BEST Char Siu Sauce
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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! This Char Siu Sauce recipe is easy to make and the flavors are bold and vibrant and will make your taste buds sing!
What is 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!
I’m 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!
How to Use Char Siu Sauce
This sauce can be used in a variety of delicious ways. Here are a few ideas:
- 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
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.
Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let the sauce cool completely.
Store the sauce in the refrigerator where it will keep for at least 2 weeks.
Enjoy!
For more delicious homemade Asian condiments be sure to try my:
- Teriyaki Sauce
- Sweet and Sour Sauce
- Black Bean Sauce
- Hoisin Sauce
- Sweet Chili Sauce
- Ponzu Sauce
- Yum Yum Sauce
- Kecap Manis
- Plum Sauce
- Chili Oil
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BEST Char Siu Sauce
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
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
Hi. I’m wondering if there is a way to add fresh garlic instead of the powdered without it burning in the roasting process. If not, is it a critical flavour? I ask because my system will not tolerate dried alliums. Thanks!
Hi Charlie, yes you can use minced fresh garlic no problem.
This is such a delicious sauce, so much flavor! I’ve been enjoying drizzling this over everything from rice and noodles to chicken and pork. My new favorite sauce!
Thank you, Grace, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Due to sesame allergies, would omitting the sesame make a difference?
Hi Beth, the sesame adds a significant flavor element to the sauce but I certainly wouldn’t risk the allergy flare-up. You can simply omit it.
Hi! Does the sauce needs to be thickened to make char siu buns?
Hi Melissa, I would thicken it a little. A teaspoon or two of cornstarch mixed in a couple tablespoons of water, then stirred in the sauce and simmered for a minute until thickened will do the trick.
It says to add the sauce ingredients to the saucepan except for the food coloring. When do you add the food coloring, then?
Hi Julie, that’s added at the very end.
Hi how many tablespoons of this would you add to say 500g pork mince, don’t want to add too Much or too little?
Hi Emer, I’d probably start with 1/4 cup of it and taste it. You can always start with less, taste it, and then add more if you like.
I’m about to introduce this recipe to my collection and make it for tea tonight my passion is cooking and trying new flavours do you have a recipe for curried goat? Would be much appreciated many thanks😀
Hi Tracey, this saag gosht recipe would be terrific with goat: https://www.daringgourmet.com/saag-gosht-punjabi-beef-and-spinach-curry/. Forgive the poor, outdated pictures! :)
Hello, this sauce is absolutely wonderful. My whole family enjoyed it immensely. I did alter it a bit, I added some cayenne pepper and my own Cajun seasoning. It is now known in my house as Cantonese, Cajun sauce.☺
That’s wonderful, Joel, thank you, and I’m happy you were able to add your own touch to make it your own!
I absolutely couldn’t stop eating the pork char siu that I roasted. This recipe is so good!! I marinated pork in the sauce for 2 days in my refrigerator, Then I roasted the pork on a rack in the oven. Then for the final touch, I added more fresh sauce on top and toasted the pork turning and basting it until the sauce was bubbly and so slightly charred. This is the best char siu that I have tasted, and I couldn’t beieve that I made it myself. I am going to try many of your other recipes too. Thanks.
I’m absolutely thrilled to hear that, Ronald, thank you so much!
Can I cook my pork shoulder in the sauce
and how long do I cook it for please
I made this sauce, it was awesome, however mine turned out a bit thicker than what shows in your pics? Anyway, I like that it was thick.
Two teaspoons of Five Spice is a bit much. Are you sure?
I’m sure, Frank. But you can always start with less and then add more.
Could this sauce be frozen?
Hi Rebecca, yes it can!