Air frying char siu is the best and easiest method to make it. Bring the taste of Chinese BBQ pork to your dinner table. You won't believe how easy it is.
I have had Cantonese Char Siu hundreds of times in my life. Growing up near Monterey Park California, we were lucky to live close to many restaurants that specialized in Chinese BBQ (Char Siu, Roast Duck, Roast Pig). The memories of my parents coming home with a bag of BBQ goodies still make my mouth water today.
Fast forward a couple of decades, I was on my honeymoon on our first trip to Hong Kong. Wide-eyed from the bright lights, food stalls and tons of BBQ! Stall after stall of pork, duck and chicken. Hungry from the long journey from San Diego, my new bride and I stepped into an unassuming stall, sat down on plastic stools and ordered a combo plate of BBQ. WOW! The BBQ pork was so incredibly juicy and so flavorful with bits of charred pieces. It was by far our favorite. Nothing we have had in the U.S. compared to this masterpiece, not even close. We continued the rest of our trip trying char siu at other stalls. They were ALL great! Not one was average. Each and every one was exceptional.
Since I don’t have the luxury of visiting Hong Kong very often, I set out to get my Cantonese Char Siu fix at home. Surprisingly, it is pretty easy and the ingredients are not hard to find. We don’t own a true char siu oven but we found the broiler function on any oven works just fine. What works even better is our not so secret appliance, an air fryer! We currently use the Instant Pot brand and it is one of the best investments we have ever made. It does a great job creating charred caramelized bits on the edges while keeping the meat juicy and tender.
Two pounds of char siu is a good portion for my family. It makes enough for a meal, while leaving a bit extra for some of my favorite leftover meals, such as Char Siu Fried Rice and Char Siu Chow Mein. All you need to do is cut it up into small pieces and add it to your favorite fried rice or chow mein recipe. You can easily double up the recipe if you need more BBQ pork for a larger crowd.
If you love Hong Kong style BBQ, try out this air fryer char siu recipe yourself. You might also like our Air Fryer Pork Belly Recipe. You will never go back to buying char siu again, unless you’re in Hong Kong.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork butt, cut into about 3" thick strips
MARINADE
- ¼ cup light soy sauce
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoon rice wine
- 2 teaspoon five spice powder
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 6-8 pieces whole star anise
- A few drops of red food coloring, optional
BASTING SAUCE
- 50/50 honey/water mixture
Instructions
- Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
- Add the pork and turn each piece to ensure it is well coated.
- Allow the pork to marinate at least overnight, 2-3 days is preferred for full flavor.
AIR FRYER COOKING
- This is my favorite method, very easy and fast with perfect results. Place the pork on an air fryer rack and air fry at 400 degrees F for 5-10 minutes, until the outside begins to sear and brown. Flip the meat halfway through to brown the other side.
- Turn the heat down to 300° F and air fry for another 15-30 minutes, basting it a few times with the basting sauce.
- Using an instant read thermometer, check the internal temperature of the thickest part. Your Char Siu is ready when it reaches an internal temperature of 145° F. The timing will vary depending on the thickness of your pork.
- Remove the meat from your air fryer, cover it with foil and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
GRILL COOKING
- Yes it can be done on a grill and it produces fantastic results. Over high heat, sear the pork on both sides.
- Turn the heat down to low and grill for another 15-30 minutes, basting it a few times with the basting sauce.
- Using an instant read thermometer, check the internal temperature of the thickest part. Your Char Siu is ready when it reaches an internal temperature of 145° F. Your timing will vary depending on the thickness of your pork.
- Remove it from the grill, cover it with foil and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Shelly
I had to be the first to write a review for this recipe after trying 3 other Char Siu recipe was not only the best hands down but this recipe was by far the best pork recipe I have ever made in my life. Thank you SO much for sharing! It turned out so juicy, tender and perfectly charred. I need to make more of your recipes!
tsw
Shelly, thank you for the wonderful review! We are so happy that you enjoyed this Char Siu recipe 🙂