Easy Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)
This Char Siu recipe produces tender, marinated pork shoulder strips coated in a rich, sweet, and savory glaze featuring honey, soy, hoisin, five-spice, and oyster sauce. The pork is marinated up to 24 hours to absorb flavors, then roasted on a wire rack to develop a caramelized crust. The method yields a classic Chinese barbecue pork with a glossy exterior and juicy interior, suitable for slicing and serving with rice or noodles.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar unseasoned
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoons white pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds pork shoulder boneless, trimmed, cut along the grain into long strips; aka pork butt
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
oven instructions
- Pour honey, soy sauce, hoisin, vinegar, brown sugar, oyster sauce, Chinese five spice, sesame oil, and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper into a saucepan and stir together.
- Simmer over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
- Set aside 6 tablespoons marinade into a small bowl.
- Season pork shoulder strips with salt and remaining white pepper.
- Place seasoned pork strips in are-sealable plastic bag, pour remaining cooled marinade over pork, and shake bag around to ensure pork pieces are fully covered.
- Remove as much air from bag as possible, seal and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
- Preheat oven to 425˚F. Remove pork strips from refrigerator and marinade and place onto a baking sheet covered in foil, with a wire cooling rack on top (sprayed with cooking spray), spacing pieces about 1 inch apart.
- Baste pork with reserved marinade.
- Roast pork for 15 minutes. Lower temperature to 375˚F and continue to roast for an additional 25 to 30minutes (or until the internal temperature reaches between 145˚F and 160˚F.), generously basting with marinade every 15 minutes.
- 1. Once pork has reached its internal temperature, glaze once more and broil on high for 1 to 2 minutes or until pork caramelizes. Remove pork from heat, transfer to cutting board and rest for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Slice and serve.
air fryer instructions
- Marinate pork as recipe above states.
- Lightly grease the air fryer basket with cooking spray.
- Place marinated pork strips into an air fryer, 1/2 inch apart.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400˚F and air fry for 16 minutes, stopping every 4-5 minutes to flip and baste with remaining marinade.
- Transfer pork strips to a cutting board and slice.
Notes
- Marinate the pork strips for at least 12 hours, preferably 24 hours, to develop full flavor and tender texture.
- Use a wire rack placed over a foil-lined baking sheet to ensure even cooking and easy cleanup.
- Spray or brush the rack with oil to prevent the sweet marinade from sticking to it during roasting.
- Traditional red Char Siu color can come from fermented red bean curd; this recipe omits it but you can add it by mixing with the sauce ingredients.
- Reducing the soy sauce to 1 tablespoon and blending it with fermented bean curd creates a paste for authentic red color and flavor.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 6 Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 228
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 228kcal | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 18g | 6% |
| Protein | 27g | 54% |
| Fat | 5g | 8% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 68mg | 23% |
| Sodium | 1137mg | 47% |
| Potassium | 483mg | 10% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 16g | 32% |
| Vitamin A | 4IU | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 23mg | 2% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.