Home-styleMedium 175 min serves 12

Chicken Baozi (Ji Rou Bao)

Name: Chicken Baozi (Ji Rou Bao)
Total time: 175 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Home-style Chinese
Ingredients: all-purpose flour; warm water (35°C); active dry yeast; caster sugar; boneless chicken thigh, hand-minced; dried wood ear mushrooms, soaked; fresh shiitake, small dice; scallions, finely sliced; fresh ginger, minced; light soy sauce; oyster sauce; cornstarch; toasted sesame oil; cold chicken stock

鸡肉包 · jī ròu bāo

家庭快手版 · Home version: Home versions use chicken thigh because breast turns chalky after steaming, and add wood ear for crunch plus a spoon of cornstarch to bind the juices. Chain-shop versions lean on chicken skin and chicken powder, which tastes rounder but goes gluey when reheated.

Chicken baozi is the bun that exists because pork got expensive, and then stayed because it is genuinely lighter. The problem is that chicken has almost no fat and no collagen, so on its own it steams into a dry ball. The fix is a wet binder — stock beaten in a spoon at a time, plus cornstarch — which is the same logic as a wonton filling and works every time.

Recipe author: HǎoWèi Test Kitchen

Home-cooking research team

Reviewed by HǎoWèi editorial team · Last updated 2026-08-29

More chicken recipes →Make-Ahead

Ingredients

all-purpose flour中筋面粉🛒 local500 g
warm water (35°C)温水（35°C）🛒 local265 ml
active dry yeast干酵母🛒 local5 g
caster sugar细砂糖🛒 local20 g
boneless chicken thigh, hand-minced去骨鸡腿肉（手剁）🛒 local450 g
dried wood ear mushrooms, soaked干木耳（泡发）🏮 asian20 g dried
fresh shiitake, small dice鲜香菇（切小丁）🛒 local100 g
scallions, finely sliced小葱（切细）🛒 local50 g
fresh ginger, minced生姜（切末）🛒 local15 g
light soy sauce生抽🏮 asian25 ml
oyster sauce蚝油🏮 asian20 g
cornstarch玉米淀粉🛒 local12 g
toasted sesame oil香油🏮 asian20 ml
cold chicken stock冷鸡汤（或清水）🛒 local80 ml

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Instructions

1Soak the wood ear in warm water 25 minutes, trim the tough bases, then finely shred. Blanch 1 minute and squeeze very dry.
处理木耳
🔍 Look for 泡25分钟 · 25 minutes soaking
Visual: 木耳涨发到干品数倍大，透亮有光泽；挤干后手感近乎干燥Wood ear has expanded to several times its dried size and is glossy and translucent; after squeezing it feels almost dry to the touch
You know it's right when: Squeezing a handful yields no more than a few drops
2Hand-mince the chicken to a coarse paste — do not use a food processor. Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, ginger and scallion and stir hard in one direction 2 minutes.
剁馅调味
🔍 Look for 2 分钟 · 2 minutes
Visual: 肉馅发黏、边缘微微透亮，并开始挂在勺子上Meat turns sticky and slightly translucent at the edges and starts to climb the spoon
You know it's right when: Lift the spoon and the meat stretches in a strand before breaking
3Beat in the cold stock one tablespoon at a time, waiting until each is fully absorbed. Stir in the cornstarch, sesame oil, wood ear and shiitake. Chill 20 minutes.
打水冷藏
🔍 Look for 10分钟 + 冷藏20分钟 · 10 minutes + 20 minutes chilling
Visual: 馅料油亮、松软可舀但能立尖，黑色木耳与褐色香菇粒分布均匀Filling is glossy, loose and spoonable but holds a peak, with black wood ear and brown shiitake flecks throughout
You know it's right when: 倾斜碗时馅料整体缓慢移动而不是塌散Tilt the bowl and the filling moves slowly as one mass instead of slumping
Cold stock and a cold bowl. Warm filling will start to set the cornstarch before you have wrapped anything.
4Knead flour, sugar and yeast into the warm water 12 minutes, then rise 70 minutes until doubled.
和面一发
🔍 Look for 70 分钟 · 70 minutes
Visual: 面团光滑象牙白，撕开可见细密均匀的气孔Dough is smooth and ivory with a fine, even web of bubbles when torn
You know it's right when: A floured finger dent holds for 3 seconds
5Divide the dough into 12, wrap 2 tbsp filling each, pleat closed, and proof 25 minutes.
包制醒发
🔍 Look for 25 分钟 · 25 minutes
Visual: 包子微微鼓胀，顶部光滑紧绷，收口处没有馅心外露Buns look slightly swollen with smooth, taut tops and no filling showing at the seam
You know it's right when: A gentle poke springs back slowly
6Steam over vigorously boiling water 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and rest 5 minutes before opening.
蒸制焖锅
🔍 Look for High heat 蒸15分钟 + 焖5分钟 · 15 minutes steam + 5 minutes rest
Visual: 包子饱满呈象牙白，底部能完整撕离纸而不破Buns are plump and pale ivory and the base peels away from the parchment without tearing
You know it's right when: Steam bursts out and the bun tops are dry rather than wet

Tips

· Chicken thigh, not breast. Breast has no fat to protect it through 15 minutes of steam.
· Beat the stock in slowly — dump it in at once and the filling will not bind, it will just be wet.
· Chill the filling before wrapping; cold filling is dramatically easier to pleat.

Sources & references

Quantities, technique notes, and substitution ratios are cross-checked against established Chinese cookery references and standard food-science sources.

Read our editorial policy
Fuchsia Dunlop, Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking
USDA FoodData Central — ingredient nutrition and portion data
Traditional Chinese family-kitchen practice and regional taste records

Common questions

Is there a vegan substitute for oyster sauce?

Yes — 'mushroom oyster sauce' (often labeled vegetarian/vegan) is sold in most Asian grocers and increasingly in mainstream supermarkets. It behaves 1:1 and adds the same glossy umami. Watch labels if you're also gluten-free; most brands are GF, some aren't.

Source: HǎoWèi substitution engine

Why do you cook the aromatics (garlic/ginger) first on low heat?

Aromatics contain oils and sugars that turn bitter if scorched. Gentle heat (low-medium) lets garlic and ginger release their fragrance without browning too fast. If the pan is too hot, garlic goes bitter within seconds — that's why we always add aromatics first, before the main ingredients.

Source: Chinese Cooking Demystified technique library

What's the difference between light and dark soy sauce?

Light soy (生抽) is the everyday salty seasoning — thin and salty, used in most recipes. Dark soy (老抽) is thicker, darker, slightly sweet, and used mostly for color (braises, fried rice). If you only buy one, get light soy. For dark soy's color: 1 tbsp light soy + a pinch of sugar + a few drops of molasses.

Source: HǎoWèi pantry guide