Here’s a delicious Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork) recipe you can make at home — tender, flavorful, and perfect with rice or noodles. Char Siu is traditionally a sweet‑savory Cantonese barbecue pork, and the slow cooker method makes it extra juicy and easy. (Food.com)
🍖 Slow Cooker Char Siu Pork Shoulder
🛒 Ingredients
- 2–3 lbs boneless pork shoulder (also called pork butt) — best cut for slow cooking (Flavor365)
- ¼ cup low‑sodium soy sauce (Food.com)
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce (Food.com)
- 3 tbsp honey (or brown sugar) (Food.com)
- 3 tbsp ketchup (Food.com)
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced (Food.com)
- 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated (Slender Kitchen)
- 1 tsp sesame oil (Slender Kitchen)
- ½ tsp Chinese five‑spice powder (Food.com)
- ½ cup low‑sodium chicken broth (optional — helps keep it juicy) (Slender Kitchen)
👩🍳 Method
- Mix the marinade
In a bowl, whisk together soy sauce, hoisin sauce, honey, ketchup, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and five‑spice powder. (Food.com) - Prepare the pork
Place the pork shoulder in the slow cooker and pour the sauce over it, turning to coat. (Slender Kitchen) - Add broth (optional)
Pour chicken broth around the sides (not directly over the meat) to keep things moist. (Slender Kitchen) - Slow cook
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours (or high for ~4 hours) until the pork is extremely tender. (Slender Kitchen) - Shred & glaze (optional)
Remove pork and shred with two forks. If you want a stickier glaze, pour the juices into a skillet and simmer until reduced and thickened, then toss shredded pork in it. (Food.com)
🍽 Serving Suggestions
- Serve over steamed rice or noodles.
- Add sliced scallions and sesame seeds for garnish.
- Great for pulled‑pork style buns, wraps, or in fried rice. (Food.com)
💡 Tips
- Marinate for deeper flavor: If you have time, marinate the pork in the sauce in the fridge for 4–12 hours before slow cooking. (Flavor365)
- Finish under high heat: For a more authentic caramelized look, pop the shredded pork under the broiler for a couple of minutes after glazing. (Flavor365)
- Use pork shoulder: It’s ideal for slow cooking because the fat melts and keeps the meat juicy — lean cuts can dry out. (Flavor365)
Would you like a spicy version or a char siu sauce recipe you can use as a dip or glaze?
