How Many Calories in Char Siew (BBQ Pork)?

Cantonese barbecued pork, marinated in a sweet honey-soy glaze and roasted until the edges caramelise.

290kcal / 100g

100g of char siew comes in around 290 calories, with 24g protein, 14g carbs and 15g fat. The pork gives you a solid protein hit, but two things bump the number up: char siew is usually made from fattier cuts like pork shoulder or belly, and that signature glossy red glaze is loaded with sugar and honey. The leaner the cut and the lighter the glaze, the better it sits.

Nutrition facts

Per 100g (100g)	Amount	Per 100g
Calories	290 kcal	290 kcal
Protein	24 g	24 g
Carbs	14 g	14 g
Fat	15 g	15 g

Where the calories come from

Roast pork (shoulder/belly, cooked)85g

220 kcal

Char siew glaze (honey, maltose, sugar, soy)15g

70 kcal

The real talk

Char siew is that sweet, glossy red BBQ pork you see hanging in the Chinese roast meat shop window. 100g at around 290 calories is honestly not bad for a roast meat, and the 24g of protein is genuinely good. But two things are working against you bro. First, char siew is usually cut from pork shoulder or belly, which carries a fair bit of fat, so even before any sauce you are starting fattier than chicken. Second, that beautiful red lacquered glaze is basically a sugar bomb of honey, maltose, sugar and soy painted on layer by layer. That is where most of the 14g of carbs come from. The caramelised burnt edges everyone fights over taste incredible and are pure sugar.

Cut choice is the biggest lever. Lean char siew can drop the fat noticeably, while the fatty belly version with the white streaks can push 100g toward 340 calories. The other trap is portion. A char siew rice plate gives you way more than 100g, often 150 to 200g, so just doubling the meat alone can be 500 plus calories before the rice. If you are at the roast shop, ask for lean over fatty, eat it with rice and veg rather than stacking it with siu yoke, and you have got a reasonable high-protein meal.

How the portions compare

145 kcal

Small slice for taste (50g)

290 kcal

Standard serving (100g)

520 kcal

Roast shop plate portion (180g)

Char Siew (BBQ Pork) variants, ranked by calories

Variant	Calories	Notes
Lean char siew (shoulder, less fat)	230 kcal	Leaner cut with less marbling, lower fat per 100g
Fatty char siew (belly, more marbling)	340 kcal	More fat streaks plus glaze, the richest version

How to eat it lighter

Ask for the lean cut over the fatty belly version. The lean shoulder pieces save you a good chunk of fat per 100g.
Watch the portion. A roast shop plate is often 150 to 200g, not 100g, so the meat alone can be 500 plus calories.
Do not drench it in extra dark sauce. The glaze is already sweet, so adding the syrupy sauce on top is double sugar.
Pair it with rice and a plate of greens instead of ordering it alongside siu yoke and roast duck on the same plate.

Common questions

How many calories in char siew?

Around 290 calories per 100g, with 24g protein, 14g carbs and 15g fat. Leaner cuts come closer to 230, while the fatty belly version can hit 340.

Why does char siew have carbs if it is just pork?

The carbs come from the glaze. That glossy red coating is made from honey, maltose, sugar and soy, painted on in layers and caramelised, which is where the 14g of carbs per 100g comes from.

Is char siew a good protein source?

Yes, 24g of protein per 100g is solid. Just be aware of two things: it is often a fattier cut of pork, and the sweet glaze adds sugar. Pick the lean cut and watch the portion size.

Calorie and macro figures are estimates for a typical hawker or kopitiam serving. Actual numbers vary by stall, recipe and portion size. Use them as a guide, not gospel.

New to all this? Read how I went from 128kg to 86kg without cutting rice →