Char Siu Pulled Pork Sliders with Asian-Inspired Slaw Recipe
About These Char Siu Pulled Pork Sliders
What It Is: Soft homemade dinner rolls filled with tender, shredded pork shoulder coated in a sticky char siu-inspired glaze and topped with a refreshing Asian-inspired cabbage and carrot slaw.
Cuisine: Modern Chinese-American fusion cooking inspired by Cantonese char siu and American-style pulled pork barbecue. This is not a traditional Cantonese dish.
Servings: Approximately 8 servings, depending on how many sliders are assembled and how generously they're filled.
Cooking Method: Skillet-searing, slow cooking or pressure cooking, sauce reduction, shredding, and sandwich assembly.
Estimated Time: Approximately 25–35 minutes of active preparation, plus 3–4 hours on HIGH or 5–6 hours on LOW in a slow cooker. Alternatively, approximately 40 minutes at HIGH pressure, plus pressure buildup and release time. This excludes preparing the homemade dinner rolls.
Flavor & Texture: Sweet, savory, aromatic, and slightly tangy pulled pork with a thick, sticky glaze. The chilled slaw adds crunch and acidity, while the homemade dinner rolls provide a soft, buttery contrast.
What Makes This Version Different: Instead of roasting strips of pork in the traditional char siu style, this recipe uses pork shoulder cooked until tender enough to shred. The pork is finished in a reduced char siu-inspired sauce and paired with a fish sauce, rice vinegar, honey, and sesame oil slaw. Homemade dinner rolls complete the sliders, making them an excellent way to repurpose leftover char siu glaze.
Equipment: Slow cooker or electric pressure cooker, cast iron skillet or frying pan, saucepan, mixing bowls, whisk, spatula, two forks, and a knife for slicing the dinner rolls.
Remember the BBQ I prepared for my daughter's birthday? Well, I ended up with quite a bit of leftover char siu glaze, and there was absolutely no way I was going to let all that goodness go to waste.
I had already spent time putting together the sauce, and throwing it away just because the party was over seemed ridiculous. So I started thinking about what else I could make with it. Then I remembered the batch of homemade dinner rolls I'd been planning. Soft, fluffy, buttery bread filled with sticky char siu pulled pork? Why the fuck not?
And just like that, another recipe was born out of leftovers. Sometimes, the best ideas don't come from sitting down and planning a recipe. They come from opening the refrigerator and figuring out what to do with what you've already got.
Char siu, or 叉烧, is one of the most recognizable dishes in Cantonese cuisine. Traditionally, strips of seasoned pork are roasted until the exterior develops a beautifully caramelized glaze. The name is commonly translated as "fork roasted," referring to the historical practice of cooking meat on long forks or skewers.
Its familiar sweet and savory flavor often comes from ingredients such as fermented bean products, sugar or honey, soy sauce, and aromatic spices, although recipes vary considerably.
Pulled pork, on the other hand, is closely associated with American barbecue traditions, particularly in the Southern United States, where pork shoulder is cooked slowly until the connective tissues break down and the meat becomes tender enough to shred.
Combining the two isn't traditional Cantonese cooking, but that's precisely what makes this recipe interesting. It takes the familiar flavors of char siu and applies them to a completely different cooking technique.
For this version, I seared a small pork shoulder to develop some color before cooking it slowly in my homemade char siu-inspired sauce. Once the meat was tender enough to pull apart, I shredded it and tossed it in a reduced portion of the cooking sauce until everything became thick, glossy, and sticky.
To balance all that richness, I made a simple Asian-inspired slaw with shredded cabbage, carrot, rice vinegar, fish sauce, honey, and toasted sesame oil. Nothing creamy this time. I wanted something fresh, crunchy, and tangy to cut through the sweetness of the pork.
And instead of using store-bought slider buns, I served everything in my homemade dinner rolls. The result? Soft, buttery bread, warm sticky pork, and cold crunchy slaw in every bite. Not bad for something that started with leftover BBQ glaze, eh?
