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    Home » Meat » Pork

    Published: Feb 20, 2023 by Zen · This post may contain affiliate links.

    10 Authentic Chinese Pork Recipes

    Sharing food makes everyone happy! :)

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    Easy, delicious and authentic Chinese pork recipes that I grew up eating in a Chinese household. You have to try these pork dishes that are better than takeout!

    A piece of Chinese Char Siew picked up by a black chopsticks.
    Jump to:
    • Expert Tips
    • Braised
    • Roasted
    • Fried
    • Boiled
    • Preserved
    • One-wok Meal

    Chinese cuisine is known for its bold flavors and diverse range of ingredients. (Think chicken feet soup and bird spit dessert!) Pork is 1 of the more mainstream ingredients that is super popular in Chinese cooking.

    Whether it's stir-fried, deep-fried, braised, or roasted, this collection of Chinese pork dishes encompasses a range of delicious flavors and textures that are sure to satisfy your taste buds! They go really well with fried rice and stir-fried noodles!

    Expert Tips

    Tip #1: Use authentic Chinese ingredients to get the right flavor. Chinese cooking often uses specific seasonings, such as soy sauce, oyster sauce, and five-spice powder. Using real Chinese ingredients makes your dishes taste more authentic. (For example, did you know there is Chinese soy sauce, Japanese soy sauce and Korean soy sauce, all of which have subtle differences in taste?)

    Tip #2: Texture. Many Chinese pork dishes have a crispy, crunchy texture or a smooth, tender mouthfeel. To achieve the crisp, you need to coat the pork in cornstarch or potato starch before cooking to create a crunchy crust. (As in this spam fries recipe, regular white flour just isn't as crisp!) For the juicy, smooth texture, you need to use a technique called velveting. This involves blanching the pork in hot water or oil before stir-frying.

    Tip #3: Garnish before serving. In Chinese food culture, we always talk about 色香味具全 "Se Xiang Wei Ju Quan." In other words, the dishes must have color, aroma and flavor. Colorful garnishes such as chopped spring onions, cilantro, or lightly toasted sesame seeds add both flavor and visual appeal!

    Braised

    FINGERLICKING Good Chinese Braised Pork

    3 pieces of caramelised 12345 spare ribs on a plate.
    12345 Chinese ribs taste very similar to tang Chu pai gu (vinegar ribs) but are much easier to make!

    This is my all-time favorite Asian pork recipe as it's so easy to make but still super savory, juicy and flavorful!

    12345 Chinese Spare Ribs (5-ingredients)
    These Chinese Spare Ribs are delicious, finger-licking Asian-style pork spare ribs that are as simple to cook as 12345 (a mnemonic device that will also help you recall the recipe.) Using only the Asian pantry staples of wine, dark soy sauce, vinegar and sugar to braise the meat, with only a few minutes of active cooking, this is the best easy sticky Chinese Spare Ribs for a lazy food lover.
    Click here for the easy braised pork recipe.
    Close-up of a pork rib with fingerlicking sticky sauce and caramelised bits.

    Soy Sauce Pork

    A spoonful of homemade soy sauce braised pork.

    Tip: Usually served with sambal chili and rice, but you can also stuff mantou buns with this pork and lettuce to make a Chinese hamburger!

    Tau Yew Bak (Braised Pork in Soy Sauce)
    A super easy recipe to make for a weekday dinner after work, this braised pork dish is a delicious comfort food that doesn't require much prep time.
    Click here for the Soy Sauce Pork Recipe.
    Close-up of a spoonful of braised pork shoulder with carrot and coriander.

    Ma Po Tofu

    Despite having tofu in its name, this Sichuan-style dish also features ground pork and a spicy chili bean sauce (Doubanjiang.)

    Note: remember to use silken tofu, not firm tofu! (The right texture is important in Chinese food, remember? (See Expert Tips above.))

