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Home » BEST Char Siu Sauce

BEST Char Siu Sauce

Written on September 27, 2020

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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BEST Char Siu Sauce Recipe  Whip up a batch of this delicious and versatile sauce in less than 10 minutes and then use it on your pork, chicken, seafood, rice, noodles, in your stir-fries, and more!  The flavors are bold and vibrant and will make your taste buds sing!

char siu sauce recipe best barbecue roasted pork Chinese Cantonese

Homemade Char Siu Sauce 

Char siu refers to the famous Cantonese preparation of roasted pork.  Translated as “fork roasted”, pork is slathered with the classic sauce and then roasted in the oven or over a fire.  It’s popular throughout China, Southwest Asia and Japan.

The crowning feature of char siu pork is its barbecue sauce.  Sticky, sweet and salty with deep umami undertones, its flavors are bold and vibrant.  By making it yourself you not only leave out all the junk ingredients that come packed in the store-bought sauce, you also get a vastly superior tasting product – all in less than 10 minutes!

We’re featuring this homemade char siu sauce as a standalone recipe because of its versatility – it is SO delicious!  Besides using it to make the classic barbecued char siu pork there are many more ways to use this incredibly delicious sauce!

char siu sauce recipe best barbecue roasted pork Chinese Cantonese

How to Use Char Siu Sauce

  • As a marinade or glaze for barbecued pork (most commonly belly, loin, shoulder or ribs)
  • As a marinade or glaze for barbecued chicken and seafood
  • Brushed on grilled veggies
  • Added to ramen soups
  • As a filling in Chinese steamed buns
  • Added to stir-fries
  • Drizzled over rice or dumplings
  • As a dipping sauce
  • ….and any other way your heart desires!

char siu sauce recipe best barbecue roasted pork Chinese Cantonese

 

Char Siu Sauce Recipe

This sauce is easy to make, you just need to gather up the ingredients.  Each ingredient is important to achieving the best overall flavor so don’t be tempted to omit any of them.  While you can absolutely use store-bought, for the very best flavor we highly recommend making our homemade Hoisin Sauce and Chinese Five Spice, two of the ingredients you’ll need for making this sauce.

Let’s get started!

Simply combine the ingredients in a small saucepan.

combine and simmer ingredients

Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Turn off the heat and let the sauce cool completely.

simmering ingredients in saucepan

Store the sauce in the refrigerator where it will keep for at least 2 weeks.

Enjoy!

char siu sauce recipe best barbecue roasted pork Chinese Cantonese

 

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char siu sauce recipe best barbecue roasted pork Chinese Cantonese

For more delicious homemade Asian condiments be sure to try our:

  • Teriyaki Sauce
  • Sweet and Sour Sauce
  • Black Bean Sauce
  • Hoisin Sauce
  • Sweet Chili Sauce
  • Ponzu Sauce
  • Yum Yum Sauce
  • Kecap Manis 
  • Plum Sauce

 

char siu sauce recipe best barbecue roasted pork Chinese Cantonese

BEST Char Siu Sauce

Kimberly Killebrew
Bold, vibrant and delicious, this versatile char siu sauce is easy to make and will make your taste buds sing! Use it as a marinade or glaze for barbecued pork, chicken, and seafood; brush it on grilled veggies; add it to ramen soups, stir-fries and rice; enjoy it as a dipping sauce...or any other way your heart desires!
Print Recipe
4.93 from 13 votes
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 5 mins
Total Time 10 mins
Course condiment, Sauce
Cuisine Cantonese, Chinese
Servings 24
Calories 31 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
  • homemade hoisin sauce (HIGHLY recommended for best flavor!)
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce or tamari
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons Chinese rice wine
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (optional)
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons Chinese five spice
  • homemade Chinese five spice (HIGHLY recommended for best flavor!)
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • a few drop of natural red food coloring (optional for traditional red color)

Instructions
 

  • Place all of the ingredients in a small saucepan except for the food coloring (if using). Bring it a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool completely.
    Store in the refrigerator where the sauce will keep for at least 2 weeks.
    Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 31kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 258mg | Potassium: 18mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg
Keyword Char Siu
Tried this recipe? Mention @daringgourmet or hashtag #daringgourmet

