Chinese BBQ Pork (Best and Authentic Recipe!) - Rasa Malaysia (2024)

Recipe IndexJump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy policy.

Authentic and homemade Chinese BBQ pork marinated with sticky char siu sauce and roasted in oven. This recipe is easy and tastes just like the best Chinese restaurants.

Chinese BBQ Pork (Best and Authentic Recipe!) - Rasa Malaysia (1)

Chinese BBQ Pork (Best and Authentic Recipe!) - Rasa Malaysia (2)

Table of Contents

Chinese Bbq Pork?

What is Chinese bbq pork?

This dish is called Char Siu in Cantonese dialect, or Chashao (叉烧) in Chinese language.

It is of Cantonese origin where marinated skewers of pork meat or pork belly are barbecued to charred, savory, and sticky sweet perfection.

This Chinese bbq pork recipe is 100% homemade and tastes just like the best of Chinatown.

Chinese BBQ Pork (Best and Authentic Recipe!) - Rasa Malaysia (3)

Other Recipes You Might Like

  • Char Siu
  • Chinese Roast Pork
  • Chinese BBQ Pork Ribs
Chinese BBQ Pork (Best and Authentic Recipe!) - Rasa Malaysia (4)

The Best Chinese Bbq Pork

For the best homemade Chinatown barbecued pork, here are the list of secret ingredients you will need:

  • Choice of meat – if you love tender, juicy, moist and fatty pork, please use pork belly. If you prefer meaty texture, go for pork loin. If you like it somewhere in between, pork butt or pork shoulder will be a great choice.
  • Maltose – called ” 麦芽糖” in Chinese, maltose is the secret ingredient that gives Chinese barbecued pork that sticky sweet taste and texture. If you can’t find maltose, you can use a good quality honey as substitute.
  • Chinese rose wine (玫瑰露酒) – this Chinese wine has an intense fragrant and aroma. It lends the iconic taste and flavor to this recipe.
  • Chinese five-spice powder (五香粉) is a mixture of fives spices used in Chinese recipes. It’s a key ingredient for Cantonese BBQ meats.
Chinese BBQ Pork (Best and Authentic Recipe!) - Rasa Malaysia (5)

How to Make Chinese Bbq Pork?

This is the best recipe that is better than any Chinese restaurants.

The end result is juicy, moist, tender, delicious pork belly barbecued to sticky perfection.

First, make the Chinese BBQ pork marinade sauce in a sauce pan. Next, marinate the pork with the marinade overnight.

The next day, roast the pork in the oven. You may finish it off with the Broil function on your oven, or you may use an outdoor grill to barbecue the pork for perfect chars on the surface.

Slice up into thin pieces and serve immediately.

Chinese BBQ Pork (Best and Authentic Recipe!) - Rasa Malaysia (6)

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Is Chinese Bbq Pork Red?

The red color is due to red food color used in the BBQ pork sauce or marinade.

Not all recipes call for red food color, however some Chinese or Cantonese restaurants use red food color to enhance the appearance of the bbq pork.

Can I Use It to Make Chinese Bbq Pork Buns?

Yes, you can.

It is the main ingredient for char siu bao pork buns.

What Is the Dipping Sauce for This Recipe?

You may use the marinade sauce as a dipping sauce.

However, you can serve the pork as is because it’s flavorful and delicious without any dipping sauces.

Can I Freeze Chinese Bbq Pork?

I don’t recommend freezing because it will make the pork rubbery, chewy and tough.

You can keep the barbecued pork in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just make sure that you wrap it tightly with plastic wraps.

To serve, you may heat it up for 30 seconds before serving.

How Many Calories per Serving?

This recipe is only 259 calories per serving.

What Dishes to Serve with This Recipe?

Chinese BBQ pork is best served with steamed rice or on top of wonton noodles. For a wholesome Cantonese-style meal, I recommend the following recipes.

Chow Mein

Wonton Soup

Chinese Vegetables (Choy Sum)

Steamed Buns

For more great recipes like this, sign up for our newsletter. We’ll send daily recipes you’ll love!

