The Secret to Juicy and Delicious Char Siu Roast Pork
This post may contain affiliate links.Char Siu Roast Pork or Chinese BBQ Roast Pork is is a Cantonese dish known for its sweet, savory, and smoky flavor! Marinated in a mix of honey, soy sauce, and five-spice powder, it’s slow-roasted to a tender, juicy meat with a caramelized, glossy look.
Char Siu Roast Pork – Chinese BBQ
Char Siu (叉燒 cha shao) is a Chinese dish of pork strips marinated in a sweet and savory sauce, then roasted. Originating from Guangdong, its name means ‘fork roasted,’ referencing the traditional roasting method.
The pork is marinated overnight in five spice powder, honey, and cooking wine and then roasted to create a honey-glazed, tender dish loved by many.
In my opinion, good char siu can be rare, possibly because of the mixture in the marinade or the meat selection. A great char siu has deep, balanced flavors that seep into the tender, juicy meat with the perfect mix of sweet and salty flavor.
I’ve experimented with numerous Char Siu recipes over the years, and this version has become my family’s absolute favorite. We always prepare this dish during Chinese New Year dinner, as it’s one of the many traditional dishes that bring comfort and joy to the table. The rich, caramelized flavors and juicy meat never fail to impress!
If you’re looking for more festive Chinese dishes to complete your feast, check out my recipes for Egg Drop Soup, Chow Mein, or the crowd-pleasing Shrimp Balls. These dishes pair wonderfully with Char Siu and are perfect for any special occasion.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Recipe Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Pork – The ideal cuts for Char Siu are pork shoulder or pork neck. Pork neck tends to be fattier, providing a richer, juicier result, while pork shoulder offers a good balance of lean meat and fat. If you prefer a leaner option, pork loin can also be used, but it may be slightly drier.
Five spice powder – You can purchase five-spice powder from a grocery store, but for a fresher and more aromatic flavor, consider making it yourself using a blend of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns, and fennel seeds. This spice mix gives Char Siu its distinctive, aromatic fragrance.
Chinese white cooking wine – Chinese rice wine is the most suitable choice to be able to get the authentic taste. You can substitute it with dry sherry or even white wine, though the flavor profile may slightly differ.
Chinese red cooking wine – The red cooking wine is to balance the overall taste. It has a bit of sweetness in it, so use sparingly to avoid overpowering the dish.
Red yeast rice – Crush the red yeast rice as finely as possible. This is one important ingredients to give the roast pork its authentic taste.
Sesame oil – Sesame oil will give the roast pork a wonderful fragrance.
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below
Substitutions & Variations
Other than pork shoulder or pork neck, you can use pork belly, chicken thigh or even turkey. For a leaner option, sometimes people choose pork loin. Remember that pork loin can be less juicy if roasted too long.
You may also use Hoisin sauce combined with soy sauce and five spice powder. Fermented bean curd and rice wine adds more flavor. I have tried fermented bean curd once, I don’t really like the bitter aftertaste.
Maltose can be used to substitute honey when brushing after roasting.
How To Make
STEP 1. Combine red rice yeast, sugar, honey, soy sauce, pepper, rice wine, red cooking wine, sesame oil in a bowl. Add crushed garlic into the sauce (Images 1, 2). Mix well. Add red food coloring if you like (Image 3). Cut the pork neck into long strips about 5 cm wide, put the meat inside a zip lock bag (Image 4).
STEP 2. Pour the marinade sauce into the bag (Image 5). Zip it tightly. Press the meat inside the bag to make sure all the meat is covered with the sauce (Image 6). Transfer the bag into the chiller afterwards. Refrigerate overnight to two nights or for at least 8 hours before roasting. The next day or on the day you want to roast, take out the bag. Prepare a baking pan, you may line it with aluminium foil, so the charred sauce will not stain the pan (Image 7). Bake in a preheated oven 180°C for 20 minutes (Image 8). Keep checking once in a while. Reduce the oven temperature if the meat looks burning.
STEP 3. After 20 minutes of roasting, brush it generously with honey or maltose for a glossy, caramelized finish. Return the pork to the oven and roast for an additional 5 minutes. Flip the pork, brush the other side, and roast for another 5 minutes. The total roasting time should be around 30 minutes, with the pork developing a caramelized and slightly charred surface. Let it cool for about 10 minutes on a cooling rack (Image 9).
STEP 4. Once slightly cooled, slice the Char Siu into your desired thickness (Image 10). Serve immediately, and enjoy your juicy, flavorful Char Siu Roast Pork!
Pro Tips
- If you don’t have oven, you can pan-fry this marinated pork. Cover the lid to keep the meat juicy. Cook for 20 minutes and torch the meat after for some charred effect.
- Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven to ensure even heat distribution and prevent the top of the pork from burning.
