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!
This is the recipe my late husband and I used for years – have lost my cookbook so very happy I found your site – can hardly wait to try it again
I look forward to trying many more of your recipes
Pat
Ohhhh I love hearing that Pat! I do hope it tastes like his. 🙂 N xx
Hi again Nagi I Cooke the BBQ char Sui pork today and it turned out perfect.,my husband said it tastes like the real thing .
Thank you again for your recipes.
Rhonda
FANTASTIC to hear Rhonda! N xx
Hi Nagi I just love your recipes they are so good and often we have all the ingredients in our pantry.
Can you make this recipe in the slow cooker please,I I have a piece of pork shoulder in the freezer I would like to use.
Thank you for all your recipes.
Hi Rhonda, so pleased you enjoy my recipes, thanks Rhonda! Unfortunately this one has to be done in the oven, sorry! Needs the caramelisation 🙂
Hi Nagi thank you for your quick reply I will start to make this tomorrow,I will cook it in the oven.i will let you know how it turns out.Thanks.Rhonda.
Hi
I have made the Char Sui pork recipe at least 5 times now. It has become my husband’s and my favourite pork recipe. It is awesome. I passed the recipe onto my daughter and she made it for her fiancé and future father-in-law and it was a hit.
Whoot! 🙌🏻 So happy to hear that Debbie, thanks for letting me know! N xx
Just made the marinade…tastes amazing…visited Toronto in Canada and went to the Mandarin…the marinade tells me it’s very close to their char siu…putting the pork down for 24hrs
I usually use pork tenderloin, but am going to use this recipe on small stew sized pieces…figure the varying sizes will give a real nice bite sized piece of “char” verses tenderness…mmm
Thanks for the recipe!
That’s so fantastic to hear John!! Thanks for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know you enjoyed it! N xx
Hi – it’s finally warm enough to bbq here in Ireland and I have been waiting forever to try this! I’m using what the call pork steak here – looks like tenderloin but there still a bit of fat on it which I’m leaving on so the meat isn’t too dry. The marinade already smells delicious!! I’ll be coming back tomorrow to rate!!!
Ooh! The flavour will be amazing!!
Whoops, forgot to rate this. 5 stars!
I was so happy to find this recipe as I am missing Singapore noodles big time! I now live in the south of France which is very rural and impossible to find something like this. My sister brought me the 5 spice mix from the UK but I suppose you could make your own at a pinch. I just made the char siu this morning after marinating overnight. It is AWESOME! Next week I will make the Singapore noodles using this and report on that recipe. I can’t wait. Thank you Nagi, your recipes are the best!
Oooh! I hope you love both of these – I am OBSESSED with the Singapore noodles!
Hi, just wanted to say a HUGE thank you for this recipe. I’ve made it four times now, and it’s AWESOME! It’s probably a good thing that it takes a lot of time for the meat to marinate, and get to room temperature, otherwise, I’d probably be making this at least once a week, if not more often! This past weekend I made 5 pounds of the stuff, and split it between my parents, my son, and myself. My son took some to share with his co-workers, and they all want more. Your recipe has now been passed on to at least one of his co-workers, and two others have said they’d by the tenderloin, if I’d make some for them. 🙂 Thank you again for this great recipe!
I am so thrilled that you are as obsessed with this as I am! I made this for the BBQ the other week – SO GOOD!
Hope this response doesn’t post twice. Don’t see my first one, so trying again. 🙂
Just wanted to update you on this recipe, and share something new, (to me at least), that I tried today.
I’m typing this while 20 POUNDS of pork tenderloin are marinating in the fridge. My son is taking it to his company picnic, since all his co-workers keep asking for it since he shared some with them in April.
The new thing I tried today was making the sauce for this recipe, and marinating a piece of salmon in it for 1/2 an hour, (my research shows not more than that, or the fish will get mushy), then cooking the salmon at 350 degrees until it’s flaky. It turned out AMAZING! Have to go get more salmon, (and sauce ingredients), when the salmon goes on sale. 🙂
My other experiment will have to wait until i restock my sauce ingredients. I’m going to try marinating large shrimp in this, then cooking them. 🙂
Anyway, just wanted to share that with you, and thank you again for such an awesome recipe! 🙂
I can’t believe you wrote that entire message out AGAIN! 😂 N xx
Nagi, I have to give you an update to my last post about this recipe! I’m typing this as 20 POUNDS of pork tenderloin are marinating away in the fridge. My son is taking it to his company picnic, since his co-workers have been asking for more since he shared it the last time I sent you a post. My post to you this time is about something new, (to me at least), I tried today. I took a piece of salmon, marinated it for 1/2 an hour, (if longer, the fish will fall apart from what I researched), then cooked it at 350 degrees until it was flaky. It was AWESOME!!! I only tried a tiny piece, in case it didn’t turn out, but since it did, I’ll be buying a larger piece of salmon as soon as it’s on sale! Had just enough ingredients left, (after the 20 pounds of tenderloin), for just the salmon, so I have to wait to do my next experiment with this BBQ sauce: Jumbo shrimp. 🙂 Anyway, sorry for the novel, but just wanted to update you about the awesomeness of this recipe. 🙂 Thank you again for sharing it with the rest of the world. 🙂
Gosh YES this is terrific with salmon and other fish, and I’ve done the chicken version too! SO GOOD!! I love the novel. I always love novels about FOOD! 😂 N xx
Thank you for all of your delicious recipes. They are just delicious. I am giving an asian theme bunco party, and would like to made several of your dishes (perhaps three or four). Which of your asian recipes would you put together? I will have help at the last minute, and can certainly prep beforehand. I just have to be able to pull off a complete dinner.