Ingredients:
(Serve 8)
Slaw:
Cabbage Shredded, 1/4
Carrot Shredded, 1/2
Sea Salt, Pinch
Black Pepper, Pinch
Rice Vinegar, 2 TBSP
Fish Sauce, 1 TSBP
Pure Honey, 1 TBSP
Toasted Sesame Oil, 1 TBSP
Char Siu Sauce:
Hoisin Sauce, 120g
Light Soy Sauce, 75g
Honey, 75g
Oyster Sauce, 35g
Shaoxing Wine, 45g
Garlic Powder, 1/2 TSP
Ginger Powder, 1/2 TSP
Chinese 5 Spice Powder, 1/2 TSP
Sesame Oil, 15g
Rice Vinegar, 1 TBSP
Pulled Pork:
Pork Shoulder, About 400g
Sea Salt, Pinch
Rapeseed / Sunflower / Canola / Peanut Oil, 2 TBSP
@VinceHomeMade Dad's BBQ Spice Mix, 1 TBSP Or Your Favorite BBQ Spice Rub
Dinner Rolls Homemade, 1 Recipe
Equipment:
Slow / Pressure Cooker
Cast Iron Skillet / Pan
Directions:
Please visit my "Homemade Dinner Rolls" for the recipe.
Prepare the Asian-Inspired Slaw
Add the shredded cabbage and carrot to a large mixing bowl.
Season lightly with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Add the rice vinegar, fish sauce, honey, and toasted sesame oil.
Toss thoroughly until the vegetables are evenly coated in the dressing.
Taste and adjust the seasoning to your preference. Add a little more rice vinegar for acidity or honey for sweetness if necessary.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble the sliders. The slaw will soften slightly as it sits, so prepare it closer to serving time if you prefer maximum crunch.
Prepare the Char Siu-Inspired Sauce
In a saucepan, combine the hoisin sauce, light soy sauce, honey, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, garlic powder, ginger powder, Chinese five-spice powder, and sesame oil.
Whisk until everything is thoroughly combined.
Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
Continue simmering for approximately 3–5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce is heated through and begins to thicken slightly. Avoid boiling aggressively, as the honey and other sugars can scorch.
Add the rice vinegar and stir until incorporated. Taste the sauce carefully, remembering that its flavor will become more concentrated as it cooks with the pork.
Remove from the heat and set aside.
Sear the Pork Shoulder
Pat the pork shoulder dry with paper towels. Season lightly with sea salt and Dad's BBQ Spice Mix, rubbing the seasoning over the surface.
Heat the neutral cooking oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is hot, carefully add the pork shoulder. Sear until a deep golden-brown crust develops on the underside.
Turn the pork and continue browning the remaining sides. I like using a burger smasher to encourage even contact with the skillet, but avoid pressing so hard that you squeeze excessive moisture from the meat.
Transfer the seared pork shoulder to your slow cooker or electric pressure cooker.
Carefully add a splash of water to the hot skillet. Use a spatula to scrape up the browned bits left behind by the pork. These contain plenty of flavor.
Pour the deglazing liquid into the cooker.
Add the prepared char siu-inspired sauce, turning the pork to coat it thoroughly.
Option A: Slow Cooker
Cover and cook on HIGH for approximately 3–4 hours, or LOW for approximately 5–6 hours, until the pork is tender enough to pull apart easily with two forks.
The sauce should help keep the pork moist, but check your slow cooker's instructions regarding minimum liquid requirements. Add a small amount of water or unsalted stock if necessary.
Cooking times may vary depending on the size, thickness, and fat content of the pork shoulder. The meat is ready when it shreds easily without resistance.
Option B: Electric Pressure Cooker
Add enough water or unsalted stock to meet your pressure cooker's minimum thin-liquid requirement. Avoid relying on the thick char siu sauce alone, as its sugar content may cause scorching.
Keep the thick sauce on top of the pork rather than stirring it into the thin liquid at the bottom.
Secure the lid and cook on HIGH pressure for approximately 40 minutes.
Once the cooking cycle finishes, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes before carefully releasing any remaining pressure according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Do not open the cooker until it is completely depressurized.
Check the pork for tenderness. If it doesn't shred easily, cook for another 5–10 minutes under HIGH pressure, followed by an appropriate pressure release.
