Just like your favorite takeout joint, this Chinese BBQ Pork has a juicy inside with a sweet, caramelized crust on the outside! Full of flavor and easy to make in the oven or on the grill, it will remind you of your favorite Char Siu!
Looking for more Chinese take out recipes? Make your own buffet at home using my recipes for homemade Potstickers, Crockpot Sesame Chicken and Wonton Soup.
Skip The Takeout with this Chinese BBQ Pork
It happens to the best of us: we max out our takeout budget because there are too many tasty places to try! Luckily, there are easy recipes like this Chinese BBQ Pork that mimics your favorite restaurant dishes. All you need is some juicy pork and lots of amazing Asian flavors to make my version of Char Siu.
This Chinese BBQ Pork recipe is loaded with flavor and is so easy to make! I bet you are going to love it even more than the bbq pork you get at your local Chinese take out restaurant! The small pork pieces soak in the hoisin based barbeque sauce as they’re marinated overnight and end up with a sweet and caramelized crust.
Enjoy it as an appetizer or with rice and vegetables as a main dish, there is no wrong way to enjoy this Chinese BBQ Pork. It also holds its delicious flavor when stored in the fridge and eaten as leftovers the next day.
What is Char Siu?
Chinese BBQ Pork, also known as Char Siu, is a traditionally roasted pork covered in a sweet barbeque sauce. The pork is marinated overnight, traditionally cooked whole, then sliced very thin. The edges are charred and crispy, and the inside is super juicy and delicious.
My version of Char Siu will save you time and effort as the pork pieces are sliced before cooking in the oven. This cuts the cooking time down and the pieces will easily soak in the bbq sauce. It’s delicious when served with rice or with your favorite Chinese dishes.
This is not a traditional Char Siu recipe, but is absolutely delicious in flavor and will quickly become a family favorite dinner recipe!
Ingredients Needed
Traditional flavors in this recipe will mimic your favorite BBQ pork from your local Chinese restaurant. The delicious marinade will soak into each piece, giving you bite after bite of sweet and savory flavors!
This is what you need to make Chinese BBQ Pork:
- Boneless pork shoulder or butt
- Garlic
- Hoisin sauce
- Soy sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Red pepper flakes
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
- Granulated sugar
- Green onions
Which Cut Of Pork Should I Use?
This Chinese BBQ pork recipe uses pork shoulder or butt. These are fattier pieces of meat compared to lean boneless pork. They’re both perfect options to use in Char Siu because they contain more flavor and juices. Plus, they won’t dry out when roasting in the oven.
How To Make Chinese BBQ Pork
Letting the Chinese BBQ pork marinate overnight will guarantee delicious results. The longer it sits, the more flavor can absorb into the pieces of pork.
Follow these steps to make Chinese BBQ pork:
- Prepare The Pork: Cut the pork into cubed pieces (about 1 inch by 1 inch). The pork cooks faster and absorbs the marinade more evenly when cubed. Set aside.
- Make The Sauce: In a separate medium to large bowl, whisk the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, garlic, garlic powder, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes together.
- Marinate Overnight: Place the meat in the bowl and toss until it’s well-coated. Cover with saran wrap or foil and marinate for 8 hours or overnight.
- When You’re Ready To Cook: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large 9×13 baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- Prepare The Meat For The Oven: Spread the meat and bbq sauce onto the prepared baking sheet so it’s in an even layer. Sprinkle the top of the meat evenly with sugar. This will create a crust on the pork as it cooks in the oven.
- Roast: Bake the pork in the heated oven for 15 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.
- After The Meat Is Cooked: You may choose to eat it immediately or make it more crispy. To add more of a char to the pork, set the oven to broil and broil each side for 3 to 4 minutes (6 to 8 minutes in total) after the meat has finished cooking.
I love to give this pork dish an extra crisp at the end. It adds a delightful crunch and seals in the savory flavors. You can broil the meat once its done cooking or toss the pieces on a grill, cooking each for a few minutes until you achieve an authentic char.
Storing Leftovers
Serve Chinese BBQ pork for leftovers the next day or throughout the week! Store leftover cooked barbecue pork in an airtight container in the fridge or you could even freeze any unused pieces.
How To Serve Chinese BBQ Pork
The flavors in this Char Siu are so good and can stand alone when served as an appetizer. Give them a little boost of flavor and crunch with a side of sticky rice and green onions for a full meal. You could even copy your favorite takeout Chinese food and serve the pork alongside fried rice, dumplings or steamed bok choy.
I am excited for you to try this version of Chinese BBQ Pork! It’s loaded with flavor and I think it will be a big hit with your family like it is with mine. Our favorite way to enjoy it is with some sticky rice and thinly sliced green onions!
Chinese BBQ Pork
Ingredients
- 2 lb boneless pork shoulder or butt
- ½ cup hoisin sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 green onions, sliced, for garnish
Instructions
- Cut pork into cubed pieces (about 1 inch by 1 inch). The pork cooks faster and absorbs the marinade more evenly, when cubed. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together hoisin sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic powder and black pepper. Add meat and toss to coat. Cover with saran wrap or foil and marinate for 8 hours, or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large 9x13 baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- Spread meat and sauce onto the prepared baking sheet, spreading meat into an even layer. Sprinkle the top of meat evenly with sugar. The sugar will create a crust on the pork as it cooks in the oven.
- Bake in the heated oven for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pork reaches an internal temp of 145°F.
- After the meat is cooked through, you may choose to eat it now, or make it more crispy. To add more char to the pork tenderloin, set the oven to broil and broil each side for 3-4 minutes (6-8 minutes in total) at the very end when the meat has finished cooking.
- Garnish your Chinese BBQ Pork with green onions and serve with a side of sticky rice.
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Followed the recipe exactly as written up until the baking part. I put a wire rack on top of the baking sheet and added about 1/3 cup of water to keep the pork moist. It turned out amazing! Like holy crap, my tastebuds were so happy! My husband, he hates pork with every fiber of his being, devoured this!
Mine tastes more like char siu the next day. Char siu typically isn’t spicy but this one had a little kick right out of the oven, but the next day I didn’t taste the spiciness as much. But I’d still leave out the chili flakes if I were to make it again.