Siopao is a Filipino steamed bun and a popular snack in the Philippines introduced by Chinese immigrants during the Spanish Colonial. Similar to Bao (Chinese steamed buns) siopao is made of yeast-leavened dough. Steamed with various savory fillings like braised pork or chicken Asado, and sweet fillings like mung bean paste, Ube, and custard. Siopao Bola bola is also one of the popular variations of siopao filled with meatballs and a sliced salted egg.
A siopao sweet filling variation that I grew up eating is filled with red mung bean paste. I remember when I was in grade school, my mom, sister, and I would wait outside the house, around 3 pm for the Siopao vendor to arrive on his bicycle with a sidecar to buy Siopao. Although we can still hear him inside the house yelling “Siopao!” and the sound of the horn on his bicycle. We want to wait outside to make sure we will not miss buying the delicious hot siopao😋.
The siopao vendor has a built-in steamer in his sidebar to keep it hot. And a squeeze bottle with the Asado sauce to inject the sauce into the siopao if you want the extra sauce. Because all the siopao has white dough, it is marked with a dot on top with different food colors to identify the filling. Every time I make two kinds of filling for siopao with Pork and chicken Asado filling. I will mark the pork siopao with a red dot and yellow for the chicken.
This Siopao Pork Asado Recipe includes a Siopao dough recipe, Asado sauce, Asado Dry Rub marinade, and pork Asado filling Recipe. Marinated overnight and then slow-cooked in a flavourful Asado sauce.
How to Make Siopao Asado
Step 1. Marinate the Pork. You can make the filling ahead. It can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and it freezes well. Mix all the dry rub marinate and then coat the pork generously. Marinate overnight for the best flavor. If short of time, the 2 lbs. pork (cut cubed) sauteed in onion and garlic can be braised with 1/2 cup of Asado sauce plus 1/2 cup water for 2 hours or pressure cook for 35 minutes or until pulled fork tender. Simmer for sauce reduction then add and toss to the pork.
Step 2. Make the Asado Sauce. You can also make this ahead and refrigerate it. Add all the Asado sauce ingredients to a saucepan and mix until blended. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes to infuse the aromatics. Use a strainer to remove the aromatics. Add the slurry and mix until the Asado sauce thickened. Cover and set aside.
Step 3. Slow-cook or braise the Pork Asado. In an Instant Pot, drizzle a tablespoon of canola oil. Sear the pork on each side for a few minutes until it has a brown crust. Add a couple of tablespoons of water and the juice from the marinade. Then add about half a cup of Asado sauce. Slow-cook for 6.5 hours or braise the marinated pork cubed with sauteed onion and garlic for 2 hours.
Step 4. Make the siopao dough. Mix the active dry yeast, warm water, and sugar in a bowl of a stand mixer. Set aside for 5 minutes or until foamy. Mix half of the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a bowl to ensure all the dry ingredients will blend well before adding to the wet ingredients.
Add the milk and the dry ingredients to the yeast mixture. With the dough attachment, knead and alternately add the shortening and the rest of the flour. Knead for about 8 minutes. Do a windowpane test to ensure the dough is kneaded enough and ready to rise. Grease the bowl with cooking oil and the dough. Cover and let it rise in a warm place for an hour or two until it doubles in size.
Divide the Siopao dough. Deflate the dough and divide it into 12 weighing about 105 grams to 110 grams for large siopao. Or 24 weighing about 55 grams each dough. Form each dough into a ball and cover to avoid the dough drying out.
Step 5. Filling the siopao dough. Flatten the dough and make the edges a bit thinner with the rolling pin. Add a scoop of the pork Asado in the middle of the dough. Make about 6 to 8 pleats, pinching the dough as you go while pushing the filling inside until gathered in the middle. Pinch hard to ensure it will not open when steaming. Place each filled siopao on parchment paper (cut into squares or round about 4 to 5 inches). Cover and proof for 20 to 30 minutes. 
Step 6. Steam the Siopao. Add water to the steamer and bring to a boil. Add vinegar for a whiter dough. However, it also depends on the flour you gonna use. Place the proof-filled dough in the steamer about 3 to 4 inches apart. Steam the large siopao for about 20 minutes and steam the small siopao for 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer the Asado sauce to a squeeze bottle if available or serve it on the side in a soy dish.
