Spiced Chicken Stuffed Buns (Easy, From Scratch)
These spiced chicken stuffed buns are soft, from-scratch whole wheat buns filled with chicken sautéed in ginger, garlic, and warm spices. They’re portable, freezer-friendly, and great for snacking, picnics, or dinner in front of the TV. They’ve never lasted long in my house, and when I brought them in for coworkers, they disappeared just as fast.
My daughter and I love these spiced chicken stuffed buns because:
- They’re so tasty
- They’re great for snacking on the go, a picnic lunch, or even dinner in front of the TV
- They’re incredibly comforting
These buns are completely made from scratch, meaning both the dough and the filling. With all the proofing involved, they take a little over 2 hours start to finish, but they’re well worth it. If 2 hours is too long, you can use store-bought biscuit dough instead, the way I do in these lentil stuffed buns and these peanut chicken stuffed buns.
What Are Stuffed Buns?
Stuffed buns are a soft bread dough wrapped around a savory filling, baked until golden, and eaten by hand, no plate needed.
During my younger years in Sri Lanka, stuffed buns were as common as sandwiches are here, and every aunt and uncle had their own favorite filling. The most popular were the fish bun and the onion confit bun. I remember being completely puzzled as a kid about how the filling got inside the bun. These days, I make a wide variety of them, from vegetable fillings to this spiced chicken version.
Ingredients for Spiced Chicken Stuffed Buns
For the whole wheat buns (8 ingredients or store-bought biscuit dough can be used):
- Warm milk
- Sugar
- Active dry yeast
- All-purpose flour
- Whole wheat flour
- Melted butter
- Eggs
- Salt
For the spiced chicken filling (15 ingredients):
- Oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Fresh ginger
- Ground chicken
- Smoked paprika
- Coriander
- Turmeric
- Cumin
- Tomato paste
- Salt
- Pepper
- Chili powder (optional)
- Frozen peas
- Black or white sesame seeds (optional)
You likely already have most of these, and the rest are easy to find at any grocery store.
How to Make Spiced Chicken Stuffed Buns
For the whole wheat buns:
- Warm the milk (about 20 seconds in the microwave).
- Stir in the sugar.
- Add the active dry yeast and set aside for 10 minutes, until frothy and “ballooned.”
- In a bowl, combine 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour with the milk-yeast mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon, not metal.
- Add 1 egg, the salt, and the melted butter, mixing well.
- Add the remaining 2 cups of whole wheat flour and mix, then knead by hand once it comes together.
- Once slightly tacky, place the dough in a large greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel, and let it proof in a dark, dry place for 1 hour.
For the spiced chicken filling (while the dough proofs):
- Sauté the chopped onion in oil over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
- Add the chopped garlic and grated ginger, and sauté for 2 more minutes.
- Push the onion mixture to the side and add the ground chicken.
- Sprinkle in the smoked paprika, coriander, cumin, and turmeric, and sauté until the liquid from the chicken has evaporated.
- Stir in the tomato paste, salt, pepper, and chili powder if using. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
- Add the peas, sauté for 2 more minutes, and set aside to cool.
To assemble:
- Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and split it in two. Keep one half wrapped in plastic while you work with the other.
- Roll the dough out and cut circles using a bowl or cutter (see dough size and thickness tips below).
- Spoon about 2 tablespoons of filling into each circle.
- Fold the sides over the filling and pinch to seal.
- Place buns seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking tray.
- Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
- Cover with a towel and let proof another 30 minutes (oven at 175°F, or at room temperature if your kitchen is warm — see note below).
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush the buns with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake for 20–22 minutes, until golden.
- Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
(The full printable recipe card is below.)
A Little Story Behind These Buns
Last week, as my daughter and I were driving down the freeway sipping our favorite beverages, we saw someone seemingly parachuting down. The road was quiet, but the thought of a wind gust changing his trajectory left us a little unsettled. As we got closer, we realized he was doing circles as he descended; circles, because he was tethered to the ground. First time I’d ever seen anything like it.
That led to a conversation about our gravity-defying bucket list items. Hers is tandem skydiving. Mine is a hot air balloon ride. Always eager to help me cross things off my list, she found a tethered balloon ride happening that weekend, and we made plans, snacks included.
