Char Siu — Chinese BBQ Pork over Rice
Cantonese-style char siu pork made with long strips of pork marinated in a sweet-savory red lacquered sauce, then roasted until glossy, caramelized, and lightly charred at the edges, sliced and served over white rice with blanched bok choy and extra reduced char siu glaze. Cutting the pork into long, narrow strips rather than roasting one large piece is the technique this whole dish depends on for real, caramelized surface — long strips maximize the exposed area the glaze can lacquer while also giving the right sliceable texture, the same cut-into-strips-for-more-surface principle used elsewhere in this collection whenever a roasted protein’s own final texture and glaze coverage depend on shape rather than simply the cut of meat chosen. Marinating for a genuine minimum of 8 hours, ideally a full 24, is what gives the pork its characteristic depth and colour, since a shorter marinade penetrates considerably less and tastes noticeably flatter. Basting with the reserved, uncontaminated marinade at two separate stages during roasting is what builds the dish’s signature sticky, deeply lacquered exterior. The payoff is a plate with real, classic Cantonese contrast — glossy, caramelized, lightly charred pork over warm rice, with crisp-tender bok choy and extra glaze spooned over everything.
Prep Time : 25 min
Cook Time : 40–50 min
Servings : 4
25 min
40–50 min
4
Ingredients
For the Pork
• 1kg pork shoulder, pork neck/collar, or pork butt, cut into 4 long thick strips, about 250g each
• 1 tbsp neutral oil, if needed for the tray
For the Char Siu Marinade
• 4 tbsp hoisin sauce — this one on Amazon
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce — this one on Amazon
• 3 tbsp oyster sauce — this one on Amazon
• 3 tbsp honey
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1½ tbsp Shaoxing wine — this one on Amazon
• 1½ tsp Chinese five-spice powder — this one on Amazon
• 1 tsp white pepper — this one on Amazon
• 4 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1–2 tsp red fermented bean curd liquid or char siu sauce, optional but recommended for more classical color and flavor
• 1–2 drops red food coloring, optional, only if you want the classic deep red lacquered look
For Basting / Glaze Finish
• 3 tbsp reserved marinade
• 2 tbsp honey — this one on Amazon
• 1 tbsp hot water
For the Rice and Bok Choy
• 300g uncooked jasmine rice (75g per serving)
• 4 small bok choy, or 2 large bok choy halved lengthwise
• Salt, for the blanching water
• 1 tsp neutral oil or sesame oil, optional, for tossing the bok choy
For Serving
• 2–3 scallions, thinly sliced
• Pan juices and reduced glaze, for spooning over
• Extra char siu sauce or reduced roasting juices, optional
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Directions
- Prepare the Pork
Cut the pork into 4 long strips, each about 4–5cm thick. Char siu cooks best in long narrow strips rather than one large roast. That gives more caramelized surface and the right sliceable texture. Pat dry. That specific, narrow strip shape genuinely maximizes the exterior surface area available to the marinade and glaze relative to the meat’s own volume — a single large roast simply couldn’t offer the same proportion of that caramelized, lacquered exterior. - Make the Marinade
In a bowl, combine the hoisin, light soy, dark soy, oyster sauce, honey, brown sugar, Shaoxing wine, five-spice, white pepper, garlic, ginger, fermented bean curd liquid or char siu sauce if using, and optional red coloring. Mix until smooth. Reserve 3 tbsp marinade in a separate bowl for later basting. Do not contaminate this reserved portion with raw pork. That deliberate, early separation of a clean basting portion is a real, necessary food-safety step — any marinade that’s actually touched raw pork needs to be either discarded or thoroughly cooked before it can safely be brushed onto the meat again. - Marinate the Pork
Add the pork to the marinade and coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, preferably 18–24 hours, turning once or twice if possible. Overnight marination gives the pork its characteristic depth and color. A short marination will taste flatter and penetrate less. That extended time gives the marinade’s own salt and aromatics genuine hours to actually work into the meat itself, rather than only seasoning its outer surface. - Bring Pork to Room Temperature
