Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)

Name: Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings (about 1.5 lb cooked)
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 2 lb pork shoulder (pork butt) (cut along the grain into long strips about 2 inches thick); 3 tbsp hoisin sauce; 2 tbsp light soy sauce; 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine; 1 tbsp oyster sauce; 2 tbsp honey (or maltose, if you have it); 2 tbsp brown sugar; 1 tsp five-spice powder; 3 cloves garlic (grated); 1 cube red fermented bean curd (optional — for the classic color and funk; or a few drops of red food coloring; or simply leave it out); 2 tbsp honey; 2 tbsp reserved marinade

By The Chowmi Test KitchenUpdated June 5, 2026↓ Jump to Recipe

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Quick answer

Char siu (叉烧) is Cantonese barbecue pork: strips of well-marbled pork shoulder marinated in a sweet-savory glaze of hoisin, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, honey, sugar and five-spice, then roasted hot until the edges caramelize and char. The classic red tint comes from fermented red bean curd or a drop of food coloring, but the flavor is all in the marinade, not the color. To get restaurant-style char siu at home, three things matter: use a fatty cut (pork shoulder or butt, never lean loin, which dries out), marinate at least four hours, and baste with a honey glaze during a hot 425°F (220°C) roast so the sugars turn sticky and slightly burnt at the edges. Rest it, slice across the grain, and serve over rice or folded into noodles and steamed buns.

Sliced char siu with a glossy caramelized glaze fanned over steamed white rice

Why you'll love this char siu (chinese bbq pork)

That sticky, honey-charred, BBQ-shop edge — from an ordinary home oven, no grill or smoker needed.
One marinade does all the work; after that it is hands-off roasting.
Makes a generous batch that freezes well — slice it into fried rice, noodles, or bao all week.
We give you both the traditional red-bean-curd version and an easy no-special-ingredient one, and tell you exactly what changes.

Ingredients

Pork

2 lb pork shoulder (pork butt), cut along the grain into long strips about 2 inches thick

Marinade

3 tbsp hoisin saucesubstitutes →
2 tbsp light soy saucesubstitutes →
1 tbsp Shaoxing winesubstitutes →
1 tbsp oyster saucesubstitutes →
2 tbsp honey, or maltose, if you have it
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp five-spice powder
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 cube red fermented bean curd, optional — for the classic color and funk; or a few drops of red food coloring; or simply leave it outhard to find

Glaze

2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp reserved marinade

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Tell us what you have and what you're making — get the best US-grocery swap, with ratios.

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Stock the pantry once and you can cook this anytime: Shaoxing wine, red fermented bean curd. Asian groceries deliver nationwide.

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Equipment

Wire rack set over a foil-lined baking sheet — Lets heat circle the pork and catches the dripping glaze.(shop →)
Basting brush — For layering on the honey glaze.(shop →)

Instructions

Cut the pork along the grain into long strips about 2 inches thick — thin enough to cook through, thick enough to stay juicy. Pat dry.
💡 Pork shoulder has the fat marbling that keeps char siu moist. Lean loin or tenderloin will roast up dry no matter what you do.
Whisk all the marinade ingredients together until the sugar dissolves. Reserve 2 tablespoons for the glaze, then coat the pork in the rest. Cover and marinate in the fridge at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
💡 Overnight is genuinely better here — the soy and wine need time to season the pork all the way through.
Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the upper-middle position. Set the pork on a wire rack over a foil-lined sheet pan, and pour about a cup of water into the pan below to catch drips and stop them smoking.
Roast for 15 minutes. Flip the strips, brush with a little of the leftover marinade from the bowl, and roast another 10–15 minutes, until the edges are browned and starting to char.
Stir the glaze (2 tbsp honey + 2 tbsp reserved marinade). Brush it generously over the pork and roast — or broil, watching closely — for a final 2–3 minutes, until the surface is bubbly, sticky, and darkened at the edges.
💡 The last glaze step is where char siu gets its lacquered shine. Watch it like a hawk: honey goes from caramelized to burnt in under a minute under a broiler.
Rest the pork 10 minutes, then slice across the grain into ½-inch pieces. Serve over rice with a little of the pan glaze, or save it for noodles and bao.

