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The best Char Siu recipe with perfect Cantonese BBQ char siu pork and sweet char siu sauce. This is an authentic recipe that tastes like Cantonese restaurants in Chinatown!
Char Siu Pork
Char Siu, or Chinese BBQ pork, is one of the most popular pork recipes in Cantonese cooking.
If you have been to Chinatown, I am sure you have seen glistening and perfectly roasted meats such as Chinese roast pork (siu yuk), chicken and duck hanging in front of the Chinese BBQ restaurants.
BBQ pork belly char siu is the epitome of Cantonese BBQ. They are always sliced into thin pieces and served with steamed white rice, with vegetable on the side.
Sometimes spelled as char siew or char sui, the pork is always perfectly charred, juicy, tender, dripping in a sticky, sweet and savory sauce.
When cooked right, this is one of the best pork recipes to savor in the whole world!
In this recipe, you will learn how to make the best char siu, 100% homemade, with the taste that rivals the best Cantonese restaurants in Chinatown!
Char Siu Recipe
How to make char siu? There are two parts of the recipe.
The first part is picking the best cut of pork. The second part is making the char siu sauce which is the marinade.
It’s best to marinate the pork belly overnight. To BBQ, roast in the oven at 400F for 15 minutes.
Set the oven to broil and broil all sides of the pork belly until they char nicely. Slice into thin pieces before serving.
Ingredients
Before you marinate the pork belly, you will need to make the Char Siu Sauce.
Here are the list of ingredients:
- “Nam yue” or fermented red bean curd. This ingredient is optional if you don’t have it, but it adds the iconic nuance and aromas to the pork.
- Maltose (preferred) or honey.
- Soy sauce.
- Oyster sauce.
- Five spice powder.
- Ground white pepper.
These ingredients mingle together to produce the most amazing, sweet, savory, sticky sauce that marinates the pork belly before roasting in the oven. You can make a few servings and keep them in the fridge.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Make Char Siu Pork Belly
Step 1: Get a big bowl, mix all the Char Siu Sauce ingredients, add the garlic and pork belly and marinate overnight in the fridge.
Step 2: The next day, heat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C). Place the pork belly on a wire rack or in a pan lined with aluminum foil. Roast for 15 minutes.
Step 3: Removed from oven and turn the pork belly over, brush the remaining Char Siu Sauce on the pork. Continue to roast for another 15 minutes.
Step 4: Set the oven to Broil and broil each side of the pork belly for about 1 min, until each side become nicely charred. The char siu will look dark in color, it’s normal.
Step 5: Slice the char siu into thin and bite-size pieces, serve immediately with steamed white rice and the remaining Char Siu Sauce. You may heat up the remaining Char Siu Sauce and bring to a simmer and set aside.
Cooking Tips For The Best Char Siu Pork Belly
I have another Chinese BBQ Pork recipe, but this is the best and most authentic recipe ever!
The taste of this recipe reminds me of the best of the best in Malaysia, found at the many chicken rice stalls there.
Here are my Cooking Tips:
- Use pork belly. Try to choose fatty pork belly with equal layer of meat and fat. The ratio of fat and meat should be 50:50.
- If you can’t find pork belly, you may choose fatty pork shoulder or pork butt.
- Remove the skin before marinating the pork.
- Marinate overnight for the deeper flavors.
- Roast and BBQ the pork in an oven. Then grill over direct fire (using an outdoor BBQ grill or over the stove top). You can also use broil it using your oven. The key is to char all sides of the pork belly with a nice char.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use pork tenderloin for char siu.
Pork tenderloin is less fatty but it will make a leaner and healthier version of this recipe.
You can keep the leftover in the refrigerator for a few days but I don’t recommend freezing.
This recipe is only 361 calories per serving.
What To Serve With This Recipe
Serve this recipe with plain rice or chicken rice. For a Cantonese BBQ dinner at home, I recommend the following recipes.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Char Siu (The Best Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 lb. skinless pork belly, cut into 2 long strips
- 2 tablespoons garlic, finely chopped
Char Siu Sauce:
- 2 pieces Chinese fermented red bean curd
- 1 tablespoon maltose , or honey
- 1 tablespoon Chinese Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark and thick soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon five-spice powder
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper powder
- 3 1/2 oz sugar, 100 g or 8 1/2 tablespoons
Instructions
- Get a big bowl, mix all the Char Siu Sauce ingredients, add the garlic and pork belly and marinate overnight in the fridge.