    Roasted

    Char Siew

    This is a barbecue pork that is marinated in a sweet and savory sauce, usually made with hoisin sauce, honey, soy sauce, and Chinese five-spice powder (which is really easy to make at home, but the way!)

    It's 1 of the most popular Cantonese recipes, often served with Soy Sauce Chicken and goes really well with plain white rice or congee, as well as these Chinese BBQ pork sides.

    You can even add it to stir-fried noodles, such as in this Shrimp Chow Mein!

    Fried

    Sweet and Sour Pork

    This Cantonese pork dish is made with crispy deep-fried pork that is then stir-fried with bell peppers and a sweet and sour sauce made from vinegar, sugar, tomato paste (a lot of recipes use ketchup as a substitute), and soy sauce.

    Takeout, fakeout!

    Moo Shu Pork

    These pork wraps are a classic Chinese restaurant dish featuring tender pork, crunchy vegetables, and savory hoisin sauce, all wrapped in a thin pancake. (You can use tortillas as a quick substitute!)

    Lion's Head Meatball

    Mince your own pork for the best texture for these Chinese meatballs 红烧狮子头 but, to be honest, on a weekday night, I just use regular shopmarket ground pork! The chopped up water chestnuts gives the meat a delicious crunch!

    Boiled

    Twice Cooked Pork

    Also known as 回锅肉 Hui Guo Rou (literally return wok meat), this dish is made by boiling slices of pork belly, then stir-frying them with garlic in a spicy bean paste sauce.. You can also add leeks and more vegetables if you like!

    Note: the recipe calls for Tianmianjiang which can be hard to find outside Asia- you can use Doubanjiang as a substitute.

    Preserved

    Bak Kwa

    Homemade bak kwa squares piled on top of each other.

    Bak kwa/ Chinese pork jerky used to be a luxury item but is now eaten all year round, though never more than during Chinese New Year!

    In fact, people buy and gift it so much during the lunar new year that it's common to have leftovers. (Here are some delicious ideas on how to use up extra bak kwa!)

    However, it's really simple to DIY: you just need to mix the minced pork with the sauces, marinate and bake in the oven till dry!

    Bak Kwa (Chinese Pork Jerky)
    Bak Kwa, or Chinese Pork Jerky, is 1 of the most popular Chinese New Year snacks in Singapore & Malaysia. Save yourself time and money by making your own using this super simple recipe with easy-to-find ingredients! It's tender, savory and delicious!
    Click here for the Singaporean pork recipe.
    A piece of Chinese pork jerky held up by a pair of chopsticks.

    One-wok Meal

    Pork Fried Rice

    This classic Chinese takeaway dish can be with diced pork, minced pork or even char siu! The pork is then stir-fried with rice, vegetables, and soy sauce.

    Tip: fried rice is best made with leftover rice! (Freshly cooked rice is too wet and will result in a mushy dish.)

    If these Chinese pork recipes were helpful, maybe you'd like to sign up for my Asian food newsletter?

    I have other recipes you may like here! :)

    • A piece of Chinese pork jerky held up by a pair of chopsticks.
      Bak Kwa (Chinese Pork Jerky)
    • A piece of Chinese Char Siew picked up by a black chopsticks.
      What to Serve With Char Siu Pork (17 ideas)
    • Close-up of kimchi fried rice with Chinese pork jerky and eggs.
      What to do With Leftover Bak Kwa 2023
    • Close-up of a pork rib with fingerlicking sticky sauce and caramelised bits.
      12345 Chinese Spare Ribs (5-ingredients)

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    Greedygirlgourmet eating 2 sandwiches in Scotland

    Hi I'm Zhen also known as GGG! I couldn't boil water till I was 18 but after living abroad (in St. Andrews then London) for 11 years and having to cook for myself, I now love cooking for friends and family. Learning to cook late, I make sure my recipes go into enough detail for those new to Asian cuisine or who love a test kitchen approach to cooking!

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