Banh Bao Recipe (Vietnamese Steamed Pork Buns)

Last updated: March 28, 2026

Banh bao are the cloud-soft, snowy-white steamed buns you spot stacked in towering bamboo baskets at Vietnamese bakeries from Saigon to San Jose. Pull one apart and the dough should sigh open like a pillow, releasing a fragrant cloud of steam from a savory filling of seasoned ground pork, wood ear mushrooms, sweet onions, Chinese sausage, and a wedge of hard-boiled egg. They are portable, comforting, and endlessly adaptable, eaten for breakfast on the way to work, packed into school lunches, sold from glass cases at gas stations along Highway 1, and piled high on family tables for Tết, the Lunar New Year.

This guide walks you through the entire banh bao process from scratch, the way grandmothers and bakery aunties have made them for generations, with a few modern shortcuts that make the recipe approachable for any home cook. You will learn how to coax the dough to rise into its signature pillowy whiteness, how to season the filling so it stays juicy after steaming, how to fold the bun so it blooms open beautifully, and how to troubleshoot the most common problems, from yellow dough to sticky steamers. By the end, you will have a freezer stash of homemade banh bao ready for any morning, late-night craving, or holiday feast.

What Is Banh Bao?

Banh bao, which translates roughly as ”wrapping cake” or ”enclosing bun,” is the Vietnamese cousin of the Chinese baozi. The dish arrived in Vietnam through centuries of cultural exchange with Cantonese and Teochew immigrants, and over time it took on a distinctly Vietnamese personality. Where Chinese char siu bao tend to be filled with sweet, glazed barbecued pork, the Vietnamese version typically uses raw ground pork seasoned with fish sauce, black pepper, and shallots, then mixed with wood ear mushrooms for crunch, glass noodles for texture, lap xuong (Chinese sausage) for sweet-savory richness, and a wedge of hard-boiled chicken or quail egg tucked inside.

The dough is the showpiece. A proper banh bao should be bright white, with a fine, almost cottony crumb and a slight sweetness that balances the savory filling. The whiteness comes from low-protein flour and a touch of vinegar or lemon juice in the dough, and sometimes from steaming over white cloth or parchment to prevent discoloration. When you pull a freshly steamed banh bao open, it should release a puff of fragrant steam, and the bottom should still be soft, never gummy or wet.

In Vietnam, banh bao are sold from street carts, glass display cases at sandwich shops, and small bakeries that specialize in nothing else. They appear at breakfast alongside Vietnamese coffee, at family gatherings, and especially during Tết, when their round, full shape symbolizes prosperity, abundance, and the gathering of loved ones. In the diaspora, they are a comforting taste of home, often the first dish overseas Vietnamese learn to make for their own children.

A Brief History of Banh Bao

The story of banh bao begins, like many Asian noodle and dumpling traditions, in China. Legend traces the original mantou and baozi to the Three Kingdoms period, when the strategist Zhuge Liang reportedly invented filled buns as an offering to a river spirit, replacing human sacrifice with dough shaped to look like heads. Whether or not the legend is true, filled steamed buns spread across China and were carried south by waves of migration into Southeast Asia.

By the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, large communities of Cantonese and Teochew Chinese had settled in Cholon, the bustling Chinese district of Saigon, as well as in Hoi An and Hanoi. They brought with them the technique of making da bao, the large fluffy steamed buns stuffed with pork and egg that were popular in southern China. Vietnamese cooks adopted the form but adapted the seasoning to local taste, swapping soy sauce for fish sauce, adding wood ear mushrooms and glass noodles for texture, and using lap xuong sausage that had itself been adapted from Cantonese cured sausage.

By the mid twentieth century, banh bao had become a staple street food, especially in southern Vietnam. After 1975, refugees fleeing the war carried the recipe to North America, France, Australia, and beyond, where Vietnamese banh bao bakeries soon sprang up in places like Westminster, San Jose, Houston, and Paris. Today, you can buy a freshly steamed banh bao in Vietnamese delis from Sydney to Stockholm, but nothing matches a homemade one, eaten warm, straight out of the steamer.

Banh Bao vs Char Siu Bao vs Nikuman

Steamed buns exist all over Asia, and it helps to understand how the Vietnamese version compares to its cousins so you can choose the right one for your craving and avoid mixing up the techniques.

