This Instant Pot meat bread is ideal for lunch, breakfast, dinner, or snacks. The rolls are soft, filling, and freeze well, so make a large batch to keep on hand.
Instant Pot Meat Bread
After posting my siopao (steam buns) recipe I received many questions about similar filled buns, so I developed this meat bread version for the Instant Pot Duo Crisp with the air fryer lid. These buns are a familiar snack in the Philippines and are perfect anytime.
What you’ll learn here:
- How to make soft, fluffy meat bread using the dough recipe below.
- How to store and reheat the buns.
- How long to cook meat bread in the Instant Pot and in a conventional oven.
Equipment
Every Instant Pot model is a little different. This recipe was tested using an Instant Pot Duo Crisp 11-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker with Air Fryer Lid (8-quart). My unit does not include a rice button, so I used the pressure cooker and air fryer/bake functions where applicable.
Ingredients for Instant Pot Meat Bread
- Active dry yeast — use active dry yeast rather than instant or fast-rise yeast for best texture. Fast-rise yeast can produce uneven holes in the crumb.
- Granulated sugar.
- Warm water and warm milk (lukewarm to gently warm, not hot).
- All-purpose flour (some bakers have tried bread flour or whole wheat with different results).
- Butter — melted. Either salted or unsalted will work.
- Eggs at room temperature.
- Salt.
What Filling Recipe Did I Use?
There are several steamed-bun style fillings on the blog that work well inside these rolls. Popular options include:
- Gua Bao-style pork belly — rich and savory. You can substitute roasted pork shoulder or pork roast.
- Sweet-style pork or chicken filling — slightly sweeter and very popular as a siopao filling. Pork is a great choice here.
How to Store?
The buns freeze beautifully. Wrap each bun tightly in plastic or place them in a freezer-safe container. To reheat, wrap frozen buns in a damp towel and microwave until warmed through (timing varies by microwave; start with 20–30 seconds and adjust). You can also thaw in the refrigerator and reheat in the air fryer or oven.
More Instant Pot Duo Crisp recipes on the same site include jasmine rice, Okinawan sweet potato, kare-kare, adobo, sushi rice, gua bao, oyster sauce chicken wings, pork chashu, pearl meatballs, pork & shrimp dumplings, char siu, and Korean cheese katsu.
Instant Pot Meat Bread
Shobee
16 people
Equipment
- Instant Pot Duo Crisp (with air fryer lid), 8-quart
- Air fryer lid
- 8-inch round baking pan
Ingredients
Meat Bread Dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup milk (evaporated milk works well)
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup meat filling (see notes)
- 1 egg for egg wash
Yeast Mixture
- 1 packet active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2/3 cup lukewarm water
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
Prepare the Yeast Mixture
- Warm the water (about 35 seconds in the microwave). Stir in the active dry yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes until bubbly, then mix with 1 cup flour and let sit for 45 minutes.
Make the Meat Bread Dough
- Fit the dough hook to a stand mixer. Whisk the remaining flour and salt together in a bowl. Warm the milk (about 45 seconds), then add warm milk, melted butter, egg, and sugar to the mixer bowl. Mix for one minute, then add the yeast mixture and flour mixture. Mix with the dough hook until combined, then knead on medium for about 7 minutes.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, shape into a ball, place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
- Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces (or weigh 60 g each). Flatten each piece, add about 1 tablespoon of meat filling, seal well, and form into a round. Cover with a damp cloth and proof another 30 minutes. Brush with egg wash before baking.
How to Cook Meat Bread in my Instant Pot
- Line an 8-inch round baking pan with parchment paper. Place four buns in the pan with space between them. Put the pan into the Instant Pot inner pot, attach the air fryer lid, select Bake (or Air Fry > Bake) and bake at 350°F for 8 minutes. Repeat with remaining buns.
How to Cook in a Conventional Oven
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the buns on a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden and cooked through.
Notes
I keep several steam-bun style fillings on the blog; they work well for these meat buns. Two recommendations:
- Gua Bao (pork belly) — rich and fatty; you can swap in pork roast or shoulder.
- Sweet-style chicken or pork filling — slightly sweet and very tasty; using pork is a classic choice.