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Cantonese Roast Meats · 燒味

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Air Fryer Char Siu — Simplified Marinade

No hoisin, no nam yue — still sticky, still caramelized, still the dark-edged char siu you want over a bowl of rice. Pantry staples and an air fryer do the work; extra garlic carries the savory backbone where ketchup used to sit.

Serves3–4
Marinate4h+
Cook25 min
LevelMedium
材料Ingredients

The Porkshoulder or collar — fat is flavor

  • Pork shoulder or collar, in 2-inch slabs32 oz

The Marinadeno hoisin, no nam yue

  • Soy sauce3 tbsp
  • Oyster sauce2 tbsp
  • Honey2 tbsp
  • Dark soy sauce (for color)1 tbsp
  • Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)1 tbsp
  • Sesame oil1 tbsp
  • Brown sugar1½ tbsp
  • Five-spice powder2 tsp
  • Garlic, minced6 cloves
  • Ginger, grated1 tbsp
  • White pepper½ tsp

The Glazebrushed on at the end

  • Honey2 tbsp
  • Warm water1 tbsp
做法Method
  1. Mix the marinadeCombine soy sauce, oyster sauce, honey, dark soy, Shaoxing, sesame oil, brown sugar, five-spice, minced garlic, grated ginger, and white pepper in a bowl. Whisk until smooth and the sugar has dissolved.
  2. Marinate the porkScore the slabs in a shallow crosshatch on both sides. Drop them into a zip-top bag, pour the marinade over, and massage it in. Pour 2–3 tablespoons of the marinade into a small bowl and reserve for basting. Refrigerate at least 4 hours — overnight is better.
  3. Bring to room tempPull the pork out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Cold meat into a hot air fryer cooks unevenly.
  4. First sidePreheat the air fryer to 180°C / 360°F. Lay the slabs in the basket without overlapping. Cook 12 minutes.
  5. Flip & basteTurn each piece, brush generously with the reserved marinade, and cook another 10 minutes at 180°C / 360°F.
  6. Glaze & charStir 2 tbsp honey with 1 tbsp warm water until pourable. Crank the air fryer to 200°C / 400°F. Brush the glaze on both sides and cook 3–4 minutes more — stay close, the edges go from caramelized to burnt fast.
  7. Rest & sliceRest the pork on a board for 5 minutes, then slice against the grain. Drizzle any remaining glaze over the top and serve over hot rice.

A Note from the Kitchen

This is the simplified version — no hoisin, no nam yue. Six cloves of garlic carry the savory backbone where ketchup used to sit; dark soy carries the color on its own. If you don't have dark soy, use 4 tbsp regular soy total and add an extra half tablespoon of brown sugar to compensate.

Pork shoulder or collar (梅頭) gives you the marbling that turns char siu sticky instead of dry. A lean cut like loin will work but the texture suffers — if that's what you have, knock the second-side cooking time down to 7–8 minutes.

The dark, lacquered edges come from the final 200°C / 400°F glaze pass, not from the long cook. Resist the urge to skip it. Watch the meat during those last few minutes — every air fryer runs a little different.