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If you love gluten-free Chinese food, then you need to make this gluten-free Chinese BBQ pork recipe, also known as char Siu.
I love Chinese food, but finding gluten-free Chinese food where we live, is pretty much next to impossible. Instead of being sad, I've set out to make a bunch of my favorite recipes so I can still enjoy all the goodness. This char siu recipe is a Cantonese style roasted pork that has been marinated and then cooked to perfection with the best sweet and sticky glaze.
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Gluten-free Chinese food.
You might be wondering what Chinese foods are gluten-free. Sadly, most Chinese restaurants do not make a lot of recipes that are actually gluten-free. Many contain soy sauce or wheat in the batters or noodles. Luckily with just a few swaps, it's easy to make a lot of Chinese food recipes gluten-free.
Ingredients.
- Pork Roast
- Molasses
- Sugar
- Honey
- Garlic
- Chinese Five Spice
- Gluten-free Soy Sauce
- Gluten-free Hoisin Sauce
- Mirin
- Sesame Oil
- Red Food Coloring (optional)
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Ingredient notes and substitutions.
- Pork. - You can use any of the following cuts to make this gluten-free char siu recipe. Pork loin, pork belly, pork shoulder or butt, and even baby-back ribs. If you really don't like pork but want all the good flavors, you can use chicken and turn this into some char siu chicken. I do suggest using something like a boneless chicken thigh, so it has a higher fat content.
- Chinese Five Spice. - It is not a spicy spice. However, it can have an intense flavor. The amount of spices listed might not seem like a lot, but if you are not used to using them, they can be very overpowering. I suggest starting with a lower amount and taste testing to make sure you get the spice you want. If you find your marinade has too much spice, add a few tablespoons of rice or apple cider vinegar to help calm them down.
- Gluten-free Soy Sauce. - Typical soy sauce is NOT gluten-free, as it contains wheat. Make sure you are using a soy sauce that is labeled gluten-free. You can also use tamari or coconut aminios if you can't find gluten-free soy sauce.
- Gluten-free Hoisin Sauce. - Hoisin sauce is made from fermented soybeans and combined wither ingredients to make a thick sauce. Not all hoisin sauces are gluten-free. Brands like Lee Kum and San J make ones that are gluten-free. You might also see hoisin sauce listed as Chinese bbq sauce.
- Mirin. - Usually, char siu uses a Shaoxing wine, which is made from rice but can contain wheat. I've switched the Shaoxing wine for mirin which is also made from rice, but it is gluten-free.
- Sesame Oil - If you cannot handle sesame, you can switch the sesame oil out for another light cooking oil like avocado oil.
- Red Food Coloring. - This is totally optional to add more of the traditional red color of char siu. In authentic recipes, this color usually comes from red bean curds. These don't add much flavor, and where I am, they have not been easy to find. So I switched them out of the recipe for a little amount of red coloring. (I use a tiny amount of beat powder mixed with water to make a paste.) You can use any type of red food coloring you like or just leave it out. Watkins brand also makes good food dyes that don't use artificial colors.
Steps.
Step 1. Prep the pork.
Step 2. Marinate the meat.
Step 3. Cook the pork char siu.
Tips and tricks.
- Cut the pork into even pieces. - This will help make sure that the pork cooks evenly.
- Don't trim the excess fat. - The fat will render as the pork cooks; there is no need to remove it.
- Don't skip the marinating time. - Yes, this gluten-free char siu recipe says to let it marinate for at least twenty-four hours before cooking it. I recommend letting it marinate for forty-eight hours for the best flavor and texture.
- Use the water under the pork when it's cooking. - It might not seem important to add water to the pan when cooking the pork, but do it. This helps prevent burning as well as steaming to help the pork maintain moisture.
- Do NOT overcook your pork. - Baste and roast your pork until the internal temperature reaches about 145 degrees, and then let it rest for about five minutes to fully come to about 150 degrees. You might still see a little pink in your pork, but that is okay. Cooking pork fully to 155 degrees or greater increases the risk of you ending up with dried-out pork.
- Sticky-sweet crust. - If your pork does not fully form a sweet-sticky crust as it cooks enough to your liking, that's okay. Once your pork is getting close to temperature, switch the oven over to broil and broil the pork for about 1-2 minutes per side, just until a crust starts to form.
- Let it rest. - Pork is like steak; it has the best flavor and texture from resting after it's been cooked. Be sure to let your gluten-free Chinese BBQ pork rest for at least five minutes before slicing.
Make ahead.
This recipe needs at least twenty-four hours to let the pork marinate, which makes it perfect for making ahead of time before cooking it off.
Serving suggestions.
Slice and serve this gluten-free char siu pork with some simple jasmine rice or eat it along with some of your other favorites, like gluten-free sweet and sour chicken. It also makes a delicious gluten-free appetizer for your next dinner party.
Storing and leftovers.
- Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to three days.
- To reheat, place pieces in a warm skillet with a little bit of water to help bring the pork back to life.
- I do not recommend freezing.
If you are really wanting to enjoy more of the deliciousness, it makes a great addition in my gluten-free fried rice into char siu pork fried rice.
More gluten-free Asian recipes.
📖 Recipe
Gluten-free Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu)
If you love gluten-free Chinese food, then you need to make this gluten-free Chinese BBQ pork recipe, also known as char Siu.
Ingredients
- 2-3 Pounds Boneless Pork Roast See notes for what kinds of pork work best.
