Chicken Siopao Asado Recipe

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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.

A white steamed bun filled with chicken siopao asado filling serve on a plate.

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What is Siopao?
Difference between Asado and Bola-Bola
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

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.

Difference between Asado and Bola-Bola

Siopao Bola Bola is made from a ground meatball, which can be either pork, beef, or chicken. On the other hand, Asado is a braise shredded chicken or pork that is mix with oyster sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar.

In my opinion, Asado is my favorite since it is moist, and it has a sweetness and saltiness from the sauce. Bola Bola is dry since it doesn't have that much sauce, and eating a dry bun is not my type.

The Bun is made from sweet dough, to which we added a lot of sugar. Furthermore, the Asado filling has a sweet and salty flavor, which we braise the chicken breast with onion, soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, and other ingredients. And lastly, to make the sauce thick, we add cornstarch with water while cooking in the pan.

In this recipe, I am posting my mother's Chicken Siopao Asado recipe since this is my favorite.

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.

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.

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

Recipe Faqs

1. What happen if my dough is too sticky or rubbery?

If the dough is too sticky, it mean you need to add more flour. But, if the dough is too rubbery, you put too much flour. Add a few drop of water and continue kneading until the it become soft and fluffy

2. What other fillings I can add in my siopao?

Aside from chicken Asado filling, you can add a boiled egg.

3. How long can siopao last in freezer or fridge?

For the long shelf life, you should keep it in the freezer since it can last up to 3 months. While in the fridge, it can last only up to 7 days.

4. How to reheat the siopao asado?

You can reheat either through microwave or steamer. In the microwave, heat it for 1-2 minutes in medium heat. While in the steamer, steam for 3-5 minutes.