Bun	Origin	Filling	Dough Style	Distinguishing Feature
Banh Bao	Vietnam	Ground pork, mushroom, glass noodles, lap xuong, egg	Bright white, slightly sweet, fluffy	Hard-boiled egg wedge inside
Char Siu Bao	Cantonese China	Sweet barbecued pork in thick sauce	Cracked-top mantou, brilliant white	Bursts open at the top when steamed
Sheng Jian Bao	Shanghai, China	Juicy pork with broth	Pan-fried, partially leavened	Crispy bottom, soup inside
Nikuman	Japan	Ground pork, cabbage, ginger	Soft, slightly sweet, off-white	Often sold at convenience stores
Mantou	Northern China	None (plain) or sweet paste	Plain steamed white bread	Side dish, not a main
Siopao	Philippines	Sweet pork (asado) or salted egg	Larger, rounder, slightly chewy	Often eaten with hot sauce

The biggest visual giveaway for a Vietnamese banh bao is the egg. Slice one in half and you should see a yellow yolk peeking out. The flavor is also less sweet than char siu bao, with the salty-funky depth of fish sauce and the umami crunch of wood ear mushrooms making it unmistakably Vietnamese.

Ingredients for Banh Bao

This recipe makes 12 medium banh bao, each about the size of a tennis ball after steaming. You will need a stand mixer or willing hands, a large steamer (bamboo or metal), and squares of parchment paper to keep the buns from sticking.

For the Dough

• 4 cups (480 g) bao flour or low-protein cake flour
• 3 tablespoons (36 g) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons (8 g) instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) fine salt
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) neutral oil, plus more for greasing
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) white vinegar or fresh lemon juice (helps keep the dough white)
• 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) warm water or warm whole milk for a softer crumb

If you cannot find dedicated bao flour, the closest match is a 50/50 blend of cake flour and all-purpose flour. The goal is a low-protein flour around 8 to 9 percent protein, which produces a tender, snowy crumb rather than a chewy, tan-colored bread.

For the Filling

• 1 pound (450 g) ground pork, ideally 20 to 25 percent fat
• 1/2 cup (about 15 g) dried wood ear mushrooms
• 1 ounce (28 g) cellophane (mung bean) glass noodles
• 2 links lap xuong (Chinese sausage), finely diced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 shallots, minced
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 large egg, beaten (binder)

For the Egg Inside

• 6 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved (1 wedge per bun, or use 12 quail eggs whole)

Equipment

• Bamboo steamer with lid, or metal steamer
• Wok or wide pot to set the steamer over
• Stand mixer with dough hook (optional but helpful)
• Kitchen scale
• Parchment paper cut into 12 squares (about 4 inches each)
• Clean kitchen towel for dough rising

Step-by-Step: How to Make Banh Bao

Step 1: Bloom the Yeast and Mix the Dough

Warm the water or milk to about 100°F (38°C), barely warmer than your finger. In a small bowl, whisk together the warm liquid, sugar, and yeast. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until a thick foam forms on top. If nothing happens after 10 minutes, your yeast is dead and you should start over with a new packet.

While the yeast blooms, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Make a well in the center, pour in the bloomed yeast, the oil, and the vinegar. Attach the dough hook and mix on low speed for 1 minute until the dough comes together, then increase to medium-low and knead for 10 to 12 minutes. The dough should be smooth, soft, and only slightly tacky to the touch. If kneading by hand, plan on 15 minutes of steady work.

Step 2: First Rise

Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough inside, and turn it once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for 60 to 90 minutes, until doubled. To test, poke the dough with a floured finger; the indentation should slowly fill back in halfway. In a cool kitchen, place the bowl inside an oven with only the light on for gentle warmth.

Step 3: Make the Filling

While the dough rises, prepare the filling. Soak the wood ear mushrooms in hot water for 20 minutes until soft and pliable, then drain, trim away any tough nubs, and chop finely. Soak the glass noodles in warm water for 10 minutes until soft, drain, and snip into 1-inch pieces with kitchen scissors.

In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, mushrooms, glass noodles, lap xuong, onion, garlic, shallots, fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, black pepper, sesame oil, cornstarch, and beaten egg. Mix vigorously with a sturdy wooden spoon or your hands for 3 to 4 minutes, going in one direction until the mixture turns sticky and slightly tacky. This step is crucial: it develops the proteins so the filling stays cohesive when steamed instead of crumbling apart. Refrigerate the filling for at least 20 minutes while the dough finishes rising. A cold filling is much easier to portion and shape.

Step 4: Hard-Boil and Cut the Eggs

Place the eggs in a saucepan, cover with cold water by an inch, and bring to a rolling boil. Cover, turn off the heat, and let sit for 11 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath for 5 minutes, peel under running water, and slice in half lengthwise. Each banh bao gets one egg half nestled in its filling. If you prefer the more elegant traditional version, use 12 boiled and peeled quail eggs and tuck a whole one into each bun.

