Gua Bao – Taiwanese Pork Belly Steamed Buns

If I had to name one Asian street food I could eat every week, it would be pork belly steamed buns—hands down. There’s just something magical about fluffy white bao stuffed with slow-cooked pork belly, crisp veggies, and a drizzle of sauce. It’s comfort food that also happens to look (and taste) gourmet.

Traditionally, Taiwanese Gua Bao is made with soft steamed buns, tender pork belly, pickled mustard greens, cilantro, and powdered peanuts. But, in true VivaLaFood fashion, I went a little off-script. I swapped the mustard greens for fresh veggies to give the buns a crisp, clean bite—and skipped the peanuts, although you can absolutely include them if you love that classic crunch.

Now, I know making steamed buns from scratch can feel like a big ask. If you’re up for the challenge, check out my Pork Cheeks and Sauerkraut Bao Buns recipe for a full walkthrough. But for this recipe, I went with store-bought frozen bao buns from my local Asian grocery store—and they were a total win. Just steam them as directed and you’re good to go.

The pork belly, though? That’s non-negotiable. It deserves time and care, and I decided to give it the sous vide treatment. This was my first time cooking pork belly this way, and wow—the texture and flavor were incredible. I’m officially hooked. It’s not complicated at all, just requires a little patience—about 10 hours, to be exact. But trust me, it’s worth every minute.

🥢 Gua Bao – Taiwanese Pork Belly Steamed Buns

Recipe by Srima KharaCourse: 🍽️ Food u0026amp; Recipes

Servings

12(about 3 buns per person)

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Calories

300-400 Per Servings

kcal

Ingredients

• Pork belly – 2 lbs, skin on
  

• Chinese five-spice powder – 1 teaspoon
  

• Soy sauce – 6 tablespoons
  

• Fresh ginger – 2-inch piece, thinly sliced
  

• Garlic – 2 cloves, thinly sliced
  

• Green onions – 4 stalks (white parts only)
  

• Frozen bao buns – 2 packages (16–20 buns per pack)
  

• Radish – ⅔ cup, thinly sliced
  

• Cucumber – 2, thinly sliced
  

• Green onion – ½ cup (green part), finely chopped
  

• Cilantro – 1 small bunch

Directions

• Preheat your sous vide water bath to 176°F (80°C).
  
• Place the pork belly, five-spice powder, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and white part of green onion into a large freezer-safe ziplock bag.
  
• Slowly lower the bag into the water bath to remove air and seal it, or clip it to the side of the container.
  
• Submerge the pork belly in the bath and cook for 10 hours.
  
• Remove and rest the pork belly for 10–15 minutes.
  
• Strain the juices through a mesh sieve into a small saucepan.
  
• Simmer the juices, stirring, until reduced by half and syrupy.
  
• Brush the glaze over the pork belly and slice it ¼ inch thick, against the grain.
  
• Steam the frozen bao buns per the package instructions.
  
• Open each bun gently, add 1–2 slices of pork belly, a few slices of cucumber and radish, and top with chopped green onion.
  
• Serve immediately with Sriracha and hoisin sauce on the side for dipping.