The best frozen bao buns should have a pillowy-soft, fluffy exterior, packed with a savory filling that’s bursting with flavor. They should have a springy dough and a good filling-to-bun ratio that doesn’t separate when cooked. If your steamed bun filling starts falling out, forget about it!
Chinese steamed buns, known as baozi, are one of the cutest comfort foods known to mankind. That’s just a fact (as illustrated by the Disney short film). Before bao buns, I’d never met a food that I wanted to pat like a dog. But these puffy, crinkle-topped little clouds make my heart grow three sizes. I feel protective of them…and enticed to eat them. Make of that what you will.
As we searched nationwide supermarkets and smaller Asian grocers, we set out to find the best frozen bao buns that deliver restaurant-quality flavor (and cuteness). All of the frozen steamed buns on this list can be made two ways: in a microwave, or steamed on the stove using a bamboo steamer. For scientific purposes, I taste-tested these bao buns using both cooking methods, and found very little difference in the final product. Whether you’re in a hurry or aiming for that authentic steam experience, you can’t go wrong with any of these delicious options. So without further ado, here are the best frozen bao buns you can buy.
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- O Tasty BBQ Pork Bao
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This giant bag of steamed buns gives good bang for your buck. The buns themselves are sweeter than most, with a pleasant stickiness on the outside. To be honest, the best bao buns probably shouldn’t have a sticky bun, but I enjoyed it in this case. The shredded pork is fairly sweet from the hoisin sauce, which balances the sheer amount of savory meat in the thick filling. (They really aren’t skimping on that filling.) Overall, the flavors are pretty simple. While I can’t say it’s the best bao bun filling I’ve tried, these are tasty enough to satisfy your pork bun cravings—at a pretty good price.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Wow Bao Teriyaki Chicken Bao
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Wow Bao’s Teriyaki Chicken Bao Buns really lean into the savory side of teriyaki, with a kick of ginger and deep umami flavor from the soy sauce. And look, we’re pretty big Wow Bao fans at Sporked. This Chicago-based brand has a lot of fun, unique flavors (like coconut custard and cheeseburger), and we’re not above some well-executed experimentation. Their steamed buns are neatly shaped, with a perfect crinkle on top. Even the colorful packaging is a vibe. Still, if I’m being completely honest: While Wow Bao makes it easy to enjoy this Asian comf2ort food staple with simple cooking instructions and a range of flavors, they aren’t the best steamed buns brand on the market. They taste great, but they can’t compete with the authentic Chinese brands in terms of flavor just yet. I believe in them, though! One day, I know they’ll bring the bao to the wow.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Wow Bao Mongolian-Style Spicy Beef
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Wow Bao’s Mongolian Beef is one of their signature steamed buns for a reason. Inside, the spicy-sweet ground beef filling has chunks of onions and peppers. The beef is quite tender, with a hint of heat that probably wouldn’t put off even the most spice-averse palates. I think it could be a little more spicy myself, but I appreciate the way it doesn’t overwhelm all of the other flavors going on. I wish it had a little more umami and little less beefiness, but if Mongolian beef is your go-to takeout pick, you don’t want to miss out on these frozen bao buns.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Wei-Chuan Pork and Green Onion
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You’re going to spot Wei-Chuan a few times on this list of the best frozen bao buns. This Chinese food manufacturer is unmatched in capturing the deep, authentic flavors of restaurant-style baozi. If you’re a fan of pork gyoza, you’ll like these pork and green onion steamed buns. Personally, I always prefer tender meat chunks over a wet paste, but this is still one of the best bao bun fillings I’ve tried so far. The crisp green onion really sells it. The only downside: Wei-Chuan steamed buns are typically available only at Asian grocers. If you don’t have an Asian market in your area, I’d recommend seeking out one of the other frozen bao bun brands we ranked.
Credit: Merc / Wei-Chuan
- Laoban Dumplings Sesame Chicken
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Laoban makes some of the best dumplings we’ve tried to date (their veggie dumplings really blew me away). Naturally, I had pretty high expectations for this taste test and, when it came to their sesame chicken, Laoban delivered. The flavors are a complex combo of savory chicken, earthy shiitake mushroom, and sweet sesame sauce, with a pleasant crunch from the sesame seeds and cabbage inside. I noticed that the dumpling itself falls apart a bit in the microwave, so you might need to finesse your cook time or opt for a bamboo steamer. But the bold flavors and softness of the dough make up for their structural issues.
Credit: Merc / Amazon
- Wei-Chuan Hong Kong Style Cha Shu Pork
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Extra big, fluffy, and folded open at the top, these Hong Kong-style Cha Shu Pork Buns are unlike any frozen bao buns I’ve tried before. The barbecued pork blends oyster sauce, sesame oil, tomato paste, chili, and mushroom-flavored soy sauce to create a sweet, satisfying filling. The meat comes in tender chunks—it’s not chewy or ground into a wet paste, like most fillings. These buns deliver a perfect balance of texture and flavor, making each bite a deliciously unique experience.
Credit: Merc / Wei-Chuan
- Wei Chuan Barbeque Chicken Steamed Bun
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Wei Chuan’s Barbeque Chicken Steamed Buns put all other buns to shame. Inside, you’ll find generous chunks of tender, BBQ-flavored chicken that’s a little less sweet than the Cha Shu Pork. It’s deeply savory, with a filling-to-bun ratio that really hits the sweet spot. While the bun itself is fairly standard, the rich umami filling stands out, boasting many of the same ingredients as our runner-up. Wei Chuan makes the best bao buns we’ve tried yet—and these buns, in particular, are absolutely mouthwatering.
Credit: Merc / Wei-Chuan
Best Value
Best Teriyaki Chicken
Best Mongolian Beef
Best for Gyoza Lovers
Best Chicken Bao
Runner Up
Best of the Best
Other bao buns we tried: I-Mei Frozen Gua Bao, Prime Food Fuzhou Style Pork Bun, Bibigo Steamed Chicken & Veggie Dumpling, Good & Gather Buns, Pork Bao, Omni Plant-Based Teriyaki Bao Buns, Laoban Dumplings Spicy Beef Bao Buns, Laoban Dumplings Chinese Style BBQ Pork Bao Buns, Wow Bao Chocolate Lava Bao
Didn’t even try Mila? They’re pretty readily available to most people and should probably have been tasted at the very least.