Making Char Siu at home is very easy. This Chinese BBQ Air Fryer Char Siu recipe gets the pork perfectly charred, sticky, and moist inside! All you need is 30 minutes, and you can wrap your fingers around this restaurant-quality barbecue pork you are so used to ordering for Chinese take-out!
> In This Post: Everything You'll Need For The Best Air Fryer Chinese BBQ Pork
If you are planning a holiday meal with your family and friends, add this scrumptious Chinese barbecue pork made in the air fryer recipe to the menu! This delicious recipe comes together with minimal effort! Delicious sweet sticky pork loin makes for a crowd-pleasing dish everyone loves celebrating Lunar New Year or special occasions.
It is so juicy and tender that you will want to add it to every meal!
Check out this quick story summary of our Air fryer Chinese pork belly recipe!
Jump to:
- > In This Post: Everything You'll Need For The Best Air Fryer Chinese BBQ Pork
- What is Char Siu?
- Ingredients and Substitute
- Instructions
- What Can You Do With Leftover Marinade?
- How Do You Reheat Char Siu?
- What To Make With Leftover Char Siu
- Best Air Fryer Method Tips
- WhatTo Serve With Char Siu Pork
- > Recipe
- Air Fryer BBQ Pork Char Siu 氣炸鍋蜜汁叉燒
- More Air Fryer Recipes:
What is Char Siu?
Char Siu / Char Siew 叉燒 is Chinese Cantonese roast meat. This barbecue pork (cha1 shao1 in Mandarin, sometimes spelled "cha siu") literally means "forked roasted." The term Char Siu references the traditional cooking method of barbecue pork. Chinese BBQ Pork is famous for its signature sticky-sweet glaze. When you order Char Siu at the BBQ Master 燒臘店, typically, you will choose between 1. lean meat; 2. fatty meat; or 3. half and half.
What Cuts of Pork Do You Use For BBQ Pork?
When choosing which cut of pork to use for making Chinese BBQ Pork, typically char siu is made with either lean boneless pork loin or fattier cuts like pork shoulder or pork butt. I personally prefer a nice marbled of lean and fat from pork should and the Boston butt.
Boston Butt comes from above the shoulder blades of the pig. Since pork butt has more fat marbling throughout, it is best for fall-apart-tender barbecues like Char Siu. Air frying pork butt also ensures a moist, juicy center with a nice, even charred throughout.
Making Char Siu at home in an air fryer is quick, easy and mess-free. Instead of slow roasting pork shoulder, air frying pork tenderloin or pork shoulder or pork butt take a fraction of the time compared to conventional oven. In less than 30 minutes (not including marinating time), the air fryer air circulation guarantees an even char without drying out the center.
How To Prepare The Pork For BBQ Pork Char Siu?
Wash and pat dry with a paper towel.
Trim the fat and remove the bone should your pork come on the bone.
Cut into long portions.
Portion and slice the pork shoulder or pork butt into large 2 to 3-inch strips in length and approximately 1.5 inches thick.
Ingredients and Substitute
Air fryer Char Siu recipe barbecued to perfection requires just a few simple ingredients, but the results are satisfying. It is the perfect addition to any meal! Here's what you will need to make Air Fryer Chinese BBQ Pork.
Pork - Pork shoulder or pork butt is ideal for an excellent marbling of fatty and lean meat, while pork tenderloin is best for a leaner pork roast.
Cooking Spray - Use one or two tablespoons of cooking oil spray is enough to toss and evenly coat your Char Siu.
Marinade and Seasoning - make your own char siu sauce recipe or shortcut your way with Lee Kum Kee Char Siu Sauce - available at most asian grocery store.
Honey - glaze your pork with honey to pump up that sticky sweetness and help char extra special.
Most dry goods ingredients, tools and supplies can be purchased at local Asian markets or Asian grocery store or Amazon Online.
Instructions
If you wonder what traditional char siu sauce is made of, mix the following ingredients together to create an authentic BBQ Pork Char Siu Sauce recipe: light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, brown sugar, fermented soybean paste, honey, malt syrup, Shaoxing Wine (rice wine), hoisin sauce (or sub with oyster sauce), garlic and sea salt.
The colour of the marinated pork comes from the fermented red bean curd and not from red food coloring. There is no need to add five-spice powder or sesame oil to the char sui sauce.
We've tried making our barbecue pork sauce and using Lee Kum Kee Char Siu Sauce. To be honest, we prefer using Lee Kum Kee Brand Char Siu Sauce for convenience instead of making our own Char Siu Sauce. It tastes fantastic!
How To Marinate Char Siu BBQ Pork
Add ½ cup of Char Siu Sauce to a gallon-sized ziplock bag.
