Sticky, crimson red Char Siu Pork – just like you get from the Chinese Barbecue meat shops! Also called Chinese BBQ Pork, it’s finger licking good and you’re going to be shocked how easy it is to make the Char Siu sauce that’s used to marinade the pork.
Char Siu Pork – Chinese BBQ Pork
No trip to Chinatown is complete without taking home a container of Chinese BBQ pork. And I am yet to manage the drive all the way home without sneaking in a little taste test (or two…or three).
The darn traffic lights! If they were GREEN all the way home, then I wouldn’t have a chance to do that!
OK, that’s a blatant lie. Where there’s a will, there’s a way, and we both know I would be hooning over the Harbour Bridge, holding the steering wheel with one hand and rummaging around in the plastic carry bag with the other, blindly trying to feel my way to the barbecue pork container.😂
An Authentic Char Siu Pork recipe
There are two things in this recipe that I do differently to traditional Char Siu to make this easier but still yield an excellent end result that tastes like store bought:
Cooked in the oven instead of over coals; and
Red food colouring to stain the pork red.
Authentic Char Siu gets the red colour from a speciality ingredient called fermented red bean curds which is red. It’s calls for a trip to the Asian store and you’ll have to hunt deep into the dark corners to find it
While it makes the pork red, the small amount used doesn’t add any flavour. And because I have no other use for red bean curds, I started making it using red food colouring instead and found the end result was exactly the same both in flavour and visual.
So I stuck with it!
What goes in Char Siu Sauce
Here’s what you need for the Char Siu Sauce which is used to marinade the pork – all things you can get from everyday grocery stores:
Pork – the best pork for Char Siu is pork scotch fillet. See next section for more information;
Sugar – brown sugar is best for lovely caramel flavours in the marinade. But even white sugar is fine;
Soy sauces – I like to use light and all purpose soy sauce for the best flavour balance, but you can just use just one of these. Do not use dark soy sauce, it’s way too strong. Read more about different soy sauces here;
Chinese five spice – pre mixed store bought blend, very common these days. Sold in the spice section fo everyday supermarkets and doesn’t cost anymore than other spices;
Hoisin – common Chinese sauce, found in the Asian section. It’s sweet, savoury and has a hint of Five Spice Powder;
Red food colouring – as discussed above, this is used to stain the pork red; and
Honey – this is added to the marinade to turn it into a basting sauce. It makes the pork extra shiny and caramelised which is exactly what we want!
Best pork for Char Siu
I finally managed to get a Chinese barbecue shop to tell me what cut of meat they use. Pork scotch fillet!! Also known as Pork Neck, Pork Collar or Pork Neck Collar, this is an excellent cut of pork which is ideal for both quick cooking (such as pan seared pork chops) and slow cooking (such as this Slow Roasted Brown Sugar Garlic Butter Pork).
Char Siu Pork is also terrific made with pork shoulder – I’d say just as good. Some people like to make it with pork belly but I find it too fatty for my taste.
I used to use pork tenderloin which is much leaner so you do need to be careful about overcooking, whilst still achieving that caramelisation – cook times for this cut are in the recipe notes.
Scotch fillet and shoulder are much easier to cook with – they require longer cook time to make the meat juicy which means incredible caramelisation which is what we WANT!
That sight makes me weak in the knees, every. Single. Time. 😂
How to make Char Siu Pork
Char Siu is simple to make, it just calls for patience to let the pork marinade to infuse with flavour and make the pork stained red! At least 24 hours, but 48 hours is even better.
Be sure to baste generously, slathering / dabbing the marinade on – it’s the key to get a really great sticky surface!
How to serve Chinese BBQ Pork
As for how to serve it, here’s a very typical meal set served at Chinese BBQ shops: slices of pork over rice with a side of steamed greens with sauce (this Steamed Chinese Greens with Oyster Sauce is similar), as pictured above. This is a Chinese BBQ Shop takeout favourite – “BBQ Pork Lunch!”
