There’s something special about Pork Belly Char Siu that goes above and beyond a traditional roast pork char siu. Super-tender and decadent, pork belly roasts up beautifully and just melts in your mouth!
Serve it over a plate of steamed rice with a simple side of blanched greens, and you have a simple but outrageously delicious meal. It may be our new favorite way to cook pork belly! Check out our step-by-step recipe and YouTube video to see how easy it is to make.
A New Char Siu in Town!
I’ve been wanting to use our classic char siu marinade on pork belly for a while now, and boy, do I wish I had made it sooner! We ate this a few times the week we blogged it, and nobody got sick of it!
In fact, my grandson gobbled it all up! Sarah and Justin said they each only had one piece, and Ethan polished off the rest of the leftovers they took home for dinner!
By now, my father’s char siu recipe is beloved across the Internet, and we’ve used it in so many different ways. I’m glad to add this pork belly to our repertoire. Check out our other char siu recipes here!
- Classic Char Siu
- Air Fryer Char Siu
- BBQ Char Siu Roast Pork on the grill
- Char Siu Chicken thighs in the oven (or on the grill!)
- Char Siu style Oven Baked Ribs
Can you make this in an air fryer?
We didn’t try this recipe in the air fryer. Pork belly is best when it is roasted longer and at a lower temperature to get that melt-in-your-mouth texture. If anyone in the comments gives it a try, please report back and let us know how it goes! If you’re looking for an air fryer recipe, we have our air fryer char siu recipe here!
Skinless Pork Belly anyone?
Normally, we call for skin-on pork belly in our recipes, as most of them entail braising it. The skin has a chance to get wonderfully tender and gelatinous, and for some, it’s the prize of the dish! With this recipe, however, it can be just a little chewier than some may enjoy.
For this pork belly char siu, it’s best to use a skinless pork belly. Pork belly has made it into mainstream grocery stores, and the skinless version is often more widely available. If you buy skin-on pork belly strips at your local Chinese market, you can easily trim off the skin.
If using a whole pork belly, you’ll have to trim off the bones, slice it into 1 1/2-inch strips and trim off the skin. Check out our Youtube video for detailed instructions!
Calling for skinless pork belly is great news for those of you who have trouble finding whole pork belly with the skin and bone left on.
You can save the skin to make Judy’s pork aspic for xiao long bao soup dumplings. Use the pork belly bones in recipes like our Cantonese black bean steamed ribs, or in soups like our Watercress pork bone soup or classic Cantonese ching po leung soup.
If You Don’t Have Maltose…
Maltose is traditionally used to give char siu its signature sweetness and shine. It’s made with fermented grains like barley and rice and has an extremely thick, sticky consistency—perfect for char siu. If you have trouble finding it, you can use a little bit of honey instead.
Char Siu Pork Belly Recipe Instructions
Make the marinade in a large bowl by combining the sugar, salt, white pepper, five spice powder, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, sesame oil, and minced garlic. Add the pork belly, and use your hands to work the marinade into the strips. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400°F/205°C. Prepare a sheet pan with heavy duty aluminum foil and a flat wire rack. Lay the pork belly strips on the rack, and add just enough water to thinly cover the bottom of the sheet pan (about 1-1½ cups/250-350ml). Set aside the leftover marinade in the bowl.
Roast for 40 minutes. While that’s happening, mix the maltose with hot water in a small bowl to dissolve. Mix in the remaining marinade. You’ll use this mixture for basting.
(Yes, the marinade has raw pork juices, but you’ll be cooking the pork belly again after each basting!)
After the first 40 minutes, baste the pork belly pieces with a brush, flip and baste the other side. Return to the oven for 20 minutes. Baste again generously, turn over to baste the other side and return to the oven for another 10 minutes.
If desired, you can baste one more time. Broil the pork belly for a few minutes to crisp up the surface. Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes on the counter.
To serve, slice the pork belly into ½- to ¾-inch thick (1-2cm) pieces, and enjoy with steamed rice and a side of green vegetables!
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Recipe
Pork Belly Char Siu
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless pork belly (if trimming your pork belly at home, save the bones and skins for soup!)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon five spice powder
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 4 to 5 drops of red food coloring (optional)
- 1 tablespoon maltose or honey
- 1 tablespoon hot water
Instructions
- If you have a larger piece of pork belly, cut it lengthwise into long 1½- to 2-inch (4-5cm) thick strips.
- Make the marinade in a large bowl by combining the sugar, salt, white pepper, five spice powder, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, sesame oil, and minced garlic. Add the pork belly, and use your hands to work the marinade into the strips. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
- Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400°F/205°C. Prepare a sheet pan with heavy duty aluminum foil and a flat wire rack. Lay the pork belly strips on the rack, and add just enough water to thinly cover the bottom of the sheet pan (about 1-1½ cups/250-350ml). Set aside the leftover marinade in the bowl.
- Roast for 40 minutes. While that’s happening, mix the maltose with hot water in a small bowl to dissolve. Mix in the remaining marinade. You’ll use this mixture for basting.
- After the first 40 minutes, baste the pork belly pieces with a brush, flip and baste the other side. Return to the oven for 20 minutes. Baste again generously, turn over to baste the other side and return to the oven for another 10 minutes.
- If desired, you can baste one more time, and broil the pork belly for a few minutes to crisp up the surface. Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes on the counter.
- To serve, slice the pork belly into ½- to ¾-inch thick (1-2cm) pieces, and enjoy with steamed rice and a side of green vegetables!
