Authentic Char Siu (Xá Xíu) Pork Recipe | Chinese Roast Pork with Honey Glaze

Deliciously tender and fatty roast pork is enhanced by a flavorful marinade of Asian flavors and a sweet and sticky honey glaze. Char Siu pork or Xá Xíu is a fan favorite in both Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine. This savory and sweet roast pork recipe is sure to be one you’ll revisit over and over again!

If you’re a fan of authentic Chinese food then you’ve probably had Char Siu pork before. This savory, sweet, and sticky pork can either be barbequed or roasted and is often recognized by its distinct red color. In Chinese cuisine, it’s usually served in a steamed bun as chasiu bao (叉燒包), with rice as chasiu fan (叉燒飯), or over noodles as chasiu min (叉燒飯).

In Vietnam, this BBQ roast pork is known as Xá Xíu and is also served in many different ways. The most popular are having it alongside steamed white rice and pickled vegetables, as a topping for Vietnamese pork or seafood noodle soup known as Hủ Tiếu Mì, or – of course – as the main protein in Bánh Mì.

No matter how you choose to serve this BBQ roast pork or what you call it, done right, this sweet and savory pork recipe is sure to satisfy!

Why is Char Siu Pork red?

Historically, Char Siu pork is red because in Chinese culture the color is equated with good fortune.

There are a few different ways to get that distinct bright red hue you see from most Char Siu pork. The original way to achieve this color was to marinate the meat in water from soaking sappan chips, also known as East Indian Redwood. But because this obviously requires a lot of effort, the more common and easiest way of achieving the red color is to use food coloring.

However, the idea of using artificial food coloring isn’t appetizing to me so I’ll be skipping that in my recipe. Instead, you can try using red fermented tofu like I did for this Chinese roast pork recipe. It still has the lovely warm hue, but less saturated and more natural.

How to make Char Siu Pork

The key to getting the authentic Char Siu pork flavor is a marinade featuring five spice powder and fermented tofu. The five spice powder gives it a distinct Chinese flavor profile while the fermented tofu adds a slight tang that balances out the honey glaze and keeps the dish from being cloying. Don’t skip out on either of these ingredients as they are the foundation of your Char Siu pork’s flavor!

You can find both of these ingredients at most Asian groceries. I use red fermented tofu to get the red color for my Char Siu pork. But any fermented tofu available to you will work fine as well. The color is mostly for presentation purposes, so the flavor will come out the same.

When i make this Chinese roast pork recipe, I like to marinate it in a big batch of 6-8 lbs. After 24 hours of marinating, I freeze whatever I’m not going to cook right away. This way, we always have delicious Char Siu pork available as a topping or main dish!