Sticky, sweet-savoury Cantonese barbecue pork with a signature red glaze. Oven-roasted, no rotisserie needed.
Char Siu Pork
- 800g pork shoulder, cut into long strips
- 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp five spice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp red fermented bean curd or a little red food colouring (optional)
- Mix all the marinade ingredients and coat the pork strips.
- Marinate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
- Roast at 200C on a wire rack over a tray of water for 25 minutes.
- Baste with the marinade and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes until charred at the edges.
- Rest for 5 minutes, then slice and serve.
Why this recipe works
Roasting on a rack over water keeps the pork moist while letting the sugary marinade caramelise rather than steam, which is what gives char siu its charred edges.
Tips for the best char siu
- Pork shoulder has enough fat to stay juicy through a long marinade and hot roast. Leaner cuts dry out.
- Baste at least once during roasting for a deeper glaze.
- The red colour is traditional but purely cosmetic. Skip it and the pork tastes the same.
Cooking char siu in a home oven
Char siu is Cantonese barbecue pork, marinated in a sweet, savoury glaze and traditionally roasted on hooks over an open flame. A wire rack over a roasting tray in a normal oven gets close, letting the fat render and the glaze caramelise on all sides without any special equipment.
Pork shoulder cut into strips works best, since the fat keeps it from drying out over the longer cook.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Pork shoulder, cut into strips | 800g |
| Hoisin sauce | 3 tablespoons |
| Soy sauce | 2 tablespoons |
| Honey | 2 tablespoons |
| Shaoxing wine | 1 tablespoon |
| Five spice powder | 1 teaspoon |
| Garlic, minced | 2 cloves |
| Red food colouring (optional) | A few drops |
Method
- Mix the hoisin, soy sauce, half the honey, Shaoxing wine, five spice, and garlic. Coat the pork strips and marinate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
- Heat the oven to 200C. Set a wire rack over a foil-lined roasting tray with a little water in the bottom, to catch drips and stop smoking.
- Lay the pork strips on the rack and roast for 25 minutes.
- Brush with the remaining honey, turn, and roast for another 15 to 20 minutes, until charred at the edges and cooked through.
- Rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
No rotisserie or smoker needed
The wire rack does the same job as the traditional hooks, letting heat and glaze reach the meat on all sides while the fat drips away rather than sitting in it. A grill pan works as a substitute if a wire rack is not available, turning the pork more often to char evenly.
The red colour is optional
Traditional char siu is bright red from food colouring, but it changes nothing about the flavour. Skip it for a version that browns naturally instead, closer to the colour of a normal roast.
The best shop bought char siu sauce
Lee Kum Kee makes the char siu sauce most home cooks reach for in the UK, and it is stocked in most Chinese and Asian grocers, plus some large supermarkets. It is a ready mixed marinade, so there is no need to build the five-spice, hoisin and honey base from scratch.
It works as a marinade, a glaze, or stirred through a stir fry for a quick char siu flavour.
What char siu sauce is made from
- A base of soy sauce, hoisin sauce and sugar.
- Five spice and sometimes red fermented bean curd, for the colour and depth.
- Honey or malt syrup, added separately for the sticky glaze on cooked pork.
What to check before buying
- Jar versus bottle, jars tend to be thicker and better for marinating.
- Sodium content, char siu sauce is fairly salty, so taste before adding extra soy.
- Whether it needs honey added separately for the glaze step, most jars do.
Marinade vs glaze use
Most bottled char siu sauce works as both a marinade, left on the meat for hours before cooking, and a glaze, brushed on during the final stage of roasting for colour and stickiness. Check the label’s suggested use, some are formulated slightly thinner for marinating and thicker for glazing.
Checking the colour
The traditional red tint in char siu comes from red fermented bean curd or food colouring, both used across different brands. If you prefer to avoid artificial colouring, check the ingredients list, since natural and artificial versions are both common.
Storing and using leftovers
Char siu keeps well in the fridge for up to four days, and slices beautifully cold for a sandwich or salad as well as reheated. It also freezes well, sliced or whole, for up to two months, making it worth cooking a larger batch than one meal needs.
What to do with the leftover glaze
Any glaze left in the roasting tray after cooking is packed with flavour, strain it and use a spoonful stirred through fried rice or noodles rather than discarding it.
Cut of pork to use
Pork shoulder with a good amount of fat marbling gives the juiciest result, leaner cuts like loin cook faster but dry out more easily under the high heat needed to properly char the glaze.