Add 3 to 4 strips of previously cut pork tenderloin, pork shoulder or pork butt to the ziplock bag and seal it. Try to remove as much air as you can before sealing the bag.
Massage the sauce onto the pork through the ziplock bag.
Let the pork marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Overnight is preferred.
Once the pork is marinated in the sweet bbq sauce, it is time to cook the Chinese bbq pork in the air fryer.
How Long To Air Fry Char Siu?
It takes approximately 30 minutes to air fryer barbecue pork tenderloin.
Once you baste the top of each pork with 2 tablespoons of char siu sauce, spray cooking oil onto the pork and air fry at 400F for 8 minutes.
After 10 minutes, flip the pork over, repeat the step above and air fry at 400F for another 8 minutes.
At this point, the char siu is done being barbecued. You can opt to skip this next step, but I would highly suggest basting the pork with some honey to allow it to sweeten up and char slightly more.
Baste the top of each pork with 2 teaspoon of honey air fry (room temperature) at 400F for another 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, flip the pork over and repeat this step.
Carefully remove the barbecue pork from the air fryer with kitchen tongs.
Let it rest for a few minutes.
Depending on the air fryer model, you may want to adjust the cooking time, increase or reduce it by 1 to 2 minutes, and avoid overcooking the barbecue pork.
Slice the Char Siu and test for doneness of the pork.
What Can You Do With Leftover Marinade?
Save the honey mixture sweet sauce you can also use this extra sauce as a sticky glaze for grilled pork belly. Simply brush a little on the thinly sliced meat and enjoy a Korean grilled pork belly lettuce wrap.
How Do You Reheat Char Siu?
Reheating leftover BBQ Pork is easy. Simply wrap the Char Siu with tin foil if you want to avoid burning the pork. Bake it for 10 to 12 minutes at 375 degrees F.
What To Make With Leftover Char Siu
Leftover char siu pork is wonderful for making an easy recipe the next day. Even serving the pork slices over white rice is fantastic.
- Char siu bao
- Add char siu and veggies to soupy noodles
- Char Siu Fried Rice
Best Air Fryer Method Tips
If you've never cooked with an air fryer before, this small kitchen appliance can be a little intimidating. However, I swear by its convenience and versatility and its use of rapidly circulating hot air to cook crispy food without using too much oil!
Here are a few tips for anyone who has (or is planning on getting) an air fryer!
1. What is the best temperate to air fry Char Siu?
It is best to air fry Char Siu at 400F to mimic the high heat temperature of a roaster. Don't worry! Your bbq pork will still be tender with just the right about of char.
2. How long should I air fry Char Siu for?
Depending on the size and the thickness of your pork you put into the air fryer, 20 minutes should cook it thoroughly with a beautiful char. This also depends on the model of your air fryer, so you may want to reduce or increase the air frying time by one to two minutes.
3. Do I need to preheat the air fryer?
Based on experience, you should always preheat the air fryer before filling it with food. By doing this, the air fryer's temperature is more consistent, and your food will cook more evenly. Simply preheat your air fryer for two to three minutes before cooking.
4. How to choose the right air fryer?
Choosing the right air fryer for your kitchen depends on your lifestyle, available counter space, and if you intend to cook small or big batch meals. For us, we like the supersized XL pressure cooker and 7.6L cooking pot that is big enough to cook a small chicken or one large broccoli inside like THIS air fryer!
5. How to clean air fryers easily?
Use air fryer parchment paper and line the bottom of the pan for easy clean ups. Then wash the air fryer basket with warm soapy water.
WhatTo Serve With Char Siu Pork
There's no better way to enjoy fresh and hot BBQ Pork then on its own! I'm sure you have eaten roasted straight out of the take out box after going to the BBQ Master!
Fried Garlic Seafood Fried Rice 金蒜海鮮炒飯
Vegan Tofu Stir Fry 五彩金銀滿屋豆乾小炒王
Super Crispy Chinese Air Fryer Roast Pork Belly 炸脆皮燒肉
Chinese Steamed Chicken With Shiitake Mushroom 冬菇蒸雞
Best Water Chestnut Cake 黃金馬蹄糕
Air Fried Spareribs With Red Fermented Bean Curd 氣炸鍋南乳排骨
I'd love to see how you went with this jelly like water chestnut pudding recipe! Leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @INSTANOMSS #INSTANOMSS.
> Recipe
PrintAir Fryer BBQ Pork Char Siu 氣炸鍋蜜汁叉燒
Making Char Siu at home is very easy. This Chinese BBQ Air Fryer Char Siu recipe gets the pork perfectly charred, sticky, and moist inside! All you need is 30 minutes, and you can wrap your fingers around this restaurant-quality barbecue pork you are so used to ordering for Chinese take-out!