Remove the pork from the fridge 30–40 minutes before roasting. Preheat the oven to 220°C / 425°F. Line a tray with foil and set a rack over it if possible. Add a little water to the tray underneath the rack to reduce smoking and catching drips, or line well. Arrange the pork strips on the rack. Roasting on a rack gives better air circulation and better lacquered edges. If roasting directly on a tray, turn more carefully and expect slightly less even caramelization. That elevated rack position lets hot air circulate freely around every side of each strip, building real, even colour rather than the meat simply sitting in its own rendered fat and juices. - First Roast
Roast for 15 minutes. Meanwhile mix the reserved marinade with 2 tbsp honey and 1 tbsp hot water. This becomes the basting glaze. After 15 minutes, remove the tray and brush the pork generously with glaze. Turn the pork and brush the second side. Return to the oven for 10 minutes. Diluting the reserved marinade with a little honey and hot water at this stage builds a genuine glaze consistency specifically suited for brushing on and re-lacquering, distinct from the marinade’s own thicker, raw consistency. - Finish Roasting and Caramelize
Turn and baste again. Roast for another 8–12 minutes, until the pork is glossy, browned, and lightly charred at the edges. If needed, switch to broil / grill for 1–3 minutes at the end to deepen the lacquer and create the characteristic charred spots. Watch closely during the final stage — the sugars in the marinade burn fast. The pork should be cooked through but still juicy, with caramelized edges. Internal temperature should be about 68–72°C / 155–162°F before resting. For shoulder or neck, slight extra carryover is fine and keeps it succulent. That close watching during the final, brief broiler finish reflects a real, narrow margin — the marinade’s own considerable sugar content caramelizes quickly, and the line between deep lacquer and genuine burning is a matter of seconds at this stage. - Rest and Reduce the Juices
Transfer the pork to a board and rest for 10 minutes. While it rests, pour the roasting juices from the tray into a small saucepan, skim excess fat if needed, and simmer briefly until syrupy enough to spoon. The glaze should lightly coat the back of a spoon, not be watery. This is what you drizzle over the sliced pork and rice. That resting period gives the pork’s own internal juices genuine time to redistribute evenly, protecting them from running out onto the board the moment it’s sliced too soon. - Cook the Rice
Rinse the jasmine rice until the water runs mostly clear. Cook 300g rice using your usual method. For absorption method, use about 1:1.1 to 1:1.2 rice to water by weight depending on the rice and cooker. Fluff and keep warm. That thorough rinsing removes surface starch that would otherwise make the finished rice stickier and clumpier than this dish’s own neutral, fluffy base is meant to be. - Blanch the Bok Choy
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the bok choy for 45–90 seconds, depending on size, until the stems are just tender but still bright and crisp. Drain well. Toss lightly with a few drops of oil if desired. Do not overcook. Bok choy should stay green and fresh-tasting, not dull and limp. That genuinely brief blanching time is calibrated specifically to soften the vegetable just enough while protecting both its own vivid green colour and its crisp-tender bite from turning dull and limp. - Slice and Assemble
Slice the rested char siu across the grain into medium slices. For each serving, add a mound of rice, fan over sliced char siu, place bok choy alongside, spoon over reduced glaze / pan juices, and finish with sliced scallions. Serve immediately. Slicing specifically across the grain, rather than with it, is what keeps every piece of pork genuinely tender and easy to eat, cutting through the meat’s own muscle fibers rather than leaving them intact and chewy.
*Notes :
- Cutting the pork into long, narrow strips rather than roasting one large piece deserves genuine recognition as the technique most directly responsible for this dish’s whole classical texture and appearance. That shape genuinely maximizes the exterior surface relative to the meat’s own volume, giving the marinade and basting glaze considerably more area to lacquer than a single large roast ever could.