Image of char siu pork © Alexpro9500 | Dreamstime

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Topics include: Affiliate, All Recipes, Asia, By Country or Region, By Type of Dish, China, Disclosure, Food, Gluten Free, Sauces, Seasonings and Condiments, Vegetarian as well as: Asia, barbecue, bbq, char siu, char siu sauce, Chinese, chinese five spice, condiment, honey, pork, rice wine, sauce, soy sauce25 Comments →

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25 Responses

  1. Rebecca in MD says

    April 11, 2021 at 10:16 am

    Could this sauce be frozen?

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      April 12, 2021 at 10:07 am

      Hi Rebecca, yes it can!

      Reply
  2. Stourley says

    February 14, 2021 at 7:23 am

    It’s a keeper!

    Reply
  3. alun roberts says

    November 2, 2020 at 11:16 am

    made on saturday chicken stir fry ,great taste family loved it >Easy to make

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      November 2, 2020 at 6:39 pm

      Wonderful, thank you so much, Alun!

      Reply
  4. Linda Christie says

    October 25, 2020 at 11:10 am

    Thank you for another great recipe.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      October 25, 2020 at 1:23 pm

      You’re very welcome, Linda! :)

      Reply
  5. Julian says

    October 18, 2020 at 9:53 am

    When is the proper time to add the red food coloring?

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      October 18, 2020 at 8:47 pm

      Hi Julian, just stir it in at the very end.

      Reply
  6. Christine says

    October 18, 2020 at 9:30 am

    Could this be used on the small cut ribs. I usually do sweet & sour, but this looks good.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      October 20, 2020 at 9:15 am

      It sure can, Christine!

      Reply
  7. Beth says

    October 16, 2020 at 6:50 am

    So delicious and tasty! Added so much flavor to our stir fry! I will definitely be making this sauce again!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      October 16, 2020 at 7:56 am

      Thank you, Beth, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  8. S Shukla says

    October 14, 2020 at 4:28 am

    Your website is very useful. It has all the necessary information related to cooking. I liked your recipe very much. Congratulations

    Reply
  9. Sandra McCollum says

    October 1, 2020 at 7:43 pm

    This is so good!! Thanks for this easy-to-follow recipe!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      October 1, 2020 at 9:26 pm

      Thank you, Sandra, I’m glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  10. Cathy says

    September 30, 2020 at 12:41 pm

    We LOVED the bold flavors in this sauce!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      September 30, 2020 at 12:57 pm

      So glad you enjoyed it, Cathy, thank you!

      Reply
  11. Catalina says

    September 30, 2020 at 2:43 am

    I love trying new sauces. This one sounds so good!

    Reply
  12. Vikki says

    September 29, 2020 at 10:34 pm

    Love that bold flavor! So tasty and versatile, had it on some chicken and it was so delicious

    Reply
  13. Karens says

    September 29, 2020 at 8:28 pm

    For a long time, I learn Asia food, and the main importance of the food art of Asia food is the sauce. Sometimes sauce decides the success of a dish. Char Siu sauce is a very special sauce that I try to do. I can’t find any materials instead of Chinese five spices. It makes the sauce depth taste. When I can’t buy these spices, I have to combine from separate ingredients like star anise and cinnamons.

    Reply
  14. Erin says

    September 29, 2020 at 7:51 pm

    YUM!!! This Char Siu Sauce looks absolutely delicious! Yummy!

    Reply
  15. Sara Welch says

    September 29, 2020 at 3:18 pm

    Loved how quickly this came together and added the perfect amount of flavor to our chicken dinner last night! Loved it!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      September 29, 2020 at 9:24 pm

      I’m so glad it was a hit, Sara, thank you!

      Reply
  16. kerri says

    September 29, 2020 at 1:40 pm

    we love char siu! so excited to have a great recipe to have at home!

    Reply

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kimberly killebrew the daring gourmet

Welcome!  I’m Kimberly and I share delicious originals, revitalized classics and authentic dishes from around the world.  Come travel the world through your taste buds!

Amazon Affiliate Disclosure:
The Daring Gourmet is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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