Char siu pork skewers
- Preparation 40 min
- Refrigeration 3 h
- Cooking 12 min
- Servings 4
- Freezing Absolutely
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🥢 A tribute to Asian pork from Chinatown
Ever since I was young, I’ve been obsessed with Asian pork. The kind you eat in Chinatown restaurants in Montreal, with its bright red marinade, powerful sweet-salty flavor and that caramelization that’s impossible to reproduce at home. For years, I tried to understand how they do it. And one day I decided to make my own version. Not a compromise, not a simplified adaptation: the real deal with Chinese five-spice, hoisin sauce, molasses and hoisin that sticks everywhere.
🔥 Why skewers? Because it changes everything on the BBQ
Traditional Char Siu is made in the oven with a big piece of pork, but in tight skewers on the BBQ, you get the best of both worlds. The thin slices caramelize incredibly fast, each bite has its red lacquered crust, and the pork stays juicy because the cooking is super short. It’s my favorite recipe for a 5 to 7 on the terrace, a weeknight dinner that looks complicated but is effortless, or a big summer gathering when everyone wants something out of the ordinary.
🍻 The perfect recipe for entertaining, from Saturday nights to summer gatherings with friends
These skewers have become my secret weapon when I want to impress without overthinking it. It’s one of the best recipes for entertaining: prep the marinade, let the pork do its thing in the fridge for 3 hours, skewer at the last minute and the BBQ handles the rest in 12 minutes. It’s also a Saturday night recipe with friends that completely breaks the routine. When you serve those bright red lacquered skewers off the grill, everyone stops talking. Pair with a cold beer, an Asian cucumber salad and fragrant rice, and you’ve got a meal that transports your crew straight to Chinatown without leaving your backyard.
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🧊 The freezer secret
Putting the pork tenderloins in the freezer for 30 minutes before slicing is the pro technique that changes everything. The meat becomes rigid enough to make ultra-thin slices with a sharp knife. A soft pork tenderloin is impossible to slice thinly. You’ll end up with thick, uneven slices that cook poorly on the BBQ.
🎨 Red coloring, purely aesthetic
I never use food coloring in my recipes, except this one. Why? Because real Chinatown Char Siu is bright red, and I think it’s part of the experience. Zero impact on taste, but visually it’s spectacular. If you’re not a fan, skip the step. The flavor remains 100%.
🍢 Fold the slices before skewering
Rather than just making a hole in the middle of a thin slice, I fold it over itself before threading it on the skewer. The hole stays smaller, the meat holds better, and you don’t end up with limp slices that fall during cooking. Skewering tightly also helps keep the juiciness inside.
🌡️ Pink pork = juicy pork
Overcooked pork is dry as a shoe. Exactly like overcooked chicken breast. The perfect temperature for pork tenderloins is around 145°F (63°C) on the thermometer, which gives slightly pink meat in the center. It’s safe, it’s recommended by the USDA, and it’s infinitely better. Trust yourself and remove the skewers before they turn gray.
🫙 The reserved marinade makes all the difference
Dividing the marinade in two (three-quarters for marinating, one quarter set aside for brushing at the end of cooking) is essential for two reasons. Hygiene first. You don’t want to put marinade that touched raw pork on your cooked meat. But especially taste: this last fresh layer brings a boost of vibrant flavor just before serving.
✅ What to serve with my Char Siu pork skewers?
My skewers demand Asian accompaniments that respect the power of the marinade. My Asian cucumber salad brings the crisp, tangy freshness that cuts through the sweetness of the Char Siu. For a more substantial version, my Asian noodles with vegetables transforms everything into a complete meal, and my Bbq grilled veggies keeps everyone on the barbecue for a perfect summer evening.
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Ingredients
- 800 g (1 ¾ lb) pork tenderloin
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) soy sauce
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) white wine
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) hoisin sauce
- ¼ cup (60 ml) brown sugar
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) molasses
- 1 tsp (5 ml) toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp (5 ml) fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tsp (5 ml) lemongrass paste
- 1 tsp (5 ml) Chinese five-spice
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- Juice of ½ lime
- 20 drops red food coloring (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Wooden skewers
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Preparation
- Place the pork tenderloins in the freezer for 30 minutes, then slice them as thinly as possible. Place the slices in a large airtight container and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, salt and pepper, then mix.
- Pour three-quarters of the marinade over the pork and mix well to coat each slice. Close the container and let marinate in the fridge for 3 hours. Reserve the remaining marinade in the fridge.
- Drain the meat, fold the slices over themselves before skewering them tightly against each other.
- Preheat the barbecue to maximum power, then reduce to medium power. Oil the grill.
- Place the skewers on the barbecue grill and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until the meat is well marked on the outside and cooked inside. (Don’t forget that pork is eaten slightly pink, around 145°F / 63°C on the thermometer!) Regularly brush the pork with the reserved fresh marinade during cooking.
Yes, but with nuance. Pork loin works very well — similar texture, easy to slice thin. Pork shoulder gives a fattier and more tender result, but less classic for skewers. Avoid lean chops that will dry out quickly on the BBQ. Tenderloin remains my number 1 choice for its tenderness and compatibility with Char Siu marinade.
Three hours minimum for the flavors to penetrate well, but you can go up to 24 hours without problem. Beyond that, the soy sauce and acidity of the lime start to “cook” the meat ceviche-style, and you’ll lose texture. For a weeknight meal, marinate in the morning before leaving for work and it’s ready for dinner.
Absolutely! In the oven, preheat to 425°F (220°C) and cook on a rack over a baking sheet for 10-12 minutes, turning halfway through. In the air fryer, 200°C (400°F) for 8-10 minutes, turning halfway through. Both methods give nice caramelization, but you lose the smoky BBQ side which, frankly, makes all the difference in this recipe.
If you don’t have it on hand or are allergic, replace it with an equal amount of soy sauce mixed with a pinch of extra brown sugar. It’s not identical — oyster sauce brings a unique deep umami — but it’s an acceptable substitute. For a vegetarian version of the marinade, there are mushroom-based versions that do an excellent job.
My skewers demand accompaniments that stand up to the powerful Asian flavors of the marinade. My asian cucumber salad brings the perfect tangy freshness to cleanse the palate, my asian noodles with vegetables transforms everything into a complete and satisfying meal, and my bbq grilled veggies keeps the cooking on the barbecue for a stress-free summer evening.
The marinade combines soy sauce, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, and molasses with brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and Chinese five-spice for that classic sweet and savory char siu taste. Marinating the thin pork slices for 3 hours lets those flavors really soak in.
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