- Prep Time: 8 hours
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 2-4 persons 1x
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Air Fry
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
- 3 lbs pork butt or pork shoulder, 3-inch length x 1.5 inch thick
- ½ C Lee Kum Kee Char Siu Sauce (for marinating)
- 4 tsp Lee Kum Kee Char Siu Sauce (for basting)
- 6 tsp honey for basting
- vegetable oil or cooking oil spray
Instructions
Marinating
- Wash pork and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Trim excess fat off the pork shoulder or pork butt.
- Portion and slice the pork shoulder or pork butt into large 2 to 3-inch strips in length and approximately 1.5 inches thick.
- Add Lee Kum Kee Char Siu Sauce in an extra-large freezer-safe ziplock bag.
- Add the portioned pork into the ziplock bag. Remove as much air as you can before sealing the bag.
- Massage the sauce onto the pork through the ziplock bag.
- Let the pork marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Overnight is preferred.
Cooking / Air Frying
- Preheat air fryer at 400F.
- Add the pork into the air fryer basket and baste the top of each pork with 2 tablespoons of char siu sauce, then spray cooking oil onto the pork and air fry at 400F for 8 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, flip the pork over, repeat the step above and air fry at 400F for another 8 minutes.
Honey Glaze
- Baste the top of each pork with 2 teaspoons of honey air fry at 400F for another 2 minutes.
- After 2 minutes, flip the pork over and repeat this step.
Enjoy and Serve
- Carefully remove the barbecue pork from the air fryer with kitchen tongs.
- Let it rest for a few minutes.
- Slice the Char Siu and test for doneness.
Notes
- Depending on the air fryer model, you may want to adjust the cooking time, increase or reduce it by 1 to 2 minutes, and avoid overcooking the barbecue pork.
- Finish and glaze with honey if desired.
- This recipe was made in a Ninja Foodi 10-in-1 Pressure, Slow Cooker, Air Fryer.
- For even cooking, don’t overcrowd the air fryer. Arrange the barbecue pork in a single layer.
- Preheat the air fryer for a more even cooking heat distribution.
- Use air fryer parchment paper and line the bottom of the pan for easy clean ups
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 lbs pork
- Calories: 209
- Sugar: 10.8 g
- Sodium: 1122 mg
- Fat: 15.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 13.9 g
- Protein: 5.5 g
- Cholesterol: 13.9 mg
Pin the above image to your Asian Chinese Recipe Pinterest Board to bookmark this page. We are so excited to share our recipes with you!
More Air Fryer Recipes:
- Air Fryer Soy Garlic Chicken Wings 蒜蓉醬油雞翅 氣炸鍋
- TikTok Air Fryer Pasta Chips
- 15 Minutes Air Fryer Corn
- 5 Minute Air Fryer Bean Curd Sheets with Baby Bok Choy Stir Fry 氣炸鍋腐皮蒜蓉炒白菜
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Leslie says
Another great recipe for the air fryer! can't wait to add this one to my weekly rotation! LOVE!!
Melinda says
I'm glad to have found this recipe! I have the right cut of pork in the freezer so I'm eager to defrost it and make your Chinese BBQ Char Siu. My family loves charred, somewhat sweet pork so I know this will be a winner!
Jacqueline Debono says
This is a super char siu recipe, so delicious and easy to make. We had leftovers the next day and they were just as good!
Lathiya says
BBQ pork in airfryer sounds great. I'm going to try this definitely.
Oscar says
Oh I love simple recipes like this and I love using my air fryer. The pork chops turned out super tender and delicious. Love this recipe.
DK says
Love this recipe - it's so easy and straightforward to do in the air fryer! Plus the pork meat came out so tender and flavorful!
Virginia says
Hi! To clarify, after the first 8 mins do we rest the pork for 10 minutes then flip over for another 8 minutes? Or straight away flip over and air fry the other side for 8 minutes? Thank you!
Swathi says
That air fryer bbq pork looks delicious and juicy. Need to try this my kids will love it.
Nancy says
My kid and family loves this air fryer pork! We love it alone or sliced and added to fried rice, noodles, etc!
megane says
Thank you so much for this recipe!! I had a friend come over and needed something tasty to make. We loved them.
Nancy says
Hooray! You can meal prep this ahead of time and just pop it in the air fryer just before your friends arrive! So easy!
Alexandra says
My local butcher had some fantastic pork shoulder in stock today, so I picked some up and tried your recipe. Clean plates all round and the tick of approval from all family members. This recipe is a winner!