- Marinating for a genuine minimum of 8 hours, ideally a full 24, deserves the same attention this technique receives throughout this collection’s other deeply marinated proteins. The recipe’s own explicit contrast — real depth and colour from overnight marination versus a flatter, less penetrated result from a shorter soak — reflects exactly how much this single stage matters to the finished dish’s own character.
- Basting with the reserved, uncontaminated marinade at two separate stages during roasting deserves genuine respect as the technique responsible for char siu’s characteristic sticky, deeply lacquered exterior. That repeated basting, rather than a single early application, is what builds real, layered glaze depth across the roasting time rather than relying on one coat to carry the whole finish.
- Watching the pork closely during its final, brief broiler stage deserves attention as a real, narrow-margin technique given how much sugar this particular marinade carries. The recipe’s own explicit warning that “the sugars in the marinade burn fast” reflects a genuine, tight window between the deep, glossy lacquer this dish depends on and outright burning.
Why This Recipe Works
This recipe works because the pork is cut into long strips, maximizing the surface area available for glazing and building real, classical texture. A genuine, extended marinade gives the meat real depth and colour throughout.
Roasting on a rack allows even air circulation, and repeated basting at two separate stages builds the dish’s signature sticky, lacquered exterior.
Close attention during the final broiler stage protects the marinade’s sugars from burning, and resting the finished pork before slicing across the grain delivers tender, juicy, easy-to-eat char siu over warm rice and crisp bok choy.
Ingredient Breakdown
Long, Narrow Pork Strips
The critical technique — maximizes surface area for the marinade and glaze relative to the meat’s own volume.
Extended Marinade (Minimum 8, Ideally 24 Hours)
The critical technique — gives the pork real, penetrating depth and colour throughout.
Reserved, Uncontaminated Basting Marinade
The critical technique — a food-safety necessity that also delivers the dish’s characteristic repeated glazing.
Rack-Roasted Pork
The critical technique — even air circulation builds real, uniform caramelization across every side.
Watched Final Broiler Stage
The critical technique — protects the marinade’s considerable sugar content from crossing into genuine burning.
Cross-Grain Slicing
The finishing technique — cuts through the meat’s own muscle fibers, keeping every slice genuinely tender.
Flavor Structure Explained
This char siu follows a layered balance model:
- Neutral, fluffy foundation (rinsed, properly cooked jasmine rice)
- Sweet-savoury lacquered centrepiece (marinated, twice-basted, roasted char siu)
- Warm aromatic depth (five-spice, ginger, garlic, Shaoxing wine)
- Fresh, crisp-tender contrast (blanched bok choy)
- Glossy, concentrated finish (reduced pan juices and glaze)
Rinsed, properly cooked jasmine rice provides this plate’s neutral, genuinely fluffy foundation. Marinated, twice-basted, roasted char siu serves as the sweet-savoury, lacquered centrepiece, its texture built through careful cutting, marinating, and roasting technique. Five-spice, ginger, garlic, and Shaoxing wine layer in warm, classic aromatic depth throughout the marinade. Blanched bok choy contributes fresh, crisp-tender contrast against the rich pork. A final drizzle of reduced pan juices and glaze ties the whole plate together with glossy, concentrated finish.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Roasting the Pork as One Large Piece – This reduces the surface area available for lacquering. Always cut it into long, narrow strips first.
- Shortening the Marinating Time – This leaves the pork tasting flatter with less real penetration. Always give it at least 8 hours, ideally a full 24.
- Basting With Marinade That’s Touched Raw Pork – This risks contamination. Always reserve a clean portion before the pork ever touches the rest.
- Walking Away During the Final Broiler Stage – The marinade’s sugars burn quickly. Always watch closely during this brief, final finish.
- Overcooking the Bok Choy – This turns it dull and limp rather than staying green and crisp-tender. Always blanch it only for the specified brief time.
