No-Steamer Bao Buns with Sticky Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Takeout cravings hit hard around our house, but these Sticky Pork Bao Buns are one of my favorite ways to recreate those flavors at home with simple ingredients and a little planning ahead. Made with lean pork tenderloin coated in a sweet and sticky Chinese takeout-inspired glaze, they’re a lighter option that still feels incredibly satisfying. I almost always keep a pork tenderloin in the freezer for busy weeks, making this an easy dinner to pull together when I’m craving takeout but don’t want to leave the house.
Filled with tender glazed pork and your favorite toppings (I love fresh herbs like cilantro and green onion with pickled carrots and fresh cucumbers), these homemade bao buns are a fun weekend cooking project that delivers restaurant-quality flavor right from your own kitchen.
One of my favorite things about this recipe is that you don’t need any special equipment to make homemade bao buns. Instead of buying a bamboo steamer basket, I use a simple setup with a small bowl placed in the bottom of a large pot, a little water, and a heat-safe plate resting on top. The bao buns sit right on the plate and steam until perfectly soft and fluffy. It’s an easy kitchen hack that makes homemade bao buns feel much more approachable and proves you can make restaurant-worthy bao buns with what you already have at home.
The sticky pork is just as simple. I roast a pork tenderloin on a wire rack set over a baking sheet with a little water poured underneath. As the pork cooks, the water creates steam in the oven, helping keep the meat tender and juicy while the outside develops a rich, sticky glaze inspired by your favorite Chinese takeout. The result is flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth pork that’s perfect for piling into warm bao buns with plenty of extra sauce.
Pile that sticky pork into your fluffy homemade bao buns, add your favorite fresh toppings, and you have a fun, satisfying homemade takeout dinner that the whole family will love!
No-Steamer Bao Buns with Sticky Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
For the Sticky Pork
- 1 pork tenderloin approximately 1–1½ lbs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 cloves garlic minced
For the Bao Buns
- 2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup warm whole milk
- 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for brushing
For Serving
- Quick-pickled carrots
- Fresh cucumber thinly sliced
- Scallions thinly sliced
- Fresh cilantro
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, brown sugar, honey, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, grated ginger, cinnamon, and minced garlic until well combined. Place the pork tenderloin in a shallow dish or resealable bag and pour the marinade over the pork, turning to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3–5 hours, or preferably overnight.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, baking powder, and salt. Add the warm milk and olive oil, mixing until a shaggy dough forms. Bring the dough together with your hands and knead on a lightly floured surface for approximately 5–8 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and allow it to rise in a warm place for approximately 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, gently punch it down and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out to approximately ¼-inch thickness and cut into 3–4-inch circles using a round cookie cutter or the rim of a drinking glass.
- Lightly brush each dough circle with olive oil and fold it in half to create the traditional bao bun shape. Place each folded bun on an individual square of parchment paper. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and allow the buns to rise for an additional 30 minutes, or until slightly puffed.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the pork tenderloin from the marinade, reserving the remaining marinade for the glaze. Place the pork on a wire rack set inside a roasting pan and pour a small amount of water into the bottom of the pan, ensuring the water does not touch the pork.
- Transfer the reserved marinade to a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a full boil for at least 1 minute, then reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens into a glossy glaze.
- Roast the pork for approximately 25–35 minutes, brushing generously with the reduced glaze every 10 minutes. During the final 3–5 minutes of cooking, switch the oven to broil and allow the glaze to caramelize, watching carefully to prevent burning. Cook until the thickest part of the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.
- Remove the pork from the oven and allow it to rest for at least 3–5 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain.
- While the pork is roasting, prepare the steamer. Fill a large pot with approximately 1–2 inches of water and place an upside-down oven-safe bowl in the bottom of the pot. Set an oven-safe plate securely on top of the bowl, ensuring the plate sits above the water level. Bring the water to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- Arrange the risen bao buns on the plate, keeping each bun on its individual square of parchment paper and leaving enough space between them to expand. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and steam for approximately 8 minutes, or until the buns are puffed, soft, and cooked through. Work in batches as needed, carefully removing the buns from the steamer before adding the next batch.
- Gently open each warm bao bun and fill with slices of sticky pork. Top with quick-pickled carrots, fresh cucumber, sliced scallions, and cilantro. Drizzle with additional glaze, if desired, and serve immediately.