- ¼ Cup Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Molasses
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
- 2-3 Cloves Minced Garlic
- ¼-⅓ Teaspoon Chinese Five Spice Powder
- ¼ Cup Gluten-free Soy Sauce
- 1 ½ Tablespoons Gluten-free Hoisin Sauce See notes about alternatives.
- 2 Tablespoons Mirin
- 2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil Or avocado oil.
- 2 Tablespoons Hot Water
- ⅛ Teaspoon Red Food Coloring Optional, see notes.
Instructions
Prep the pork.
- Cut the pork into long strips that are about 2-3 inches thick. If your pork has any excess fat, leave it, do not remove it. It will add more flavor as it cooks off.2-3 Pounds Boneless Pork Roast
Marinate the pork.
- Add the sugar, molasses, garlic, five spice, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, mirin, sesame oil, water, and coloring, if you are using it, into a small bowl.¼ Cup Sugar, 2 Tablespoons Molasses, 2-3 Cloves Minced Garlic, ¼-⅓ Teaspoon Chinese Five Spice Powder, ¼ Cup Gluten-free Soy Sauce, 1 ½ Tablespoons Gluten-free Hoisin Sauce, 2 Tablespoons Mirin, 2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil, ⅛ Teaspoon Red Food Coloring, 2 Tablespoons Hot Water
- Note: Start with the lower amount of Chinese five spice and then taste test a small amount before adding the full amount. If you find it overpowering with the lower amount see notes before continuting.
- Remove about two tablespoons of this mixture and set it aside in a small bowl or container.
- Add the pork and the remaining marinade to either a bowl or a large ziplock bag.
- Massage the marinade over the pork to fully coat.
- Place the pork into the fridge to marinate for at least twenty-four hours. I highly suggest letting it go for forty-eight hours if you can.
Cook the gluten-free char siu.
- Preheat the oven to 425 °F.
- Prepare a baking sheet with a rack on top.
- Place the marinated pork on top of the rack. Be sure to leave space between the pieces of pork and do not crowd them.
- Transfer the pan with the pork to the oven.
- Carefully pour 1-2 cups (depending on the depth of your pan) of water into the baking sheet under the pork.
- Roast the pork at 425 °Ffor about 10 minutes.
- At the 10-minute mark, reduce the oven to 375 °Fand continue to roast for another 15-20 minutes.
- While the pork is roasting, take the marinade that you set aside and mix it with the honey to make the glaze for the pork.2 Tablespoons Honey
- After 15-20 minutes, check the internal temperature of the pork. If your pan is starting to look dry, add more water.
- Brush some of the honey mixture onto the pork and let it cook for another 5 minutes.
- Rotate the pork and then baste the other side and let it cook for another 5 minutes.
- After the pork has cooked for about 40 minutes, check the internal temperature. You want to pull the pork from the oven when it has an internal temperature of about 145 degrees.
- Remove the pork from the oven and baste with the remaining honey mixture before letting it rest.
- Let the pork rest for about 10 minutes before slicing and enjoying.
Notes
Ingredient notes and substitutions.
- Pork. - You can use any of the following cuts to make this gluten-free char siu recipe. Pork loin, pork belly, pork shoulder or butt, and even baby-back ribs. If you really don't like pork but want all the good flavors, you can use chicken and turn this into some char siu chicken. I do suggest using something like a boneless chicken thigh, so it has a higher fat content.
- Gluten-free Hoisin Sauce. - Hoisin sauce is made from fermented soybeans and combined wither ingredients to make a thick sauce. Not all hoisin sauces are gluten-free. Brands like Lee Kum and San J make ones that are gluten-free. You might also see hoisin sauce listed as Chinese bbq sauce.
- Red Food Coloring. - This is totally optional to add more of the traditional red color of char siu. In authentic recipes, this color usually comes from red bean curds. These don't add much flavor, and where I am, they have not been easy to find. So I switched them out of the recipe for a little amount of red coloring. (I use a tiny amount of beat powder mixed with water to make a paste.) You can use any type of red food coloring you like or just leave it out. Watkins brand also makes good food dyes that don't use artificial colors.
- Cut the pork into even pieces. - This will help make sure that the pork cooks evenly.
- Don't trim the excess fat. - The fat will render as the pork cooks; there is no need to remove it.
- Don't skip the marinating time. - Yes, this gluten-free char siu recipe says to let it marinate for at least twenty-four hours before cooking it. I recommend letting it marinate for forty-eight hours for the best flavor and texture.
- Use the water under the pork when it's cooking. - It might not seem important to add water to the pan when cooking the pork, but do it. This helps prevent burning as well as steaming to help the pork maintain moisture.
- Do NOT overcook your pork. - Baste and roast your pork until the internal temperature reaches about 145 degrees, and then let it rest for about five minutes to fully come to about 150 degrees. You might still see a little pink in your pork, but that is okay. Cooking pork fully to 155 degrees or greater increases the risk of you ending up with dried-out pork.
- Sticky-sweet crust. - If your pork does not fully form a sweet-sticky crust as it cooks enough to your liking, that's okay. Once your pork is getting close to temperature, switch the oven over to broil and broil the pork for about 1-2 minutes per side, just until a crust starts to form.
- Let it rest. - Pork is like steak; it has the best flavor and texture from resting after it's been cooked. Be sure to let your gluten-free Chinese BBQ pork rest for at least five minutes before slicing.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don't forget to tag a photo #grainfreetable or @grainfreetable on Instagram. I'd love to see what you come up with!
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