Join

Chinese BBQ Pork

Authentic and homemadeChinese BBQ porkmarinated with sticky char siu sauce and roasted in oven. This recipe is easy and tastes just like the best Chinese restaurants.

4.43 from 47 votes

Print

By Bee Yinn Low

Yield 4 people

Prep 20 minutes mins

Cook 20 minutes mins

Total 40 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • 1 lb (500g) pork belly (pork shoulder, pork butt or pork tenderloin, cut into 3 to 4 long strips)
  • 3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil

Chinese BBQ Pork Sauce:

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons maltose
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Chinese rose wine or Shaoxing wine
  • 3 dashes ground white pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon five spice powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Instructions

  • Add all the ingredients in the Chinese BBQ Pork Sauce in a sauce pan, heat it up on low heat. Stir to combine well. The sauce is ready when it thickens and becomes sticky. (It yields 1/2 cup sauce.) Transfer out and let cool.

  • Rub the garlic on the pork. Add 2/3 of the sauce to marinate the pork for at least 4 hours, or best overnight.

  • Add the cooking oil to the remaining sauce. Keep the sauce in the fridge.

  • The next day, heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking tray with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Place the pork on the baking tray and roast for 20 minutes. (Shake off the excess sauce before roasting.)

  • Transfer the pork out of the oven. Let cool and thread the pork pieces on metal skewers. Brush the remaining char siu sauce on the pork and grill them over a fire on an outdoor grill. You may also grill them over fire on a gas cooktop.

    Chinese BBQ Pork (Best and Authentic Recipe!) - Rasa Malaysia (11)

  • If you don't have either, you may select the Broil function on your oven and broil each side of the pork, about 1 minute each, or until slightly charred.

  • Slice the Chinese BBQ pork into bite-size pieces, drizzle the remaining sauce over, and serve immediately with steamed white rice.

    Chinese BBQ Pork (Best and Authentic Recipe!) - Rasa Malaysia (12)

Notes

Click forConversion Tool. If you don't have maltose, you can use a total of 3 tablespoons honey.

Course: Chinese Recipes

Cuisine: Pork

Keywords: chinese bbq pork

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Chinese BBQ Pork

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 259Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Polyunsaturated Fat 5g

Cholesterol 83mg28%

Sodium 66mg3%

Carbohydrates 8g3%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 30g60%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.

Chinese BBQ Pork (Best and Authentic Recipe!) - Rasa Malaysia (2024)

FAQs

What makes Chinese BBQ pork pink? ›

If it's ground pork, it might be as the result of using/adding minced ginger and the resulting interaction with pork tends to make it a slightly pink hue. If it's traditional char siu(BBQ Chinese roasted pork), it's the combination of seasonings and spices (hoisin sauce, honey, five spice powder and red food dye).

What makes Chinese pork so red? ›

The red hue on the pork comes from the sticky, crave-able barbecue sauce in which it's marinaded before roasting. Often, this deep crimson hue comes from a combination of Hoisin sauce, ketchup, soy sauce, and fermented red bean curd (aka fermented tofu, bean cheese, or tofu cheese).

What does Chinese BBQ pork translate to? ›

Char siu (Chinese: 叉燒; Cantonese Yale: chāsīu) is a Cantonese-style of barbecued pork.

What is a BBQ pork bun called in Chinese? ›

Cha siu bao (simplified Chinese: 叉烧包; traditional Chinese: 叉燒包; pinyin: chāshāo bāo; Jyutping: caa1 siu1 baau1; Cantonese Yale: chā sīu bāau; lit. 'barbecued pork bun') is a Cantonese baozi (bun) filled with barbecue-flavored cha siu pork.

What to eat with Chinese BBQ pork? ›

One of my favorite things about char siu is how well it tastes in a variety of dishes. Some of our favorite serving suggestions are: Garlic Noodles or Chow Mein – either sliced and served on top or chopped and tossed together. In fried rice – diced and tossed into the rice over high heat for an amazing flavor!

What does char siu mean in english? ›

char siu (uncountable) A style of preparation of barbecued pork in Cantonese cuisine, typically using honey and spices. [ from 20th c.]

