Chicken Siopao Asado Recipe

Chicken Siopao Asado Recipe is a Filipino Hot Bun that has a filling of shredded chicken and Asado sauce. It is one of my favorite snack foods in the Philippines.

Jump to:

• What is Siopao?
• Recipe Ingredients of Siopao Dough
• Recipe Ingredients of Asado Filling
• Kitchen equipment needed to make this recipe
• How to make the Dough
• How to make the Asado Filling
• Recipe Faqs
• Chicken Siopao Asado
• Reviews

When I was a college student in the Philippines, I had the privilege to try many delicious local snacks. As a half-Filipino, merienda or light meal is as important as breakfast, lunch, and dinner which is usually at noon.

I remember back in my college life, my friends and I went to a food stall to have our snacks or merienda at noon at 4 pm. And it was the first time I tried this delicious local merienda food called Siopao Asado.

It is famous that you can find it in bakery food stalls, restaurants, and Philippine's 711 stores. In my opinion, the siopao's 711 is the tastiest, which is so far my favorite local snack food.

What is Siopao?

Siopao is a Chinese word meaning “hot bun” which is our Filipino version of Char siu bao, a steamed bun from mainland China. They are both similar since they are white, sweet and it is cooked in a steamer in a pan.

As you know, the Chinese immigrant brought their culture and food to the Philippines, which now become predominant in our foods. Other Chinese influenced Filipino food recipes I made include beef siomai, pancit canton, chop suey, and many more others.

There are two types of popular Filipino Siopao- Asado and Bola-Bola. The Bun can be served either pork or chicken. In this recipe, I am posting my mother's Chicken Siopao Asado recipe which is a sweet savory braised shredded chicken.

Recipe Ingredients of Siopao Dough

The ingredients of making Siopao Asado is similar to making any flatbread recipe. The only difference is that we add a lot of sugar since we want to make our bun sweet.

I am using white flour, water, salt, yeast, baking powder and a lot of brown sugar. The baking powder and the yeast helps grow the dough faster. But, baking powder is an optional as long you have yeast.

Lastly, the vegetable oil will help make the dough fluffy and soft.

Recipe Ingredients of Asado Filling

To make a delicious siopao asado, I am using the chicken breast as my source of protein. The soy sauce will give the saltiness while the brown sugar and oyster will give the sweetness of the Asado filling.

Furthermore, cornstarch and water will help make the sauce thicker. You don't want the Asado filling to be watery or else it will break the bun apart.

Lastly, the rest of the ingredients you need includes garlic, red onion, and vegetable oil for sauteing the chicken.

Kitchen equipment needed to make this recipe

To make Chicken Siopao Asado Recipe, there are two important kitchen utensils and equipment needed.

Firstly, I am using a roller pin to make a flat round of each siopao dough. Without it, it is hard to flatten the dough using your hand.

Secondly, you need a food steamer or wooden/stainless steel steamer for this recipe. Cooking the siopao through steaming is a must, and it is not possible through baking or in the pan. Without it, you cant make siopao.

Thirdly, I am using a cooking pot, where I will put the wooden or stainless steel steamer. Pour 1/2 cup of water into the pot, and then place the steamer in there.

How to make the Dough

Making a Siopao Dough is almost similar to my Greek Flatbread recipe. The only exception is that I add more brown sugar, and I use vegetable oil instead of olive oil.

In a small plate bowl, combine first yeast, 1/4 cup of warm water, and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, and set aside. In a separate large bowl, add flour, sugar, water-yeast mixture, baking powder, and the rest of the ingredients. Stir using the wooden spoon, and then knead using your hand. Add more flour or water if needed.

Next, add vegetable oil and then continue kneading until the dough is soft and not sticky. Cover the dough with a towel or plate for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours.

How to make the Asado Filling

To make the Chicken Siopao Asado filling, I first add vegetable oil and then chopped red onion and garlic in the pan. I stir for a few minutes before adding the chopped chicken breast.

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Next, I add soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, salt, and water. Let it simmer until the chicken becomes soft and cooked. In a separate cup, combine water and cornstarch before pouring into the braised Asado chicken in the pan to make the sauce thick.

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Lastly, I switch off the fire and shred the chicken using the knife and fork.

Recipe Faqs