My mom used to buy Char Siu pastries (叉燒酥) from local bakeries for our afternoon snacks. As a kid, I didn’t often have the chance to choose my own food, but at the bakery, I could finally have an entire Char Siu pastry to myself. When my grandpa took us to dim sum, I always picked Char Siu Bao. I loved carefully tearing open the pillowy Char Siu Bao along the crack on top until the syrupy red filling exposed itself. To me, those moments always felt like a little taste of independence.
I turned my childhood favorite snack into a big pie for Thanksgiving. This Char Siu Pie has the best sweet-savory Char Siu pork wrapped in two layers of buttery, flaky crust. It’s a comforting twist on a classic Asian pastry that brings a taste of home to the holiday table.
You might also like Chili Crunch Biscuit, Honey Miso Pie or Matcha Creme Brulee Pie.
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What is Char Siu (叉燒)?
Char Siu (叉燒) is a popular Cantonese-style barbecue pork known for its vibrant red color, sweet and savory glaze, and slightly caramelized edges. The name "Char Siu" translates to "fork roasted," referring to the traditional method of skewering and roasting the meat over an open fire. It is often enjoyed as a filling in buns (Char Siu Bao), pastries, or with rice and noodles.
To make Char Siu, pork is typically marinated in a mixture of ingredients like soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Chinese five-spice powder, honey, and fermented red bean curd, which gives it its distinctive red color. The meat is then roasted until it becomes tender, juicy, and coated in a sticky, flavorful glaze.
Ingredients of Char Siu Pork
- Pork Butt - Pork butt / pork shoulder has a good balance of fat and lean meat, making it tender and flavorful after marinating and roasting. I don’t recommend using pork loin cause it’s too lean, and it could become tough after roasting.
- Sugar - The marinade contains lots lots of sugar, but trust me. Sugar is one of the key ingredient why Char Siu tastes so good. During the roasting process, the sugar in the marinade caramelizes on the surface of the pork, creating the signature glossy, slightly crispy outer layer.
- Soy Sauce - Soy sauce is the main source of saltiness of the marinade. It is a fermented product, and its natural umami enhances the savory taste of the pork.
- Oyster Sauce - Oyster sauce is made from oysters, and it has a rich, savory umami, molasses-like flavor that enhances the overall taste of Char Siu. It also has a subtle sweetness that complements the sugar in the marinade.
- Oil - Oil helps keep the meat moist and tender during the roasting process. It helps create a barrier on the surface of the pork, which prevents it from drying out.
- Rice Wine - Rice wine helps tenderize the meat by breaking down proteins, which makes the pork more juicy and tender after roasting.
- Pepper - Traditionally we use finely ground white pepper in Char Siu, but here I use ground black pepper.
- Five Spice - Five-spice powder contains star anise, Chinese cinnamon, clove, Sichuan pepper and fennel seed. It introduces a warm, sweet, savory, and slightly spicy depth to Char Siu. Just a small amount can create a rich and aromatic base that complements the sweet-savory marinade.
Ingredients of Char Siu Pie
- Pie Crust - For the easiest best pie crust, here is the recipe you need. Made two pie crust ahead with a stand mixer in 10 minutes.
- Corn Starch - Corn starch is the thickener for filling.
- Water - Water help dissolving the corn starch into the marinade during cooking, and it also help adjusting the saltiness.
- Marinade - Keep the marinade from pork to make the filling.
- Onion - Adding sautéed onion for extra texture and sweetness.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Char Siu Pork?
Mix all the ingredients of marinade together.
Cut the pork into two long pieces.
Soak the pork in the marinade overnight. Make sure each side of the pork is covered in marinade.
After the pork is marinated, prepare a baking tray with foil and set the oven to 350°F. Save the marinade for pie filling.
Cover the pork with foil, and roast for 30 minutes at 350°F.
Glaze the pork with some juice from the baking tray, and roast it uncovered for 15 more minutes.
Let the pork cool down on a rack.
How to bake Char Siu Pie?
To prepare the filling of Char Siu Pie. Dice the onion first.
Sauté the onion in a pan for 10 minutes or until it turns transparent.
Add the leftover marinade into onion, and stew for 10 minutes.