Shred and Glaze the Pork
Carefully remove the cooked pork shoulder from the cooker and allow it to cool slightly until comfortable to handle.
Using two forks, shred the pork into bite-sized strands. Discard any large pieces of gristle or unwanted excess fat.
Transfer the cooking liquid and sauce to a wide skillet. If there's a large amount of fat floating on the surface, skim off some before reducing.
Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it reduces and thickens.
Be careful not to reduce it excessively. The sauce contains hoisin, soy sauce, and oyster sauce, so its saltiness will become more concentrated as water evaporates.
Add the shredded pork to the skillet and toss until evenly coated.
Sprinkle @VinceHomeMade Dad's BBQ Spice Mix over the pork.
Continue cooking and stirring briefly until the pork is coated in a thick, glossy, sticky glaze. If the sauce becomes too thick, loosen it with a small splash of water or unsalted stock.
Remove from the heat.
Assemble the Sliders
Slice the homemade dinner rolls horizontally into top and bottom halves.
If desired, lightly toast the cut sides in a dry skillet or with a little butter. This adds texture and helps prevent the bread from becoming soggy.
Spoon a generous portion of warm char siu pulled pork onto the bottom half of each roll.
Top with a portion of the chilled Asian-inspired slaw. Allow excess dressing to drain off before adding it to the bread.
Place the top halves of the dinner rolls over the fillings.
Serve immediately while the pork is warm, the slaw is cold, and the bread is soft.
Enjoy!
Tips
Use pork shoulder, not pork loin.
Pork shoulder contains more connective tissue and intramuscular fat, making it better suited to slow cooking. As it cooks, the connective tissue softens, allowing the meat to become tender and easy to shred. Pork loin is much leaner and can become dry during prolonged cooking.
Don't skip searing the pork.
Searing creates flavorful browned compounds through the Maillard reaction. While it isn't strictly necessary for slow cooking, it adds depth to the finished dish.
Use Dad's BBQ Spice Mix sparingly.
The char siu sauce already contains several salty and aromatic ingredients. A tablespoon of spice mix is enough to complement the pork without overwhelming the glaze. Adjust if your particular spice blend is especially salty.
Don't waste the browned bits in the skillet.
Deglazing with a splash of water helps release the flavorful bits left behind after searing. Add that liquid to the cooker rather than washing all that flavor away.
Be careful when reducing the sauce.
Hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and oyster sauce already contribute significant saltiness. As the sauce reduces, those flavors become more concentrated. Aim for a glossy coating rather than reducing it until excessively thick.
Use enough thin liquid in an electric pressure cooker.
Thick, sugary sauces can scorch under pressure. Follow your appliance's minimum liquid requirement, and keep the char siu sauce above the pork rather than directly against the bottom of the pot.
Let the pork tell you when it's ready.
Cooking times are guidelines. If the pork doesn't pull apart easily, it needs more time. Properly cooked pork shoulder should shred without requiring much force.
Shred the pork while it's still warm.
Warm pork is generally easier to pull apart than completely chilled pork. Allow it to cool enough to handle safely, then use two forks to shred it.
Keep the slaw chilled.
The contrast between warm, sticky pork and cold, crunchy slaw is one of the best parts of these sliders. Refrigerate the slaw until you're ready to assemble.
Don't overdress the slaw.
You want enough dressing to coat the vegetables without leaving them swimming in liquid. Excess dressing can make the bread soggy.
Use rice vinegar to balance the sweetness.
The char siu sauce contains hoisin and honey, both of which contribute sweetness. The rice vinegar in the sauce and slaw helps balance that richness.
Toast the dinner rolls if you like.
My homemade dinner rolls are already soft and buttery, but lightly toasting the cut sides adds a little structure and helps them hold up to the saucy pork.
Assemble the sliders just before serving.
Keeping the pork, slaw, and rolls separate until the last moment prevents the bread from becoming soggy.
Make good use of leftovers, but store them safely.
This recipe was inspired by leftover char siu glaze from my daughter's birthday BBQ. Only reuse sauce that was promptly refrigerated and safely stored. Discard sauce that has been left out too long, shows signs of spoilage, or has exceeded a safe storage period. Sauce that has contacted raw meat requires thorough cooking and must not be treated as a clean, ready-to-eat condiment.