Dishes made using Chinese BBQ Pork
Char Siu Pork is also used in a handful of Chinese dishes, such as
Chinese Steamed Pork Buns – big fluffy white buns filled with BBQ pork
Fried Rice – Char Siu is often in “special fried rice” in place of Chinese sausage or bacon
In addition, sometimes you see it as a protein option for Chinese Noodle Soup (slices of Char Siu are placed on top) and I’ve also seen it in Banh Mi (Vietnamese sandwich) – it’s AMAZING!!
This Char Siu Pork recipe makes quite a lot because the standard size of pork scotch fillet roasts is around 1.2 – 1.5kg/2.4-3lb.
But you’ll thank me. Just one bite, and you’ll be thanking me profusely for making this a big-batch recipe. 😜 – Nagi xx
Watch how to make it
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Char Siu Pork – Chinese BBQ Pork
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar (white also ok)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce , or all purpose soy (Note 1)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce , just all purpose (or more light soy) (Note 1)
- 1 tsp Chinese five spice powder (Note 2)
- 1 tbsp oil (vegetable or canola) (Note 3)
- 2 tsp red food colouring , optional (Note 4)
Cooking:
- 1.2 – 1.5kg / 2.4 – 3lb pork scotch fillet (aka collar neck, pork neck) OR pork shoulder (Note 5)
- 2 tbsp Extra Honey
Instructions
Marinade pork:
- Cut pork in half to make two long strips. (Note 5)
- Mix Marinade ingredients in a bowl.
- Place the pork and Marinade in a stain proof container or ziplock bag. Marinate 24 to 48 hours in the fridge (3 hours is the bare minimum).
To Roast:
- Preheat oven to 160C/320F.
- Line a tray with foil and place a rack on top (recommended but not critical).
- Remove pork from the marinade, save Marinade. Place pork on rack.
- Roast for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, pour reserved marinade in a saucepan. Mix Extra Honey into marinade. Bring to simmer over medium high and cook for 2 minutes until syrupy. Remove from heat.
- Remove pork from oven. Dab marinade all over, then turn. Baste then roast for a further 30 minutes.
- Remove pork from oven. Brush with marinade again, then turn, brush with marinade and roast for a further 20 minutes. If charring too quickly, cover with foil.
- Baste again on surface then bake for a further 10 minutes until caramelised and sticky. Meat should be tender but not falling apart, like with pulled pork. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Serve with rice and steamed Chinese greens. See notes for more uses!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published in May 2019. Updated November 2020 with a sparkling new video and brand new photos! No change to recipe – I wouldn’t dare!
Other iconic Chinese recipes
Crispy Chinese Pork Belly – the other Chinese BBQ Meat Shop favourite!
Potstickers – steamed dumplings with crispy golden undersides
Spring Rolls – better than Egg Rolls!
Browse all Chinese Recipes and Asian Takeout copycat recipes
Life of Dozer
This Dozer update was from when I originally published this post in 2018 – when he tore his ACL and had to go in for knee surgery followed by months of recovery – happy to report he recovered 100% perfectly!
Dozer went in for his ACL surgery this morning. He has to stay overnight, so this afternoon I headed over to the vet to drop off his favourite toy and a whole bunch of food for the wonderful team at Mona Vale Veterinary Clinic. #Shameless
And look!!! Not 30 minutes ago, the vet called to assure me he’s doing just fine and sent me this photo. ❤ Post surgery sleepy!
That was one of the most tantalizing videos I have ever seen! I am making this this weekend for sure! Great job!
Thanks Chris! I hope that you enjoy it!! N x
This was sooo good! I got tenderloin but can’t wait to make this again with the proper cut of meat!
Marinating right now! I actually have the curd so I used that.
Love your recipes.
And sweet Dozer. My golden boy is going for his second ACL surgery in March on his right hind this year. Last year was his left. Glad he’s doing okay.
Hi Nagi, Any tips on how to cook this in a Webber Q, timing and heat level?
