Siopao asado is a popular Filipino dish that has its origins in China. This dish is a type of dim sum that is similar to a steamed bun, with a savory filling inside. The most popular filling for siopao is asado, a sweet and savory combination of sliced pork, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, garlic, and onions. However, other fillings such as bola-bola (meatball), chicken, or vegetables can be used.
While some people may think that making siopao is difficult, it is actually quite easy if you have experience kneading dough. The only tricky part is twisting and sealing the dough once you have finished wrapping up the filling. And the rest of the process, like steaming the siopao, is as simple as boiling an egg. In this article, we will share a recipe for making siopao with asado filling.
Siopao asado Filling Ingredients and Preparation
To begin, let’s start with the asado filling. In a skillet, heat some oil and sauté some garlic and onions until the onions become transparent. Then, add the sliced pork and stir-fry until the pork becomes light brown. Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, and sugar, then stir and cook. Finally, add 2 cups of water and simmer for at least 45 minutes. Add in some diluted cornstarch to thicken the sauce, and then set it aside.
Dough Ingredients and Preparation
Now, let’s move on to the dough. First, soften some yeast and 2 tablespoons of sugar in lukewarm water and set it aside for 10-15 minutes. In a bowl, mix together some sugar, salt, and oil, and then add the softened yeast. Add half of the flour and mix well. Then, add baking powder and the remaining flour, and continue mixing until everything is well-blended. Knead the dough on a floured board until it becomes smooth.
Next, shape the dough into a ball and place it in a greased bowl. Grease the surface of the dough and cover it with a wet cloth. Let it rise for 30 to 40 minutes in a warm place. After it has risen, punch down the dough, divide it into desired sizes, form it into balls, and let them rise again for another 30 minutes.
Using a rolling pin, flatten each dough ball and place a spoonful of the prepared asado filling into the center. Wrap the filling by crimping the edges, and seal the dough by twisting the top and shaping it into small balls. Place a piece of clean wax paper at the bottom of each ball to prevent them from sticking to the steamer.
Let the balls rise for 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours or until they double in bulk. Then, steam them for 10 to 15 minutes or until they are fully cooked.
And there you have it, a delicious siopao with asado filling! This recipe may seem daunting at first, but with a little bit of practice, you’ll be making siopao like a pro in no time. So go ahead and try this recipe, and enjoy a taste of this popular dimsum in your own home.
NOTES ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS:
Siopao flour
Is a versatile type of flour used in making the dough for siopao buns. It is a combination of wheat flour, baking powder, sugar, and sometimes, vegetable shortening or lard. Siopao flour is specially formulated to achieve a soft and fluffy texture for the buns when cooked. The wheat flour provides the structure, while the baking powder acts as a leavening agent to make the dough rise. The sugar helps to enhance the flavor of the dough and gives the buns a slightly sweet taste. The addition of vegetable shortening or lard helps to make the dough more tender and easier to work with.
Siopao asado filling
Is a sweet and savory combination of sliced pork, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, garlic, and onions. The pork is usually sliced into small pieces and stir-fried with garlic and onions until it becomes light brown. Then, a mixture of soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, and sugar is added to the skillet to add flavor to the dish. The sauce is then thickened with diluted cornstarch to create a velvety texture. The resulting filling is a delicious combination of salty, sweet, and savory flavors, making it a popular choice for siopao enthusiasts.
Siopao Asado Recipe
Ingredients
For the siopao dough:
- 4 cups flour
- 2 tsp dry active yeast
- 2 Tbsp white sugar for the yeast
- 3 Tbsp shortening or lard
- 1/2 cup sugar for the flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 and 1/3 cups warm water
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the pork asado filling:
- 1/2 kilo pork slice into small cubes
- 3 Tbsp cooking oil
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium size onion minced
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch dilute in 1/4 cup water
- 1/8 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 Tbsp Hoisin sauce optional
- 2 cups water
Instructions
How to Cook Siopao Asado:
- Prepare the asado filling first. In a skillet, heat oil and saute garlic and onion.
- After the onions become transparent, add the sliced pork and stir fry until the pork becomes light brown.
- Then add in the soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce and sugar then stir cook then add 2 cups water and simmer for at least 45 minutes.