Variations
Red Fermented Bean Curd Version
Include the optional fermented bean curd liquid or char siu sauce in the marinade, per the recipe’s own note, for the most classically vivid red colour and deepest traditional flavour.
Make-Ahead Version
Roast the pork ahead of time, chill it, then reheat gently and glaze it again just before serving, per the recipe’s own guidance, for an easier, more flexible timeline.
Leftover Repurposing Version
Use any leftover char siu in noodle bowls, fried rice, or as bao filling, per the recipe’s own suggestion, giving the dish real versatility beyond its first serving.
Loin Version
Substitute pork loin for shoulder, neck, or butt if preferred, accepting that this leaner cut is less traditional and considerably easier to overcook and dry out.
Storage & Make-Ahead
Pork shoulder, neck or collar, or butt are genuinely the best cuts for this recipe, since they stay juicy and deliver the most classical char siu result, while lean loin is possible but less traditional and noticeably easier to dry out.
Classical char siu often gets its deeper red tone from red fermented bean curd, char siu sauce, or occasionally food coloring, and without any of these the flavour will still be correct even though the colour will read as less vividly red.
Never use raw marinade that’s touched the pork as a later sauce without first boiling it thoroughly, and always reserve a genuinely clean portion of marinade before the raw pork is ever added to the rest.
Roasting temperature genuinely matters here: starting relatively hot lets the outside set and caramelize properly, while too low a temperature causes the pork to steam and too high for too long burns the sugars before the meat itself is actually ready.
This recipe uses 75g uncooked rice per serving specifically to keep the plate pork-forward, and the pork can be roasted ahead, chilled, and reheated gently with a fresh glaze before serving, while leftovers work especially well in noodle bowls, fried rice, or as bao filling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the pork cut into long strips rather than roasted as one large piece?
Long, narrow strips genuinely maximize the exterior surface area relative to the meat’s own volume, giving the marinade and basting glaze considerably more area to lacquer than a single large roast ever could.
Why does the pork need to marinate for so many hours before roasting?
Overnight marination gives the pork real, penetrating depth and colour throughout the meat. A shorter marinade only seasons the surface, leaving the finished dish tasting noticeably flatter.
Why does a separate, clean portion of marinade need to be reserved before the pork goes in?
Marinade that’s touched raw pork can’t safely be used again without being thoroughly cooked first. Reserving a clean portion beforehand is what makes repeated basting during roasting safe.
Why does the final broiler stage require such close attention?
The marinade carries considerable sugar content, and that sugar caramelizes quickly under direct, intense heat. The window between a deep, glossy lacquer and genuine burning is genuinely narrow at this stage.
Are there other classic Chinese roasted pork, bao, or rice bowl dishes worth trying?
Roujiamo Sandwich (Chinese Burger) offers another classic Chinese braised pork direction worth exploring. Baked Char Siu Bao and Gua Bao are also worth trying for other classic Chinese stuffed bread dishes, and Chicken Adobo Rice Bowl and Simple Fried Rice offer other satisfying rice bowl directions worth exploring.
Nutrition Facts
( per serving )
Calories
~680 kcal
Protein
42 g
Fat
26 g
Carbs
68 g
Calories
~680 kcal
Protein
42 g
Fat
26 g
Carbs
68 g
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Char Siu — Chinese BBQ Pork over Rice
Ingredients
Method
- Cut the pork into 4 long strips, each about 4–5cm thick. Char siu cooks best in long narrow strips rather than one large roast. That gives more caramelized surface and the right sliceable texture. Pat dry. That specific, narrow strip shape genuinely maximizes the exterior surface area available to the marinade and glaze relative to the meat’s own volume — a single large roast simply couldn’t offer the same proportion of that caramelized, lacquered exterior.
