Air Fryer Char Siu 叉燒 (Chinese BBQ Roast Pork)

If you’ve been to Chinatown (any Chinatown for that matter), you’ve witnessed hanging roast meats displayed behind restaurant windows. These roast meats are everything! Whether it’s soy sauce chicken, crispy pork belly or barbecued roast pork, these delicacies have been prepared in distinct ways, differentiating themselves from each other, but yet, all pair so well together over rice and with each other! I must say, of all roast meats, my favorite is char siu. Thanks to Lee Kum Kee’s char siu sauce, I am able to make air fryer char siu right at home, in less than 30 minutes (not including overnight marinating).

What is Char Siu?

Char siu (叉燒) is an extremely popular Cantonese dish, made with pork that has been marinated in a sweet and savory sauce, then roasted until tender with a slightly caramelized exterior. Common ingredients found in the marinade include soy sauce, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, five-spice powder and honey. Char siu is commonly served over white rice or noodles, or even as a filling in buns (char siu bao) or rice noodles (char siu cheung fun).

Char siu has several counterparts in the Chinese cuisine. A few notable ones include crispy pork belly (Siu Yuk 燒肉), roast duck (燒鴨) and soy sauce chicken (豉油雞). You can find the recipes to my crackling crispy pork belly here and my shortcut soy sauce chicken recipe here!

Lee Kum Kee Char Siu Sauce

To save time from my busy schedule, I often use Lee Kum Kee’s Char Siu Sauce to marinate the pork overnight (or for at least 8 hours). You can follow instructions on the jar if you wish to cook the roast pork in the oven, which will require over 30 minutes of cooking time (not including pre-heating). Otherwise, use my air fryer recipe below for similar results and potentially half of the time required if you were to roast the pork in the oven!

This sauce is amazing and has brought me great results each and every time! Air fried char siu has been a go-to protein dish for dinner, thanks to the ease from this premade char siu sauce.

Why Air Frying?

Air frying has become such a popular choice for healthier cooking nowadays. Here are some of the key reasons why it is often considered the better alternative:

• OIL CONTENT: Air frying uses significantly less oil, with some recipes requiring absolutely no oil at all! This reduces fat content and calorie intake, making it a healthier cooking method.
• RESULTS: Air frying cooks food by circulating hot air around it, still creating a crispy exterior while retaining moisture inside. The fast air circulation also helps heat food more evenly and efficiently.
• MINIMAL PREHEATING: Preheating an oven may require 10–15 minutes. Because the cooking chambers of air fryers are small, preheating them happens almost instantly, allowing you to get cooking right away.
• CLEANUP: Cleanup after air frying simply requires washing the air fryer basket and wiping down the interior of the appliance, which is much easier cleanup!

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Air Fryer Char Siu / Chasu (Chinese BBQ Roast Pork) Recipe (空气炸叉燒)

5 from 2 votes

Char siu is a sticky, glistening and succulent roast pork dish from the Cantonese cuisine that contains irresistible flavors and is commonly served over white rice. Follow my recipe to make this in app. 20-25 minutes in your air fryer!

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Prep Time:5 minutes mins

Cook Time:24 minutes mins

Marinate Overnight:8 hours hrs

Total Time:8 hours hrs 29 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: air fryer bbq roast pork, air fryer char siu, air fryer chinese roast pork, cantonese char siu, cantonese roast pork, Char Siu, chinese bbq roast pork, chinese char siu, chinese roast pork, 空气炸叉燒

Servings: 4

Equipment

• Air Fryer

Ingredients

FOR MARINATING

• 3 lbs pork butt/pork shoulder
• 5-6 tbsp Lee Kum Kee char siu sauce

FOR COOKING

• 2-4 tsp Lee Kum Kee char siu sauce
• cooking oil spray
• 4-6 tsp honey

Instructions

• After trimming any visible fat (optional), cut the pork butt/pork shoulder into app. 2 inch thick pieces (I usually cut 4 pieces out of a 3lb whole pork butt/pork shoulder)
• Pour the char siu sauce into a gallon-sized Ziploc bag (use more bags if necessary).
• Place the pork butt/pork shoulder pieces into the Ziploc bag, thoroughly combining the sauce with the meat and allow to marinate in the fridge overnight (or at least 8 hours).
• Place the marinated pork in your air fryer basket, making sure not to overcrowd the meat (I typically cook 2 pieces at a time).
• Baste the top of each pork with 1-2 tsp of char siu sauce (or to taste). Spray some cooking oil on the pork, then air fry at 400°F for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, flip the pork over and repeat this step. (Note that you may need to adjust the time based on the size and thickness of your pork. You may remove your basket after 7-8 minutes each side to test the doneness of the pork and avoid overcooking.)
• Baste the top of each pork with 1-2 tsp of honey then air fry at 400°F for 2 minutes. Flip the pork over and repeat this step.
• Remove char siu from basket immediately and allow to rest for a few minutes, then slice it into pieces and serve over white rice. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

ITEMS USED:

• Lee Kum Kee Char Siu Sauce 
• Gourmia 6-Qt. Stainless Steel Digital Air Fryer 
• Gorilla Cutting Boards 
• OXO Good Grips 9-Inch Locking Tongs
• Pam Original No-Stick Cooking Spray