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  • Vegan bao buns with pulled mushrooms, red cabbage, carrots and sprouts on baking paper next to a bowl of BBQ sauce
  • Vegan bao buns with pulled mushrooms from above on a blue plate with baking paper and BBQ sauce
  • Close up of 2 bao buns with glazed mushroom strips, red cabbage, carrots, spring onions and black sesame seeds
  • Filled bao buns from the side at an angle with pulled mushrooms and plenty of red cabbage
  • Row of vegan bao buns on baking paper with a small bowl of dark BBQ sauce in the background
  • Ingredients for vegan bao buns: flour, king oyster mushrooms, carrots, red cabbage, spring onions and sprouts

5 OCTOBER 2026

Vegan Bao Buns with Pulled Mushrooms and Red Cabbage

By Verena Frei

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Prep
40 min
Cook
20 min
Total
2 hr 15 min
Servings
4 servings
What can I cook tonight?Tap what you have at home and I will show you what fits.e.g. withoyster mushroomsbbq saucemaple syrupOpen the Recipe Finder

Hello lovelies,

we never make it past the bao buns at a street food market. At some point I really wanted to make these soft, folded yeast buns at home, and completely plant-based. The result is these vegan bao buns with pulled mushrooms: the mushrooms are pulled into strips, fried until crisp and glazed in a smoky BBQ sauce. Red cabbage, carrots and spring onions add color and crunch.

Vegan bao buns with pulled mushrooms from above on a blue plate with baking paper and BBQ sauce

If you like pulled jackfruit, you may already know my jackfruit tacos with jalapeños. In the bao buns the mushrooms take on that role, and they are much easier to find in the supermarket.

Oyster mushrooms instead of pulled pork

Oyster mushrooms and king oyster mushrooms have a firm, fibrous texture. Pull them into rough strips with 2 forks or your fingers and they really do look a little like shredded meat. What matters is a hot pan and a little patience: only once the mushrooms have fried for 10 minutes and turned crisp at the edges does the sauce go in.

Close up of 2 bao buns with glazed mushroom strips, red cabbage, carrots, spring onions and black sesame seeds

The dough is easier than it looks: flour, water, a little yeast and baking powder, 5 minutes of kneading, 1 hour of rising. If you have ever baked my tomato burger buns with yeast dough, you know the routine. The big difference is that bao buns are not baked but steamed, which is why they stay so pale and fluffy.

When shaping them I lay a small piece of baking paper between both halves of the dough. That way nothing sticks together, and the buns open easily for filling after steaming.

Filled bao buns from the side at an angle with pulled mushrooms and plenty of red cabbageRow of vegan bao buns on baking paper with a small bowl of dark BBQ sauce in the backgroundIngredients for vegan bao buns: flour, king oyster mushrooms, carrots, red cabbage, spring onions and sprouts

At our house bao buns are a weekend favorite, and everyone fills their own. The kids stack red cabbage and sprouts until truly nothing more fits inside.

And if you feel like more Asian cooking afterwards, try my vegan chop suey with rice noodles. I would love to hear how the vegan bao buns turned out for you.

Yours, Verena

TIPS

Verena's notes

Tip from my kitchen: fry the mushrooms in 2 batches if your pan is small. Too many mushrooms at once release water and will not turn crisp. I freeze leftover bao buns after steaming and steam them again straight from the freezer. Instead of mushrooms, pulled jackfruit or crispy fried tofu work too. If you like it hotter, stir a little sriracha into the vegan mayo.

Vegan bao buns with pulled mushrooms, red cabbage, carrots and sprouts on baking paper next to a bowl of BBQ sauce

Vegan Bao Buns with Pulled Mushrooms and Red Cabbage

Fluffy steamed yeast buns filled with crispy pulled mushrooms in BBQ sauce, red cabbage, carrots and sesame seeds.

  • Course:Main Dish
  • Prep:40 min
  • Cook:20 min
  • Servings:4 servings
Vegan
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EQUIPMENT

  • steamer or pot with a steamer insert
  • baking paper
  • rolling pin
  • mixing bowl
  • large frying pan
  • pastry brush

INGREDIENTS

For the bao buns:

For the pulled mushrooms:

To fill:

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INSTRUCTIONS

Make the dough

  1. Mix the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and dry yeast in a bowl.
  2. Add the lukewarm water and 1 Tbsp of oil and knead everything into a smooth dough.
  3. Knead the dough for 5 minutes until it is soft and elastic.
  4. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 1 hour until it has doubled in size.

Shape the bao buns

  1. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces on a floured surface.
  2. Shape each piece into a ball, press it flat and roll it into an oval about 10 cm (4 inches) long.
  3. Brush the ovals thinly with oil, lay a small piece of baking paper on one half and fold the dough over in the middle.
  4. Set the buns on small squares of baking paper, cover them and let them rest for 15 minutes.

Steam

  1. Bring water to a boil in the steamer or in a pot with a steamer insert.
  2. Place the buns inside with a little space between them, cover and steam for 10 minutes until soft and fluffy. Depending on the size of your insert, work in 2 batches.

Pulled mushrooms

  1. Pull the mushrooms into rough strips with your fingers or 2 forks so they look like shredded meat.
  2. Stir the BBQ sauce, soy sauce, paprika and maple syrup together in a small bowl.
  3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and fry the mushrooms for about 10 minutes until crisp and caramelized.
  4. Add the sauce, fry for another 2 to 3 minutes until it coats the mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper.

Fill and serve

  1. Cut the red cabbage into fine strips, the carrots into thin sticks and the spring onions into fine rings.
  2. Open the bao buns, remove the baking paper and fill them with pulled mushrooms, red cabbage, carrots and sprouts.
  3. Garnish with spring onions, add a dollop of vegan mayo and a little BBQ sauce if you like, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Made it?

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Calories
470 kcal
Protein
11 g
GOOD TO KNOW

Frequently asked questions

  • Yes. Set a metal sieve or a bamboo basket over a pot with a little simmering water, the buns must not touch the water. Wrap the lid in a kitchen towel so no condensation drips onto the dough and the surface stays nice and smooth.

  • Oyster mushrooms or king oyster mushrooms are best, because they pull apart into long, fibrous strips. A mix of both works just as well. Button mushrooms turn softer when fried and are less suitable.

  • Yes. Let the steamed buns cool and freeze them individually, they keep for about 2 months. To serve, steam them straight from the freezer for 5 to 8 minutes. You can fry the pulled mushrooms the day before and reheat them briefly in the pan.

  • Usually the dough has not risen enough, or the water was too hot for the yeast. Lukewarm means roughly body temperature. Also, do not open the lid while they steam, otherwise the buns collapse.

  • The dough is vegan, it contains neither milk nor egg. Check the label of your BBQ sauce, as some brands contain honey, and use a vegan mayonnaise. Soy sauce and maple syrup are plant-based anyway.

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