Chinese Pork Jerky (Bak Kwa)

This recipe for Chinese Pork Jerky (Bak Kwa) is a tasty, savoury treat that is enjoyed at Chinese New Year. Ground pork is grilled into a caramelized, sweet and salty meat snack.

What is bak kwa?

Bak kwa is a Chinese Hokkien term for dried meat (rou gan), similar to jerky.

Unlike American-style jerky, which is salted, dehydrated and smoked over low heat, Chinese-style pork jerky is a sweet and salty meat that is usually grilled over charcoal.

In Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia and Singapore, bak kwa is a traditional must-have snack at Chinese New Year.

What does it taste like?

Chinese pork jerky tastes predominantly sweet and salty, with a succulent, tender moist texture and smoky grilled flavor.

It's not as dry as American-style jerky, which can be tough and chewy.

Why you'll love this recipe

This recipe is straightforward and easy to make, with no super fancy equipment needed.

It uses a little over a pound of ground pork, which fills one half sheet (18" by 13") baking tray.

Beating the meat into a cohesive gel-like consistency, similar to Vietnamese Beef Balls helps to give its texture and shape.

Using an oven to broil the meat keeps everything simple and eliminates having to use a charcoal grill or BBQ.

There are only 6 ingredients in this recipe.

Ingredients you'll need

• lean ground pork: about 80/20 ratio of meat to fat
• granulated sugar: or a combination of sugar and honey
• fish sauce: for flavoring the meat; use a high-quality fish sauce for the best flavor
• 5-spice powder: for flavoring the meat
• Chinese rose wine: also known as Mei Kuei Lu Chiew; adds flavor and aroma to the meat
• chili powder: optional; omit if you don't like it spicy

Optional additions

Feel free to add white pepper or other spices for variations in spice and flavor.

How to make it

In a KitchenAid mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, add in granulated sugar, fish sauce, 5-spice powder, rose wine, and chili powder (if using).

Add in the ground pork (Step 1 below).

Turn on the mixer to low speed and stir the pork mixture (Step 2 below).

Beat the meat for 5 minutes until it develops a stringy cohesive gel-like texture.

Transfer the meat into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator overnight.

Place a piece of parchment paper on a half sheet (13" by 18") baking tray.

Have a bowl of water ready.

Spread the meat thinly onto the parchment paper. If the meat is too sticky, dip a spatula into the bowl of water to help spread it out. (Step 3 below)

Place plastic wrap over the meat and use a rolling pin to roll the meat thinly.

Remove the plastic wrap from the meat before placing in the oven.

Preheat the oven to 200ºF.

Bake the meat for 20~25 minutes, or until the meat can be easily peeled off the parchment paper (Step 4 below).

Let the meat cool slightly.

Use a pair of scissors to cut the meat into 6 large pieces and fold down any protruding edges of parchment paper (Step 6 below).

With the oven rack set to the 2nd from the top, broil the jerky in the oven for 8-10 minutes, flipping the meat intermittently with a pair of tongs, until golden brown in colour (Step 6 below).

Continue to grill the meat for another 8-10 minutes, until the juices have evaporated and the meat is slightly charred, glossy and browned.

Cut the pork jerky into smaller pieces and serve.

How to serve & store

Serve the pork jerky at room temperature.

Store the Chinese Pork Jerky well wrapped in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Alternatively, you can freeze the pork jerky for up to 3 months.

Thaw the pork jerky in the fridge overnight the day before you want to enjoy.

Expert tips & notes

The meat will shrink after cooking. This is normal.

Edges will be slightly charred -- keep rotating the pieces of meat and change the location during grilling.

You can use a BBQ grill if you have one, instead of broiling in the oven.

If you can wait a day or two to enjoy the pork jerky, the meat will be more flavorful.

Other Chinese New Year recipes you may like

Be sure to check out these recipes:

Prawn Crackers/Shrimp Chips (Keropok)

Flakiest Baked Curry Puffs

Taiwanese Pineapple Cakes (Feng Li Su) 鳳梨酥

Peanut Tang Yuan (Glutinous Rice Balls)

Crunchy Sesame Peanut Candy

Chinese Red Date Candy

Let me know if you try out this recipe -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Chinese Pork Jerky (Bak Kwa)

This recipe for Chinese Pork Jerky (Bak Kwa) is a tasty, savoury treat that is enjoyed at Chinese New Year. Ground pork is grilled into a caramelized, sweet and salty meat snack.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Chilling Time6 hours hrs

Total Time6 hours hrs 35 minutes mins

Course: Snack

Cuisine: Asian, Chinese, Southeast Asian

Servings: 24

Calories: 68kcal

Author: Michelle

For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.

Ingredients

• 75 g granulated sugar
• 30 ml fish sauce
• ¼ teaspoon 5-spice powder
• 1 teaspoon Chinese rose wine (Mei Kuei Lu Chiew)
• 1 teaspoon chili powder optional
• 500 g lean ground pork

Metric | US Customary

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

For visual key process photos, refer to the body of the post.

• In a KitchenAid mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, add in granulated sugar, fish sauce, 5-spice powder, rose wine, and chili powder (if using).
• Add in the ground pork.
• Turn on the mixer to low speed and stir the pork mixture.
• Beat the meat for 5 minutes until it develops a stingy cohesive gel-like texture.
• Transfer the meat into a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
• Place a piece of parchment paper on a half sheet (13" by 18") baking tray.
• Make an outline/border by folding the parchment paper according to the size of the pan..
• Have a bowl of water ready.
• Spread the meat thinly onto the parchment paper, as evenly as possible. If the meat is too sticky, dip the spatula into the bowl of water and spread it out.
• Place plastic wrap over the meat and use a rolling pin to roll the meat thinly.
• Check to see the even thickness of the meat by lifting up the parchment paper against the light.
• Remove the plastic wrap from the meat before placing in the oven.
• Preheat the oven to 200ºF/93°C.
• Bake the meat for 20-25 minutes, or until the meat can be easily peeled off the parchment paper.
• Let the meat cool slightly.
• Use a pair of scissors to cut the meat into 6 large pieces and fold down any protruding edges of parchment paper.
• With the oven rack set to the 2nd from the top, broil the jerky in the oven for 8-10 minutes, flipping the meat intermittently with a pair of tongs, until golden brown in colour.
• Continue to grill the meat for another 8-10 minutes, until the juices have evaporated and the meat is slightly charred, glossy and browned.
• Cut the pork jerky into smaller pieces and serve.
• Or store in the fridge or freezer.

Nutrition

Calories: 68kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 109mg | Potassium: 66mg | Fiber: 0.04g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 27IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.2mg

The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.

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