Air Fryer Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)

Have you ever tried Char Siu?

叉烧 is Cantonese-style BBQ pork full of complex flavours with a sticky char siu sauce. Sweet, savoury, with a little bit of smokiness.

Char siu is one of our favourite Chinese takeaway dishes. But this homemade version is just as tasty. And it’s super convenient to make!

An air fryer makes Chinese barbecue pork easy. No need to heat up the whole house. No need to splatter your oven with pork fat. Stop gambling with unreliable oven temperatures. Tasty, succulent char siu guaranteed every time.

Ingredients + Substitutions

A few important notes on some of the ingredients used in this Air Fryer Pork Char Siu recipe:

Pork Butt or Pork Shoulder: In a pinch, you could use pretty much any cut of pork to marinate char siu. But pork shoulder or pork butt is best. (Or even pork belly, for that crispy skin if you’re feeling extra indulgent.) These are fattier cuts and they make for a totally juicy and delicious char siu pork.

Honey or Maltose: Maltose is a type of sugar used to give char siu its signature glossy sheen. It’s a bit hard to find though, outside of some Chinese grocery stores. Honey is a perfectly good substitute.

Char Siu Sauce: You can buy a storebought BBQ char siu sauce like Lee Kum Kee. Or make your own (strongly recommended). It’s easy!

The ingredients for char siu sauce are:

• Granulated sugar (brown or white sugar both work. I don't recommend rock sugar—takes ages to dissolve and doesn't improve the taste)
• Oyster sauce (Lee Kum Kee is the gold standard)
• Hoisin sauce (LKK again)
• Rose rice wine or Shaoxing wine
• Soy sauce (Pearl River Bridge is superior)
• Garlic (we use a combination of fresh garlic and garlic powder for maximum garlicky flavour)
• Salt
• Five spice powder (this is a pre-made Asian seasoning mix; can be found at any Chinese grocery store or online)
• Food colouring (the traditional colouring agent is red yeast rice, but red food colouring works just as well)

We originally had a more complicated char siu sauce recipe with more ingredients. But over time we've pared it down. Cutting a few ingredients has made it simpler to make, and there's no difference to the delicious taste!

Directions

Step 1. Slice the pork into thick segments, around 3 inches thick.

Step 2. Whisk together all of the Char Siu Sauce ingredients.

Step 3. Massage the char siu sauce into the pork. Refrigerate and marinate for at least 8 hours or up to two days (48 hours).

Step 4. When ready to cook, preheat air fryer to 400 °F. Line with parchment paper. Air fry the pork for 15 to 20 minutes.

Tip: You might have to cook the pork in batches if you have a small air fryer.

Step 5. Add honey or maltose to the remaining marinade to make a basting sauce. Flip and baste pork every 5 minutes.

Step 6. Remove cooked char siu from the air fryer and rest for 10 minutes, then thinly slice.

Hint: Use a food thermometer and stop cooking when the centre of each pork chunk reaches 203 °F for perfectly cooked char siu. (Pork is safe to eat once it hits 145 °F, but a high-fat, high-collagen cut like pork shoulder is best cooked to 203 °F for optimal flavour.)

Equipment

I've tested this recipe using the Ninja Foodi and Gourmia air fryers. But any air fryer should work, as long as it is 6-qt or larger.

Storage Tips

Fridge: Store marinated char siu in the refrigerator for up to three days. Cooked char siu can be refrigerated for up to five days.

Freezer: Freeze uncooked char siu pork in its marinade for up to three months. Cooked char siu can also be frozen for the same length of time.

What to Serve with Char Siu

• Steamed White Rice (simple, but it’s the traditional accompaniment to char siu!)
• Bao Buns
• Yau Mak with Garlic and Soy Sauce
• Stir Fried Lily Bulbs

More Chinese Recipes

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these: