Char Siu Sauce

This gluten free Char Siu Sauce recipe is sticky, sweet, savory, salty and of course, red. It’s finger licking good especially when used to marinade pork and slow cooked in the oven. This Chinese BBQ pork recipe is easy as it is delicious.

What is char siu sauce made of?

• Pork Tenderloin
• Fish Sauce
• Coconut Aminos: We use coconut aminos for this recipe as we tend to avoid soy but soy sauce works well.
• Honey: We use honey instead of brown sugar for this recipe.
• Molasses: Blackstrap molasses is the best quality and least processed molasses. Here are other recipes that use molasses.
• Tomato Paste: If you don’t tolerate tomato, you can use nomato sauce for as a substitute (AIP option).
• Salt
• Chinese 5 Spice Powder: If you don’t have Chinese Five Spice Powder or don’t tolerate all the spices included, I give a substitute in the recipe notes.
• Red Food Coloring or red beet powder: Adding color to the dish is optional but traditional.

How to make char siu sauce

1. In a small bowl add the fish sauce, coconut aminos (or soy sauce), 1/4 cup honey, molasses, tomato paste (or nomato sauce), salt, Chinese Five Spice (or spiced for AIP option) and red food coloring (or red beet powder) and stir until combined.

2. Place the pork in a medium baking dish, casserole pan or resealable plastic bag.

3. Pour the marinade over the pork. Cover the baking dish and set aside in the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight.

How to thicken char siu sauce

4. After your done marinating the pork, pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of honey. Bring the sauce to a boil and simmer gently for a few minutes until the sauce is thick and syrupy. Use this sauce to baste the pork.

How make Chinese BBQ pork.

5. When you are ready to cook, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then place a wire rack over a large rimmed baking sheet and put the pork loins on the wire rack. Lastly half fill the baking sheet with boiling water. Take care not to overfill the baking sheet. The water should not touch the pork.

6. Place the pork in the oven and roast the pork for about 30 minutes, basting every 10 minutes.

7. After 30 minutes, turn the oven to broil on high heat for about 5 minutes. Baste the pork generously after about 2-3 minutes, making sure that it is browning nicely and doesn’t burn. Once the pork has caramelized nicely, remove the tray from the oven.

8. Let the pork rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Tips for making the BEST Char Siu pork tenderloin.

• This Chinese BBQ sauce can be used on a variety of meats such as boneless spareribs or ribs in general, duck, chicken, and beef.
• If you tolerate soy, you can use soy sauce instead of coconut aminos. And you can replace the molasses, apple cider vinegar and tomato paste with 1/4 cup hoisin sauce or oyster sauce, if you prefer.
• To make this recipe AIP, substitute tomato paste for nomato sauce. And substitute the Chinese 5 spice powder for 1 teaspoon Garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder, 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves and 1/2 teaspoon Ground Ginger.
• You can line your baking sheet with aluminum foil for easier clean up.
• Adding water to you baking sheet is optional but it helps to create a steam in the oven to cook the pork and to keep it moist.
• Letting the pork rest after cooking allows the pork to continue cooking and the juices to absorb back into the pork which keeps it moist.
• This recipe also works well with skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs.
• This recipe also works well with pork ribs. Follow the instructions for this Instant Pot AIP BBQ Ribs but substitute the BBQ sauce for this recipe. You’ll need to thicken the leftover sauce as seen in step 6 of this recipe. Here is a video showing you how it's done.
• When finished, the tenderloin should be at an internal temperature between 145° F and 160° F, followed by a 10-minute rest. Since large cuts increase approximately 10° F.

Origins of Char Siu

Char Siu is generally referred to Chinese BBQ, in the US. It’s known by its red color and sweet glaze with the flavor of Chinese 5 spice. You see it most commonly paired with pork.

BBQ sauce, Chinese style is varied and very different than in the US. Broadly, it can be put into two categories: Siu Mei and Shao Kao. Siu Mei is marinated then roasted meat in an oven. Shao Kao is skewered meat that is topped with a sauce and/or spices then put on a grill. This recipe is a type of Siu Mei and of Cantonese origin. If you’re looking for a more American BBQ sauce, try this Classic BBQ sauce.

Is char siu sauce gluten free?