- Add in the diluted cornstarch and stir cook until the sauce becomes thick. Set aside.
- To make the dough, soften yeast and 2 tablespoon sugar in lukewarm water. Set aside for from 10 to 15 minutes.
- Mix together sugar, salt, and oil in a bowl. Add softened yeast. Add half of the flour and mix well. Add baking powder.
- Add remaining flour and continue mixing till well blended; knead on floured board until smooth.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Grease surface of dough.
- Cover with wet cloth and let rise for from 30 to 40 minutes in a warm place.
- Punch down dough, divide it into desired sizes, form into balls and let them rise again for 30 minutes.
- Flatten dough pieces with a rolling pin. Use spoon on prepared asado filling into the center.
- Wrap the filling by crimping the edges and seal the dough by twisting the top and shape into small balls.
- Place a piece of clean wax paper at the bottom of the balls to prevent them from sticking to the steamer.
- Let the balls rise for from 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours or until double in bulk.
- Steam for from 10 to 15 minutes or until cooked.
Video
Notes
Cooking Tips:
- Sauté the garlic and onion: When sautéing the garlic and onion, make sure to cook them until the onions become transparent. This helps release their flavors and adds a savory base to the filling.
- Browning the pork: Stir-fry the sliced pork until it turns light brown. This step adds depth of flavor and caramelization to the meat, enhancing the taste of the filling.
- Simmering the filling: After adding the sauces and sugar to the pork, simmer the mixture for at least 45 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld together and ensures the pork becomes tender and flavorful.
- Thickening the sauce: When adding the diluted cornstarch to the filling, make sure to stir continuously to prevent lumps from forming. Cook the mixture until the sauce thickens, giving the filling a rich and glossy consistency.
- Yeast activation: When softening the yeast in lukewarm water, ensure that the water is not too hot or too cold. The ideal temperature is around 110°F (43°C). This helps activate the yeast and ensures a good rise for the dough.
Nutrition Notes:
Calorie and other nutrition information is derived from HappyFolks.Com recipe nutrition calculator. The percent daily value (%DV) is based on a daily 2,000 calorie diet.Nutrition Information:
Amount per Serving:260g, Calories:450kcal, From fat:156, Total fat:17.5g, Saturated Fat:5.6g, Trans Fat:0.1g, Cholesterol: 51mg, Sodium: 377g, Total Carbohydrate: 53g, Dietary Fiber: 2g, Sugars: 13g, Protein: 19g, Vitamin A: 0%, Vitamin C: 2%, Calcium: 4%, Iron: 19%
Lol but it would be nice though. I actually tried both ways. I steamed half and froze the other half. Both came out the same when I steamed them. But 1 thing did surprise me. Since my kids eat on the run. The ones I steamed before freezing, can actually be popped in the microwave and ready in 2 min. Not a big fan of microwaving anything but I was surprised they were just as good for when u are on the run or just don’t feel like cooking.
Hi Koz, I haven’t tried cooking the siopao dough in the microwave. Thanks for sharing your experience.
I steam it not dream it. I wish I could dream it and it be made when I wake up lol
Hi Koz, I think you are watching too much science fiction movies LOL!
I’ve made this several times now but I make it, dream it and serve it. I want to be able to freeze some for when ever my family wants to have them, should they be steamed first or freeze them before steaming. Also can I make the dough tonite and use it in the morning or will that cause issues
Hi Koz, it is best to steam it first then if you want to store it for a period of time, you can freeze it. Then just reheat it by steaming again.
…..flour brand for siopao, I mean.
Hi Ligaya, I don’t have an idea what is the best flour brand for siopao I think they are all the same as long as it is all-purpose flour. All-purpose flour makes whiter siopao than using bread flour. Some use cake flour, which make even more whiter siopao but they say it doesn’t taste good as all-purpose flour.
Thank you so much, I gotcha! Actually, I already started selling to some of my friends that made me want to improve my product, this is a great help, thank you. Can you recommend a best flour brand of siopao? I would really appreciate!
I made this recipe today, it didn’t open up that really surprised me though I still have a hard time keeping the nice twisted form, but l’ll figure that out as I go, 😊. I noticed the rising for this recipe is kinda backwards, the longer rising was done at the end before steaming, any particular significance for that?Just curious.
