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.

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 ½ 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, ¼ 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 ½ 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.

📋 Recipe Card

Chicken Siopao Asado

Saif Al Deen Odeh

Chicken Siopao Asado is a Filipino Steamed hot bun that is mixed with shredded chicken, and other sauce ingredient

4.63 from 40 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Course Snacks

Cuisine Filipino

Servings 8 servings

Calories 180 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Ingredient for the Dough

• 3 cup of white flour
• ⅓ cup of brown sugar
• ½ tablespoon of baking powder
• 1.5 tablespoon of sugar
• 2 teaspoon of yeast
• 1 cup of water
• ¼ cup of water (For mixing with the yeast and sugar)
• 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Asado Fillings

• 500 gram of chicken breast
• ½ cup of chopped red onions
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
• ¾ cup of water (¼ cup of water to mix with cornstarch)
• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce
• Salt for taste

Instructions

 

Making Siopao Dough

• In a small cup, mix 2 teaspoons of yeast, ⅓ cup of water, and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Set aside.
  
• In a large bowl, combine the white flour, baking powder, water-yeast mixture, and the rest of the dough ingredient. Stir using the wooden spoon and then knead using your hand.
  
• Add vegetable oil and continue kneading until the dough become soft and fluffy.
  
• Add more flour if the dough is too sticky or more water if the dough is too rubbery
• Cover the dough with a towel and leave it for 1 ½ hour to let the dough grow in size.

Making the Asado Filling

• Add vegetable oil to the pan and wait till the oil is hot.
• Add chopped red onion and garlic. Stir for few minutes till looks transparent.
• Add chopped chicken breast and stir for few minutes till the chicken is cooked and juice is absorbed.
• Pour the soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, and ½ cup of water. Stir to mix and let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes till the chicken breast becomes soft.
• In a small cup, mix ¼ cups of water and cornstarch before pouring into braise chicken mixture. Stir till the sauce become thick.
• Turn off the gas fire, and shred the braised chicken into smaller pieces using a fork. Set aside to prepare to assemble the bun.
  

Assembling the Siopao Bun

• On a clean table, use your hand to roll the siopao dough into a cylindrical shape. Divide them into 8 pieces using the knife. Form each of them into a smaller ball
• In each ball, use the rolling pin to flatten the dough into a round shape
  
• Add two and a half tablespoons of Asado filling in the center of the dough
  
• Wrap the filling by holding the edge of the dough; seal the dough by twisting above to make it into a ball shape
  
• Place the siopao bun on the parchment paper. Repeat the rest.

Steaming the Siopao

• In a large pot, add a ½ cup of water
  
• Place the bun with inch apart in a steamer and transfer into the pot
  
• Cover the pot with the lid and let it steam for 15 minutes. You will notice the bun will grow in size.
• Remove the bun and transfer into a plate. Repeat the rest
• Serve with ketchup or any sauce you like.

Notes

For longer use, store it in the freezer

If the dough is too sticky, add more flour

Baking Powder is just an optional

The cornstarch water mixture will make the sauce thick.

Nutrition

Calories: 180kcal

Keyword chicken siopao, chicken siopao asado, siopao asado

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