Step 5: Portion the Dough

Punch down the risen dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead briefly to release the gas, then roll into a long log. Use a knife or bench scraper to divide it into 12 equal pieces, weighing each on a kitchen scale (about 65 to 70 grams each) for buns that all puff up at the same rate. Cover the pieces with a damp towel so they do not dry out.

Step 6: Roll and Fill

Take one piece of dough, flatten it with the heel of your hand, then use a small rolling pin to roll it into a 4 to 5 inch round. Aim for the center to be slightly thicker than the edges; this supports the filling without tearing.

Place about 2 heaping tablespoons of filling in the center, then top with one egg half (cut side down) or a whole quail egg. Cup the wrapper in your nondominant hand and use the thumb and forefinger of your dominant hand to gather the edge, pleating as you rotate the bun. Aim for 12 to 16 small pleats that meet at the top, then twist firmly to seal. Place each finished bun on a 4-inch parchment square, seam side up.

Step 7: Second Rise

Arrange the buns on a tray, leaving 2 inches between them. Cover loosely with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let them proof for 25 to 30 minutes. They should look noticeably puffier and feel lighter than when first shaped. This second rise is what makes the difference between a dense, tight-skinned bun and one that steams up into a fluffy white cloud.

Step 8: Steam

Fill a wok or pot with about 2 inches of water and bring it to a gentle simmer. Arrange the proofed buns in your bamboo steamer, leaving at least 1 inch of space between each bun, since they will expand. Place the steamer over the simmering water (not on top of vigorous boiling, which can deflate the buns), cover with the bamboo lid, and steam over medium-low heat for exactly 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid during steaming, since a sudden cold draft can cause the buns to wrinkle and shrink.

Once the timer goes off, turn off the heat, crack the lid open just a sliver, and let the buns rest in the warm steamer for 3 to 5 minutes before fully removing the lid. This gradual cooling prevents the surface from collapsing.

Step 9: Serve

Lift the buns out by their parchment squares and arrange them on a serving plate. Banh bao are traditionally eaten warm, peeling the parchment off the bottom as you eat. Pair with a small bowl of chili sauce, sriracha, Maggi seasoning, or simply a dash of ground white pepper.

Tips for Perfect Banh Bao

Even experienced cooks fight a few common battles when making banh bao. Here are the tips that will save you the most heartbreak.

• Use bao flour if you can. Specialty bao flour, sold at Asian grocery stores under names like ”Hong Kong flour” or ”low-protein wheat flour,” produces the whitest, softest crumb. Cake flour is the next best option.
• Add vinegar to the dough. A splash of white vinegar or lemon juice neutralizes the slight yellow tone of flour and helps the dough steam up brilliantly white.
• Knead long enough. Underkneaded dough produces dense, lumpy buns. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic and passes a windowpane test (you can stretch a small piece thin enough to see light through).
• Weigh your dough portions. If your buns are different sizes, the smaller ones will cook through faster and the larger ones may still be doughy. A scale is your friend.
• Always let the buns proof a second time. Skipping the second rise is the single most common reason banh bao come out dense.
• Steam over gentle heat. A vigorous boil sends rough drops of water onto the buns, leaving them spotted and gummy. Aim for a steady, medium simmer.
• Wrap your steamer lid in a towel. If you are using a metal steamer, wrap a clean kitchen towel around the lid. This catches condensation and prevents droplets from falling onto the buns.
• Resist the urge to peek. Lifting the lid mid-steam causes the buns to deflate. Set a timer and walk away.

Variations and Substitutions

Once you master the base recipe, banh bao becomes a blank canvas for endless variations. Many Vietnamese families have their own signature, often handed down from a beloved grandmother. Below are some of the most popular regional and modern adaptations to inspire your own version.

Banh Bao Chay (Vegetarian)

Replace the pork with a mixture of finely diced firm tofu, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, jicama, and wood ear mushrooms. Sauté the vegetables in oil with shallots and garlic before mixing in glass noodles and seasoning with soy sauce in place of fish sauce. Many Buddhist Vietnamese families prepare this version during the lunar calendar’s vegetarian observance days.

Banh Bao Ngot (Sweet)

Sweet banh bao swap savory filling for mung bean paste, lotus seed paste, or a custard made with coconut milk and pandan. They are usually slightly smaller than savory banh bao and often dyed a pale yellow with turmeric or pink with red dragon fruit for festivals.

Mini Banh Bao

Roll the dough into golf-ball-sized portions and fill with about 1 tablespoon of filling each. Mini banh bao are perfect for parties, lunchboxes, or kid-friendly servings. They steam in just 10 minutes.

