What is Chinese Pork Char Siu?
Chinese pork char siu is a famous Cantonese barbecue dish traditionally made with strips of pork caramelised over an open flame. The name char siu translates loosely to “fork roasted”, referring to the traditional method of roasting the pork on long forks over a fire.
You may have seen glossy red pieces of char siu hanging in the windows of Chinese restaurants. The deep colour often comes from the sweet marinade of hoisin sauce, soy sauce, honey, rice wine and Chinese five-spice, although some chefs also add red food colouring to intensify the classic look.
In this easy home version, pork mince replaces the traditional cuts of pork, creating a quick stir-fry that captures the same sweet, savoury char siu flavours in a fast weeknight meal.
If you enjoy quick Chinese-style stir-fries, you might also like this Chinese Egg Foo Young recipe or my Thai Basil Chicken stir-fry.
Why Pork Mince Works Well for Char Siu
Using pork mince instead of traditional cuts like pork loin or belly makes this char siu recipe much faster and easier to prepare at home. Once the ingredients are ready, it only takes a few minutes to stir-fry the pork mince and vegetables before coating everything in the rich, salty-sweet char siu sauce.
Served with rice, it becomes a simple and satisfying meal that can be on the table in under 30 minutes. You can also add extra vegetables to the stir-fry if you like – broccoli, beans or courgettes all work well.
Explore More Recipes on Flaevor
Chinese Pork Mince Char Siu
Ingredients
- 500gm pork mince
- Vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2cm knob of ginger, minced
- 1 red pepper, halved and sliced into thin strips lengthways
- 1 medium carrot, halved and sliced into thin strips lengthways
- 1 birds eye red chilli
- 180g of long-grain rice (1.5 cups)
Char Sui Sauce
- 40ml hoisin sauce
- 40ml soy sauce
- 30ml honey
- 30ml Chinese Shaoxing wine or sherry
- 3/4 tsp Chinese 5 Spice Powder
- 1 tsp cornstarch
Garnish
- 2 spring onions, halved and sliced into thin strips lengthways
- 1/2 cup roasted peanuts or cashew nuts, chopped
Instructions
- Cook rice according to packet instructions.
- Char Siu Sauce: mix together hoisin sauce, honey, soy, shaoxing wine and five-spice powder. Mix the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water to form a slurry, then stir it into the char siu sauce.
- Heat oil in a frying pan, add garlic and cook gently for 30 seconds. Next, add pork mince and cook on high heat until nice and browned. Remove from pan at set aside.
- Add carrots and peppers and stir-fry on high heat for 1–2 minutes, adding a splash of water halfway through to create steam. Be careful not to over-cook, vegetables in a stirfry should always have 'bite' rather than be soft and cooked all the way through.
- Add pork mince back to the pan, combine with vegetables and stir through char siu sauce.
- Cook for 30 seconds, combining well. Remove from heat.
- Serve char siu pork on top of rice. Garnish with spring onions and chopped peanuts or cashew nuts.