Nancy says
yes! Hooray! We love clean plates and no leftovers too! Everyone cleans house with this BBQ pork recipe!
Kristen says
Ok this just made my life so easy. We absolutely love char siu pork, and eat it with more things than we probably should, lol. But this air fryer version is freakin amazing, so I don’t see us stopping anytime soon. We made it with our favourite egg noodles and broccoli yesterday and yum!
Nancy says
I hear you Kirsten! We add this BBQ pork to everything too! The sauce is so addicting and great! I'm so happy to hear that you are in love with it as much as we are!
Marie B says
Yum! This pork looks fantastic! I love that you cut the cooking time by using the Air Fryer. Plus, I bet it gives a fantastic result! I m heading to the Asian market now to get this Siu Char BBq sauce.
Nancy says
I'm all about saving time to get the same delicious results! haha
Vanessa says
I LOVE how easy this was to make and that I could cook it in my air fryer. Thanks for the recipe!
Nancy says
Us too! We love utilizing the air fryer!
Nora says
Love this easy pork recipe! Can't wait to give it a try!
Nancy says
Let me know how it goes Nora!
Bernice says
What a great idea to use pork shoulder. It has just the right amount of fat marbling for char siu. Don't get me wrong, I love pork belly lol but I'm not sure how it would cook in an air fryer.
Nancy says
I would imagine all the fat just rendering off 😛
Katie says
I can't believe this tasted this good from an air fryer! Unreal!!
Katie xoxo
Nancy says
Just like the pros!
Alexandra says
I got an air fryer for Christmas, and this was the perfect first recipe to try in it - what a success! Delicious, succulent pork with a great flavour from the Char Sui sauce. Will make again!
Nancy says
Woo hoO!! i'm so happy you are on board this air fry char siu train!
Liz McCray says
wow this looks insanely tender and juicy! I definitely want to make this for dinner!
Nancy says
you bet! it's amazingly tender and JUICY!
Traci says
So easy to make and delicious to eat no matter how it's served. Great on salad, great as an entree. Thanks for sharing!!
Nancy says
Yes! it works for everything! When I was a kid, my mom would add sliced bbq pork into a sandwich for me too! hahaa
Luci Petlack says
This is sooo good. And it's such an easy recipe to follow. Thanks for sharing!
Nancy says
Enjoy this flavourful chinese pork!
Dana says
The flavors on this pork are outstanding! Served it over a homemade Ramen bowl. SO good.
Nancy says
Homemade ramen sounds delightful Dana!
Jen says
These were absolutely delicious. We had it with rice and broccoli.
Nancy says
now that's a great meal right there!
Vanessa says
My family enjoyed this and I loved how easy it was to make!
Nancy says
Thank you Vanessa! I'm happy to hear that!
Sonal Gupta says
I love using my air fryer all the time. The food comes out juicy and tender. Loved this recipe. Will try soon.
Nancy says
The air fryer is the best invention next to the Instant Pot!
Julia says
We followed the recipe to a t and absolutely in love how the pork came out!!!
Nancy says
Wasn't it super easy to follow Julia?
Lima Ekram says
Just made this recipe! It was perfect!
Nancy says
Thanks Lima! Zero fail right?!
Ava M. says
My family loved this recipe and it was so easy to make, definitely a keeper! I served with some lime rice, it was perfect!
Nancy says
Horray! I'm so happy to hear everyone is a fan!
Farah says
Always looking for good air fryer recipes, and love when they are this easy and approachable. Thanks for the awesome weekday dinner inspo!
Nancy says
Don't forget to bookmark this!
Ieva says
Char Siu pork has long been my favourite Chinese dish, but this was the first tie I made it in an air-fryer. I have to say, I am super pleased with the result! Very succulent, very quick and just delicious! Thanks for the recipe 😉
Nancy says
Yes!! i love hearing success stories! next time, don't forget to tag us on Instagram @instanomss #instanomss. I loved to see your results!
Mirlene says
Made this bbq pork the other night and it was delicious! Had it with a side of rice and veggies. Will make it more often!
Nancy says
That sounds like a delicious meal!
MacKenzie says
Love this recipe! The Pork is so flavorful and delicious. Can’t wait to make agian
Nancy says
Wasn't it super juicy and succulent?!
Ana F. says
This BBQ Air Fryer Char Siu was so hearty and flavorful, and thanks to the air fryer t it was super easy to make too! A great weeknight dinner for my family!
Nancy says
thanks so much Ana! I'm so happy to hear that your family loves it
Ana F. says
I just made it with pork shoulder and the recipe came out totally delicious! My hubby is asking for then again lol...thanks for thr recipe!