Step 7. How to serve Siopao. Serve the siopao hot and serve it with the Asado sauce in a squeeze bottle or soy dish. Reheat the Asado sauce if you made this ahead then cool it down a bit before you transfer it to the squeeze bottle if using.
This Siopao Pork Asado recipe makes 12 large siopao weigh about 150 g/pc. (Cooked) Or makes 24 Small siopao-weigh about 75g/pc. (Cooked) Or makes 6 large siopao and 12 small siopao.
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Storing the Siopao Asado
Keep refrigerated. Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 5 days. Freeze in a sealed container for up to 3 months.
To Reheat
Thaw and can reheat in a microwave. To reheat in the microwave, place the siopao on a plate and place a soy dish with a tablespoon of water beside the siopao or wrap the siopao with a wet paper towel. Microwave for 30 to 45 seconds depending on the power of your microwave. Or reheat in a steamer for about 5 minutes.
Siopao Asado (Filipino Steamed Buns)
Watch How to Make It
Equipment
- Instant Pot or use a crockpot (slow-cooker), or saucepot if braising the meat
- Stainless Steamer or just use the steamer in the Instant Pot or a bamboo steamer
- Saucepan
- Rolling Pin
- Squeeze Bottle optional
Ingredients
Pork Asado Ingredients
- 2 lbs. Pork shoulder
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 small onion finely chopped
Asado Dry Rub Marinade Ingredients
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder or paste
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp anatto powder or paprika or both
- ½ tsp ginger powder or paste
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ to ½ tsp five-spice or sub with cumin, optional spices
Asado Sauce Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 2½ tbsp dark soy sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar packed or to taste
- 3 cups water
- 1 small onion quartered
- 2 cloves garlic smashed
- 1- star anise
- 2 bay leaves
- Ground black pepper to taste
For the slurry
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water
For the Siopao Dough Ingredients
Yeast mixture
- 1 cup water warm
- 1 cup milk warm
- 1 tbsp active dry yeast
- 2 tbsp sugar
For the dough
- 5 cups all-purpose flour divided
- 2½ tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt optional, omit for a whiter dough
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup shortening
For steaming
- Water about 1 litre or more
- vinegar about 1 tbsp
Instructions
- Marinate the pork. Mix all the dry rub marinate and then coat the pork generously. Marinate overnight for the best flavour.
- Make the Asado Sauce. Add all the Asado sauce ingredients in a saucepan and mix until blended. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes to infuse the aromatic. Use a strainer to remove the aromatic. Add the slurry and mix until the Asado sauce thickened. Cover and set aside.
- Slow-cook or braise the Pork Asado. In an Instant Pot, drizzle a tablespoon of canola oil. Sear the pork on each side for a few minutes until it has a brown crust. Add a couple of tablespoons of water and the juice from the marinade. Then add about half a cup of Asado sauce. Slow-cook for 6.5 hours or braise the marinated pork cubed with sauteed onion and garlic for 2 hours.
- Make the siopao dough. Mix the active dry yeast, warm water and sugar in a bowl of a stand mixer. Set aside for 5 minutes or until foamy. Mix half of the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt in a bowl to ensure all the dry ingredients will blend well before adding to the wet ingredients.Add the milk and the dry ingredients to the yeast mixture. With the dough attachment, knead and alternately add the shortening and the rest of the flour. Knead for about 8 minutes. Do a windowpane test to ensure the dough is kneaded enough and ready to rise. Grease the bowl with cooking oil and the dough. Cover and let it rise in a warm place for an hour or two until it doubles in size.
- Divide the siopao dough. Deflate the dough and divide it into 12 weighing about 105 grams to 110 grams each for large siopao. Or 24 weighing about 55 grams each dough. Form each dough into a ball.
- Filling the siopao dough. Flatten the dough and make the edges a bit thinner with the rolling pin. Add a scoop of the pork Asado in the middle of the dough. Make about 6 to 8 pleats, pinching the dough as you go while pushing the filling inside until gathered in the middle. Pinch hard to ensure it will not open when steaming.
- Place each filled siopao on a parchment paper. Cover and proof for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Steam the Siopao. Add water to the steamer and bring to a boil. Add vinegar for a whiter dough. However, it also depends on the flour you gonna use. Place the proof-filled dough in the steamer about 3 to 4 inches apart. Steam the large siopao for about 20 minutes and steam the small siopao for 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer the Asado sauce to a squeeze bottle if available.
- Serve the siopao hot and serve with the Asado sauce in a squeeze bottle or soy dish.