Mix corn starch and water. Add corn starch water into onion sauce, and cook it for 5 minutes to reduce the juice.
Meanwhile, cut the cooled pork into small pieces.
Mix the cut pork with the onion sauce and let it cool on the side.
Set the oven at 400°F. Prepare the pie crust by rolling the first dough out to 3mm thick, and line it in the pie pan.
Add the Char Siu pork filling into the crust, gently patting it flat.
Roll the second dough out to 3mm, and lay it atop the filling. Pinch and press to seal the pie. Crimp the edge of the crust if you like.
Brush some egg wash on top of the pie and poke a few holes to release the steam during baking.
Bake the Char Siu Pie at 400°F for 15 minutes. Turn the temperature down to 350°F, and bake for 20 minutes or until golden.
The following step is optional. Right after the pie has done baking, brush it with some 1:1 honey water to give it a shiny finish.
Storage
The pork can stay in the marinade for up to a week. After roasted, Char Siu pork can stay in the fridge for up to 5 days.
If you cannot finish Char Siu pie on the same day, keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days. Toast the pie in the oven at 350°F for 6-8 minutes.
Recipe Tips
Don’t burn the char siu pork! Since the marinade contains a lot of sugar, the pork can color fast before the baking ends. If you think the pork is coloring too fast, cover the pork with a foil, and finish the baking.
Keep the pie dough cold! Make sure your char siu filling is completely cooled before adding it onto the pie crust. Both top and bottom pie crust should stay cold as much as possible the whole time until it is ready to be sent to oven.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, it is. With this recipe, you can make Char Siu pork for rice, fried rice, rice noodle roll and Char Siu Bao.
This marinade is really versatile. You can marinade a whole rack of pork rib, pork belly. You can even reuse it. I also tried marinate firm tofu, and roasted the tofu for 20 minutes. It was delicious.
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe Card
Char Siu Pie
Ingredients
Char Siu Pork
- 1.5 lb pork butt
- 135 g sugar
- 70 g soy sauce
- 28 g oyster sauce
- 28 g oil
- 22 g rice wine
- 3 g ground black pepper
- 1 pinch five spice powder
Char Siu Pie
- 2 pie crust
- 1.5 teaspoon corn starch
- 2 tablespoon water
- half onion
- 1 tablespoon honey (optional)
- 1 tablespoon water (optional)
Instructions
Make Char Siu Pork
- Mix: Mix all the ingredients of marinade together.
- Cut: Cut the pork into two long pieces.
- Marinate: Soak the pork in the marinade overnight. Make sure each side of the pork is covered in marinade.
- Roast: After the pork is marinated, prepare a baking tray with foil and set the oven to 350°F. Save the marinade for pie filling. Cover the pork with foil, and roast for 30 minutes at 350°F. Glaze the pork with some juice from the baking tray, and roast it uncovered for 15 more minutes.
- Cool: Let the pork cool down on a rack.
Bake Char Siu Pie
- Prep the filling: Dice the onion. Sauté the onion in a pan for 10 minutes or until it turns transparent. Add the leftover marinade into onion, and stew for 10 minutes.
- Thicken: Mix corn starch and water. Add corn starch water into onion sauce, and cook it for 5 minutes to reduce the juice.
- Mix: Meanwhile, cut the cooled pork into small pieces. Mix the cut pork with the onion sauce and let it cool on the side.
- Prep: Set the oven at 400°F. Prepare the pie crust by rolling the first dough out to 3mm thick, and line it in the pie pan. Add the Char Siu pork filling into the crust, gently patting it flat.
- Atop: Roll the second dough out to 3mm, and lay it atop the filling. Pinch and press to seal the pie. Crimp the edge of the crust if you like.
- Eggwash: Brush some egg wash on top of the pie and poke a few holes to release the steam during baking.
- Bake: Bake the Char Siu Pie at 400°F for 15 minutes. Turn the temperature down to 350°F, and bake for 20 minutes or until golden.
- Glaze: This step is optional. Right after the pie has done baking, brush it with some 1:1 honey water to give it a shiny finish.
Nick says
so unique and so good
Sharon says
Thank you Nick!