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BEST Char Siu Sauce

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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:

 

char siu sauce recipe best barbecue roasted pork Chinese Cantonese

BEST Char Siu Sauce

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!
4.99 from 54 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course condiment, Sauce
Cuisine Cantonese, Chinese
Servings 24
Calories 31 kcal

Ingredients
  

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: 1tablespoonCalories: 31kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 258mgPotassium: 18mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 1mg
Keyword Char Siu
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Image of char siu pork © Alexpro9500 | Dreamstime

kimberly killebrew the daring gourmet

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!

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Recipe Rating




4.99 from 54 votes (42 ratings without comment)

45 Comments

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

  2. 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.

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