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Gua Bao (刈包) – Bao Buns with Braised Pork Belly

Gua bao is the Taiwanese name for folded, steamed yeast buns that you fill like a sandwich. The classic filling is braised pork belly with pickled vegetables, cilantro, and sugared chopped peanuts. Outside Taiwan, most people know the dish as bao buns.

By Laura Chen · June 7, 2025
Guà Bāo (刈包) – Taiwanesischer „Hamburger“ mit geschmortem Schweinebauch - RamenHeaven
1 Std 35 Mintotal
4servings
940kcal
TaiwaneseCuisine ›
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For the folded shape, roll each ball of dough into an oval, brush it thinly with oil, and fold it over a chopstick. The oil keeps the halves from sticking together while they steam. After steaming, wait 3 minutes before you open the lid, or the buns collapse from the temperature shock and wrinkle.

You braise the pork belly while the dough rises. If you like closed, filled buns, you find the technique in the baozi recipe. Rolled Japanese pork belly from the chashu recipe also works as a filling.

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Gua Bao (刈包) – Bao Buns with Braised Pork Belly

Laura Chen
Servings

4

Prep time

1 Stunde 50 Minuten

Cook time

1 Stunde 45 Minuten

Calories

940

Cuisine

Taiwanese

Category

Main course

Bao buns, or gua bao, are steamed, folded yeast buns from Taiwan. You fill them with braised pork belly, cucumber, cilantro, and sugared peanuts. Plan 1 hour 50 minutes for preparation including rising time and 1 hour 45 minutes for braising and steaming, and the two overlap in part.
Guà Bāo (刈包): Taiwanese "hamburger" with braised pork belly image

Ingredients

    For the dough (12 buns):

    • 300 g all-purpose flour
    • 4 g instant dry yeast
    • 20 g sugar
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 160 ml lukewarm milk
    • 1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus a little more for brushing

    For the pork belly:

    • 600 g boneless pork belly, in 1 cm thick slices
    • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
    • 25 g brown sugar or rock sugar
    • 3 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
    • 1 piece of ginger (3 cm), sliced
    • 2 scallions, in 5 cm pieces
    • 1 star anise
    • 3 tbsp light soy sauce
    • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (thick, for color)
    • 2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine (Chinese cooking wine)
    • 400 ml water

    For the toppings:

    • 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
    • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 50 g roasted unsalted peanuts
    • 1 tbsp sugar for the peanuts
    • 1 bunch cilantro, roughly torn

    Instructions

      Dough:

      1. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the milk and oil and knead for 10 minutes into a smooth, soft dough. Cover and let it rise in a warm place for 60 minutes, until doubled.

      Pork belly:

      1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat, sprinkle in the sugar, and let it melt for 2 minutes until light brown. Add the meat and turn it for 5 minutes, until caramelized all over.
      2. Add the garlic, ginger, scallions, and star anise and fry for 1 minute. Deglaze with the rice wine, both soy sauces, and the water. Braise with the lid on over low heat for 75 minutes, until the meat is tender. Then reduce the sauce uncovered for 10 minutes, until it coats the meat in a glossy layer.

      Shaping and steaming:

      1. Divide the dough into 12 balls. Roll each into a 12 cm long oval, brush the surface thinly with oil, lay a chopstick across the middle, and fold the dough over it. Pull out the chopstick and set each bun on a piece of parchment paper.
      2. Let the buns rise in the covered steamer basket for 20 minutes. Steam them in two batches over boiling water, 12 minutes each. Turn off the heat and wait 3 minutes before you open the lid.

      Toppings and assembly:

      1. Toss the cucumber with the vinegar and sugar and let it sit for 10 minutes. Roughly chop the peanuts and mix them with 1 tbsp sugar.
      2. Open each bun, put in 1 to 2 slices of pork belly with a little sauce, and top with cucumber, peanuts, and cilantro.

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