Chinese🥩 Meat

Air Fryer Char Siu (Cantonese BBQ Pork)

Name: Air Fryer Char Siu (Cantonese BBQ Pork)
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1½ lb pork butt with layers of fat and lean meat; 2 tbsp ground bean sauce; 2 tbsp hoisin sauce; 1 red fermented bean curd (naam jyu); 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine; 1 tbsp red wine; 2 tsp garlic salt; 2 tbsp sugar; ½ tsp black pepper; ½ tsp five spice powder; 2 tbsp honey

🍽 Serves 2

A modern take on classic Cantonese char siu, cooked quickly in an air fryer. The pork is marinated with red fermented bean curd, Shaoxing wine, and honey glaze to achieve a beautifully caramelized exterior while keeping the meat tender and juicy inside. Perfect for small households.

Adapted from a video by Made With Lau

🐖 Dad's ADDICTIVE Air Fryer Char Siu! (氣炸鍋叉燒)

Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

pork butt with layers of fat and lean meatcut into thick pieces that fit your air fryer, cutting with the grain1½ lb
ground bean sauce2 tbsp
hoisin sauce2 tbsp
red fermented bean curd (naam jyu)mashed into a paste1
Shaoxing wineuse red wine version to enhance red color1 tbsp
red wine1 tbsp
garlic salt2 tsp
sugar2 tbsp
black pepper½ tsp

Steps

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1
Cut the pork butt into thick pieces that fit your air fryer. Choose meat with marbling of fat and lean; cut with the grain rather than against it. Avoid completely lean cuts.
2
Make the marinade by combining ground bean sauce, hoisin sauce, mashed red fermented bean curd, Shaoxing wine, red wine, garlic salt, sugar, black pepper, and five spice powder. Mix thoroughly and taste to ensure the seasoning is balanced.
3
Poke holes in a ziplock bag with a fork to help the marinade penetrate the meat better. Place the pork pieces into the bag and pour in the marinade.
4
Squeeze and massage the bag from the outside to distribute the marinade evenly over each piece of meat. Push out any air, seal the bag, and refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours. Before cooking, remove from the fridge and let come to room temperature for about 1 hour.
5
Place the marinated pork pieces on the air fryer tray, leaving space between them. Set the temperature to 385°F and the cooking time to 20 minutes, then start cooking.
6
After about 10 minutes of cooking, remove the tray. Brush honey onto the top surface of each piece with a basting brush (about 1 tbsp per side), then flip the pork over and rearrange pieces, moving the middle piece to the side for even heat distribution.
7
Return the tray to the air fryer to finish cooking. Just before the timer ends, remove and check the charring. If you want more caramelization, put it back in for 2 more minutes.
8
During the final stage, brush honey on the second side of the meat to glaze both sides evenly. Total cooking time is approximately 21 minutes.
9
Remove the cooked pork and let it rest for 10–20 minutes before cutting to allow the juices to redistribute. Using tongs to hold it steady, slice the pork into roughly ½-inch thick slices along the entire length.

Air Fryer Char Siu (Cantonese BBQ Pork)

Ingredients

Steps

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