Instant pot Chicken BBQ Siopao or Steamed Bun with Chicken BBQ- Filipino Style

Siopao is a Filipino dish which is similar to Chinese dish. Iloilo is a province in the Philippines where majority of the people in the city are Chinese and most of the establishments are manage by Chinese. Most of my Mom's business friends are Chinese. As Ilonggo, we are exposed to Chinese food and we adapted their way of cooking.

Kong Kee and Roberto's house are one of the oldest Chinese restaurant in Iloilo since I was a baby. It it still my favorite for the past 40 years especially for their siopao, siomai, lomi, sotanghon guisado, meatballs, lumpia/eggrolls and camaron rebosado.

This is my eldest son favorite. For chicken bbq filling, I use my mama's recipe for bbq marinade with some adjustment with the recipe, I remove the salt and decrease the amount of mixture. Chicken bbq are my kids favorite dish from their Grandma.

Instant pot Chicken BBQ Siopao or Steamed Bun with chicken BBQ - Filipino Style
Author: Neliza Ly

Chicken BBQ filling for Siopao - This is my mom's recipe for her chicken bbq. I made some changes. I use maggi seasoning instead of dark soy sauce. I also remove the salt.

Chicken Filling Ingredients for Siopao:

• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil or olive oil
• 1 lb. ground chicken or boneless/skinless chicken thighs or chicken tenderloin cut into small pieces
• 2 tbsp. maggi seasoning or dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. plum sauce
• 2 tbsp. Sweet Baby Ray’s honey bbq sauce
• 2 tbsp. ketchup
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 tbsp. water

Instructions:

• In a bowl, combine maggi seasoning, plum sauce, bbq sauce, ketchup and brown sugar. Mix very well. Taste the sauce mixture. Add more ketchup (for sourer taste) or sugar for sweeter taste. Then add garlic powder, mix well and set aside.
• Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode. Add oil and brown the chicken.
• Add bbq mixture and 1/3 cup water.
• Turn off sauté mode. Set the Instant Pot on Manual mode, High Pressure for 8 Minutes, 10 minutes NPR.
• Once cooking is done, release the remaining pressure. Open the lid carefully.
• Turn on the sauté mode. Mix 1 tbsp. cornstarch and 1 tbsp. water. Add cornstarch mixture to meat mixture. Mix until thickened and all liquid evaporates.

Bun Ingredients:

• ½ cup milk
• 1 XL egg
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ½ tsp. salt
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 2 1/3 cup All Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp. yeast

Instructions:

• Place all bun ingredients in a bread maker pan. Select dough setting.
• When cycle is done, remove dough from pan.
• Deflate and divide the dough into 12 equal sizes. Shape each piece into a ball. ( If I want a bigger size, I divide the dough into 8).
• Cover the dough with plastic wrap  or place it in a plastic container with cover and allow to rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Flatten the dough, add chicken bbq filling in the center. Pull the edges up and pinch together to form a bun. Place each bun on a parchment paper.
• Allow the bun to rest for 30 minutes.

 
Place 1 Cup of water into the Instant Pot and place the bamboo steamer basket or trivet. If you use 2 layer of bamboo steamer with cover, it is a little tight on 6 qt IP which is a little bit difficult to close. ( I tried cooking without cover, It works fine).
 

• Set the Instant Pot on Manual mode, High Pressure for 3 minutes, Quick Release.
• 
• Enjoy. 
•  

Notes:

• If I'm in a hurry and don't have much time, I use a big bamboo steamer and cook 12-14 siopao at one time. Add 4 cups of water. Set the instant Pot on sauté mode, adjust "more", place the big bamboo steamer on top of the instant pot and steam for 15 minutes.
• On my big siopao with pulled pork filling, I divide the dough into 8. Cook 2 siopao at a time in the instant pot using a bamboo steamer. It doesn't fit more than 2 because the size is big (I'll add picture next time). The cooking time still the same. High Pressure 3 minutes, Quick Release. 
• If you prefer less meat and more bun. Only make half of the filling ingredients.