This Chinese BBQ pork recipe is called "char siu." Chunks of pork shoulder are marinated in a spicy Chinese BBQ sauce, then roasted until tender. Easy to make and so delicious!
Char Siu
Char siu is a Cantonese style barbecue pork dish. Strips of pork are seasoned in a flavorful marinade, then roasted until tender. The name "char siu" translates for "fork tender," which lets you know what you're in for.
You may have enjoyed this particular dish at American Chinese restaurants. It's know for its characteristic red color, which is remarkably vibrant red.
The color comes from fermented red bean curds when made traditionally, though the ingredient can be difficult to find. Many cooks instead use red food coloring, which achieves the same results.
Traditionally, char siu was made with wild boar strips that were marinated and roasted over an open flame. Today, pork shoulder is more common, though pork loin or belly are often used.
The pork can be enjoyed simply with noodles or rice, or cooked into a variety of Chinese dishes.
There are slight variations in how it is made, but the basics are the same - marinate, roast, baste - then slice and serve. We love this recipe.
Char Siu Ingredients
- Pork Shoulder - You can use other cuts of pork, like pork tenderloin or pork belly.
- Sweet Factor - Brown Sugar, honey.
- Liquids - Rice wine, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil. Oyster sauce is also a popular addition.
- Seasonings - Fresh garlic, Chinese 5 spice, salt and black pepper.
- Red Food Coloring - This is optional, to achieve the more traditional vibrant red color. Skip if desired. It does not affect the flavor of the pork.
How to Make Char Siu
Slice the pork. Slice the pork into strips about 3-4 inches thick and set them into a large bowl.
Make the marinade. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, honey, rice wine, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, garlic, Chinese 5 spice powder, salt and pepper, and red food coloring (if using). Mix well.
Marinate. Pour the marinade over the sliced pork. Rub the pork and be sure to cover it all. Cover with plastic, or use a zip-top baggie to marinate. Marinate for at least 10 minutes, or overnight in the refrigerator. Longer is better for more flavor.
Heat the oven. Preheat oven to 375°F. Pour 1 inch of water into a roasting pan and set the roasting rack into the pan. Reserve the marinade.
Roast the pork and baste. Set the marinated bbq pork slices onto the roasting rack. Use aluminum foil to line the rack if needed. Roast for 90 minutes. Flip the pork and brush on some of the reserved marinade every 15 minutes to 20/30 minutes. Cook until the internal temperature of the pork measures 145°F. The pork should be slightly caramelized from the bbq marinade. I like to do one final baste 2 minutes before removing from the oven.
Slice and serve the pork. Remove the pork from the oven. Rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve.
The pork should be tender when ready to serve, but not pull apart like pulled pork.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- The Pork. Pork shoulder or pork butt is more traditionally used to make char siu, but you can make this with pork loin or pork tenderloin. Either works great. Consider pork belly as well.
- Extra Saucy. If you'd like to make your char siu extra sauce and moist, keep the reserved bbq marinade at the end of the cook. Add it to a sauce pan or pot with a few tablespoons of honey, then mix and heat through for 2-3 minutes. Use it as a final glaze or char siu sauce for your Chinese bbq pork. Delicious!
Serving Suggestions
You can serve your char siu pork as it is with some vegetables on the side, but I love to use it as a component in other dishes. Consider some of these recipes.
- Pork Stir Fry. This is easy to make with tender cuts of pork stir fried with lots of vegetables and a homemade stir fry sauce with just the right amount of flavor and spice.
- Fried Rice. I often make spicy fried rice with chicken, but it's outstanding with Chinese BBQ pork.
- Spicy Ramen Noodles. Use this to whip together a simple but massively satisfying bowl of noodles. Best you'll ever have. Perfect for this recipe.
You'll also find char siu bao, or Chinese BBQ pork roast meat served on bao buns. I love these!
Storage
Let your Chinese bbq pork cool to room temp before storing in an airtight container in the fridge. Properly stored, char siu will stay fresh for about 2-3 days.
Reheat back in the pan over medium-low heat for the best results.
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Char Siu Recipe (Chinese BBQ Pork)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon rice wine
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2-3 drops red food coloring optional
Instructions
MARINATE THE PORK
- Slice the pork into strips about 3-4 inches thick and set them into a large bowl.
