Pies & bakes 🇨🇳 Chinese

Sheng Jian Bao (Pan-Fried Pork Buns)

Fluffy buns with a crisp golden base and a juicy pork and ginger filling. Pan fried then steamed in the same pan.

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  • Time2 hr 30
  • LevelHard
  • Costabout £1.45 a head

Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.

4 buns

Ingredients

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Method

  1. 1

    Mix the flour, yeast and sugar. Add the warm water and 1 tablespoon of oil and knead for 8 minutes into a smooth dough. Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 hour until doubled.

    60 min
  2. 2

    Mix the mince with the spring onions, ginger, soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, white pepper and half a teaspoon of salt. Add the cold water a spoonful at a time, stirring in one direction until it feels sticky and the mixture holds the water.

  3. 3

    Knock the dough back and roll into a log. Cut into 12 pieces and roll each into a circle about 9 cm across, thinner at the edges.

  4. 4

    Put a heaped tablespoon of filling in the middle, then pleat the edges up and pinch tightly closed at the top. Rest for 15 minutes.

    15 min
  5. 5

    Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wide lidded non stick frying pan. Place the buns in, pleats up, and fry over a medium heat for 3 minutes until the bases are golden.

    3 min
  6. 6

    Pour in the steaming water and cover tightly. Cook for 10 minutes until the water has gone and the buns are puffed and cooked through.

    10 min
  7. 7

    Scatter over the sesame seeds and a few spring onion slices, and fry for 1 minute more to crisp the bases. Serve with black vinegar.

    1 min

Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.

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