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Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu)

Chinese BBQ pork (char siu) made with a lacquered mahogany-red honey glaze that caramelizes at the edges. Long marination with hoisin, soy, and five spice gives a tender pink interior and a glossy, candy-like finish.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Marinating 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Chinese
Calories: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pork
  • 2 lb pork shoulder or tenderloin Cut into long strips.
Char Siu Marinade
  • 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 0.5 tsp five spice powder
  • 0.25 tsp red food coloring (optional) Optional for deeper red color.
  • 3 cloves garlic Minced.
Glazing
  • 1 honey Extra honey for glazing.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 wire rack
  • 1 foil-lined baking sheet

Method
 

Make the marinade
  1. Mix hoisin sauce, soy sauce, honey, Chinese rice wine or dry sherry, oyster sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, five spice powder, red food coloring (optional), and minced garlic until smooth.
  2. Coat the pork shoulder or tenderloin strips thoroughly in the marinade, cover, and refrigerate for 4–8 hours or overnight.
Roast and lacquer
  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and place an upper-third rack with a foil-lined baking sheet on the rack below to catch drips.
  2. Place the marinated pork shoulder or tenderloin on a wire rack over the sheet, reserving the marinade for glazing.
  3. Roast for 15 minutes, then flip the pork strips and brush with the reserved marinade mixed with honey.
  4. Roast 12–15 more minutes at 425°F until the edges are caramelized and glossy.
  5. Broil for 2–3 minutes to deepen the char, then slice and serve.

Notes

For the stickiest glaze, let the pork chill in the marinade overnight so the flavors penetrate, then bring it close to fridge-cold before roasting. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; freeze for up to 2 months (thaw overnight in the fridge and rewarm gently). For a lower-sugar option, reduce the honey and brown sugar slightly and increase hoisin by 1 tbsp to keep the lacquer texture.