Siopao - Asado made easy > Filipino Recipes | (2024)

BY :Bebs | Published: | Updated: | 113 Comments

RECIPE VIDEO PRINT

4.83 from 41 votes

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Siopao is a popular Filipino snack. They are steamed buns that are filled with savory-sweet saucy meat dish called Asado or meatballs.Siopao - Asado made easy > Filipino Recipes | (1)

Steamed buns are very popular around Asia although it may be called differently in every country. Filipino Siopao Asado is similar to the Chinese Pork steamed buns 'Char Siu Bao'. Not surprising since it was the Chinese who introduced us this wonderful food.

Back home, Siopao is one of the favorite snacks and the usual choice is Asado or Bola-bola. Asado is a way of cooking meat that has a sticky sauce that is both sweet and salty, itcan either be pork or chicken. Bola-bola, on the other hand, uses ground meat to make meatballs as a filling. I already wrote about Chicken Asado before and you can get the recipe here.

Siopao - Asado made easy > Filipino Recipes | (2)

Siopao is usuallysold in Chinese restaurants but it is also easily found in small stores or establishments or even sidewalk vendors, great on-the-go food.

I remember the first time Armin tried Siopao. It was during a long bus trip coming back from Bantayan Island to Cebu City. We had a shortstop and I was feeling hungry so I went down to look for something to munch. Lucky me, a store was selling some steaming Siopao Asado and I got just one for me because I was was not sure if Arminwould like them. He is usually not a fan of food that is sweet and salty. But after I convinced him to try it, I ended up going down again to get two more because he liked them...too much I think! Peace hon! 😉

Siopao - Asado made easy > Filipino Recipes | (3)

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Siopao - Asado made easy > Filipino Recipes | (4)

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Siopao -Asado (Steamed buns with chicken filling)

4.83 from 41 votes

Try this easy recipe for Siopao - Asado (Steamed buns with chicken Asado filling). It also includes a video for the instructions.

Course :Snack

Servings =10

Print Recipe Rate this Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 cup warm water
  • ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 pouch active dry yeast - about 1 Tbsp
  • 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ tablespoon baking powder
  • 3 tablespoons shortening or vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • Chicken Asado Filling

Instructions

  • In a bowl, mix together the warm water, 1 Tbsp of sugar and yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes.

  • In a big bowl, combine the flour, rest of sugar and baking powder. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and the 3 Tbsp shortening. Mix well until a dough forms.

  • Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Coat the dough with oil and place in a bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for an hour or until it doubled in size.

  • Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a floured surface. Roll into a log and divide into 8-10 equal portions.

  • Form one into a ball and then using hand of rolling pin flatten it into about 4-5 inch circle leaving a small bulge in the middle. Scoop a tablespoon of filling and place it in the middle. Gather the ends towards the middle from one side until you reach the other end closing the filling in. Pinch and twist to seal the ends together o top. Repeat with the remaining dough balls. Let them rest for 5-10 minutes.

  • Before steaming, put a piece of parchment or wax paper at the bottom of each bun. Place the buns in the steamer leaving at least an each apart as they will rise and spread while steaming. Steam for 15 minutes. Turn off the steamer or remove from heat and let it stay closed for 5 minutes before removing the cover.

  • Let the buns cool a bit before serving.

Notes

You may also use instant yeast and add it directly to the flour or dough without the need of proofing it first.

Nutrition

Calories: 171kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 3gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 2mgPotassium: 94mgFiber: 0gSugar: 5gCalcium: 31mgIron: 1.5mg

Have you tried this recipe?Mention @foxyfolksy or tag #FoxyFolksyRecipes!

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Comments

    What do you think?

  1. Aurora says

    Why are there two different bun recipe one for asado and one for bola bola. Can I use just one recipe. Which one is better. I tried your bola bola recipe since I doubled the recipe I did put the other half in the fridge after the first rise and divided the dough into two but when I steamed it, it collapsed since it has risen more than the first batch. How do I resolved this?

    Reply

    • Bebs says

      Try to reduce the yeast and then just let the first batch rise longer.

      Reply

  2. Ditha says

    Siopao - Asado made easy > Filipino Recipes | (17)
    This recipe is very good its just right consistency not too sweet or not too salty i would make this again.

    Reply

  3. Theresa says

    Siopao - Asado made easy > Filipino Recipes | (18)
    Always my favorite recipe. Been using this for years! Really like a taste of home.

    Reply

  4. Lauren says

    I don’t know what’s wrong, but when it cools down, it became flat🫣 what could be the problem?

    Reply

    • Bebs says

      Hi Lauren, it could be that the dough rise too much and deflated after cooking. You can try using lesser yeast and use a gentle simmer instead of a rolling boil for the steam.

      Reply

  5. Precy Barbiran says

    Siopao - Asado made easy > Filipino Recipes | (19)
    All your recipes, I rate them 5 stars!

    Reply

    • Bebs says

      Aaaaw...that is so nice of you to say.

      Reply

  6. Faith says

    made this evening with pork asado..turned out pretty well though my wrapping is not so tidy! Thank you!

