This air fryer char siu recipe (char siu is Chinese BBQ Pork!) is a game changer for those of you who have embraced air fryers in your kitchens. They are quick to heat, cook food fast, and can make fresh char siu quickly and easily.
It takes 20 minutes or less to cook after the pork has marinated overnight. (Our traditional oven-roasted char siu takes 50 minutes.) Whether you’re making char siu for a quick weeknight dinner, char siu bao (baked or steamed buns), or simply want to use your air fryer instead of your oven, this version is for you!
We also made a video to show how easily this recipe comes together, and Bill provides tips and guidelines for knowing when it’s perfectly cooked! Be sure to watch the full video over on our Youtube channel!
3 Reasons to Use Your Air Fryer for Char Siu
While char siu, or Chinese BBQ Pork (a type of Cantonese roast meat), is normally cooked in an oven, you may want to try it in an air fryer for the following reasons:
- It’s convenient! Talk about easy. Just add water to the air fryer, place the marinated pork, and let it go. Cook in 5 to 6 minute intervals so you can baste the meat a few times before it’s done.
- Char Siu for one? Using an air fryer, you can quickly make a freshly roasted char siu meal for one person without any leftovers, and without heating up your whole oven. It’s hassle-free. Plus, instead of making a large batch all at once, you can marinate 3 pounds of pork butt or shoulder and enjoy small quantities of fresh char siu whenever you want it!
- It’s Fast! Air fryers are like mini convection ovens with a small space, so they heat up super fast. Roast char siu in a fraction of the time it takes to preheat and roast in a large conventional oven.
The key to making a good char siu is high oven temperature, but also a moist environment, so your char siu comes out juicy.
In our conventional oven recipe, we place a roasting rack over water, which serves to keep the meat moist and also catch the drippings while preventing burning or smoking. We recommend the same setup for the air fryer. Every air fryer has a small raised rack, which is ideal for this purpose!
What to Serve with Char Siu
You can slice and serve your char siu family-style with other dishes. It’s also a great appetizer dish or finger food to be enjoyed alone. As an easy meal, simply cook some rice in a rice cooker or pot, blanch or steam some choy sum or other leafy greens, and serve it like that!
You can also use it to make roast pork fried rice, char siu bao (i.e. baked BBQ pork buns or steamed BBQ pork buns), pork lo mein or as a protein with stir fried vegetables.
How to Cook Char Siu in An Air Fryer: Important Tips for Best Results
- Air fryers have a smaller cooking area, so cut your pork in shorter lengths so you can comfortably fit 2-3 pieces in your air fryer.
- It is especially important to get a nice marbled piece of pork shoulder. You’ll be cooking smaller pieces and the air fryer tends to dry things out more than the oven (even with the added water at the bottom).
- Be sure to keep the char siu pieces 2 to 3 inches thick for maximum juiciness. Remember that cooking times will vary depending upon how large the pieces are cut.
- For best results, char siu should be marinated overnight.
- Just cook the amount you need. Leave the rest in the refrigerator, or even freeze it for another day.
- Keeping marinated char siu for several days in the fridge is ok. Any longer than that, and you’re leaving raw pork in the fridge too long, and the meat will start to cure, affecting the taste of the fresh pork.
- Don’t skip the water in the basket of the air fryer. The water keeps the pork moist while roasting. Air fryers have a raised rack to palace the food on so that the pork isn’t sitting in water and any oil/grease can drip to the bottom.
Air Fryer Char Siu Recipe Instructions
Cut the pork into strips or chunks about 2 to 3 inches thick. Keep them as large as possible while still being able to fit 2-3 pieces comfortably in your air fryer. (Ours were about 9-10 ounces each.) Don’t trim any excess fat, as it will render off and add flavor.
Combine the sugar, salt, five spice powder, white pepper, sesame oil, wine, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, molasses, food coloring (if using), and garlic in a bowl to make the BBQ sauce/marinade. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of marinade in a small bowl or container, cover, and refrigerate. Rub the pork with the rest of the marinade in a large bowl or baking dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least 8 hours.