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When the weekend came, I chickened out. We went hiking instead, and brought along the batch of these spiced chicken stuffed buns I’d made for the balloon ride that never happened. They turned out to be the perfect portable snack
Tips for the Best Stuffed Buns
Dough circle size and thickness: Use a bowl or cutter about 3 inches in diameter, and roll the dough out to a thin, even circle, not too thick, so the centers cook through fully. Readers who guessed too thick ended up with raw centers, so don’t skip rolling it out.
The second proof doesn’t require a damp towel in the oven. If your kitchen is warm, you can skip the oven step entirely and let the buns proof at room temperature for 30 minutes instead. A damp towel can stick to the dough and tear the tops when removed, so a dry towel or no towel (just a loosely tented cover) works better if you do use the oven method.
For a softer, more pliable bun, use 2 cups all-purpose flour and 2 cups whole wheat flour instead of the 1:3 ratio.
Taste the filling before sealing the buns. Ground chicken and spice levels vary, so adjust the salt to your preference before assembling.
In a time crunch? Store-bought flaky biscuit dough works in place of the from-scratch bun.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe hasn’t been tested with freezing unbaked buns, so I can’t confirm exact results. If you’d like to try it, freeze the assembled, unbaked buns on a tray until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Thaw and let them complete their second proof before baking as directed.
Baked stuffed buns generally freeze well. Cool completely, then store in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to a month. Reheat from frozen in a 350°F oven until warmed through.
Yes. One reader successfully made these using about 3 cups of all-purpose flour total, adding it gradually and kneading by feel until the dough came together, rather than using the full whole wheat amount.
Yes. If your cooked chicken is already spiced, sauté it briefly with the onion, garlic, and ginger and skip the additional spices. If it’s unspiced, use all the filling ingredients as written, but reduce the cooking time since the chicken just needs to heat through rather than cook from raw.
This hasn’t been tested, so proceed with caution. Most yeasted doughs can do a slow, cold overnight rise in the refrigerator, but you may need to let it come to room temperature before shaping. If you try this, keep an eye on the dough so it doesn’t overproof.
A bowl or cutter about 3 inches in diameter works well, rolled to a thin, even layer. Rolling too thick is the most common reason buns come out undercooked or doughy in the middle.
Yes, halving all the ingredients should work proportionally for both the dough and the filling.
No. It’s only there to prevent the dough from drying out. If your kitchen is warm, you can skip the oven proofing step and the towel altogether and let the buns proof at room temperature instead.
Refrigerate leftover buns for up to 5 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 10–15 minutes.
More Stuffed Buns to Try
Ingredients
For the whole wheat buns
- 1 cup warm milk
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 pkg Active Dry Yeast
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole wheat flour
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 tsp salt
For the Spiced Chicken Filling:
- 3 tablespoons oil (I used EVOO)
- 1 onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/3 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1/3 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp chili powder (optional)
- 1/2 cup frozen peas thawed
- Black/white sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
For the whole wheat buns:
- Warm milk by microwaving it for 20 seconds or so.
- Add sugar to milk and mix well.
- Then add in the Active Dry Yeast and set aside for 10 minutes. The yeast should have bloomed and be frothy.
- Add 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour to a bowl, and then add the milk/yeast mixture to it. Mix with a wooden spoon – not metal, please.
- Then add in 1 (one) egg, salt, and melted butter (I melted my butter by placing it in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl and microwaving it in 20-second intervals until it was melted).
- Add in the other 2 cups of wheat flour and mix well. At this point, you can set the spoon aside and use your hands to knead the dough.
- When the dough is slightly tacky, place it in a large greased bowl. Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap. Place a warmed towel over it and place in a dark, dry place for 1 hour to proof. However, if your kitchen is warm, you can skip the oven proofing step and the towel altogether and let the buns proof at room temperature instead.
- While this is proofing you can make the filling.
For the Spiced Chicken Filling:
- Chop the onion and add it to a pan over a medium flame with the oil.
- Let the onion saute for about 10 minutes, mixing as needed with a spatula.
- Chop the garlic and grate the ginger, and then add these to the sautéing onion. Sauté another 2 minutes or so.