- Cover the pork with aluminum foil during the initial roasting stage to retain moisture, to result in juicy texture.
- For a more charred look, use a kitchen torch on the surface of the pork after roasting. This adds a beautiful caramelized finish.
- For the juiciest Char Siu, use pork shoulder or pork neck. Pork neck is fattier, providing richer flavor, while pork shoulder offers a balanced fat-to-meat ratio. If you prefer a leaner option, you can use pork loin, but check once in a while to prevent drying out. When choosing pork neck, ask your butcher to cut it lengthwise with minimal fat.
- If using maltose instead of honey for brushing, slightly warm it first. This reduces its thickness, making it easier to apply evenly on the pork.
- While the red yeast rice naturally gives the pork a reddish-brown color, you can enhance it with a few drops of red food coloring for a more vibrant look.
- For the best flavor, marinate the pork for two days in the refrigerator. This allows the marinade to penetrate deeply, resulting in a richer taste.
What to Serve with Char Siu Pork
Honey-roasted BBQ pork is an incredibly versatile dish. It pairs very well with minced pork noodles, steamed white rice, or even fluffy pumpkin buns or cheese buns.
For a satisfying family dinner, serve a few slices of honey-roasted BBQ pork alongside stir-fried bok choy, a perfectly cooked ramen egg, crispy pork belly, and steamed white rice. It also complements classic sides like tomato egg stir-fry or a shrimp omelette.
FAQs about Char Siu Roast Pork
It is enough to marinate the pork for 24 hours, but I find that if I marinate it for 48 hours, the sauce seep deeply into the center better.
Yes! You can use an air fryer or even pan-fry the pork over medium heat.
Storage
Keep the roasted pork wrapped in aluminium foil in a closed container in the fridge. This should stay fresh for up to 2 weeks. You can reheat in an oven or microwave or air-fry.
Char Siu BBQ Roast Pork
Ingredients
- 500 gr pork cut into long strips or pork shoulder or chicken thigh fillet
Marinade
- 1 tbsp red yeast rice
- 1 tsp five spice powder
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp pepper
- 3 tbsp white wine Chinese
- 1 tbsp red wine Chinese
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 4 garlic crushed
Instructions
- Combine red rice yeast, sugar, honey, soy sauce, pepper, rice wine, red cooking wine, sesame oil in a bowl. Add crushed garlic into the sauce. Mix well. Add red food coloring if you like. Cut the pork neck into long strips about 5 cm wide, put the meat inside a zip lock bag.
- Pour the marinade sauce into the bag. Zip it tightly. Press the meat inside the bag to make sure all the meat is covered with the sauce. Transfer the bag into the chiller afterwards. Refrigerate overnight to two nights or for at least 8 hours before roasting. The next day or on the day you want to roast, take out the bag. Prepare a baking pan, you may line it with aluminium foil, so the charred sauce will not stain the pan. Bake in a preheated oven 180°C for 20 minutes. Keep checking once in a while. Reduce the oven temperature if the meat looks burning.
- After 20 minutes of roasting, brush it generously with honey or maltose for a glossy, caramelized finish. Return the pork to the oven and roast for an additional 5 minutes. Flip the pork, brush the other side, and roast for another 5 minutes. The total roasting time should be around 30 minutes, with the pork developing a caramelized and slightly charred surface. Let it cool for about 10 minutes on a cooling rack.
- Once slightly cooled, slice the Char Siu into your desired thickness. Serve immediately, and enjoy your juicy, flavorful Char Siu Roast Pork!
Video
Notes
- If you don’t have oven, you can pan-fry this marinated pork. Cover the lid to keep the meat juicy. Cook for 20 minutes and torch the meat after for some charred effect.
- Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven to ensure even heat distribution and prevent the top of the pork from burning.
- Cover the pork with aluminum foil during the initial roasting stage to retain moisture, to result in juicy texture.
- For a more charred look, use a kitchen torch on the surface of the pork after roasting. This adds a beautiful caramelized finish.
- For the juiciest Char Siu, use pork shoulder or pork neck. Pork neck is fattier, providing richer flavor, while pork shoulder offers a balanced fat-to-meat ratio. If you prefer a leaner option, you can use pork loin, but check once in a while to prevent drying out. When choosing pork neck, ask your butcher to cut it lengthwise with minimal fat.
- If using maltose instead of honey for brushing, slightly warm it first. This reduces its thickness, making it easier to apply evenly on the pork.
- While the red yeast rice naturally gives the pork a reddish-brown color, you can enhance it with a few drops of red food coloring for a more vibrant look.
- For the best flavor, marinate the pork for two days in the refrigerator. This allows the marinade to penetrate deeply, resulting in a richer taste.
This is an authentic Char siu roast pork recipe that is so easy to make and prepare! I have got this recipe from my grandmother who got it from her grandmother! Try it, you won’t regret it!