Tips & notes

No maltose? Honey is the easy, widely available swap — maltose gives a slightly chewier, glossier finish, but the difference is small at home.
The red color is purely cosmetic. Skip the bean curd and food coloring entirely and your char siu will taste identical, just a deeper brown instead of red.
Air-fryer method: 380°F for about 18–20 minutes, flipping and glazing halfway. The smaller space chars the edges fast, so check early.
Char siu freezes beautifully. Slice, cool, and freeze flat in a bag; reheat gently so it stays juicy. It is the secret weapon for quick fried rice and noodle bowls.
Save every drop of pan glaze — spooned over rice, it is half the reason to make this at home.

Recipe wording too vague?

Paste any fuzzy step (少许, 火候正好, 焯水) and get exact amounts, temps and times.

Recipe

Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)

New recipe

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 45 min
Serves: 4
Level: Intermediate

Ingredients

Pork

2 lb pork shoulder (pork butt), cut along the grain into long strips about 2 inches thick

Marinade

3 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp honey, or maltose, if you have it
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp five-spice powder
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 cube red fermented bean curd, optional — for the classic color and funk; or a few drops of red food coloring; or simply leave it out

Glaze

2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp reserved marinade

Instructions

Cut the pork along the grain into long strips about 2 inches thick — thin enough to cook through, thick enough to stay juicy. Pat dry.
Whisk all the marinade ingredients together until the sugar dissolves. Reserve 2 tablespoons for the glaze, then coat the pork in the rest. Cover and marinate in the fridge at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the upper-middle position. Set the pork on a wire rack over a foil-lined sheet pan, and pour about a cup of water into the pan below to catch drips and stop them smoking.
Roast for 15 minutes. Flip the strips, brush with a little of the leftover marinade from the bowl, and roast another 10–15 minutes, until the edges are browned and starting to char.
Stir the glaze (2 tbsp honey + 2 tbsp reserved marinade). Brush it generously over the pork and roast — or broil, watching closely — for a final 2–3 minutes, until the surface is bubbly, sticky, and darkened at the edges.
Rest the pork 10 minutes, then slice across the grain into ½-inch pieces. Serve over rice with a little of the pan glaze, or save it for noodles and bao.

Nutrition (est., per serving): 420 cal · 34 g protein · 22 g carbs · 22 g fat

Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork) FAQ

What is the best cut of pork for char siu?

Pork shoulder (also sold as pork butt) is the classic choice — its fat marbling keeps the meat juicy through a hot roast. Pork collar (the cut Cantonese shops often use) is even better if your butcher has it. Avoid lean cuts like loin or tenderloin; they turn dry and stringy and miss the point of char siu.

Can I make char siu without red fermented bean curd or food coloring?

Yes. The red is traditional but purely cosmetic — it comes from fermented red bean curd (which also adds a subtle savory funk) or a drop of food coloring. Leave both out and the flavor is unchanged; your char siu will just be a rich mahogany brown instead of red.

How long should I marinate char siu?

Four hours is the minimum to get flavor into the meat; overnight (8–12 hours) is noticeably better and what we recommend. Much past 24 hours the soy starts to make the surface texture mushy, so don't go longer than a day.

Can I make char siu in an air fryer?

Yes, and it's fast. Air-fry at 380°F for about 18–20 minutes, flipping and brushing with glaze halfway through. The compact space caramelizes the edges quickly, so start checking at 15 minutes to avoid burning the sugary glaze.

How do I store and reheat char siu?

Refrigerate cooked char siu up to 4 days, or freeze sliced pieces flat in a bag for up to 3 months. Reheat gently — a quick steam, a covered pan with a splash of water, or a short microwave — so it stays tender. It's ideal for char siu fried rice, noodles, and bao.