Steamed Beef Bun / Baozi (牛肉包子)
包子 (bāozi), or steamed buns, have been a staple in Chinese cuisine for centuries. These soft, fluffy buns are filled with a variety of savoury ingredients, such as pork, beef, vegetables, and even sweet fillings like red bean paste. They are a popular street food and are often enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or as a snack.
While pork is the most common filling, 牛肉包子 (niú ròu bāozi), buns filled with seasoned minced beef are especially popular in northern China. Though simple in appearance, baozi carry a sense of warmth and home-style comfort. They represent a balance of texture, flavour, and technique. And for many, they’re tied to early childhood memories of breakfast shops or family kitchens.
Whether you’re making these for the first time or just craving a nostalgic taste, 牛肉包子 is one of those recipes that feels timeless and deeply satisfying.
Ingredients:
Dough
All-purpose flour forms the base of the dough. It is strong enough to hold structure but soft enough to stay tender after steaming. You don’t need bread flour here as you want lift instead of chewiness.
Instant yeast is the rising agent that makes the dough fluffy. It doesn’t need to be activated separately. Just mix it into the flour and it starts working once the warm water is added.
Warm water helps activate the yeast and encourages the dough to rise faster. Make sure it’s warm to the touch but not hot as too much heat can kill the yeast.
Sugar feeds the yeast and gives the dough a tiny hint of sweetness. It also helps with fermentation and flavour.
Salt is added just enough to balance the flavour. Too much can slow down yeast activity, but a pinch helps keep the dough from tasting flat.
Filling
Beef mince with a higher fat content keeps the filling tender and moist during steaming.
Soy sauce is the primary seasoning. It gives the beef its savoury umami backbone and that classic baozi flavour.
Oyster sauce adds depth and a subtle sweetness. It’s thicker and richer than soy sauce and helps the filling taste rounder and more satisfying.
Shaoxing wine brightens the meat and removes any gamey flavour from the beef. It also enhances the aroma when the bao is steamed.
Sesame oil adds the nuttiness and aroma to the filling. It doesn’t overpower but rounds out the flavour beautifully.
White pepper is added to provide a gentle heat.
Sugar balances the savoury ingredients and enhances the natural flavour of the beef.
Salt helps support the umami flavour from the soy and oyster sauce.
Ginger gives freshness and cuts through the richness.
Garlic adds that signature Chinese-style savoury base.
Scallion is added for colour, texture, and a mild oniony sharpness that blends into the filling as it cooks.
Onion helps keep the filling juicy and slightly sweet once steamed. Onion also melts down slightly inside the bao, contributing moisture without standing out.
Salt reduced beef stock and water are mixed in last to loosen the filling and give it that signature juicy texture. Cold liquid is added gradually and beaten into the meat to help it absorb. When steamed, the result is soft and succulent instead of dry or crumbly.
Instructions
Dough
Form the dough This is where the baozi begins! The goal is a smooth dough that will puff up into a fluffy bun after steaming.
Start by mixing all the dry ingredients in a large bowl: flour, sugar, salt and instant yeast.
Gradually pour in warm water and stir until a shaggy dough forms.
Knead until the dough becomes smooth and elastic for about 10 minutes by hand or 5 minutes in a stand mixer.
Proofing the dough
Cover the bowl of dough with a damp cloth and place it into a turned off oven. Add a separate bowl of boiling water on the bottom rack and close the door. This creates a warm, humid environment that helps the dough rise gently and evenly.
Let the dough rise for 60-90 minutes, until roughly doubled in size.
Push down and divide Once the dough has doubled, it’s ready for shaping:
Gently push down the dough to release built-up air built-up air bubbles.
Roll the dough into a long log and divide it into 10-12 equal pieces, depending on how large you want your baozi.
Let the dough pieces rest, covered, for 15 minutes. This gives the gluten time to relax, which makes the dough easier to roll out and shape later.
Filling
Mix the filling base
In a mixing bowl, combine the beef mince with soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, white pepper, sugar, and salt.
Mix thoroughly until the seasoning is well distributed.
Add aromatics and stock
Stir in minced ginger, garlic, scallions, and onion.
Gradually pour in the cold beef stock + water while mixing the filling. This helps the liquid absorb into the meat and gives the filling a springy, sticky texture which is exactly what you want.
Cover the filling and place it into the fridge for 30 minutes before wrapping. This firms it up slightly, making it easier to portion and wrap without leaking. It also helps with moisture retention during steaming. The fat and liquid don’t immediately release, so they stay inside the filling, keeping it succulent instead of greasy or dry.
Wrapping & Steaming
Roll the wrappers
Take one dough piece and roll it into a circle about 10–12 cm wide, keeping the centre a little thicker than the edges.
This helps hold the filling without tearing and creates that classic baozi shape once pleated.
Wrap the buns
Place filling in the centre of each wrapper.
Pleat and seal the top. You can do it any way you prefer as long as it’s sealed tightly to hold in the juices.
Final proofing
Place the wrapped baozi onto parchment paper or a steamer liner, cover loosely, and let them rest for 15 minutes.
This gives the dough time to rise slightly before steaming, which improves the texture.
Steam
Place buns in the steamer over room-temp water, then bring water to a boil and steam for 18 minutes.
Start steaming with cold water allows the heat to build up gradually, giving the buns a bit more time to rise and expand gently before the cooking fully sets the dough. This results in a smoother top with fewer wrinkles.
If starting with already warm or simmering water: Steam for 15 minutes.
After cooking, turn off the heat but leave the lid on for 3 more minutes. This prevents sudden temperature drops, which can cause the buns to wrinkle or collapse.
Full Recipe:
Ingredients:
Dough
300g all-purpose flour
1 tsp instant yeast
160ml (2/3 cup) warm water (2/3 room-temp water + 1/3 boiling water)
1/2 tsp sugar
Small pinch of salt
Filling
250g ground beef (preferably 20% fat)
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or cooking wine)
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp minced garlic
2 stalks scallions, finely chopped
1/2 small onion, finely minced
2 tbsp cold unsalted beef stock + 2 tbsp water (added last)
Instructions:
Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl: flour, sugar, salt and instant yeast. Gradually pour in warm water and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Knead for about 10 minutes by hand or 5 minutes in a stand mixer.
Cover the bowl of dough with a damp cloth and place it into a turned off oven. Add a separate bowl of boiling water on the bottom rack and close the door. Let the dough rise for 60-90 minutes, until roughly doubled in size.
In a mixing bowl, combine the beef mince with soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, white pepper, sugar, and salt. Mix thoroughly.
Stir in minced ginger, garlic, scallions, and onion. Gradually pour in the cold beef stock + water while mixing the filling.
Cover the filling and place it into the fridge for 30 minutes before wrapping.
Once the dough has doubled, gently push down the dough to release built-up air built-up air bubbles.
Roll the dough into a long log and divide it into 10-12 equal pieces. Let the dough pieces rest, covered, for 15 minutes.
After resting, take one dough piece and roll it into a circle about 10–12 cm wide, keeping the centre a little thicker than the edges.
Place about 1.5 tablespoons of filling in the centre of each wrapper. Pleat and seal the top.
Place the wrapped baozi onto parchment paper, cover loosely, and let them rest for 15 minutes.
Place buns in the steamer over room-temp water, then bring water to a boil and steam for 18 minutes. (or 15 minutes if starting with warm water)
After cooking, turn off the heat but leave the lid on for 3 more minutes.
Note:
You can batch freeze the raw wrapped buns before steaming.