Chinese Barbeque Pork (Char Siu)

4.8
(112)
82 Reviews
52 Photos

In addition to its impressive high-gloss appearance and savory taste, this Chinese barbeque pork is quite easy to make at home — even without a fancy ceramic grill.

By
John Mitzewich
Chef John
John Mitzewich
John Mitzewich — aka Chef John — has produced more than 1,500 cooking videos for Allrecipes. He's the actor, director, and screenwriter whose hands and voice confidently walk you through techniques.
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Updated on December 8, 2023
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Prep Time:
10 mins
Cook Time:
2 hrs
Additional Time:
3 hrs
Total Time:
5 hrs 10 mins
Servings:
6
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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 6 servings

  • ⅔ cup soy sauce

  • ½ cup honey

  • ½ cup Chinese rice wine (or sake or dry sherry)

  • ⅓ cup hoisin sauce

  • ⅓ cup ketchup

  • ⅓ cup brown sugar

  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed

  • 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • ⅛ teaspoon pink curing salt (Optional)

  • 1 (3 pound) boneless pork butt (shoulder)

  • 1 teaspoon red food coloring, or as desired (Optional)

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

Directions

  1. Place soy sauce, honey, rice wine, hoisin sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, five-spice powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and curing salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil on high heat; reduce heat to medium-high. Cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature.

  2. Cut pork roast in half lengthwise. Cut each half again lengthwise forming 4 long, thick pieces of pork.

  3. Transfer cooled sauce to a large mixing bowl. Stir in red food coloring. Place pork sections into sauce and coat each piece. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4 to 12 hours.

  4. Preheat grill for medium heat, 275 to 300 degrees F (135 to 150 degrees C) and lightly oil the grate. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  5. Remove sections of pork from marinade and let excess drip off. Place on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt to taste.

  6. Transfer pork sections to grate over indirect heat on the prepared grill. Cover and cook for about 45 minutes. Brush with marinade; turn. Continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C), about 1 hour and 15 minutes more. Do not use any more marinade on cooked meat until after you boil it.

  7. Place leftover marinade in a saucepan; bring to a boil; let simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Now you can use it to brush over the cooked pork.

    close up view of Chinese Barbeque Pork (Char Siu) and green onions in a baking dish
    Chef John

Chef's Note

If you happen to be using your standard, backyard kettle-shaped grill, push all your coals to one side and place your meat on the other. To add an extra layer of protection, you can also put the meat in a roasting pan before putting it on the grill. Or forget the great outdoors and simply roast it in the oven. The only catch is that you'll need to place it under the broiler at the end to simulate the caramelization we get on the grill.

248 home cooks made it!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

513 Calories
22g Fat
49g Carbs
26g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 6
Calories 513
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 22g 28%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Cholesterol 90mg 30%
Sodium 2421mg 105%
Total Carbohydrate 49g 18%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 43g
Protein 26g 52%
Vitamin C 3mg 4%
Calcium 57mg 4%
Iron 3mg 14%
Potassium 504mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.