Thank you for all of the time you put into your site!
Linda
Hi Linda! So glad you enjoy my recipes, thank you for trying them! Hmm – to make my life easy, I would do things like Fried Rice (do a search, I have a handful of different types!) which reheat well. This pork is lovely reheated (I use the microwave) and the Chinese Corn Soup is a fantastic starter which again is easy to make a big batch of and to reheat. I would probably also do one or two stir fries – get everything chopped and ready to cook. Thing with wok cooking is that you can’t do big batches otherwise the veggies etc steam rather than flash fry. If you make something like Cashew Chicken, it reheats wonderfully. That’s a crowd pleaser! I’d stay away from beef (doesn’t reheat so great). I hope that helps! N xx
Nagi thank you for the recipe I use to work in an Asian restrurant however they smoked & basted the back ribs with a combined basting sauce of plum & apricot perserves. Have you ever heard of this? our ribs got the red color in the 1st 1/4 inch of meat by spices & basting with perserves. eager to try this receipe out.
Oooh YUM! The only way I know to get the red stain is using food colouring. Other than that, beetroot is the only thing I know that produces the same intensity of stain! That sounds so delish though, I really need to make Chinese ribs sooN!
OMG this is so good!!! Made it today and I was and I quote: “blown away”
I live in the country side in far off Canada and it’s just to far too travel to get such a thing!
No need to worry anymore, I can make it just as well as the best Asian BBQ.
I didn’t make any changes except I added some liquid smoke and doubled the
sauce, after slicing, I mixed the pieces with more sauce.
Thank you so much for the recipe and I am so enjoy your blog,
so informative and laced with a delicious sense of humour.
So glad you enjoyed it Peter, thanks so much for letting me know! N xx
Thanks for taking the time to include all the info about substitutions! This is why I chose to try the recipe!
Thanks Kay! Hope you love it! I need to make a video of this some time soon 🙂 N x
I made it last night and my husband and I loved it. We are low-carbers, so I subbed out the honey and sugar for a low-carb sweetener (same measurements) and it stilll turned out fantastic. I will be back for more of your recipes!
Hi Nagi, just made your Char Siu to have along with Ginger and garlic noddles, and as i had made extra basting liquid for friend i thought i might try something new out with your recipe. Poached eggs !!! and they were amazing. Thanks for the recipe. jim in Scotland
Oooh! Sounds amazing Jim, so glad you loved it!
Thanks for the recipe. It kinda worked but again I didn’t prep correctly, I think. I used pork tenderloin but I think next time I need to cut it into thinner long pieces. I also marinated for 2 days, since I didn’t get chance to cook it after 1 day. It came out bit on salty side. I wonder if it’s because I marinated it for 2 days. Another thing is my marinade won’t stick to the meat. It’s bit oily since I added the sesame oil for tenderloin. Overall, I think it’s a great recipe. Hopefully my next try is more successful 🙂
Hi Eric, yes the extended marinating time was a factor. It draws out too much juices and makes the liquid too watery. It’s also the reason why the marinade didn’t stick. Hope you do give it another go – and please don’t marinate longer than the specified 24 hours!
Awesome! Will definitely try again. Thanks Nagi!
Hi Nagi, I was going to try that yummy looking corn soup, but my Char Siu addition has gotten out of control! I believe I have mastered the pork version and I am going to try chicken. I researched it carefully, studying different versions. Then I thought….visions of smoke coming out my ears: Nagi’s version is better! I might increase (slightly) the five spice too for chicken. To anyone concerned with a baste that has raw chicken, the answer is simple: make 2 x the amount of the marinade. Discard the used marinade. Bake chicken (or pork) and after a 20 minutes turn and start baste with the other 1/2 of reserved Char Siu sauce. I have done this with the pork as well, it is perfect.
Thank you Nagi for this perfect combination!
You crack me up Elizabeth!!! So glad you are enjoying this recipe! N xx
Made twice now. Love this recipe. I leave out the 5 spice because I’ve never liked it, and it’s still so good. Used on loins and ribs.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Carly! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and let me know! N x
Absolutely delicious! Made as directed and it came out perfect. My 6-year old ate 1/2 the tenderloin herself and told me I need to make it often! The recipe was well written and easy to follow. Love all the extra notes 🙂 Thank you for sharing Nagi!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Woodfired! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and let me know! N x
Why do you have to simmer the marinade BEFORE you add it to the pork? Theres no bacteria in it before it comes into contact with the pork.
Just made this again!!! It is sat in the fridge marinading, ready to cook tomorrow.
Love it!!! It is the best Char Siu Pork!
We’ll have some sliced with braised beansprouts and the rest is going to be thrown into my special chow mein.
Love this recipe Nagi xxxx
Awwww, thanks Claire! I’m so glad you approve!! <3 N x