- In a bowl, combine the hoisin, light soy, dark soy, oyster sauce, honey, brown sugar, Shaoxing wine, five-spice, white pepper, garlic, ginger, fermented bean curd liquid or char siu sauce if using, and optional red coloring. Mix until smooth. Reserve 3 tbsp marinade in a separate bowl for later basting. Do not contaminate this reserved portion with raw pork. That deliberate, early separation of a clean basting portion is a real, necessary food-safety step — any marinade that’s actually touched raw pork needs to be either discarded or thoroughly cooked before it can safely be brushed onto the meat again.
- Add the pork to the marinade and coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, preferably 18–24 hours, turning once or twice if possible. Overnight marination gives the pork its characteristic depth and color. A short marination will taste flatter and penetrate less. That extended time gives the marinade’s own salt and aromatics genuine hours to actually work into the meat itself, rather than only seasoning its outer surface.
- Remove the pork from the fridge 30–40 minutes before roasting. Preheat the oven to 220°C / 425°F. Line a tray with foil and set a rack over it if possible. Add a little water to the tray underneath the rack to reduce smoking and catching drips, or line well. Arrange the pork strips on the rack. Roasting on a rack gives better air circulation and better lacquered edges. If roasting directly on a tray, turn more carefully and expect slightly less even caramelization. That elevated rack position lets hot air circulate freely around every side of each strip, building real, even colour rather than the meat simply sitting in its own rendered fat and juices.
- Roast for 15 minutes. Meanwhile mix the reserved marinade with 2 tbsp honey and 1 tbsp hot water. This becomes the basting glaze. After 15 minutes, remove the tray and brush the pork generously with glaze. Turn the pork and brush the second side. Return to the oven for 10 minutes. Diluting the reserved marinade with a little honey and hot water at this stage builds a genuine glaze consistency specifically suited for brushing on and re-lacquering, distinct from the marinade’s own thicker, raw consistency.
- Turn and baste again. Roast for another 8–12 minutes, until the pork is glossy, browned, and lightly charred at the edges. If needed, switch to broil / grill for 1–3 minutes at the end to deepen the lacquer and create the characteristic charred spots. Watch closely during the final stage — the sugars in the marinade burn fast. The pork should be cooked through but still juicy, with caramelized edges. Internal temperature should be about 68–72°C / 155–162°F before resting. For shoulder or neck, slight extra carryover is fine and keeps it succulent. That close watching during the final, brief broiler finish reflects a real, narrow margin — the marinade’s own considerable sugar content caramelizes quickly, and the line between deep lacquer and genuine burning is a matter of seconds at this stage.
- Transfer the pork to a board and rest for 10 minutes. While it rests, pour the roasting juices from the tray into a small saucepan, skim excess fat if needed, and simmer briefly until syrupy enough to spoon. The glaze should lightly coat the back of a spoon, not be watery. This is what you drizzle over the sliced pork and rice. That resting period gives the pork’s own internal juices genuine time to redistribute evenly, protecting them from running out onto the board the moment it’s sliced too soon.
- Rinse the jasmine rice until the water runs mostly clear. Cook 300g rice using your usual method. For absorption method, use about 1:1.1 to 1:1.2 rice to water by weight depending on the rice and cooker. Fluff and keep warm. That thorough rinsing removes surface starch that would otherwise make the finished rice stickier and clumpier than this dish’s own neutral, fluffy base is meant to be.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the bok choy for 45–90 seconds, depending on size, until the stems are just tender but still bright and crisp. Drain well. Toss lightly with a few drops of oil if desired. Do not overcook. Bok choy should stay green and fresh-tasting, not dull and limp. That genuinely brief blanching time is calibrated specifically to soften the vegetable just enough while protecting both its own vivid green colour and its crisp-tender bite from turning dull and limp.
- Slice the rested char siu across the grain into medium slices. For each serving, add a mound of rice, fan over sliced char siu, place bok choy alongside, spoon over reduced glaze / pan juices, and finish with sliced scallions. Serve immediately. Slicing specifically across the grain, rather than with it, is what keeps every piece of pork genuinely tender and easy to eat, cutting through the meat’s own muscle fibers rather than leaving them intact and chewy.