You will love this Guo Bao recipe if you like braised pork and buns.

Guo Bao (Taiwanese Pork Belly Buns / lotus leaf buns /  割包 / 挂包) is a popular Taiwanese street food. It is made by stuffing the braised pork belly in the pocket of fluffy bao buns. 

It is a famous snack in Taiwan that is sold in night markets and restaurants.

You can make the bun from scratch, but you can also use store-bought buns to save time and focus on preparing only the filling/

The Taiwanese guo bao is a steamed bun sandwiched with braised pork belly, pickled mustard greens, coriander leaves (cilantro), and peanut powder. Combining a salty, sweet, savory flavor and its colorful presentation with various textures make Guo Bao an irresistible feast.

Let’s dive into how to make guo bao at home right away.

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1. How to make Guo Bao

I recommend focusing on the fillings to achieve a distinctive taste for the guo bao. However, you can make it from scratch if you can’t find it in your local supermarket or grocery store. While frozen guo bao is widely available where I reside, it may not be available in your region, requiring you to prepare the homemade bao buns yourself.

A. The bun

1. To prepare the dough, dissolve the active dry yeast in milk instead of water to enhance the flavor of the buns. Then, add sugar and flour to the mixture and combine well.
2. Knead the dough by hand or with a stand mixer until it forms a cohesive, elastic, and shiny texture. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and refrigerate for approximately 40 minutes to proof.
3. Once the dough has risen to double its initial size, punch it down to release the air. 
4. Divide it into ten equal portions of 50 grams each. 
5. Allow the dough to relax on the table for ten minutes before rolling.
6. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough on a clean surface into a 5-inch long oval.
7. Apply some vegetable oil on one side with a brush. Gently fold the unoiled part of the dough onto the oiled portion without exerting too much pressure. 
8. Place the dough on baking paper, and let it rest for ten more minutes to proof.
9. After proofing, the dough should feel lighter when held in your hand. Next, steam the buns for approximately seven minutes over high heat. Leave the steamer’s lid slightly open for two more minutes to prevent moisture from condensing onto the surface of the guo bao. 
10. Finally, remove the fluffy steamed bun from the steamer and serve.

Note: I used traditional bamboo steamer in the past, but now the stainless steel steamer set is more user-friendly.

B. The pork belly

1. Cut the pork belly into large chunks to fill and place them in a pot with spring onions, ginger, and rice wine. 
2. Make sure there is enough water to submerge all the pork belly pieces. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat to simmer the pork belly for another five minutes. 
3. Remove the pork belly from the pot and discard the remaining ingredients.
4. Next, slice the pork pieces into thick slices and pan-fry until golden brown on both sides.
5. Add spring onions, ginger slices, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice wine, salt, sugar, five-spice powder, and white pepper powder to the pan. Pour in enough water and simmer the pork belly over low heat until it becomes tender, which could take up to 45 minutes to an hour.
6. When the pork belly is tender, remove it from the braising liquid and strain the remaining liquid through a wire mesh strainer to obtain a clear broth. Next, return the sauce mixture to the pot and reduce it until it becomes gravy. The pork belly is now ready to use as a filling.

Note: 

• You may include some spices based on your preference. Some suggested spices are cinnamon sticks, star anise, and cloves. Sesame oil, hoisin sauce, and oyster sauce are other items you can include in the list of seasonings.
• Pork loin is healthier but does not yield pork belly’s tender and melt-in-your-mouth texture.

C. The pickled mustard green

Another key ingredient of the filling is the stir-fried pickled mustard green. These pickled vegetables are usually available at the Asian grocery store near you.

1. Begin by thoroughly cleaning the pickled mustard green with plenty of water to remove debris or sand between the leaves. 
2. Next, soak them in water for around 15 minutes to reduce their saltiness. 
3. Once soaked, cut them into small pieces, approximately half a centimeter in length.
4. Using a wok or pan, stir-fry the cut mustard greens until they are dry. 
5. Next, add some oil to the wok and sauté the chopped garlic, then mix with the pickled mustard green.
6. Season the mixture with a bit of sugar and ground white pepper, and continue to stir-fry until it becomes aromatic. 
7. Once finished, set the mixture aside to use later.