- Then, push the onion mix to the side of the pan and add in the chicken.
- Sprinkle in the smoked paprika, coriander, cumin, and turmeric and sauté until all the liquid from the chicken has evaporated.
- Then add in the tomato paste and salt, and stir well. Add in the salt, pepper, and chili powder if using. You might want to taste the filling at this point to see if the salt needs to be adjusted to your taste.
- Then add in the peas, sauté for another 2 minutes, and set aside to cool a bit.
To Assemble:
- When the dough has proofed and has doubled in size, remove the plastic wrap and towel and punch the dough down. Then, split the dough into 2.
- Wrap one part with plastic to keep it moist and spread the other one out using a rolling pin.
- Use a bowl to cut circles into the dough.
- Spoon 2 or so tablespoons of filling into each circle.
- Seal the buns by flipping the sides over the filling and pinching them together.
- Then lay the buns down, with the sealed side on the bottom, on a parchment-lined baking tray.
- Repeat until all the dough and filling are used up.
- Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Fahrenheit, place a damp kitchen towel over the stuffed buns, and place them in the oven to proof for another 30 minutes. However, if your house is warm, skip this step and let the dough proof at room temperature.
- When they are done, they should be slightly bigger.
- Remove the proofed stuffed buns from the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Beat the remaining egg and brush it over the buns.
- Sprinkle the buns with sesame seeds and place in a 375-degree Fahrenheit oven for 20-22 minutes so the buns bake and the tops are golden.
- When time is up, remove the buns from the oven and turn the oven off.
- Enjoy the stuffed buns warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Dough circle size and thickness: Use a bowl or cutter about 3 inches in diameter, and roll the dough out to a thin, even circle, not too thick, so the centers cook through fully. Readers who guessed too thick ended up with raw centers, so don’t skip rolling it out.
- The second proof doesn’t require a damp towel in the oven. If your kitchen is warm, you can skip the oven step entirely and let the buns proof at room temperature for 30 minutes instead. A damp towel can stick to the dough and tear the tops when removed, so a dry towel or no towel (just a loosely tented cover) works better if you do use the oven method.
- For a softer, more pliable bun, use 2 cups all-purpose flour and 2 cups whole wheat flour instead of the 1:3 ratio.
- Taste the filling before sealing the buns. Ground chicken and spice levels vary, so adjust the salt to your preference before assembling.
- In a time crunch? Store-bought flaky biscuit dough works in place of the from-scratch bun.
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Absolutely foolproof wonderful recipe ☺️
Never fails to impress
I wanted to make this ahead of time ..am I able to freeze them before baking ,defrost and then bake them ?
Can you freeze these after baking?
Really wish the thickness of the dough circles and size of the circles was included in the recipe instructions. Looking at the images we guesstimated and these turned out way too thick and parts were raw after baking
Yum! Haven’t had stuffed buns in ages. These look SO good — thanks.
I tried this recipe and the dough came out to be pretty tough and sweet. I’d reduce the amount of sugar and change the ratio of white to whole wheat flour. Otherwise the stuffing turned out great!
I tried this recipe and its sooo goood. Thank you so much, but can I please know whether I can leave the dough overnight please?
Hello,
I dont have wheat flour. Can I use only all-purpose flour?
@Sabeehah Ravat,
Hi Sabeehah,
I’m super late replying here but I attempted making these buns using all-purpose flour earlier this week, and am trying it again today.
The first batch turned out fine! I added two cups all-purpose, then added enough until the dough was able to be kneaded. Then I went by feel through the kneading process. I don’t think I used more than 3 cups all-purpose however, but was still able to make 12 buns.
Hope this helps!
Hello,
Is it possible to use cooked chicken meat leftovers to make those buns? What should I change?
Hi Jola – I don’t see why not. Is the cooked chicken spiced? If so, then you might just want to quickly saute it with onion, garlic, ginger, and forgo the spices. However, if it isn’t spiced, then use all the ingredients – but you won’t have to cook the chicken at all – just heat it up. Hope this turns out well for you.
Hi there, looking forward to asking these buns! What diameter of bowl do you use to make the circles and how thin should the dough be rolled? Thanks!