Banh Bao with Curry Filling

Inspired by Singaporean and Malaysian Hainanese coffee shops, replace half of the seasoning in the filling with mild curry powder and a splash of coconut milk. The result is fragrant, aromatic, and comforting on a cold day.

Banh Bao Without Egg

If hard-boiled eggs are not your thing, simply leave them out. The buns will still be delicious, and the filling will hold its shape thanks to the cornstarch and binding from kneading.

Air Fryer or Pan-Seared Banh Bao

Day-old banh bao can be revived with a 4-minute spin in an air fryer at 350°F, brushed lightly with oil, for a slightly crisped surface. Or press leftover banh bao gently into a hot, oiled skillet for 2 minutes per side, like sheng jian bao, to get a golden, crackling bottom.

Nutritional Information

The figures below are estimated per banh bao, based on a recipe yielding 12 buns. Actual nutrition will vary depending on the cuts of pork and brand of sausage you use.

Nutrient	Per Bun	% Daily Value*
Calories	290 kcal	15%
Total Fat	11 g	14%
Saturated Fat	3.5 g	18%
Cholesterol	105 mg	35%
Sodium	620 mg	27%
Total Carbohydrates	32 g	12%
Dietary Fiber	1 g	4%
Total Sugars	4 g	—
Protein	15 g	30%
Iron	2 mg	11%
Calcium	40 mg	3%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. To lower the sodium and saturated fat, you can use ground chicken or turkey instead of pork and reduce the fish sauce by half. To increase fiber, add finely chopped cabbage or carrots to the filling.

Storage and Reheating

Banh bao freeze beautifully, which is why almost every Vietnamese family with a steamer has a bag of them tucked in the freezer for busy mornings.

Refrigerating

Steamed banh bao keep in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. Before reheating, sprinkle the surface with a few drops of water to restore moisture.

Freezing

To freeze, let the steamed buns cool completely, then transfer them to a zip-top freezer bag with the parchment squares still attached. Press out as much air as possible. Banh bao keep in the freezer for up to 3 months without losing texture or flavor. You can also freeze them raw and steam straight from frozen for fresher results, adding 5 extra minutes to the steaming time.

Reheating

The best reheating method is the same one that cooked them: steaming. Place a refrigerated banh bao in a bamboo steamer over simmering water for 6 to 8 minutes, or 12 to 15 minutes from frozen. The microwave is also acceptable in a pinch: wrap one banh bao in a damp paper towel and heat on medium power for 60 to 90 seconds. Avoid the oven, since dry heat will harden the dough.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Banh bao look simple but contain many points where things can go wrong. Below are the most common pitfalls and how to fix them next time.

Problem	Likely Cause	Solution
Yellow or beige dough	Wrong flour, no vinegar, or over-kneaded	Use cake or bao flour, add 1 tbsp vinegar, knead just until smooth
Wrinkled or shrunken buns	Lid lifted too early, draft, or vigorous boil	Steam over gentle simmer, leave lid on, rest 5 min after steaming
Dense, gummy bun	Underproofed dough or not enough kneading	Allow full first and second rises, knead 12 minutes
Filling falls apart	Did not stir filling enough, no cornstarch	Mix vigorously in one direction; do not skip cornstarch and egg
Wet, soggy bottom	Condensation dripping from lid	Wrap metal lid in towel, use bamboo steamer when possible
Burst or leaking buns	Wrapper rolled too thin or sealed poorly	Keep edges thinner than the center, twist firmly to seal
Bland filling	Did not season aggressively enough	Pan-fry a tiny test patty before assembling, then adjust
Sticky on parchment	Parchment too thin or paper towels used	Use proper baking parchment cut to size

Serving Suggestions

Banh bao are usually a meal unto themselves, but you can pair them with light Vietnamese dishes for a more substantial spread. For breakfast, a banh bao alongside a glass of cafe sua da (Vietnamese iced coffee) or warm soy milk is perfectly traditional. For lunch or dinner, set out small bowls of pickled carrots and daikon, a wedge of lime, slices of cucumber, and a small dish of soy sauce or chili oil for dipping.

If you want to put together a Lunar New Year banquet, banh bao pair beautifully with classic Tết dishes such as banh chung (square sticky rice cakes wrapped in banana leaves), thit kho trung (caramelized pork with eggs), goi cuon (fresh spring rolls), and a pot of canh kho qua (bitter melon soup). The round, plump shape of banh bao is itself considered auspicious, symbolizing wholeness and family togetherness.