Technically, gluten isn’t included in traditional marinade recipes. However, it does include soy sauce which tends to contain wheat. It may also include hoisin sauce which may also include wheat.

Make sure to read the ingredients when buying prepackaged foods. You can find wheat free soy sauce on Amazon and sometimes in your local grocery stores and some Asian markets.

Is Chinese barbecue sauce vegetarian?

The marinade itself is vegetarian. However, it’s generally served with meat specifically pork.

If you’re looking for a vegetarian Chinese recipe, try this Garlic Shanghai Bok Choy.

Is char siu sauce the same as hoisin sauce?

While hoisin sauce is dark, thick, sweet, tangy and spicy like American BBQ sauce, it’s not the same as Char Siu. Hoisin sauce can actually be overpowering which is why it’s usually used as an ingredient in Char Siu to add flavor but not alone.

We don’t use hoisin sauce in this recipe because commercially available hoisin sauces usually container preservatives, stabilizers, artificial food dye, soy and wheat.

Why is Chinese char siu red?

Traditionally this marinade was red because it included fermented red bean curds (Nam Yue). However, today the color comes mostly from red food dye. And lots of Chinese BBQ marinade recipes don’t even include bean curds. To avoid artificial food dye, this recipe gets the red color from a more natural red food coloring or red beet powder. I also use red beet powder in my Coconut Beet Latte.

What is the best cut of meat for char siu?

You see it traditionally and most commonly paired with pork belly or pork shoulder. I prefer to use pork tenderloin for this recipe as it's easier to find in American grocery stores. To get a pork shoulder or pork butt you’ll have to go to an Asian grocery store, large American grocery store or butcher.

What does char siu sauce taste like?

It has a slightly sweet, savory, smokey and salty flavor. It’s definitely not as sweet some American BBQ sauces. It’s used a lot with pork especially pork buns (Char siu bao).

Can you eat char siu sauce raw?

Technically, you could eat it raw. There’s nothing in the recipe that can’t be eaten right out of the jar, however, the flavor would be intense. This marinade is meant to be cooked down into the sweet and flavorful glaze.

How much char siu sauce to use?

You should use the entire recipe for about 2 pounds of meat. For this recipe we used two 1 pound pork tenderloins. However, if you would like to use a 4 pound pork shoulder, you’ll need to double the recipe.

How to use Char Siu sauce with chicken

Yes, this recipe work well with skin on, bone in chicken thighs. Follow the instructions like you do for the pork tenderloins but replace with 2 pounds of skin on, bone in chicken thighs.

Char Siu sauce vs. Korean BBQ

Korean BBQ is cooking marinated meat at your table over a hot grill. Char Siu is a type of Chinese BBQ sauce or marinade for pork that is meant to be cooked in the oven.

Char Siu sauce is it spicy?

And while this char siu recipe is sweet other types of Chinese BBQ could be spicy.

Char siu - where to buy?

Char Siu marinade can be purchased in jars as your local Asian markets or larger grocery stores. However, you’ll find they often contain artificial food dye, refined sugar, soy and wheat. This recipe is soy, wheat, refined sugar and food dye free.

What can replace char siu sauce?

This recipe has a very specific flavor that can’t easily be substituted. You could use another American sweet BBQ sauce but then you’d be missing out the unique flavors of this sauce.

How to serve Chinese BBQ pork

We serve this dish alongside our favorite veggies and rice. We usually prefer bok choy and white rice. It’s simple and traditional. However, you could also use fried rice (here's a grain free version), cauliflower rice and Vietnamese Pickled Vegetables. The pickled vegetables would be great with a fatty cut of pork!

Other Chinese recipes you’ll love.

• Chicken Feet Soup
• Chicken and Bok Choy Turmeric Stir Fry
• AIP Orange Chicken
• Taro Cake
• Glass Noodle Soup
• AIP Matcha Bubble Tea
• AIP Instant Pot Congee

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Helpful Info for All Recipes

• I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise.
• I always use Himalayan sea salt or Celtic sea salt, unless otherwise noted.
• The majority of my recipes are strict AIP or include notations for reintroductions. However while I make every effort to label non-AIP ingredients and recipes sometimes they slip past me. If you have questions, please ask in advance.

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