Barbecue Pork Buns)

Char siu baos (叉烧包) are steamed buns enclosing a sweet and savory barbecue filling. Traditionally made of pork, this version is stuffed with a flavorful vegan alternative using roasted jackfruit.

Green jackfruit (not ripe fruit, but the young fruit sold in a can) used to be only available at Asian grocery stores, but now that it’s becoming popular among vegetarians and vegans to use as a meat substitute, you can find it at Trader Joe’s and pretty much any large grocery store. It’s a wonderful ingredient with a shreddable texture; marinated and then baked, it closely resembles the charred barbecue pork in the traditional filling.

Ingredients for the jackfruit filling:

• 1 20 oz can green jackfruit, drained and rinsed
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp vegetarian stir-fry sauce
• ¼ tsp five-spice powder
• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp maple syrup

Pat jackfruit pieces dry and cut into ¼-inch slices. Add to a large bowl along with marinade ingredients and mix to combine. Let marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

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In the meantime, preheat oven to 400F. Spread out marinated jackfruit pieces on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes until edges are browned and crispy, flipping halfway. Should result in around 1 ½ cup baked jackfruit.

The hoisin filling sauce holds the jackfruit together and gives it the starchy, sticky texture inside the bun.

Ingredients for the sauce:

• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• ½ cup water
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• half a medium onion, finely diced 
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce 
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce 
• 2 tsp sesame oil

Whisk the cornstarch in the water to dissolve. In a small saucepan, heat oil over high heat and sauté onion until translucent, for about a minute. Reduce to low heat and add in the cornstarch slurry, soy sauces, sugar, hoisin sauce, vegetarian oyster sauce, and sesame oil, cooking until sauce is bubbling and thickened. Remove pan from heat and stir in the jackfruit pieces, mixing to combine.

Place this filling in the fridge to cool, and next we’ll move onto our dough!

The bun for char siu is slightly sweeter and fluffier in texture than the steamed buns from the Northern part of China, which are heartier and usually consist just of flour and water. For this dough, we’re adding cornstarch to make it lighter, as well as sugar and a bit of oil.

Ingredients for the buns:

• 255 grams (about 2 + ¼) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 
• 45 grams (⅓ cup) cornstarch
• 1 tbsp sugar 
• 2 tsp instant yeast
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• pinch of salt 
• 160 ml water at room temperature

Add the flour, sugar, and instant yeast to a mixing bowl (or stand mixer with a dough hook attachment). Pour in water and oil and mix until dough comes together, about 5 minutes. (If kneading by hand, knead for at least 10 additional minutes, until dough is smooth and supple and no longer sticky.) Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes before shaping.

Divide proofed dough into 12 portions. Re-knead each portion, flatten with your palm, and use a rolling pin to roll each one out into a 4-5 inch diameter circle.

Place 1 heaping tablespoon of the jackfruit filling in the center, and starting at one edge of the circle, pinch folds in a twisting counter-clockwise motion towards the center to enclose the filling, pinching tight to seal. This is kind of a tricky step to explain but to see a video of me demonstrating, check out the story highlight on my Instagram!

Stand the bun on the table, cup it in both palms and move it in a circular motion to shape it taller. Repeat with the rest of the dough portions.

Next, arrange buns in your bamboo or metal steamer on pieces of parchment paper. Cover lid and let rest for 20 minute to proof.

When your buns have risen up nicely in size, start up the fire. Bring water to a boil underneath the steamer, reduce the heat to low (important!) and steam the buns for 15-20 minutes. I’m using a bamboo steamer set up over a wok:

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After the buns are done, turn off the heat and let them stand for 5 more minutes to rest (this is important as a sudden change in temperature might create wrinkles on the surface). Remove from the steamer and enjoy!

Other jackfruit recipes to try:

• Carnitas Tacos

If you made these char siu buns or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and a rating below!

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