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!
I will put this recipe on my To Do List. Sounds great. Sorry about Dozer. I had a Westie who had this surgery on his hind leg. Recovery was a lot of work since he wasn’t allowed to walk on it for quite some time. Once he was back to normal he was actually so much better.
I’m so glad to hear your pooch recovered so well Martha! Thank you for the well wishes for Dozer! N xx
Hi Nagi,
First, Get well wishes for Dozer and hope he’s diving into the pool soon. Second, thank you for posting the Chinese bbq as I have been wanting to prepare forever. Will try very soon and post positive comments I am sure as all of your recipes are top notch.
Thanks for the well wishes Rhonda! He is all good now, home safely snoring at my feet 🙂 Hope you do try this Rhonda, it’s SO GOOD! N xx
This looks delicious! My husband loves to cook and barbeque meat on the grill, so this is right up his alley. I will make sure he sees this recipe today.
Bless Dozer’s sweet heart! I am sure he will recover nicely and will be back to his rambunctious self before you know it!
Hope you do try this Naomi! Thank you for the Dozer well wishes, he is home now, snoring at my feet! N xx
Hi Nagi, do you think this is doable over a Weber charcoal grill? If so, would you be able to provide me with the cooking instructions? Thank you so much!
Hi Shal! Direct heat will be a bit strong for this, the sugar will burn before the pork cooks until tender 🙂 Do you have a rotisserie?? 🙂
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I lived in Hawaii for many years and always loved Char Sui Pork, but never got a recipe for it. I would buy the Preseason packets and make it, but here in Kansas you can’t get the packets! Now I can make it again!
Try it try it!! It’s soooooo good!
Hi Nagi – I made this and it was so good!!! I was wondering what is the reason for cooking the marinade for just 30 seconds before marinating?
Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi Scott! You beat me to it – I just removed that step! That was from the original recipe, to dissolve the sugar. I’ve since discovered it makes no difference so I’ve removed the step 🙂
Hi Nagi, my husband is using your recipe and smoking the loin strips at 220f for a 3 hour slow cook. I am excited, It looks and smells wonderful~ Thank you!
Hi Nagi, I
I am wondering, can you use precut pork cubes with this same recipe? What would you suggest for an easy weeknight version?
Hi Nagi, just wondering if you can offer advice on a honey substitute or whether the recipe still works well without honey at all. I am planning to cook this for my partner’s family one day but some of them are honey intolerant.
Hi Heber! Funny you ask – I ran out of honey making this last week and I used golden syrup. Didn’t even know the difference! You do need something to thicken the marinade enough to dab onto the pork 🙂 N xx
Hi Nagi…Love this recipe, but have always had issues with the marinade not being sticky enough to stick!
Planning on doing it tonight but have only got Scotch pork fillet, will this work as well as tenderloin? How long should I cook it for? It is just over 1 kilo…. thanks for all the amazing recipes, you make an appearance at least 5 times a week in our house !
Carol! It’s like you are reading my mind, I literally just took new photos this morning of this made with scotch fillet! I am planning to republish this recipe soon with other pork cuts and adding a video 🙂 It is better with scotch fillet than tenderloin, it’s juicier and it can be cooked for longer so it gets a better glaze 🙂 Here’s how to do it – but the pork lengthwise into half so you have two long strips. Do it horizontally so they are thin pieces as opposed to cutting down through the top, if that makes sense because then the pork is thinner so the marinade penetrates better and it looks more like what you get at the Chinese BBQ shops. They will take about 2 hours at 160C fan / 180C standard (320F / 350F), baste 4 times then just before serving. The pork will be super caramelised and beautifully juicy and tender inside. With the marinade, did you add the extra honey?? And reduce it down until it’s syrupy. And kind of dab it on rather than brush it. Hope that helps! I can’t wait to share the new photos and video!
Hi Nagi…Love this recipe, but have always had issues with the marinade not being sticky enough to stick!
Planning on doing it tonight but have only got Scotch pork fillet, will this work as well as tenderloin? How long should I cook it for? It is just over 1 kilo…. thanks for all the amazing recipes, you make an appearance at least 5 times a week in our house !
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. Having made it once, I can already tell that it is going to be a regular favourite in our house. I think this recipe is perfect, and I’m looking forward to making some more so I can make Char Siu Onigiri!
I just saw your recipe for Korokke – I’ll be able to pretend I’m at the conbini!
Love your recipes Nagi. Made this two days ago for dinner with Rice and some veggies for dinner and everyone was going back for seconds. The glaze is absolutely delicious. I too had issues with it not sticking at first. Then realized that you said to hold back some for basting. Well I had painted it on and poured the rest over the top. duh!! When I pulled it out of the oven to check on it I realized the problem. So I quickly whipped up another batch of the glaze and added a little bit at a time to the hot meat and it was absolutely perfect. The broiler made it nice and glossy and just the right amount of char. Soooo good! So, the yesterday I made your singapore noodles from your Chinese take out cookbook….
That’s so great to hear Nacho! Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed it! N x
I tracked down a few recipes for Char Siu and when I saw one of them was yours I decided on that. It was easy, though I found it tricky to get enough glaze to stick. I ended up heating the remaining marinade as I had seen on another recipe and allowing it to rest covered in that in tin foil. The result was amazing. I think next time I’ll do this earlier and baste with that because it will stick better. I served it with some other Chinese style recipes for guests and it was definitely the hero of the night. One of my guests said “It’s just like in a Chinese restaurant only better.” That’s a pretty good compliment. Thanks for the recipe, Nagi. That marinade is sensational.
Hi Nagi, thank you for your detailed recipe. Is it possible to make it on a barbecue?
Hi Anne! I did do that years ago and I remember it being great! I used a rotisserie but even on the grill should be fine. Baste lots! 🙂
This was delicious! I had boneless pork shoulder ready to make some char siu but realized I had run out of my go-to LKK Char Siu Sauce! I’m so glad I came across this recipe and tried it. Having eaten char siu throughout my childhood (I’m Canadian Chinese) and then moving to a city where there’s no Chinatown close by, I had resorted to using the LKK sauce to make my own char siu to satisfy my cravings but I’ll be using your recipe from now on. I used what I had on hand so had to use the kecap manis substitution and the five spice powder substitution and it was still delicous. I can’t wait to try this using the original recipe. Both my kids even asked for seconds! Thank you for saving tonight’s dinner plan!
Do you turn the pork at all during the roasting or grilling?
If the pork is on a rack then turning is not necessary.
delicious pork and recipe works exactly as described, wondered how the tenderloin would work out and was juicy and delicious, very easy to slice up.
perfect recipe
That’s terrific to hear Paul! Thanks for taking the time to let me know – N x
Excellent and so easy. Now family favourite. Also love the site I will be using it a lot. Thank you!
Love hearing that Ada! Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed it! N xx
Hi Nagi!
How would I go about braising the pork using this marinade?
Hi Eliza! Unfortunately I’m not sure how suitable this is for this, sorry!