Takeout Theory45 min · Easy
Crispy Chicken Bao-Style Buns
Golden panko chicken tucked into warm steamed buns with quick-pickled cucumber and a little sriracha mayo. Frozen folded bao buns keep this takeout-style dinner practical at home.
Crispy Bang Bang Chicken Bowls
Crunchy chicken, sweet chilli heat and a creamy drizzle. Oven-crisp panko chicken over fluffy rice with cool cucumber and a sweet-spicy mayo drizzle. Keep the sauce on top so the crumb stays crisp.
40 minApprox. time
EasyEffort
4 bowlsMakes
Everything you need
Ingredients
Batch size
Choose a batch size above. Portion to your appetite.
Crispy chicken
Bowls
Bang bang sauce
Egg and wheat; mayonnaise and sauces may contain mustard, soy or other allergens. Check labels.
Let’s cook
Make it tonight.
Heat the oven and start the rice
Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan) / 425°F. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Bring the rinsed rice and 450 ml water to a boil in a saucepan; cover and cook on the lowest heat for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes, then fluff. Follow the packet if its water ratio or cooking time differs.Coat the chicken
Pat the chicken dry. In one shallow bowl combine flour, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. In another beat the egg with 1 tbsp water. In a third mix panko with all 3 tbsp oil until evenly moistened. Coat chicken in flour, shake off excess, dip in egg, then press into panko. Discard remaining coating that has touched raw chicken.Bake until crisp
Spread chicken on the tray with space between pieces. Bake for 18–22 minutes, turning once halfway, until golden and the centre of the largest pieces reaches 74°C / 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Use two trays if needed; do not crowd the chicken.Make sauce and assemble
While the chicken bakes, mix mayonnaise, sweet chilli sauce, sriracha and lime juice. Slice the cucumber and spring onions on a clean board. Divide rice, chicken and cucumber among four bowls. Drizzle with sauce and finish with spring onions. Serve immediately.
Make it yours.
Control the heat
For a milder sauce replace the 1 tbsp sriracha with 1 tbsp extra sweet chilli sauce. For more heat, add sriracha to individual portions.
Keep the crunch
Drizzle just before eating. Leaving chicken sitting in sauce softens its crumb. Keep coated pieces spaced out on the tray.
Make it gluten-free
Use certified gluten-free flour and panko, and check every sauce label. Keep the same amounts.
Leftovers
Refrigerate chicken and sauce separately within 2 hours; use within 3 days. Cool rice quickly, refrigerate within 1 hour and use within 24 hours. Reheat chicken and rice once until steaming hot; reheat chicken to 74°C. Add fresh cucumber and cold sauce after reheating.
Equipment
Large baking tray, baking paper, lidded saucepan, three shallow bowls, small sauce bowl, knife, clean chopping boards, tongs and instant-read thermometer..
A note on the nutrition
The recipe, in pictures.
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