If you’re wondering what to serve with your char siu pork, you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, I list 39 of the most popular side dishes for char siu pork.
In a rush? Here’s the short answer.
The best dishes to serve with char siu pork are pineapple fried rice, Chinese broccoli, chili oil noodles, and bao buns. Try sauteed spinach, pickled carrots and daikon, or cucumber salad for healthier options. Try spicy miso ramen, mac and cheese, or potato salad for unusual but tasty choices.
Ready? Let’s jump right in.
Pineapple shrimp fried rice
Looking for something fancier than your usual steamed white rice?
Go for this vibrant fried rice instead.
It’s jam-packed with pineapples and shrimp, giving it a delectable sweet note that’s balanced out with savory elements like garlic, chili, and soy sauce.
All you need is a topping of tender and juicy char siu pork.
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Pineapple shrimp fried rice
Stick with the basics
Egg fried rice
Make it low-carb
Kimchi cauliflower fried rice
Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce
This vegetable dish is a staple in Chinese households.
Chinese broccoli (otherwise known as Gai Lan) has a mildly bitter taste which you offset by cooking it in umami-loaded oyster sauce.
It’s an excellent healthy addition to your char siu pork.
Psst… can’t find Chinese broccoli? Swap it for Broccoli rabe, boK choy, or tenderstem broccoli.
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Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce
Make it different
Sesame ginger bok choy
Fire up the grill
Grilled bok choy
Chili oil noodles
Got some leftover char siu pork?
It makes a delicious topping for these chili oil noodles.
And the best part? These ‘fake-out’ noodles only take 15 minutes to make.
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Hot oil chili oil noodles
Make a classic
Vegetable lo mein
Ditch the noodles
Spaghetti squash chow mein
Steamed bao buns
Don’t feel like having your char siu pork with rice?
Stuff your sliced char siu pork in these bao buns instead.
The steamed buns are soft as pillows and have an irresistibly fluffy texture – but I have to warn you, they are quite a bit of effort to make!
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Steamed bao buns
Make a Mexican staple
Homemade corn tortillas
Go Southern
Buttermilk biscuits
Stovetop mac and cheese
Try some Chinese-American fusion with char siu pork and mac and cheese.
Your pork’s sweet and smoky flavors taste superb with a luscious, cheesy sauce.
There are loads of different ways to make this American classic, but I like to keep it simple with a 15-minute stovetop recipe.
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Stovetop mac and cheese
Preheat the oven
Southern baked mac and cheese
Skip the pasta
Cauliflower cheese
Spicy miso instant ramen
This is your sign to ditch the instant ramen seasoning packet and make your own broth.
It’s easier than you think, and the ingredient list is pretty short! The only one you might struggle with is dashi stock, but you can easily substitute it for vegetable stock.
All you need is a meaty topping to complete this dish – enter char siu.
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Spicy miso instant ramen
Stick with the classics
Hot and sour glass noodle soup
Go Thai
Red curry ramen with coconut milk and cilantro
Shrimp potstickers
Feel like you need something extra for your Chinese-inspired feast?
Go for potstickers – they’re guaranteed to be a hit.
You can fill your potstickers with whatever you want, but here we’ve gone for garlicky shrimp.
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Shrimp potstickers
Make it crunchy
Homemade egg rolls
Make it creamy
Crab rangoon
Chinese cucumber salad
Also known as pai huang gua, what sets this apart from your usual cucumber salad is the preparation of the cucumbers.
Instead of slicing them you smash them, which gives the cucumber ragged edges that help hold and absorb the tangy dressing.
Pro-Tip: drizzle on some Chinese chili oil for a fiery kick.
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Chinese cucumber salad
Make it warm
Stir-fried cucumber with Chinese five-spice
Add a fruity note
Spicy Thai mango salad
Vietnamese noodle salad
Want something light and fresh?
Look no further than this colorful Vietnamese noodle salad.
It’s packed to the brim with crisp vegetables and chewy vermicelli noodles, all coated in a sweet and sour Vietnamese sauce called nuoc cham. YUM!
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Vietnamese noodle salad
Go Japanese
Sesame ginger cucumber soba noodle salad
Make it low-carb
Sesame zucchini noodle salad
Quick pickled carrots and daikon
These pickled carrots and daikon are usually seen with Vietnamese classic banh mi, but they’re fabulous with char siu pork too.
The pickles will cut right through the sweet and sticky sauce.
And there’s very little cooking involved. Most of the time is spent prepping the vegetables and waiting for them to become infused with that telltale sour flavor.
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Quick pickled carrots and daikon
Make it aesthetically-pleasing
Korean-style pink radish pickles
Make it spicy
Green chili pickles
Red potato salad
Char siu pork is reminiscent of late summer barbecues – so it makes perfect sense to serve it with some creamy potato salad.
And this recipe shares a neat hack to make your salad tastier.
Drizzle some vinegar over your potatoes. It brightens the whole dish.
Pro-Tip: Use small red potatoes for best results.
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Red potato salad with herbs
Make it refreshing
Greek tzatziki potato salad
Skip the dairy
Warm German potato salad
Scallion pancakes
Try something new with your char siu and use it as a topper for these scallion pancakes.
They’re typically eaten for breakfast, but the savory, mild flavor makes them an ideal pairing for a lunchtime serving of sticky pork.
And they have the most irresistible flaky-but-chewy texture.
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Scallion pancakes
Make it simple
Zucchini fritters
Make it different
Hash browns
Garlic sauteed spinach
Sauteed spinach is one of the quickest, easiest, and healthiest side dishes you can make.
It’s perfect when you’re in a rush or feel like you need to add some sort of last minute vegetable to the plate!
I always have a bag in my fridge for that exact reason.
Why we love this recipe: a serving only has 119 calories.
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Garlic sauteed spinach
Make it decadent
Creamed spinach
Keep it fresh
Spinach salad
The best side dishes to serve with char siu
- Pineapple shrimp fried rice
- Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce
- Chili oil noodles
- Steamed bao buns
- Stovetop mac and cheese
- Spicy miso instant ramen
- Shrimp potstickers
- Chinese cucumber salad
- Vietnamese noodle salad
- Quick pickled carrots and daikon
- Red potato salad
- Scallion pancakes
- Garlic sauteed spinach
What To Serve With Char Siu Pork
Ingredients
- 1 portion char siu pork
Instructions
- Prepare your char siu pork according to your favorite recipe.
- In the meantime, choose one of the following sides to serve alongside it.
- Side dishes include: pineapple shrimp fried rice, Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce, chili oil noodles, steamed bao buns, stovetop mac and cheese, spicy miso instant ramen, shrimp potstickers, chinese cucumber salad, Vietnamese noodle salad, quick pickled carrots and daikon, red potato salad, scallion pancakes, and garlic sauteed spinach.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!