- Make the Marinade. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, honey, rice wine, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, garlic, Chinese 5 spice powder, salt and pepper, and red food coloring (if using). Mix well.
- Pour the marinade over the sliced pork. Rub the pork and be sure to cover it all. Cover with plastic, or use a zip-top baggie to marinate. Marinate for at least 10 minutes, or overnight in the refrigerator. Longer is better for more flavor.
ROAST THE PORK
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Pour 1 inch of water into a roasting pan and set the roasting rack into the pan. Reserve the marinade.
- Set the marinated bbq pork slices onto the roasting rack. Use aluminum foil to line the rack if needed. Roast for 90 minutes. Flip the pork and brush on some of the reserved marinade every 20-30 minutes. Cook until the internal temperature of the pork measures 145 degrees F. The pork should be slightly caramelized from the bbq marinade. I like to do one final baste 2 minutes before removing from the oven.
- Remove the pork from the oven. Rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
stacy Stewart says
Hi Mike
If I wanted to do this on the grill, how would you suggest?
Mike Hultquist says
Stacy, to grill Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork), preheat your grill to medium heat (around 325°F or 163°C). Sear the marinated pork on each side for about 3 minutes to develop a caramelized crust. Then, move the pork to indirect heat, basting every 3 to 5 minutes with the reserved marinade, and cook until the internal temperature reaches 145°F (62°C), approximately 20 to 30 minutes depending on thickness. Allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Let me know how it goes.
Matt S. says
One question about the water, do I set the pork in the water while it cooks? Or is a rack required to have it sit above the water?
Mike Hultquist says
Matt, a rack is best, or something else on the bottom to keep the pork out of the liquid. It will more boil if it's in the liquid. Still good, just different texturally. Try setting it onto a thick bed of onions/carrots if you don't have a rack.
Jason says
If you used tenderloin, would you leave it whole while it cooks, or cut it smaller then slice it?
Mike Hultquist says
I would leave it whole, then slice to serve.
Walter Hettel says
What is the purpose of the water in the roasting pan?
Mike Hultquist says
It helps with moisture for the pork.
Patrick H. Bair says
Sounds great. Since I like to cook outside when I can, how do you think this would work in a smoker or grill?
Mike Hultquist says
Patrick, this would be GREAT on the grill or smoker. Go for it!
Kelly Christiansen says
Hi Mike. I just made this tonight for my pork fried rice and it was delicious! Keep those recipes coming! Thanks!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it, Kelly! Thanks for sharing!!
JimmyJazz says
1/4 brown sugar? 1/4 what? cup? tablespoon? Damn....
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
It's 1/4 cup. Apologies for missing that.
Jimmy Jazz says
Thanks!! I assumed right!! This is delicious!! Thank you for the recipe.
I use the same pan/rack water method, however I cook mine on the smoker!!
Lorna Bolton says
Made it, LOVED It!!! I have another Pork Tenderloin in the fridge marinating for tomorrow. We smoked it slow by the way until it reached 145 degrees. AWESOME!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome! Great to hear, Lorna!
Kynthia says
One small bit of advice. Red food coloring gets a bad reputation, deserved or not, instead use annatto seed (grind to a fine powder using a coffee grinder) annatto gives a beautiful dark red color to the meat without adding flavor.
This ingredient imparts a beautiful color to Conchita pibil which is where I learned to use it.
P.S. would love to see your take on pibil in the future.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks for your input, Kynthia. Red food coloring is very frequently used in restaurants, FYI. Yes, annatto powder will certainly help to achieve that red color with a more natural ingredient. Great suggestion. I do have a Cochinita Pibil recipe you might try. Check it out. I hope you like it! Patty's favorite. https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/cochinita-pibil/
Stacey Lee Rodriguez says
I do not eat pork... what would be a good cut of red meat to use? Or chicken?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Stacey, I would try it with a cut of beef that benefits from low and slow roasting, like brisket, something that would hold shape when cut. Tri tip would be great, though you wouldn't need as much time to roast. Be sure to adjust your roasting time to the chosen meat. I'd love to hear how it turns out for you.