D. Other ingredients for the filling

Crushed peanuts. Place the peanuts and sugar in an electric blender and process them into a fine powder. This sweetened peanut powder will be used as part of the filling of the soft steamed bun.

In addition, you’ll need to wash some coriander leaves to place on top of the filling before serving.

E. How to serve Guo Bao

To serve, open the steamed buns to create a pocket. Then, stuff your tender pork belly, pickled mustard green, cilantro, and peanut powder into the pocket, drizzle with the gravy, and enjoy! 

This Guo Bao recipe is based on the Taiwanese version, which includes braised pork belly, chopped peanuts, pickled mustard greens, and fresh cilantro. You can have different flavors with marinated tofu or fried chicken as the filling. I enjoy adding meat floss as one of the ingredients.

2. How to store the steamed guo bao

• To store steamed guo bao, freeze them in an airtight container. When you want to use them, transfer them to the chiller section of the refrigerator the night before. This way will allow them to thaw slowly and evenly. 
• When you are ready to serve them, steam the guo bao until they are hot.

3. Other related recipes

If you like this Taiwanese pork belly bun recipe, try the following on this food blog.

• Lu Rou Fan is braised pork with thick gravy, hard-boiled egg, and some vegetables served on steamed rice.
• Taiwanese beef noodle soup has a hunger-inducing aroma from the intermingling of various Asian spices, aromatics, and herbs.
• Taiwanese salt and pepper chicken is the crispiest fried chicken I have ever tasted. It is a popular snack at the Taiwanese night markets.

Continue to Content

Guo Bao recipe- How to make 割包

Yield: 10 buns

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Make the famous Taiwanese pork belly buns (Guo Bao) with this easy-to-follow Guo Bao recipe. Include how to make the buns from scratch.

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Ingredients

The Bun (A)

• All-purpose flour 300 g
• granulated sugar 35 g
• Fresh milk 190 g
• Dry yeast 3 g

The pork (blanch) (B)

• 400g pork belly
• 2 stalks of spring onions
• 5 slices ginger
• 1 tbsp rice wins

The pork (braised) (C)

• 2 stalks of spring onions
• 5 pieces ginger
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice wine
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp five-spice powder
• 1/2 white pepper powder
• 500 ml water

The pickled mustard green (D)

• 200g pickled mustard green
• 2 tsp chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
• Coriander leaves (cilantro) to garnish

Peanut powder (E)

• 3 tbsp peanuts
• 2 tsp sugar

Instructions

The bun

1. Dissolve the active dry yeast in milk. Then, add sugar and flour to the mixture and combine well.
2. Knead the dough until it forms a cohesive, elastic, shiny texture. Let it be proof for approximately 40 minutes.
3. Divide it into ten equal portions of 50 grams each. 
4. Allow the dough to relax for ten minutes.
5. Flatten the dough into a 5-inch long oval.
6. Apply some vegetable oil on one side with a brush. Gently fold the unoiled part, no top.
7. Place the dough on baking paper, and let it rest for ten more minutes.
8. Steam the buns for seven minutes over high heat, then another two more minutes with the lid open slightly.

The pork belly

1. Cut the pork belly into large chunks. 
2. Blanch with the ingredients in B for five minutes. 
3. Remove the pork belly, and slice it into thick slices.
4. Pan-fry until golden brown on both sides.
5. Braise with ingredients C over low heat until it becomes tender, about  45 minutes to an hour.
6. Remove the pork. Strain the remaining liquid through a wire mesh strainer to obtain a clear broth, then reduce it until it becomes gravy 

The pickled mustard green

1. Clean and soak them in water for 15 minutes to reduce their saltiness. 
2. Cut them into small pieces and stir-fry until they are dry. 
3. Next, add some oil to the wok and sauté the chopped garlic, then mix with the pickled mustard green.
4. Season the mixture with a bit of sugar and ground white pepper, and continue to stir-fry until it becomes aromatic. 

To serve 

1. Stuff the pork belly, pickled mustard green, cilantro, and peanut powder into the pocket, drizzle with the gravy, and enjoy! 

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 327Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 718mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 2gSugar: 8gProtein: 15g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 9/3/2023