How to Make Air Fryer Char Siu?

I have previously published the Char Siu recipe (Chinese barbecue pork, 叉烧). Yes, I received some feedback from my readers about something I had overlooked, that not all households in Asia have a proper oven, as oven baking is not the most common cooking method.

However, since air fryers have become increasingly popular in Asia, I have tested to prepare barbecue pork using an air fryer instead. I also understand that hoisin sauce is now widely available, so I have included it in the marinade as one of the main ingredients to constitute the Char Siu sauce.

Here is how to prepare Char Siu with an air fryer.

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Main ingredients to make Chinese barbecue pork

• I use pork shoulder loin (梅頭肉/中咀肉/上肉/梅花肉/肩胛肉) for this recipe, but you can use pork belly if you prefer a higher fat content. Both cuts will yield tender barbecue pork as they have a reasonable amount of fat, which is essential for its juicy and tender texture.
• The Char Siu sauce is a blend of classic Cantonese seasonings. The most commonly used ingredients are light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, five-spice powder, and oyster sauce. They form the base of the marinade. 
• Two ingredients that add authenticity to the recipe are Hoisin sauce (海鲜酱) and Chu Hou sauce. If you’re living outside of Asia, Chu Hou sauce (柱侯酱) may be difficult to find. In that case, simply double the amount of hoisin sauce to use as a substitute.
• The primary purpose of adding red fermented bean curd is to improve the color. Fermented bean curd (南乳) contains red yeast rice, a natural red coloring widely used in Chinese cooking, not only for barbecue pork, but also for dishes like Hakka fried pork and the vegetarian dish Buddha’s Delight.
• Ginger, garlic, and scallions are used to add aromatic flavor, but these will be discarded after marinating the pork.

Note: I made the Char Siu sauce myself. A simpler option is to use the ready-made Char Siu sauce purchased from an Asian grocery store.

How to prepare Chinese barbecue pork (Char Siu)

• First, cut the shoulder loin into strips about 1.5 inches wide. If the pork you purchased has the skin on, remove it first. For convenience, you can ask your butcher to skin the pork and cut it into strips, which will reduce your kitchen prep time.
• Next, in a mixing bowl, combine the wine, red fermented bean curd, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, Chu Hou sauce, five spice powder, and brown sugar.

• Then, prepare the chopped garlic, ginger, and scallions, and add them to the sauce mixture.
• Now add the pork to the marinade and mix well. It’s best to massage the sauce into the pork using a gloved hand. Alternatively, you can place all the ingredients in a resealable freezer bag.
• Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight to allow the flavors to infuse fully and tenderize the meat.

• After marinating, remove the pork from the marinade and brush off the garlic, ginger, and scallion pieces from the surface, as they can burn easily in the air fryer.

• Preheat the air fryer to 200°C/390°F. Line the bottom of the air fryer with aluminum foil to catch any drippings. The purpose is to make cleaning easier afterward.
• Place the pork strips on the wire rack of the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, strain the excess marinade to remove any solids. Mix one part of the strained marinade with three parts of maltose in a small bowl.. If you don’t have maltose, you can substitute it with honey.

• After the initial 10 minutes of air frying, flip the pork and brush both sides with the maltose glaze. Return the pork to the air fryer and continue air-frying for another 10 minutes at 220°C/430°F.

• Check if the pork has developed deep charred marks. If not, continue air frying in 5-minute intervals until the desired color is achieved.
• Once done, remove the pork and let it rest for about 10 to 15 minutes before slicing into half-inch-thick pieces for serving.

Can I use an oven instead of an air fryer to make the Char Siu?

Sure. The method in the recipe works for both the oven and the air fryer. I use an air fryer, as not all households in Asia have a proper oven.

Cook’s Note to Make Better Air Fryer Char Siu

I have made Char Siu many times using both the air fryer and the oven. Below are some of my thoughts, which can be helpful, especially if you’re using the air fryer for the first time. Please read the note below before proceeding to follow the recipe.

1. The formula for Char Siu sauce can vary significantly, either among various chefs or due to regional differences. I have tried a few, from the simpler ones to the more complicated ones with many ingredients. I finally settled on this one because it doesn’t use too many ingredients, yet includes all the major ones. If you want to simplify it further, I suggest omitting the Chu Hou sauce and doubling the amount of Hoisin sauce.
2. The marination time should be at least four hours, and it is even better if marinated overnight. However, it should not be left for longer than overnight, as the meat texture will become too soft. Besides, the red color of the fermented bean curd will penetrate the center of the shoulder loin, making it slightly red in the middle, which is not what we want.
3. The air fryer temperature is the trickiest part of this recipe. This is because the design and power of each air fryer are different. Therefore, the temperature and timing listed in the recipe are based solely on my air fryer, which may vary from yours. The aim is to complete the whole air frying process in 20 minutes, as cooking it for too long will result in the meat turning dry. You can increase the temperature to a higher setting in the second half of the cooking, when necessary.
4. When maltose is unavailable, please substitute it with honey. Since honey is less viscous than maltose, you need less marinade to dilute to make the glaze, or you may not need to dilute the honey at all.
5. You may notice that there is a fair bit of sugar in the Char Siu sauce, as it is a sweet and savory sauce. It is up to you to adjust the quantity of each ingredient in the sauce to suit your taste.

Other uses for Char Siu sauce

This barbecue sauce can be used in a variety of recipes. That’s why I always make extra whenever I prepare barbecue pork. Below are some ways you can use the leftover sauce:

• To enhance the flavor of your meat, marinate it with barbecue sauce before grilling.
• It’s also a fantastic way to use barbecue sauce as a flavor base for fried rice and noodles.
• The barbecue sauce works well as a marinade for BBQ pork ribs. You can check out the chicken and cabbage recipe I just uploaded, which uses Char Siu sauce to marinate the chicken.