Best for: The soft, sweet pause between spicy skewers.
Every shaokao stall grills mantou: plain steamed buns threaded on skewers and toasted over the coals until the outside crisps and the inside stays pillowy, then finished sweet or savory. This version takes the sweet road — a cinnamon-spiced sugar dusting while the buns are hot from the fire.
Grill: Direct medium heat over charcoal; 375°F. Equipment: Charcoal grill, flat metal skewers, tongs, small brush.
Ingredients
8 minutes. Total: 18 minutes.
- 8 plain steamed mantou buns (frozen section of an Asian market), thawed
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine table salt
- 8 flat metal skewers (or bamboo skewers soaked 30 minutes)
Directions
Stir the sugar, cinnamon, five-spice powder, and salt into a spiced sugar and set it by the grill.
Thread each mantou lengthwise onto a skewer. Light the charcoal and heat the grill to 375°F — mantou wants gentler heat than the meat skewers.
Brush the buns very lightly all over with the neutral oil.
Grill for about 2 minutes per side, turning often, until the surfaces are crisp, golden, and lightly charred at the edges.
Pull the skewers the moment the crust crisps — the centers should still be soft and steamy, not dried out.
Dust generously with the spiced sugar while hot and serve immediately.
Grilling tip: Mantou go from crisp to dry in about a minute — pull them early; the carryover heat finishes the crust.
