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What Goes With Bao Buns? Here Are 15 Great Sides

What Goes With Bao Buns? Here Are 15 Great Sides

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We provide a list of 15 sides that balance bao buns by adding fresh vegetables, crunchy pickles, savory starches, and creamy sauces. These options offer a range of textures, temperatures, and preparation efforts to help create a well-rounded meal around soft, flavorful buns.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Side Dish
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Tangy Asian Cabbage Slaw crunchy
  • Golden Crispy Sweet Potato Fries crunchy
  • Quick Pickled Daikon Radishes tangy
  • Spicy Garlic Mayo Dip creamy
  • Crispy Fried Shallots crunchy
  • Sesame Ginger Edamame Salad bright
  • Soy Glazed Roasted Broccoli smoky
  • Peanut Sesame Noodle Salad creamy
  • Crispy Lotus Root Chips crunchy
  • Cool Cucumber Mint Salad bright
  • Garlic Scallion Steamed Rice aromatic
  • Kimchi Fried Rice tangy
  • Crunchy Sesame Green Beans crunchy
  • Asian Style Pickled Carrots tangy
  • Miso Soup with Seaweed and Tofu silky

Equipment

  • Cutting board
  • Sheet pan
  • Mixing bowl
  • Serving platter

Method
 

  1. Assess what the main dish already provides—if it has starch, focus on vegetables and fresh sides.
  2. Choose 2-3 sides that fill different gaps: one vegetable, one starch or bread, one sauce or dip.
  3. Start the longest-cooking side first. Prep quick items like salads while the oven works.
  4. Balance temperatures—pair hot roasted vegetables with a cold slaw or chilled dip.
  5. Plate the main dish with sides arranged around it. Drizzle sauce or add garnish last.

Notes

Add a crunchy slaw or tangy pickled vegetable and keep it chilled until serving. This prevents the meal from feeling too heavy or bland when paired with soft bao buns.

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