Gua Bao
Steamed buns with braised pork belly
Ingredients
- 700 g Pork belly
- 8 Bao buns
- 3 tbsp Dark soy sauce
- 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 40 g Sugar
- 2 Star anise
- 1 Ginger
- 3 Scallions (optional)
- 40 g Peanuts (optional)
Method
- Cut the pork belly into thick slabs and slice the ginger.
- Crush the peanuts. (optional)
- In a pot, braise the pork in the dark soy, Shaoxing wine, sugar, star anise, ginger, and enough water to cover. Simmer gently until the pork is meltingly tender.
- Steam the bao buns over simmering water until soft and puffed.
- Fill each bun with the braised pork, crushed peanuts, and scallions and serve.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Gua Bao
Gua bao are the pillowy folded steamed buns of Taiwanese and Fujianese street food, sometimes called the Taiwanese hamburger for the way the soft, clamshell-shaped bao wraps around its filling. The heart of the dish is braised pork belly — here cooked low and slow in dark soy, Shaoxing wine, sugar, star anise, and ginger until the fat renders and the meat turns meltingly tender. That braise is the classic red-cooking style, its liquid reducing into something dark, glossy, and deeply savory-sweet.
Assembly is where gua bao becomes irresistible: a warm, cloud-soft bun cradling rich pork, then the traditional finish of crushed peanuts for crunch and scallions for freshness, with pickled greens and cilantro often added too. The contrast of textures — squishy bun, unctuous pork, crunchy nuts — is the whole appeal. Though the braise takes time, most of it is unattended, and the payoff is a hands-on, build-your-own eating experience perfect for sharing. Serve them as street-food-style snacks or make a meal of several, ideally with a cold beer.
Gua Bao: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Gua Bao?
A serving has about 749 calories — 14.7g protein, 27.7g carbs, 64g fat, 1g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Gua Bao gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Bao buns, Dark soy sauce. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for those ingredients to make it gluten-free.
How long does Gua Bao take to make?
About 90 minutes start to finish, but only around 12 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Gua Bao?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out scallions, peanuts — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Gua Bao make?
This recipe makes 6 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.