Hi Ligaya, as far as I know, the longer the time for letting the dough rise, the more it becomes elastic. It can handle the bubbles formed inside the dough while steaming and it won’t burst. Maybe this is the reason why some of the siopao opens up while steaming.
Do I need to adjust the rising time after dividing them ?like, I usually weigh 70 gms. each ball. Thanks, Manny.
So, I’d been making siopao and my main problem so far is some of them opens up before or after steaming, no matter how nice they look for the first 30 min. after sealing.
Hi Ligaya, sorry to hear that but I think you need adjust the time needed for the dough to rise while making the dough. For example, you rise the dough for 30 minutes, make it one hour. Or the buns are not properly sealed after putting the fillings.
Hi! You have idea how long is the shelf life of shopao? I saw some shopao stored in freezer then just steam it again. Is that okey? Wouldnt it lessen the quality of the shopao? Thanks in advance 😉
Hi Yael, not sure about the shelf life of this siopao but I think those sold frozen on supermarkets have preservatives in it. Sometimes I can taste the preservatives when I steam and eat those frozen siopao.
Why evrytine i cook this it’s turn into brown color. What’sWhat’s the cause? I put also a bit of vinegar on the steamer but apparently its the same.pls. give me an advise where I did go wrong.m eager to learn this much.tnx
Hi Rowena, actually what makes the siopao whiter is the vegetable shortening or lard. Don’t omit that ingredient. But if it is still brown or yellowish after adding lard, then I think the flour you used is the problem. Find a bleached all-purpose flour which is whiter than ordinary all-purpose flour.
the recipe is really really good! just made it earlier, ubos agad namin. I put one bay leave will cooking the filling. For the sauce boil water, put hoisin, toyo, oyster sauce, brown sugar and cornstarch. perfect!
thank you so much for posting or sharing here to your recipe, now i should start to make and learn of this, if i know this well i am planing to build a business like this one…
This recipe is awesome.. thanks for sharing manny.
I’ve used this recipe a few times, perfect every time.
Hi Jennifer, thanks for sharing your comment!
Hi, I don’t have shortening or lard so I end up using butter and my dough colour turn out to be yellow colour 😩😩
Hi Miriam, you should use vegetable oil or any cooking oil if lard or shortening is not available. ðŸ˜
Hi Marian! thanks for the tip on how to make white siopao. I didn’t know vinegar can be used to make it white.
Hiya, just want to ask, if it’s possible to replace shortening with vegetable oil, how much vegetable oil will it be. Thanks
Hi Helen, I think the same amount will do. If the recipe says 3 Tbsp of shorteningm you can use 3 Tbsp of vegetable oil.
Put a little bit of vinegar into your steamer to have a white siopao.
I saw my friends they made siopao the color is yellowish.what ingredients to make the siopao dough is just like yours white?
Hi Gelai,
I think it depends on the kind of flour you are using. There are different kinds of flour; all-purpose flour, cake flour and the cheap flour which I forgot what it’s called. Find the bleached all-purpose flour sold in supermarkets to make sure that your siopao will turn white.
Can i use baking powder instead of yeast?
Why there is no baking powder in the recipe?
@Lee
Because yeast is already in the recipe. No need for baking powder. They have the same function, to rise the dough.
Is a vegetable gee the same with the vegetable lard that u used?
What are needed in making the sauce?
hello,
About the siopao dough can i just use a normal cooking oil instead of shortening?
@alma
yes you can use cooking oil as a substitute for making the dough.
My mother in law told me that I cannot just use any flour in making the dough. Is that the reason why you specifically wrote Flour instead of all purpose flour? Please advise. Thanks
@Sandy
You can use cake flour or all-purpose flour. The quality of the siopao will depend on what kind of flour you will use.
My second time to cook siopao so disappointed come out flat. I’m using organic unbleached all purpose flour and Red star active dry yeast. Can i use baking powder. Aldo, i coconut oil instead of shortening. Pls advise
Hi Elsie, I’m not sure what is the problem why it came out flat. It should be fluffy and because of the yeast. But it might be the coconut oil that you use. Try using lard or shortening.
Thanks for the tasty recipes, it’s a great help in preparing my everyday meals. Keep it up and more recipes to come!