Hi Troy – I used a bowl about 10 inches in diameter.
Would you please comment on the size of the circle we are to use for each bun?
Thanks! Shelley
Hi Shelley – if you are referring to the size of the dough circle before being stuffed, I used a 3in cookie cutter to cut a circle and rolled it out a bit before adding in the stuffing.
Hi. If I want to make only six buns then do I decrease all the ingredients to half ?
Hi. I tried this recipe today. After the step where you’ve instructed that we place a damp towel and proof in the oven at 175 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, the towel stuck to the buns, tearing off the tops of the buns when I tried to lift the towel off after 30 minutes inside the oven. What would have otherwise been a perfectly good result was ruined because of the towel sticking issue.
So, is the damp towel mandatory? Alternatively can we proof the buns and room temperature for 30 minutes? I live in India and it’s hot throughout the year here.
Hi Sen, no – the damp towel is not mandatory – and if it is warm in your home, no need to let these proof in the oven. Thanks so much for trying this recipe – I’m sorry the tops of the buns were ruined. I hope next time these turn out perfect for you.
Thank you for responding! And yes I’m looking forward to trying them again soon 🙂
175°F?
Hey Nibha, Yes 175 – first you will proof the buns in an oven at 175 degrees F – unless your home is warm. After that you will bake it at 375 degrees F.
Recipe instructions on https://savoryspin.com/spiced-chicken-stuffed-buns-2/ are:
“Preheat oven to 175 degrees, place a damp towel over the stuffed buns and place them in the oven to proof for another 30 minutes.
When they are done, they should be slightly bigger. Remove them from the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees”
Hi. What is your cup size? Can you please clarify on how much yeast to add- 1 pkg?? Thank you
Hi there Juhi, One package of yeast contains 1/4 oz. or 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast. This is approximately 7 grams, or 11 ml. This is representative of all of the US brands.And, 1 cup = 128 g or 4.5 oz – standard US measure.
I tried this recipe of buns and it everyone loved it!
The best part was the goodness of wheat flour!
The dough came out very soft and tacky.
I love hand pies of all types and have not had this one, but will soon. It’s now officially pinned to my Global “Hand Pie” Recipes board. Tethered skydiving??? I had to Google it and then watch a YouTube video. So, it looks a bit boring to me, but each to his own. You have to take that balloon ride, you’ll love it.
I don’t think I’ve ever had stuffed buns like these before. I love them! What a unique recipe. These tasty buns would be so good for our hillwalking expeditions in the Scottish Highlands. There’s plenty of protein fuel in these beauties!
OMG I’m terrified of heights (I can barely stand on a step stool) so I’m impressed at your bravery. And double impressed at your daughter’s bravery; just thinking about jumping out of a plane makes my stomach jumpy, haha! I love the sound of these buns–anything with bread is my favorite 🙂
These spiced chicken buns look so darn good! <3! I'd love to bring em' along with me on hikes! *-*
White Peach is an awesome flavor–I might have to check those out too!
I’ve never had anything quite like this but would LOVE to try! And with all those flavourful spices, there is no going wrong! I’m literally getting hungry as I write this, lol 😉 Have a fabulous week, Shashi!
I’ve never heard of Dasani. I don’t think we’ve got it in the UK, but I love the idea behind your Spiced Chicken Stuffed Buns: they look yummy!
These stuffed buns sound delicious, Shashi! I’m sad that you gals didn’t make it to the hot air balloon ride, but hey there’s always Albuquerque! These stuffed buns are a fun way to take a snack with you without creating a huge mess…and I’m all about those seasonings. I just ate lunch, and I could totally go for second lunch now! 🙂
These stuffed buns look so scrumptious!! I love the chicken in it and how seamless it looks! Great job on the buns!
The kids would love to carry them without any mess on an outing with friends.. Buns with chicken in it. Yummy… Looks delicious. Have to try them soon…
What an amazing idea! There is nothing I hate more than trying to put together messy sandwiches on a picnic, so these would be the perfect solution to take instead!
Oh my goodness, what a great recipe! So unique and delicious! The buns and meat ratio are perfect. Sharing this recipe…thanks!
So delicious! I usually use beef filling for the buns, can’t wait to try your chicken version.