Nancy says
I'm so happy to hear that it is so well loved!! you're hubby is a lucky man~
Tyanne says
Love using the air fryer for this!
Nancy says
Us too! it's such a no brainer to air fry BBQ pork - mess free practically!
Mirlene says
We usually order this at the restaurant but I want to make my own too. This looks so good. Going to make this tomorrow!
Nancy says
It's so easy to make and economical to make at home!
Gail says
Oh my goodness this is one of my favourite dishes! So happy I can make BBQ pork at home now! And in an air fryer which makes it so much easier too!
Nancy says
Thanks Gail! I'm so glad I can help you make this at home! the leftovers is so good for noodles and rice!
Sisley White - Sew White says
Can't stop thinking about this dish! So easy and so delicious. I want this every night.
Nancy says
GOod thing this bbq pork is leftover friendly!
Chenée says
This BBQ pork looks so delicious and so easy in the air fryer! Definitely trying this ASAP!
Nancy says
Enjoy this! I can smell all the deliciousness in the air!
MacKenzie says
Made this tonight and it was fabulous. I can’t wait to make again. Super tender.
Nancy says
Thanks MacKenzie~ I bet everyone loved this air fryer bbq pork~
Janessa says
This was so delicious! I'm planning to use the leftovers to make some homemade Singapore Noodles- yum!
Nancy says
WOw i love singapore noodles too!
Anjali says
This looks so flavorful and delicious! Can't wait to try it soon!
Nancy says
You won't regret it!
Elaine says
Your recipe makes my mouth water. I can't wait to give it a try as I've never made anything similar in an air fryer.
Nancy says
Making Cha Siu in the air fryer is so simple! You won't regret it!
Amy says
This was the tastiest pork around! Thank you so much! Served with white rice!
Nancy says
OMGOSH i over eat on white rice with this recipe too!
Irena says
Thanks for such a simple, delicious recipe! Got the sauces from the regular supermarket too, will definitely make this again. Air Fryer for the win 🙂
Alina says
I love how sticky and delicious it is! Such helpful instructions, thanks for sharing!
Aimee Mars says
Bookmarking for dinner this week. Can't wait to try this out!
Kim says
So delicious! Love to eat it just as is, or put on top of a fried rice or some rice noodles.
Biana says
What a great idea to make bbq pork in the air fryer! Love that there are just a few ingredients you need to make it.
Addie says
So hearty and flavorful!
Andrea says
Love that this recipe is in the air fryer! So simple and easy to whip up!
Amy Liu Dong says
Such an easy and tasty dish to make for everyone. I am sure my husband will love this.
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Erin says
My family will love this!
Nancy says
They will love this sweet and savoury sticky bbq pork recipe for sure!
Andréa Janssen says
An easy way for a delicious recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Nancy says
Thanks Andrea! I'm so happy to hear that!
Amy Liu Dong says
Another recipe for our favorite cooking device "Air Fryer". Cook with this looks absolutely delicious and yummy!
Nancy says
Isn't the air fryer wonderful? Now we don't need to keep the oven running when it's hot out!
Stine Mari says
Oh so juicy and tender! I love Asian flavors with pork.
Nancy says
This one's a classic! So glad you found this char siu recipe!
Helen at the lazy gastronome says
These directions are really easy to follow. The dish comes out wonderfully succulent and flavorful.
Nancy says
Thanks Helen! So glad it turned out 100%
Alexandra says
This is my new favourite way to prepare pork!
Nancy says
one of the easiest way to enjoy pork!
Mary says
We love char siu and your air fryer recipe is fantastic!
Nancy says
Thanks Mary!
Cindy says
This looks so delicious! I can't wait to try it this week for dinner!
Katie says
Such a perfect recipe! The BBQ flavor is incredible and the recipe is easy to follow!
Gina Abernathy says
So delicious and full of flavor!
Nancy L. says
I had no idea this would turn out so great in the air fryer. Thank you so much, I'll be making the recipe again soon.
Swathi says
Airfyer bbq pork looks delicious
Alexandra says
This pork is delicious - the air fryer is such a great way to cook it.
Lizet says
I'm so glad I found Lee Kum Kee Char Siu Sauce, and the pork turned out delicious!
Jeri says
This bbq pork quickly came together, and it was so flavorful!
Luke says
It looks fantastic cant wait to make this recipe 🙂
Amy says
I love air fryer recipes! thanks for sharing this. BBQ pork is my fave!
Jere Cassidy says
I buy this at our market so I am glad to have a recipe I can make at home. Plus doing this in the AF makes this so easy.
Dana says
Another great Air Fryer recipe!