Authentic Homemade Char Siu Sauce
The key to any good Char Siu dish (like Char Siu pork) is a good Char Siu sauce. My version includes classic Chinese spices like five spice powder and white pepper paired with savory sauces like hoison and fermented red bean curd. The resulting combination is a sauce that makes meats taste like you just got them from a Hong Kong BBQ restaurant. Learn all the ins and outs of this special sauce in this post.
Growing up, there was nothing like eating a piece of char siu pork. Sweet and sticky. Salty and sweet. It has a balance of flavors unlike any other Chinese dish. The key to a great char siu is a great char siu marinade. This char siu sauce is my go-to. It pairs well with all proteins and can be used simply as a Chinese BBQ sauce.
The benefits of making Char Siu sauce at home
I tested this recipe so many times to make sure it was just right and had the most authentic flavor. One of the reasons I wanted to make it at home is because store-bought Char siu sauces had ingredients I didn’t like. The one most people buy is the Lee Kum Kee sauce which has ingredients like red food dye, maltose, and high fructose corn syrup, ingredients I was trying to eliminate from my diet. Making it at home allows me to control where the ingredients come from and how much of each I use. This recipe in particular doesn’t include any of those ingredients.
How to make Char Siu sauce at home
Using red food coloring vs read bean curd
I’ve tested this recipe a few times using only red food coloring, using only red bean curd, or both. I found that personally, I like using just the red bean curd to flavor and color my meat. Even though the color is not as vibrant, it is a good tradeoff for eliminating the use of red food coloring. Additionally, the dish just tastes better with red bean curd. I tested this with just red food coloring, and the resulting dish wasn’t as flavorful.
What can you make with Char Siu sauce?
As mentioned, I’ve used this Char Siu sauce a variety of ways. I’ve used it in marinades with all kinds of proteins like pork, salmon, and chicken. It can also be used as a BBQ sauce for that finishing touch on BBQ meats.
Did you make this dish?
If you made this dish, I would love to see!
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Get the Recipe:
Authentic Homemade Char Siu Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp five spice powder
- 2 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp hoison sauce
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 red bean curd
- 1 tbsp red bean curd brine
Instructions
- Mince 3 cloves of garlic and add to a bowl. Follow with ¼ cup of granulated sugar, ½ tsp five spice powder, 2 tsp of salt, and ¼ tsp of white pepper. Lastly, add ½ tsp of sesame oil, 1 tbsp of Shaoxing wine, 1 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of hoison sauce, 3 tbsp of honey, 1 red bean curd, and 1 tbsp of red bean curd brine.
- Mix everything together well.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- To make the sauce more red, add 1-2 drops of red food coloring.
