Air Fryer Char Siu

This air fryer char siu recipe (char siu is Chinese barbecue pork!) is a game changer for those of you who have adopted air fryers into your kitchens. They heat up quickly, cook food quickly, and can make fresh char siu quickly and easily.

It takes 20 minutes or less to cook after the pork has been 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 the air fryer instead of oven, this version is for you!

3 Reasons to Use Air Fryer for Char Siu

Although char siu, or Chinese barbecue pork (a type of Cantonese roast meat), is normally cooked in the oven, you might try it in an air fryer for the following reasons:

1. It’s convenient! Talk about easy. Simply add water to the fryer, place the marinated pork and let it go. Cook in 5-6 minute intervals so you can baste the meat a few times before it is done.

2. Char Siu for example? Using an air fryer, you can quickly prepare a meal of freshly roasted char siu for one person with no leftovers and without heating up the entire 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 batches of fresh char siu whenever you want!

3. It’s fast! Air fryers are like mini convection ovens with a small space, so they heat up very quickly. Roast char siu in a fraction of the time it takes to preheat and roast it in a large conventional oven.

The key to making good char siu is a high oven temperature, but also a humid environment, so that your char siu comes out juicy.

In our traditional oven recipe, we place a rack over the water, which helps keep the meat moist and also catches drippings so it doesn’t burn or smoke. We recommend the same setup for your air fryer. Every air fryer comes with a small raised grill, ideal for this purpose!

How to Cook Char Siu in an Air Fryer: Important Tips for Best Results

• Air fryers have a smaller cooking area, so cut the pork into shorter pieces so you can fit 2-3 pieces comfortably in the air fryer.
• It is especially important to get a nice piece of marbled pork shoulder. You’ll cook smaller pieces, and the air fryer tends to dry things out more than the oven (even with the water added to 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 on the size of the cut pieces.
• For best results, char siu should be marinated overnight.
• Cook only the amount you need. Leave the rest in the refrigerator or even freeze it for another day.
• Storing marinated char siu for several days in the refrigerator is fine. If you leave raw pork in the refrigerator too long, the meat will begin to age, affecting the taste of fresh pork.
• Don’t skip the water in the fryer basket. The water keeps the pork moist while cooking. Air fryers have a raised rack to place the food on so the pork doesn’t sit in the water and the oil/fat can drip to the bottom.

Air Fryer Char Siu Recipe Instructions

Cut the pork into strips or pieces about 2-3 inches thick. Keep them as large as possible while still being able to fit 2-3 pieces comfortably in the air fryer. (Ours were about 9-10 ounces each.) Don’t trim excess fat, as it will dissolve 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 prepare the BBQ sauce/marinade. Store about 2 tablespoons of the 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.

Remove the char siu from the fridge. Leave it on the counter for about 2 hours or until it approaches room temperature. (This helps it cook more evenly.)

Add ¼ cup hot water to the air fryer basket, rack on top. Arrange the pork on the rack in the basket so that the pieces do not touch each other.

Air fryers usually need to heat up before placing food inside. But for this recipe just insert the basket, set the temperature to 180°C and turn it on! If your air fryer has a notification to place food, leave it alone. It will continue to cook at the set temperature. That said, air fryers vary, so you may need to adjust the cooking time.

Recommended cooking time for 9-10 ounce pieces is 15-18 minutes total. You can use 3 cooking intervals of 5 to 6 minutes each. If you reduce the size to 6-7 ounces, you may only need 3 minutes for the last interval, for a total of 13-15 minutes.

You will need to grease the pork. That’s why we cook in intervals. (It also lets you 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 minute interval, lightly brush the pork with the reserved marinade mixture, turn it over, and brush the other side. Then reset the timer to the same temperature, 375°F. If the water has evaporated, add more hot water (make sure it is HOT, otherwise it will cool the fryer).

Slice your char…

Serve and enjoy your meal!

Looking for more authentic recipes? Sign up for our email list and be sure to follow us Pinterest, Facebook, InstagramAND Youtube!

Char Siu Air Fryer

This air fryer char siu recipe makes juicy Chinese BBQ pork in just 20 minutes, 30 minutes faster than the traditional oven method!

Of: I count

Course:Pig

Kitchen:Chinese

serve: 8

Preparation: 25 minutes minutes

Total: 25 minutes minutes

Instructions

• Cut the pork into strips or pieces about 2-3 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). Do not trim 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 prepare the BBQ sauce/marinade. Store about 2 tablespoons of the 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.

• Remove the char siu from the refrigerator and leave it on the counter for about 2 hours or until it approaches room temperature.

• Add ¼ cup hot water to the air fryer basket, rack on top. Arrange the pork on the rack in the basket so that the pieces do not touch each other.

• Air fryers usually need to heat up before placing food inside, but for this recipe you simply insert the basket, set the temperature to 350°F and turn it on. If your air fryer has a notification to place food, leave it alone and it will continue to cook at the set temperature. That said, air fryers vary, so you may need to adjust the cooking time.

• The recommended cooking time for 9-10 ounce pieces is 15-18 minutes total. You can use 3 cooking intervals of 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 minute interval, lightly brush the pork with the reserved marinade mixture, turn it over, and brush the other side. Then reset the timer to the same temperature, 375°F. If the water has evaporated, add more hot water (make sure it is HOT, otherwise it will cool the fryer).

• Cut, serve and enjoy your meal!

Tips and Notes:

Note: Prep time does not include overnight marinating time!

nutritional values

Calories: 283kcal (14%) Carbohydrates: 13G (4%) Protein: 32G (64%) Fat: 10G (15%) Saturated fats: 3G (15%) Polyunsaturated fats: 1G Monounsaturated fat: 4G Trans fats: 0.1G Cholesterol: 102mg (34%) Sodium: 798mg (33%) Potassium: 623mg (18%) Fiber: 0.2G (1%) Sugar: 12G (13%) Vitamin A: 1UI C vitamin: 0.5mg (1%) Soccer: 34mg (3%) Iron: 2mg (11%)