Take the char siu out of the fridge. Leave it on the counter for about 2 hours, or until it gets close to room temperature. (This helps it cook more evenly.)
Add ¼ cup of hot water to the air fryer basket, with the rack on top. Place the pork on the rack in the basket so the pieces are not touching.
Air fryers usually have to warm up before placing food inside. But for this recipe, just insert the basket, set the temperature to 375°F, and turn it on! If your air fryer has a notification to place the food, just leave it alone. It will continue to cook at the set temperature. All that said, air fryers do vary, so you may have to adjust the cooking time.
The recommended cooking time for 9 to 10 ounce pieces is a total of 15 to 18 minutes. You can use 3 cooking intervals for 5 to 6 minutes each. If you reduce the size to 6 to 7 ounces, you may only need 3 minutes for the last interval—a total of 13 to 15 minutes.
You’ll need to baste the pork. This is why we cook in intervals. (It also allows you to see how your char siu is cooking.)
Combine the reserved marinade with the remaining 1 tablespoon hot water and the maltose. At each 5-6 min interval, brush the pork lightly with the reserved marinade mixture, flip, and brush the other side. Then reset the timer at the same temperature, 375°F. If the water has evaporated, add more hot water (make sure it’s HOT, or it’ll cool down the air fryer).
Slice your char siu…
Serve and enjoy!
Check out these other char siu recipes!
If you don’t have an air fryer or want to cook a larger batch in the oven, follow the directions in our classic recipe for Oven Roasted Char Siu. Also try Sarah’s Char Siu Ribs, which are always a hit.
Cooking char siu on the grill is a great summer alternative to keep the house cool and enjoy the outdoors. See our recipe and instructions for Char Siu on the Grill.
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Recipe
Air Fryer Char Siu
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder/pork butt (select a piece with some good fat on it)
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon five spice powder
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 2 teaspoons molasses
- 1/8 teaspoon red food coloring (optional)
- 3 cloves finely minced garlic
- ¼ cup hot water (plus 1 tablespoon/15 ml)
- 2 tablespoons maltose (or honey)
Instructions
- Cut the pork into strips or chunks about 2 to 3 inches thick. Keep them as large as possible while still being able to fit 2-3 pieces comfortably in your air fryer (ours were about 9-10 ounces each). Don’t trim any excess fat.
- Combine the sugar, salt, five spice powder, white pepper, sesame oil, wine, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, molasses, food coloring (if using), and garlic in a bowl to make the BBQ sauce/marinade. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of marinade in a small bowl or container, cover, and refrigerate. Rub the pork with the rest of the marinade in a large bowl or baking dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least 8 hours.
- Take the char siu out of the fridge and leave it on the counter for about 2 hours, or until it gets close to room temperature.
- Add ¼ cup of hot water to the air fryer basket, with the rack on top. Place the pork on the rack in the basket so the pieces are not touching.
- Air fryers usually have to warm up before placing food inside, but for this recipe, just insert the basket, set the temperature to 375°F, and turn it on. If your air fryer has a notification to place the food, just leave it alone, and it will continue to cook at the set temperature. All that said, air fryers do vary, so you may have to adjust the cooking time.
- The recommended cooking time for 9 to 10 ounce pieces is a total of 15 to 18 minutes. You can use 3 cooking intervals for 5 to 6 minutes each, but if you reduce the size to 6 to 7 ounces, you may only need 3 minutes for the last interval for a total of 13 to 15 minutes. Combine the reserved marinade with the remaining 1 tablespoon hot water and the maltose. At each 5-6 min interval, brush the pork lightly with the reserved marinade mixture, flip, and brush the other side. Then reset the timer at the same temperature, 375°F. If the water has evaporated, add more hot water (make sure it’s HOT, or it’ll cool down the air fryer).
- Slice, serve, and enjoy!