I hope he recovers quickly Staci! Awwww… N x
Sooo good! Making a special Singapore noodles for my wife’s birthday so got this underway the day before. Not at all difficult, tastes amazing!
Can this recipe be used with pork ribs?
I haven’t tested it on ribs, Gary so would need to test it! Let me know if you try it how it goes! N x
Hi Nagi,
I guessed at buying red bean curd in the Chinese supermarket (no English on any labels!) and ended up with dobanjiang! Do you think I could add this instead of the bean curd or would it overpower the other flavours too much? I don’t have access to red food colouring… thanks so much!
Hi Nagi, I’ve used this recipe for quite some time now and get nothing but compliments from family and friends. I’ve always used pork tenderloin with excellent (and quick) results. However, my wife came home with pork loin thinking it was tenderloin (it does look similar). My question is do I cook it as pork shoulder, that is longer than tenderloin or not?
Good grief Nagi! This is insane!!! Thank you so much for this sublime recipe. All I ever cook these days are your recipes. They are perfection! Thank you 🙏🏻
Good grief Nagi! This is insane!!! Thank you so much for this sublime recipe. All I ever cook these days are your recipes. Thank you 🙏🏻
I started marinating the slab of pork shoulder on Monday afternoon and roasted the pork Wednesday morning. Oh. My. Gawd. Brought back memories of my walks through Toronto’s Chinatown seeing the pork and ducks hanging in the windows. Juicy? Beyond belief! The only thing was the sauce didn’t thicken to syrup consistency but hey, it worked! This is one of my favourite treats and I will use it in my won ton soup and noodle dishes. So easy to make.
Nagi, mine came out dry. I did 160 degree fan; should I have reduced the oven temp?
Some ovens can run even 20-30F above the stated temp. Have u used an oven thermometer to ck the actual oven temp?
Which cut of pork did you use, Elle? N x
Hi Nagi, I used the pork neck
Hmmm…That is very odd as pork neck has lots of connective tissue so usually doesn’t dry out. How long did it take to cook and did you cut it as the recipe instructed? N x
Yes I did cut into a few pieces length wise.I cooked 1 1/2 hour in total but I wonder if having it 160 on fan makes it cook faster
Good stuff, pretty easy that I can make often, good cooking instructions with explanations. I’ve made the marinade and bought some since honey is rather expensive in the Philippines, Lee Kwon … might as well make my own.. Korean BBQ Kalbi marinade … pretty good ( spicy, a little bit thin, add a bit of honey in pan for dabbing )
Your site one of a few I use as a reference 👌🏿
Who does the music for the Char Siu Pork (Chinese BBQ Pork) video? Love it.
Hi Rick, the song is ‘Chelsea Harbour’ by Yellowbase.
I have an app on my phone called Shazam. It’s great when you want to know about what song is playing. John
Naga I did this today with pork shoulder exactly to your description,absolutely stunning,is it possible to make extra sauce to freeze with what I don’t use on the day,meaning is the sauce safe to freeze,I follow most of your recipes,are you married 😉,joking apart it was truly lush.
Hey Nagi, I made this tonight. Marinated the pork in the fridge for two days. I used pork tenderloin, and will use a different cut next time I make it. The family loved it. I will cook it on the charcoal bucket BBQ next time because I want a more smokey flavour. I’m just getting picky now 🙂
Nagi sorry,
I used pork loin because they were out of the other cut but the flavor is wonderful. Also 2 days marinade
This recipe is AMAZING and so easy for a ridiculous amount of flavor, it’s perfect for Vietnamese sandwiches and wonton soup or just standing in the kitchen and eating slices! I’ve made it with loin, shoulder and Boston butt – amazing every time.
Hi Nagi,
Would you change anything if you cooked this in a smoker BBQ?
Delicious! Will make this recipe again and again! Loved it
Could you make this with lamb fillet or chicken breast? We don’t eat pork but I love the concept/other flavours used. Thanks.
Hi Kiki, take a look here: https://promotown.info/chinese-chicken/%3C/a%3E N x