How do Chinese restaurants tenderize pork? ›

In Chinese cooking, proteins like beef, pork or chicken are velveted first before stir-frying them. There are several ways to velvet, but at its most basic level, it involves marinating meat with at least one ingredient that will make it alkaline. This is what tenderizes the meat, especially cheaper, tougher cuts.

What is the difference between char siu and siu yuk? ›

Char siu is barbecued roast pork, whereas siu yuk is roasted crispy pork belly. Not only do they use different parts of the pig — my dad likes to use pork butt for char siu and pork belly for siu yuk — but they're also prepared differently and have varying flavor profiles and textures.

What is the red stuff in Chinese food? ›

Soy sauce (usually a mix of light and dark soy sauce), fermented bean paste, red fermented tofu or rock sugar is commonly used to both flavor and impart a reddish brown hue to the items being cooked. Food coloring is sometimes added for a more intense red coloration.

Why do Chinese love pork? ›

The pig is a symbol of virility, and so pork is used as a strengthening food for pregnant woman and new mothers. For an interesting appetiser, try pig's ear. The ear is cooked, then sliced very thinly, and perhaps served with slivers of young ginger and soy sauce.

What do Chinese call pork? ›

The Mandarin for pork it is zhu1 rou4 (猪肉) - literally pig meat.

What is Chinese fried pork called? ›

Sichuan Crispy Fried Pork, or 小酥肉, is a popular Sichuan street food. It can be served as appetiser, side dish, or snack. This Crispy Fried Pork is dipped into a dried mix of spice powder that is full of amazing aromatic flavors. The pork is crispy outside and juicy and tender inside.

What is siopao in Chinese? ›

The name is derived from Philippine Hokkien sio-pau (simplified Chinese: 烧包; traditional Chinese: 燒包; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Sio-pau; lit. 'hot bun'). Historically, the most popular siopao buns in Manila were the ones made by restaurateur Ma Mon Luk at the turn of the 20th century.

What does bao bun mean in Chinese? ›

Bao Buns (pronounced “bow”), but also known as a 'steamed buns' or 'baozi' 包子, are a delicious, warm, fluffy treat of stuffing wrapped inside a sweet, white dough.

What is a siu bao? ›

Char siu bao is a Cantonese barbecue pork-filled bun. They are typically sold in Chinese bakeries. Likewise, they are similar to a type of dim sum. Char siu refers to the pork in the filling. Bao means bun.

What turns pork pink? ›

After cutting, the oxygen in the air attaches to the myoglobin and the pork turns to the bright pink color that we associate with fresh pork. It would be great if the color would just stay the pretty pink color, but the enzymes in the muscle use the oxygen and take it away from the myoglobin.

What makes meat red in Chinese food? ›

The red-cooking technique involves cooking ingredients – pork and other meats, chicken, tofu, eggs and vegetables – in light and dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, and spices, such as star anise and Sichuan peppercorns, resulting in a red-brown colour and a unique rich, caramelised flavour.

Should BBQ pork be pink? ›

That color doesn't indicate anything nefarious—at 145°F, your pork is at a “medium rare” temperature. You would expect to see some pink in a medium-rare steak, so don't be surprised to find it in your pork chops! If the pink color freaks you out, you can continue cooking it until it reaches 155°F.

Can BBQ pork be pink? ›

Is it ok if my pork is slightly pink? The short answer to this common question is yes! Due to the ingredients and natural preservatives found in many pork products, it's entirely possible that your meat may still be slightly pink even when it's fully cooked. In fact, pork can even be enjoyed medium-rare.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Carmelo Roob

Last Updated:

Views: 6123

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (65 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Carmelo Roob

Birthday: 1995-01-09

Address: Apt. 915 481 Sipes Cliff, New Gonzalobury, CO 80176

Phone: +6773780339780

Job: Sales Executive

Hobby: Gaming, Jogging, Rugby, Video gaming, Handball, Ice skating, Web surfing

Introduction: My name is Carmelo Roob, I am a modern, handsome, delightful, comfortable, attractive, vast, good person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.