This Vegan Siopao Asado Recipe is a warm, comforting take on the classic Filipino street food! These soft and fluffy steamed buns are packed with a savory, plant-based asado filling made with TVP, shiitake mushrooms, and chayote, all enhanced with soy sauce, vegetarian oyster sauce, and black pepper. Whether you're craving comfort food or a filling snack, these flavorful buns hit the spot.

On the lookout for more interesting Filipino dishes you want to try? How about my healthy Fried Dilis, fun and colorful Pichi Pichi, and fresh Lumpia?

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What is Siopao Recipe?
Substitutions
Variations
Storage
Ingredients
⭐ Top Tip
FAQ
Siopao Recipe

What is Siopao Recipe?

Siopao, meaning "steamed bun," is a beloved snack in the Philippines that originated from Chinese char siu bao. It was introduced by Ma Mon Luk in 1918 and quickly became a favorite, alongside other noodle dishes like mami. This version stays true to the comfort and flavor of the original, but uses vegan ingredients and no meat, making it a cruelty-free take on the classic chicken asado filling.

You’ll get the same pillowy texture from the dough, filled with bold, umami-packed ingredients—perfectly steamed to satisfy any craving.

Substitutions

Soy milk – Swap with oat or almond milk.
TVP – Substitute with lentils or crumbled tofu.
Shiitake mushrooms – You can use king oyster mushrooms instead.
Chayote – Replace with zucchini, green papaya, or diced eggplant.
Vegetarian oyster sauce – Use hoisin sauce or mushroom soy sauce.
Shortening – Replace with vegan butter or refined coconut oil.

Variations

Spicy Siopao – Add chili flakes or hot sauce to the filling.
Sweet Siopao – Fill with sweetened mung bean or ube halaya.
Mini Siopao – Divide dough into smaller rounds for bento-size buns.
Siopao Bola-Bola – Use a tofu-veggie ball mixture as an alternative filling.
BBQ-style – Mix in 1 tablespoon of vegan BBQ sauce to the filling.

a vegan siopao in a bamboo steamer and three other vegan siopaos with a square-shaped banana leaves at the bottom

Storage

Store cooled buns in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer (wrapped in plastic or foil) for up to 1 month. Reheat in the steamer or microwave with a damp towel to keep the texture soft and moist.

Ingredients

Listed below are all the ingredients you will need:

Dough:

warm soy milk (plant-based milk)
yeast
sugar
all-purpose flour
baking powder

Siopao Filling:

Instructions

For the Dough:

In a small bowl, add ⅓ cup soy milk, yeast, and sugar, and mix well. Set aside the yeast mixture for 10 minutes, or until the mixture is foamy.

In a mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, sugar, and mix until well combined:

a mixture of soy milk, yeast, and sugar in a small white bowl, and a mixture of add flour, baking powder, sugar in a transparent glass mixing bowl

Add the yeast mixture and mix very well. Then, add the remaining soy milk:

Added the yeast mixture and the remaining soy milk into the mixing bowl

Mix until it forms a dough. Then, continue to mix and knead until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky. If you have a mixer, mix it for about 5 minutes:

kneading the mixture until it becomes a smooth dough

Cover the dough with a plastic wamp or a damp towel and allow it to rise by setting it aside for at least an hour or until it doubles in size.

After that, punch and knead the dough for about 5 minutes:

Covering the dough with a damp towel to rest for an hour, and punching and kneading it letting it afterwards

On a clean work surface, form dough into a log and cut into 8 equal slices.

forming the dough into a log and cutting into 8 equal slices

Divide the dough into pieces. Then, on a clean surface, flatten each of the dough using a rolling pin until the dough forms a circle:

flattening the dough balls on a clean surface using a rolling pin until the dough forms a circle

For the Filling:

Soak TVP in 1 ½ cups of water for 15 minutes, then drain water. In another bowl, soak dried mushrooms for 15–20 minutes, or until mushrooms are soft. Then, drain the water and dice mushrooms:

In a frying pan over medium heat, heat oil. Add onions and garlic and cook until translucent:

TVP soaked in water in a white bowl and sautéed onions and garlic in a frying pan

Add diced shiitake mushrooms and TVP until its color is golden brown. Then, add chayote and continue to saute:

sautéed diced shitake mushrooms, TVP, and chayote in the pan

Add 1 cup (0.24 l) of water and allow it to simmer. Then, add soy sauce:

added water and soy sauce into the mixture

Add oyster sauce and continue to mix until well combined. Then, add salt:

added oyster sauce and salt into the mixture

Add onion powder, sugar, and chives:

added onion powder, sugar, and chives into the pan

Then add the cornstarch mixture and mix well. The siopao filling will be creamy:

added the cornstarch mixture and mixed well

To Assemble Siopao Buns:

Place 1–2 tablespoons of the meat filling in the center. Gather the edges of the dough around the filling:

placed the meat filling in the center using a tablespoon then gathered the edges of the dough around the filling:

Gently twist to fully secure the filling. Then, place the bun on a piece of parchment or wax paper. When I did this, I used banana leaves, which I cut into squares. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling:

Gently twisted the edges of the dough to fully secure the filling Then, placed the buns on the square-cut banana leaves

Place the siopao in a steamer basket and steam for 15 minutes, or until it turns white and fluffy.

Placed the siopao in a steamer basket and covered with a towel and lid

Serve these delicious buns hot and enjoy!

steamed vegan siopao in a bamboo steamer and some on a white surface with bamboo leaves at their bottom

⭐ Top Tip

Use a kitchen scale to measure in grams for consistency, especially with flour. Avoid overfilling the dough to prevent leaks while steaming. You can also enjoy leftover buns with a hot noodle soup for a cozy meal. And don’t forget—a quick brush of oil on top gives your buns a shiny finish.

FAQ

What is the Chinese version of siopao?

The Chinese version of siopao is called baozi, a steamed bun filled with various savory or sweet fillings. It is a staple in Chinese cuisine and comes in different varieties like char siu bao (BBQ pork bun).

Is siopao Filipino or Chinese?

Siopao is a Filipino adaptation of the Chinese baozi, introduced by Chinese immigrants. While its origins are Chinese, it has become a beloved dish in Filipino cuisine with unique local variations.

What is the difference between siopao and bao?

Siopao is the Filipino version of char siu bao, often featuring fillings like asado (sweet-salty pork) or bola-bola (meatball). The dough texture and seasoning may vary, with siopao generally having a slightly sweeter and softer bun.