    Reply

  7. Rob says

    That's right, all these buns are derived from China, including the steamed buns in Korea, Japan & SE Asia. If you look at the word "Siopao", it sounds & looks a lot like "Siu bao", as in Char Siu Bao. This isn't the first time someone interpreted the spelling of a word from it's original nation/culture somewhat inaccurately & made it their own. The Japanese dumplings, "gyoza", sounds a lot like the Chinese "jiaozi", which is where it originated. "Boondocks" in the United States is a word that originated from Tagalog "bundók". And so on & so forth for many other thousands of words in the world throughout human history. Thank you for this recipe though, I want to make my own, because buying them in the store is expensive. I prefer the asado bbq (char siu) version rather than the vegetable/pork. I have also been watching videos of many Chinese cooks who know the art of pinching the tops of the steamed bao into a spiral.
    ~ Rob 12/14/2021

    Reply

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Siopao - Asado made easy > Filipino Recipes | (2024)

FAQs

What is asado made of in siopao? ›

The siopao asado filling is made of braised and stewed pork shoulder, hoisin, oyster sauce, and other ingredients, whereas char siu bao is made from roasted pork chopped into a thick red sauce of five-spice, sesame oil, and other ingredients.

What is Filipino siopao made of? ›

Siopao
Top: Asado siopao; Bottom: A dessert siopao with chocolate filling
TypeBaozi
Place of originPhilippines
Main ingredientsPork, Flour, Soy Sauce, Salt
VariationsSiopao asado, Siopao bola bola, Toasted siopao, Fried siopao, Paowaw, other dessert variants
4 more rows

What are the two types of siopao? ›

There are various types of siopao fillings, but the most common ones include asado (sweet and savory pork filling), bola-bola (a mixture of ground pork and other ingredients), and chicken.

Why is my siopao dough hard? ›

All-purpose flour is commonly used to make siopao. It contains about 11% protein and has a gluten index of at least 95%. A higher protein content could cause the dough to shrink, whereas flour with too little protein often results in sticky doughs with a tough bite.

How is asado made? ›

An asado usually consists of beef, pork, chicken, chorizo, and morcilla; all of which are cooked using an open fire or a grill, called a parrilla. Usually, red wine and side dishes such as salads accompany the main meats, which are prepared by a designated cook called the asador or parrillero.

What is siopao in English? ›

Siopao : sio-pau), literally meaning "steamed bun", is. the Philippine version of the Cantonese steamed bun.

What is the lifespan of siopao? ›

12 hours in the hot Philippines weather if left unrefrigerated and if you want optimum flavor. Otherwise refrigerate for up to 5 days.

What are the different types of siopao in the Philippines? ›

In the Philippines, siopao usually comes in two flavors—asado and bola-bola. Asado siopao is filled with diced meat—pork or beef—cooked in soy sauce and seasoned with salt and sugar. Bola-bola siopao, on the other hand, is filled with finely ground meat—again either pork or beef—mixed with egg and flour.

What goes well with siopao? ›

Because siopao asado can be seen as a kind of dimsum, it would also be good to eat with other dimsum and dumplings, and street food inspired by our Chinese influences. Many people also enjoy siopao asado with pork siomai, another dimsum packed with flavor and served with a delicious toyomansi mix.

What is the paper used in siopao? ›

To assemble Siopao Buns

Place bun on a piece of parchment or wax paper.

What are other names for siopao? ›

Showing up as siopao in the Philippines, salapao in Thailand, manapua in Hawaii, and under many other names elsewhere, Chinese steamed buns have traveled far and wide to places touched by the cuisines of China, crossing cultures and languages. They've done so with ease, too, because what's not to like?

What is the paper under siopao? ›

Place each siopao on a 3x3-inch piece of wax paper. Place siopao in a steamer and steam for 30 minutes.

Is siopao Filipino or Chinese? ›

This is a Filipino dish with Chinese roots. A steamed, almost sweet, yeasty bun filled with delicious chicken filling can also be made with shredded pork.

What makes dough more fluffy? ›

Add Sugar

Adding sugar weakens the gluten structure, absorbs water, and eventually makes the bread lighter and softer. As a result, sugar improves the bread's taste, structure and texture. Yeast also eats up sugar to produce carbon dioxide, which raises the dough and makes bread fluffy.

What kind of flour is used for bao? ›

You can use bleached bao flour if you can find it in an Asian supermarket – this will give your bao that classic bright white look. Plain flour is much easier to find so it's what I use. Baking powder.

What does asado contain? ›

Most of the time, the asado is made from vacuno (beef). It is the most consumed meat in South America. The cordero (lamb), the cerdo (pork), or the oveja (mutton) are also alternatives, rarer, but still appreciated. The asado has several features which differ from the barbecues Europeans are used to.

What is pork asado made of? ›

Asado de puerco is a Mexican pork stew made with dried chiles — there's no chili powder here! Guajillo chiles add a very smoky flavor while the ancho chiles add a touch of smoky sweetness. To add another level of flavor, we always top ours with sliced onions marinated in fresh lemon juice.

Is chunky asado siopao pork? ›

Slow-Roasted, Hong Kong-Style Asado Sarap pork and flavorful sauce in hot steamed bun Fresh-out-of-steamer goodness!

Why was asado made? ›

Spanish colonizers introduced asado to the Argentine people in the 16th century. The conquistadors brought premium cattle beef to Argentina's fertile Pampas plains and taught Argentinians their innovative method of preparing this new food source. Asado quickly entwined itself with local culture.

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