Where to Find Banh Bao Ingredients

Most banh bao ingredients are easy to find in any Asian grocery store, and many are now available in mainstream supermarkets or online. Look for bao flour, lap xuong (Chinese sausage), wood ear mushrooms, and glass noodles in the dried goods aisle. Fish sauce and oyster sauce will be next to the soy sauces. If you are shopping online, look for trusted brands such as Three Crabs or Red Boat for fish sauce, Lee Kum Kee for oyster sauce, Wing Wah or Kim Tu Thap for lap xuong, and any Thai or Vietnamese brand of glass noodles in cellophane packaging.

If you are new to Asian cooking, our overviews of Asian cooking ingredients and fish sauce are good starting points. For wider Vietnamese inspiration, see our Vietnamese recipes guide and our recipes for banh mi, banh xeo, and pho. Bao lovers may also want to try our Chinese bao buns and xiao long bao recipes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are my banh bao not white?

Yellowish banh bao usually come from using all-purpose flour with too much protein, which has a slightly tan tone. Switch to bao flour or cake flour, add a tablespoon of white vinegar to the dough, and steam over white parchment, not banana leaves, to keep the surface bright white. Some bakeries also use a tiny pinch of food-grade titanium dioxide to whiten the dough, but this is not necessary at home.

Can I make banh bao without yeast?

Yeast gives banh bao their classic light, airy texture, and there is no perfect substitute. In a pinch, you can use 2 teaspoons baking powder plus 1 teaspoon baking soda for a chemically leavened version, but the texture will be denser and more cake-like. The rest periods are not needed in that case, but the buns will not be as fluffy.

What is the difference between banh bao and bao buns?

”Bao buns” usually refers to Chinese-style filled steamed buns, which can include char siu bao, pork belly bao (gua bao), or many regional variations. Banh bao is specifically the Vietnamese version, distinguished by its egg filling, fish sauce seasoning, and use of glass noodles and lap xuong sausage. Both are delicious but distinctly different in flavor.

Why is my dough sticky?

A slightly tacky dough is normal and even desirable, but if it sticks aggressively to your hands, the humidity is high or your flour was undermeasured. Add an extra tablespoon of flour at a time during kneading until the dough pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl. Avoid adding too much, since a dry dough makes tough buns.

Can I freeze banh bao raw?

Yes. After shaping and second proofing, freeze the buns on a tray until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Steam straight from frozen, adding 5 extra minutes to the cooking time. The result is fresher than reheating fully cooked buns and is the method used by many home bakeries.

Can I use a metal steamer instead of bamboo?

Absolutely. Metal works fine, but you must wrap the lid in a clean kitchen towel before placing it on the pot. The towel catches condensation and keeps water droplets from falling onto your buns and leaving wet pockmarks. A bamboo steamer absorbs moisture naturally, which is why it is preferred.

How do I know when the buns are done?

Banh bao are done when they are fully puffed, opaque, and dry to the touch on the surface. They should bounce back gently when pressed. If you cut one open, the filling should register at least 165°F (74°C) on a thermometer. Fifteen minutes at a gentle simmer is reliable for medium-sized buns.

Can I use store-bought bao dough?

Some Asian markets sell pre-made bao dough or refrigerated dough rounds. They work fine, especially for a quick weeknight version. Be aware that store doughs are sometimes seasoned for sweet fillings, so taste before assembling. Homemade dough is more rewarding but takes about 2 extra hours.

Is banh bao gluten-free?

No, traditional banh bao are made from wheat flour. Gluten-free adaptations exist using rice flour and tapioca starch, but the texture is significantly different and tends to be denser. There is no widely accepted gluten-free version that perfectly mimics the classic.

What can I use instead of lap xuong?

Lap xuong adds a sweet, slightly smoky note that is hard to replicate, but in a pinch you can use Spanish chorizo (cured, not fresh), Cantonese-style cured sausage, or even diced bacon cooked until crisp. The flavor will shift but the bun will still be delicious.

Final Thoughts

Banh bao are a labor of love, but they are also one of the most satisfying things you can make at home. The first time you peel back a parchment square to reveal a perfectly white, perfectly puffed bun, then bite through soft dough into juicy, savory filling and the surprise yolk of an egg, you understand why generations of Vietnamese families have kept this recipe close. Make a double batch, freeze the extras, and you will have a taste of Vietnam ready in 20 minutes any morning of the week. They travel well in lunchboxes, satisfy the hungriest teenager, and turn an ordinary weekday into something a little more festive. Whether you are making them for Tết, for a brunch with friends, or simply because the craving struck, the banh bao you make at home will always be better than the one from the corner bakery.