My husband decided to pop into the butcher in our village for a change and came home with a beautiful roll of pork shoulder. The butcher told him it was the best cut for pulled pork and that instantly sealed dinner plans. Char Siu Pulled Pork it was. Pork shoulder is ideal for slow cooking because it becomes meltingly tender while still keeping a lovely meaty texture, rather than turning mushy.
A “mix and match” recipe that really works
This Char Siu Pulled Pork is a happy marriage of two of my favourite recipes: BBQ Pulled Pork and classic Char Siu Pork Belly. I love it when a mix-and-match idea actually delivers and this one really does. The meat turns beautifully soft but still holds its structure when pulled apart. It’s fragrant, sweet and savoury, coated in a glossy dark brown sauce with that signature hint of red you expect from char siu.
The signature char siu sauce
Sweet, savoury and aromatic
I made the sauce during my lunch break while working from home, then let the slow cooker do the hard work for the next five hours. I use my go-to char siu sauce which includes:
- For sweetness: honey and golden syrup
- For savouriness: dark soy sauce and oyster sauce
- For fragrance and depth: five-spice powder, garlic granules and ground pepper
- For nuttiness: sesame oil
- Red food colouring: just a touch, and completely optional
Simply combine everything in a small saucepan and heat gently until the sauce is smooth and starts to bubble lightly. This step helps the flavours meld before meeting the pork.
Slow cooker method
Set and forget
Place the pork shoulder roll into the slow cooker and pour the warm char siu sauce over it. Put the lid on and cook on high for about 4.5 – 5 hours.
You can set it on low for around 8 hours instead if you need to start cooking earlier. This makes Char Siu Pulled Pork a perfect weekday meal, especially when you want something comforting without standing over the hob.
Crisping and pulling the pork
From soft to sticky and caramelised
Once the pork is cooked, lift it out and place it on a baking tray. Roast it in a preheated oven at 200°C for about 20 minutes to lightly crisp and caramelise the outside. I would normally use my air fryer for this step, but the pork roll was too chunky to fit, so the oven did the job just as well.
After roasting, remove the meat string and transfer the pork to a large plate or dish. Use two forks to pull it apart into chunky shreds. My children asked for rice with it, so I kept the pieces fairly generous rather than finely shredded.
Finally, pour the remaining sauce from the slow cooker over the pulled pork and mix everything together until the meat is evenly coated. At this point, it already smells irresistible.
How to serve Char Siu Pulled Pork
We served our Char Siu Pulled Pork with steamed rice, quick pickles and boiled broccoli for a simple but balanced dinner. The sweet-savoury pork works beautifully with plain rice, while the pickles cut through the richness and the vegetables add freshness.
This dish is also lovely tucked into soft buns, wrapped in flatbreads or spooned over noodles if you want to change things up.
Why you’ll love this recipe
This slow cooker Char Siu Pulled Pork is easy, flavour-packed and family-friendly. It brings together the comfort of pulled pork with the bold, aromatic flavours of Chinese-style char siu – perfect for busy weeknights or relaxed weekend cooking. Once you try it, it might just become one of those recipes you keep coming back to.
Char Siu Pulled Pork (Slow Cooker Style)
Description
This Char Siu Pulled Pork is a delicious fusion of classic Chinese-style char siu and slow-cooked pulled pork. Pork shoulder is gently cooked in a fragrant homemade char siu sauce until tender, then roasted to caramelise the outside before being pulled into juicy shreds and coated in its rich, glossy glaze. Sweet, savoury and aromatic, this dish is perfect served with rice, pickles and greens for an easy family meal, or tucked into buns and wraps for something a little different.
Ingredients
For the pork
For the char siu sauce
Instructions
-
Make the sauce
- Add all the sauce ingredients to a small saucepan.
- Heat gently over low heat, stirring until fully combined and just starting to bubble.
- Remove from the heat.
-
Slow cook the pork
- Place the pork shoulder roll into the slow cooker.
- Pour the char siu sauce over the pork, turning it to coat. Cover and cook on high for 4.5 - 5 hours or low for 8 hours, turning the pork over a couple of times during cooking so it is evenly coated in the sauce and colours beautifully on all sides.
-
Roast to caramelise
- Preheat the oven to 200°C. Remove the pork from the slow cooker and place it on a baking tray.
- Roast for 20 minutes until the outside becomes slightly crisp and caramelised.
-
Pull the pork
- Remove any string from the pork.
- Transfer to a large plate or dish and use two forks to pull the meat into chunky shreds.
-
Finish with sauce
- Pour the sauce from the slow cooker over the pulled pork and mix well until evenly coated.