FAQ
What are Char Siu Pulled Pork Sliders?
They're small sandwiches filled with tender shredded pork coated in a Chinese BBQ-inspired sauce. This version combines the flavors of Cantonese char siu with American-style pulled pork and serves it in homemade dinner rolls with a crunchy Asian-inspired slaw.
Is this an authentic char siu recipe?
No. Traditional Cantonese char siu is typically prepared by roasting seasoned strips of pork. This recipe borrows the sweet, savory, and aromatic flavors of char siu but uses a slow-cooked, shredded pork technique instead.
What is the best cut of pork for pulled pork?
Pork shoulder is an excellent choice because its fat and connective tissue help it remain tender during slow cooking. Pork butt, which is also part of the shoulder, works well.
Can I use pork loin instead?
You can, but I wouldn't recommend it for this particular recipe. Pork loin is considerably leaner and may become dry or stringy during extended cooking.
Can I make this recipe in a pressure cooker?
Yes. An electric pressure cooker works well for pork shoulder. Add sufficient thin liquid to meet the manufacturer's requirements and keep the thick, sugary sauce away from the bottom of the pot to minimize scorching.
Why do I need to sear the pork first?
Searing develops a browned crust through the Maillard reaction, creating additional flavor. It isn't required to make the pork tender, but it adds complexity to the finished dish.
Can I prepare the char siu sauce ahead of time?
Yes. Prepare the sauce ahead, cool it promptly, and refrigerate it in a clean, airtight container. For longer storage, freeze it. If the sauce has been used with raw meat, it requires appropriate cooking before serving.
Why does my char siu sauce taste too salty?
Hoisin sauce, light soy sauce, and oyster sauce all contain salt. Reducing the sauce too aggressively concentrates the saltiness. If the sauce becomes too strong, add a little water or unsalted stock to loosen and dilute it.
Can I reduce the amount of honey?
Yes, although it will change the sweetness and consistency of the glaze. I recommend trying the original proportions first, then adjusting in a future batch according to your preference.
What can I use instead of Shaoxing wine?
For a nonalcoholic variation, use a little unsalted stock with a small amount of additional rice vinegar, adjusting to taste. The flavor won't be identical. Check that your other sauces and ingredients also meet any dietary requirements.
Why use fish sauce in the slaw?
Fish sauce adds savory depth and seasoning to the dressing. Together with rice vinegar, honey, and toasted sesame oil, it creates a balanced combination of salty, tangy, sweet, and aromatic flavors.
Can I make the slaw without fish sauce?
Yes. You can substitute a small amount of light soy sauce or another suitable savory seasoning. Add it gradually because the saltiness may differ.
Can I use store-bought slider buns?
Absolutely. Homemade dinner rolls add a personal touch, but store-bought slider buns work perfectly well if you're short on time.
How many sliders does this recipe make?
With approximately 400g of raw pork shoulder, this recipe makes around eight modestly filled sliders. The exact yield depends on cooking loss, bun size, and how much filling you add.
Can I double the recipe?
Yes. Increase the pork, sauce, and slaw proportionally. Use a cooker large enough to accommodate the additional ingredients, and adjust cooking time according to the size and thickness of the pork.
Can I prepare the pulled pork ahead of time?
Yes. Cook the pork, cool it promptly, and refrigerate it in a covered container. Reheat thoroughly before serving. Keep the slaw and bread separate until assembly.
How should I store leftovers?
Refrigerate cooked pork promptly in a shallow, airtight container and use it within 3–4 days, or freeze it for longer storage. Store the slaw separately and enjoy it as soon as practical for the best texture. Reheat the pork thoroughly before serving.
Can I freeze char siu pulled pork?
Yes. Allow the pork to cool, portion it with some sauce, and freeze in airtight containers. For best quality, use within approximately 2–3 months. Thaw safely in the refrigerator before reheating.
What else can I make with leftover char siu pulled pork?
Use it in rice bowls, fried rice, noodles, sandwiches, stuffed buns, or even as a pizza topping. Just remember to store and reheat the pork safely.
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