Description
A treasured family recipe for iconic roasted Chinese BBQ pork! This Easy Homemade Char Siu recipe is one of my all-time favorite meals.
This particular homemade version is the one my mom made all the time throughout my childhood – soak pork shoulder in a char siu marinade made with simple staples like soy sauce, brown sugar, & Chinese five spice. Roast the char siu pork the oven & finish under the broiler for a crave-worthy crisp & caramelized finish.
This sweet-savory-spiced pork is super easy to make at home & incredibly versatile – serve over a comforting pile of rice or use as a flavorful add-in to stir-fried noodles, steamed bao buns, fried rice, & more!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, sliced into 1-inch wide strips
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar (can sub regular brown sugar if needed)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (can sub tamari if gluten-free)
- 2 teaspoons Chinese five spice
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- optional: ¼ teaspoon red liquid food coloring
- kosher salt and ground white pepper, to season
Instructions
- Prepare the char siu marinade: In a small bowl, combine the dark brown sugar, soy sauce, Chinese five spice, garlic powder, and red food coloring (if using). Season with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper. Whisk to combine well. Transfer 1/4 of the marinade to a small airtight container or jar and reserve for basting the roasted pork.
- Marinate the pork: Place the pork shoulder in a large airtight container or resealable plastic bag and pour the remaining ¾ of the char siu marinade over top. Toss to combine, coating the pork in the char siu marinade well. Cover/seal and transfer to the refrigerator to marinate for at least 12 hours or up to 3 days. The longer you’re able to marinade, the more flavorful the char siu pork.
- Roasting prep: About 30 minutes before you’re ready to roast, pull the pork out of the refrigerator to come to room temperature for more even cooking. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, ensuring one oven rack is positioned in the center of the oven and a second oven rack is positioned directly under the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil for easy clean up as desired. Lightly spray a wire rack with cooking spray and set it in the baking sheet. Transfer the char siu marinated pork to the prepared wire rack, shaking off and discarding any excess marinade.
- Roast the char siu pork: Place the pork in the preheated oven and roast 30 minutes, basting the pork every 15 minutes. To baste, whisk 1 tablespoon hot water into the reserved char siu sauce from Step 1, above. Use a pastry brush or silicone basting brush to generously brush the diluted char siu sauce all over the surface of the pork. The char siu is ready once it begins to caramelize around the edges and reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, about 30 minutes.
- Optional: Finish under the broiler: Preheat your oven’s broiler to its highest setting. Place the roasted char siu under the broiler. Broil 3-4 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the surface of the char siu pork is charred and caramelized as desired – be sure to keep a close eye on it as it broils, as things quickly transition from perfectly caramelized to burnt under the broiler.
- Serve: Allow the roasted char siu to rest for a couple of minutes before slicing and serving. As far as everyday dinners go, my family likes to slice the char siu into 1/2-inch thick pieces and serve it over rice with a quick and easy veggie, like roasted broccoli or sautéed bok choy or cabbage. Roasted char siu is also amazing tucked into steamed buns, nestled in a bowl of ramen or saimin, or tossed into fried rice or stir fry – try our Hawaiian-Style Pork Chow Fun, one of my all-time favorite comfort food meals!
Notes
- Ingredient Notes:
- Pork shoulder is also commonly called Boston butt or pork butt. For best results for homemade char siu, look for a boneless pork shoulder roast with a nice fat cap and good marbling throughout, which translates to richly flavored, super juicy BBQ pork – absolutely delicious!
- Dark brown sugar is one of my family’s favorite pantry ingredients for savory-sweet Asian-inspired meals. Made with a more generous amount of molasses than light brown sugar, dark brown sugar tends to be richer in flavor and yields more caramelly results in marinades and sauces. If you only have light brown sugar on hand, feel free to substitute with regular light brown sugar.
- Chinese Five Spice is a warm spice blend commonly used in Chinese cooking, and it’s a must-have ingredient if you like to cook Chinese-style dishes at home. While the spices can vary in variety and number (sometimes 5 spice blends are made with more or less than 5 spices!), a Five Spice blend typically includes cinnamon, cloves, fennel, and star anise. It’s readily available in Asian grocery stores or in the spice aisle at most conventional grocery stores. My go-to is Simply Organic’s Five Spice Powder.
- Storage and Freezing:
- Storage and Reheating: Leftover char siu will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through.
- Freezing Instructions: Because char siu is a great pupu or add-in for stir fries and soups, I like keeping some on hand in my freezer at all times. To freeze, place cooled, sliced bbq pork in a freezer bag, ensuring all of the air is removed from the bag when you seal. Freeze up to 3 months. To thaw, place the frozen char siu in the refrigerator overnight or submerge the freezer bag in room temperature water for a quicker thaw. Easily reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.