Delicious, sweet, and savory barbecue pork with a Chinese five spice flavor. This easy char siu recipe is made with minimal ingredients in the oven! Say goodbye to Chinese takeout as this will save you money! A great main for the whole family.
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Char Siu is a very popular Chinese barbecue pork made of roasted pork shoulder glazed in a red sauce made of fermented bean curd, hoisin, honey, brown sugar and other seasonings.
The translation of "char siu" is "fork roasted" in English. You can find it at many Chinese restaurants. Just look for the big window with a variety of meats hanging, like soy sauce chicken or roasted pork belly.
The butcher will slice up as much as you order (usually in pounds) and you can also order it as a cheap and filling meal with white rice and seasoned cabbage.
Char siu comes from Guandong, China. What gives the meat its red color is the fermented red bean curd which also offers a delicious umami flavor!
When I was young, my mother would make her own version or she'd order takeout to cut down on the cooking time. We'd serve it over white rice or noodles and it was simply the best!
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to the below Recipe card for full measurements
Note: Your Asian grocery store will carry most of the Asian specific ingredients.
- Boneless Pork Shoulder (aka pork butt): Look for pieces with some fat marbling through it. Or substitute with pork belly for a fattier cut but please use a meat thermometer and cook until an internal temperature of 145 F. Avoid using pork tenderloin as it's too tough.
Char Siu Marinade
- Red fermented bean curd: the key ingredient for that natural red color. Most Asian grocers sell this in the sauce aisle. I don't recommend substituting with red food coloring for this recipe.
- Honey: any plain honey and avoid flavored honeys.
- Hoisin sauce: to give the marinade that barbecue flavor and dark brown color.
- Brown sugar: light or dark brown sugar will work. This also helps to brown the outside of the meat and helps to char the edges.
- Regular soy sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce. If you’re gluten-free, substitute with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce.
- Chinese five-spice powder: A seasoning powder made of Chinese cinnamon, fennel seed, star anise, and cloves with ginger, white pepper or Sichuan peppercorns.
- Shaoxing wine: a Chinese rice cooking wine. Or substitute with Dry Sherry. For a non-alcoholic or gluten-free version, substitute with any broth.
Equipment
- Cutting board and knife
- Wire rack
- Aluminum foil
- Baking or Roast Pan
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring Set
- Brush
Expert Tips
- Source a cut of pork shoulder or pork butt with some fat marbled through it for best taste.
- Use a digital meat thermometer to help monitor the cooking process.
- Make sure the water in the baking pan isn't touching the pork or it'll boil the meat.
- Broil the meat until you have slight charring for extra flavor!
- Let the meat sit for 10-15 minutes after roasting so the juice redistribute through the meat again.
- Slice the char siu on a bias for a tender cut.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make char siu:
In a bowl, mix together Marinade ingredients. Use a fork to mash the red fermented bean curd cubes into a paste. Set aside.
Slice pork into two long equal sized pieces. When you cut, try to cut in a way that both parts will equally contain enough fat marbling through it.
Pour the marinade into a sealable container or Ziplock bag and place pork into the marinade. Ensure enough marinade coats the top of the pork if using a container. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 6 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line your baking pan with aluminum foil with a small wire rack in the center and fill it ¼ of the way with water. Ensure there is enough space between the rack and the water, so the pork doesn’t touch the water as it roasts.
Place pork on the wired rack giving enough space between each other. Bake for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix together basting sauce in a small bowl.
Remove the pork from the oven and baste ensuring all of the pork is covered in the glaze. Bake for 10 minutes.
Then remove the pork from the oven and baste again. Bake for 10 minutes. Repeat one more time. You should baste a total of 3 times and bake 4 times at 10 minute intervals.
Broil it for 5 minutes by raising the temperature to 500 degrees F until the edges become charred. Make sure the internal temperature of the pork reaches 145 degrees F.
Remove from the oven and allow this to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing against the grain on a 45-degree angle for a tender cut.
Storage
- Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
- Freezer friendly? Cooked char siu can be stored in a freezer friendly bag and frozen up to 3 months or until you see freezer burn. To reheat, defrost it and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop in a pan.
Pairing Suggestions
Char siu serves well with:
- starters like egg rolls, crab rangoons, egg drop soup, hot and sour soup
- white or brown rice, cauliflower rice, or soup noodles
- cooked vegetables like napa cabbage, bok choy, spicy garlic bok choy, choy sum, gai lan, garlic green beans or stir fried snow pea leaves.
Other ways to use Char Siu
Char siu is such a versatile meat dish and there are many ways to enjoy it like in:
- fried rice
- baked buns or steamed baos
- chow mein or lo mein
- sandwiches
- omelettes
- noodle soup
FAQ
This can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To enjoy, reheat it in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop on medium heat.
Fermented red bean curd is a thick red liquid with cubes of bean curd in it and it usually comes in a jar like the picture below. 
Yes, please follow my air fryer char siu recipe for those instructions.
Yes, you can substitute the pork with chicken thighs but please check out my recipe for air fryer char siu chicken here.
📖 Recipe
Easy & Simple Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork shoulder boneless (aka pork butt)
Marinade:
- ⅛ cup honey
- ⅓ cup red fermented bean curd
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup regular soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice
- ⅛ cup shaoxing Wine or sub with Dry Sherry
Basting Sauce:
- 3 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoon red fermented bean curd
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together Marinade ingredients. You may need a fork to crush the fermented bean curd cubes into a paste. Set aside.
- Slice pork butt into two long equal pieces at about 2 inches thick x 3 inches wide and 6 inches long. When you cut, try to cut in a way that both parts will equally contain enough fat marbling through it.
- Pour the marinade into a sealable container or zip lock bag and place pork into the marinade. Ensure enough marinade coats the top of the pork. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 6 hours.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line your large deep baking dish with foil and fill it ¼ of the way with water. Place a wired rack over top and make sure there is enough space between the rack and the water so the pork doesn’t touch the water as it roasts.
- Place pork loins on the wired rack giving enough space between each piece. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together your basting glaze.
- Remove the pork from the oven and baste ensuring all of the pork is covered in the glaze. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove the pork from the oven and baste again. Bake for 10 minutes. Repeat this step one more time. (You should baste a total of 3 times and bake 4 times at 10 minute intervals).
- Finally broil it for 5 minutes by raising the temperature to 500 degrees F until the edges become charred. Make sure the internal temperature of the pork reaches 145 degrees F.
- Remove from the oven and allow this to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing against the grain on a 45-degree angle for a tender cut.
Marina
Hello, can I use maple syrup instead of honey?
christieathome
Hi Marina! Yes, absolutely!
Brian
Great recipe, I believe pork butt (aka Boston butt) and pork shoulder are the exact same cut.
christieathome
Thanks for making my recipe and for sharing that information with me! Learn something new everyday!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
The sweet sugary taste of the pork you described sounds absolutely heavenly today. This would be so tasty served with either rice or noodles! 😋
Tasia ~ two sugar bugs
I'm always drooling with your recipes!! This char siu looks insanely delish! Cannot wait to try it!
Michelle | Sift & Simmer
Char siu is such a classic! I could eat it with rice everyday! 🙂