- The next day, heat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C). Place the pork belly on a wire rack or in a pan lined with aluminum foil. Roast for 15 minutes.
- Removed from oven and turn the pork belly over, brush the remaining Char Siu Sauce on the pork. Continue to roast for another 15 minutes.
- Set the oven to Broil and broil each side of the pork belly for about 1 min, until each side become nicely charred. The char siu will look dark in color, it's normal.
- Slice the char siu into thin and bite-size pieces, serve immediately with steamed white rice and the remaining Char Siu Sauce. You may heat up the remaining Char Siu Sauce and bring to a simmer and set aside.
Video
Notes
- Use pork belly. Try to choose fatty pork belly with equal layer of meat and fat. The ratio of fat and meat should be 50:50.
- If you can’t find pork belly, you may choose fatty pork shoulder or pork butt.
- Remove the skin before marinating the pork.
- Marinate overnight for the deeper flavors.
- Roast and BBQ the pork in an oven. Then grill over direct fire (using an outdoor BBQ grill or over the stove top). You can also use broil it using your oven. The key is to char all sides of the pork belly with a nice char.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How do you mix the maltose with the ingredients? Out of the jar it is very hard and comes out as a big lump…
Heat it up so it soften and then mix.
I get you notifications on Facebook. My local Chinese restaurant that I go to a lot (buffet) serves a dish and the only name they have for it is Crab and Mayonnaise. The mayonnaise is not a heavy sauce and its buttery. I know there is celery and possibly green onions in it and big chunk crab. It is a hot dish. None of the recipes I finds in no way match up to it. Do you know of any dish like this that the Chinese prepare? I would appreciate any help you can give. I would also like the recipe for salt and pepper shrimp if possible.
It’s called crab rangoon. It’s American, definitely not Chinese.
The only pork belly I get where I live has been sliced, similar to bacon but thicker. Is there a way for me to adapt the cooking (there is only 1 grocery store here)
Can this be cooked on charcoal grill?
Yes you can try it, better. :)
What about a slow cooker?
Slow cooker doesn’t work.
Can i use Air Fryer to bake the Char Siu? is the temperature & timing same? Thanks.
Not sure.
I tried with Airfryer. It works. You need to preheat at 200deg C for 5mins then put into the airfryer for 19 mins. Need to turn it over at half time. Perfect.
This came out really fatty—it looked nothing like the pictures. Something is missing here….maybe you need to trim or parboil first.
Peter, no, what you see on the pictures was what I did according to the recipe I have here…maybe your pork belly is too fatty.
Yes I have tried this many times and can vouch that it is delicious. Best to choose belly pork that has thin layers of fat between the lean.
One of the main reasons why char siu/siu yoke (even now in Malaysia it’s not easy to get the pork belly type)is because many people are too overly health conscious that they demand lean meat (pork belly – byebye) hence the coarse tough papery taste. I’ve asked many who sells roast pork/char siu from all over and I get the same answer.
All I can say is that do not compromise if we want to eat authentic food after all we don’t eat these everyday.
Can I use this recipe with chicken,beef and/or fish? what kind of tweeks would I need to do to the above recipe to make it compatible with the proteins I have listed.
You can use chicken.
I haven’t tried this recipe yet. I want to see if anything else needs my special attention before going to cook this dish. I googled under Pool Sam’s Facebook find nothing. Would you please show me the complete address to get onto his facebook. I will be grateful.
I am not sure what happened but I think she deleted her Facebook.
love char sui had in Los Angeles now living in Indiana can you give me some comparables as finding ingredients in small rural area> thanks :)
Hi! My family is from the bay area and moved to Indiana too! My mom goes to the Asian market in Indy and brings a cooler with her to buy pork belly etc. They will have all of the ingredients that you need. If you don’t feel like making a big trip out of it, my mom has made it before with pork belly (she made friends with the butcher so he ordered it especially for her) and biscuit mix (added more flour to it). It’s not nearly as good as the original, but it’s still pretty good. If you have a Meijer nearby, they’ll have hoisin and other unexpected ingredients.