Char Siu with Mushroom (Chinese Takeaway Style)

Faithfully recreate a Chinese restaurant favourite with this deliciously savoury Char Siu with mushroom recipe. Packed with savoury umami flavour, it’s perfect with chow mein with beansprouts and prawn crackers.

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This Glasgow Chinese takeaway style char siu with mushroom recipe recreates a delicious Chinese restaurant stir fry dish at home. Slightly sweet char siu, button mushrooms and a deliciously savoury sauce combine to make a tasty stir fry that’s not only tasty, but also quick to prepare and easy to cook.

Ingredients For Chinese Takeaway Style Char Siu With Mushroom

This Chinese takeaway style char siu with mushroom recipe uses Chinese takeaway style char siu and fresh button mushrooms, with a familiar combination of stir fry sauce ingredients including oyster sauce, soy sauce and MSG. Sliced char siu is stir fried with onion and mushrooms and sizzled together to create a deliciously savoury Chinese takeaway style dish.

• Oyster Sauce
• Light Soy Sauce
• Dark Soy Sauce
• Tomato Ketchup
• White Pepper
• Sunflower Oil
• Onion
• Button Mushroom
• Chinese Takeaway Style Char Siu
• MSG
• Chopped Garlic In Oil
• Light Chicken Stock
• Potato Starch
• Rice Wine
• Sesame Oil

Cook Like a Takeaway: Want to see the exact oyster sauce, soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine I use in all my Chinese recipes? Check out my Chinese Takeaway Style Cooking Essentials guide.

How To Make Chinese Takeaway Style Char Siu With Mushroom

Making this delicious Chinese takeaway style char siu with mushroom is easy! To begin, onion and sliced button mushrooms are stir fried in a hot wok, along with sliced char siu, MSG and chopped garlic. Next, the prepared sauce is added and simmered with light chicken stock before being thickened slightly. Finally, rice wine and sesame oil are added to finish and char siu with mushroom is ready to serve.

Step 1: Sauce

In a bowl, add 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon light soy sauce, 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce, 2 teaspoons tomato ketchup and Pinch white pepper. Mix briefly and set aside.

Step 2: Stir Fry

Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon sunflower oil and 1/2 onion, sliced and 4-5 button mushrooms, halved or quartered depending on size and 12 slices cooked char siu and stir fry for 1 minute. Add 1/4 teaspoon MSG and 1 generous teaspoon chopped garlic in oil and mix well. Add the prepared sauce and 200 millilitres light chicken stock. Mix well, bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes until the sauce reduces slightly.

Step 3: Serve

Slowly add 1 tablespoon potato starch, mixed with 2 tablespoons water, stirring well until the sauce reaches the desired consistency (you may not need all of the mix). Finish with 1 teaspoon rice wine and dash sesame oil, mix well once more and serve.

Recipe Tips For Chinese Takeaway Style Char Siu With Mushroom

Char Siu: This recipe uses Chinese takeaway style char siu pork. This simple char siu pork recipe can be cooked ahead of time and the sliced cooked pork set aside in the fridge or freezer for use in Chinese takeaway style dishes.

Preparation: Stir fry dishes come together quickly, so it’s good to have all the necessary ingredients and sauces prepared and to hand before you start cooking. Once you start, it’s all go until the dish is sizzling hot and ready to serve!

I hope you’ll try this Chinese takeaway style char siu with mushroom recipe. If you do, let me know in the comments how it went!

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Chinese Takeaway Style Char Siu With Mushroom Recipe FAQ

What is MSG and why should I use it?

MSG is monosodium glutamate, a seasoning ingredient widely used in Chinese takeaway kitchens, in pure form or as an ingredient in soy sauces and other seasoning sauces. Despite historic baseless claims of its dangers, it has been widely proven to be considered safe for use in cooking. In fact, many of the myths and lies about MSG were deliberately and maliciously spread as a form of racism. You can find MSG naturally in many foodstuffs including broccoli, cheese and tomatoes. It’s available online or in Chinese supermarkets. You can learn more about MSG from the brilliant Chin Taylor of Ziang’s Kitchen here.

Do I need a carbon steel wok to cook Chinese takeaway style dishes?

A well seasoned carbon steel wok is a wonderful addition to your Chinese takeaway style cooking equipment, and I would highly recommend investing in one. But, you can cook this dish in any wok or large frying pan and it will be delicious!

Can I use cornflour instead of potato starch?

Yes, you can use cornflour and water to thicken the simmering stir fry sauce. It will do a similar job, however a more consistent texture is achieved using potato starch.

Can I use chicken / beef / king prawns / vegetables instead?

Yes! This recipe also works well with chicken, beef, king prawns or mixed vegetables.

What’s the difference between light soy sauce and dark soy sauce?

In Chinese takeaway kitchens, chefs use light soy sauce mainly for seasoning – it’s thinner and more salty than dark soy sauce. Dark soy sauce has a thicker consistency and is used to add colour to stir fry sauces and egg fried rice.

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Do you like this Chinese takeaway style char siu with mushroom recipe? If so, buying a copy of my book might appeal to you! In The Chinese Takeaway Secret you can find a host of restaurant and takeaway style recipes that you can make at home. You’ll learn how to make Glasgow Chinese takeaway style salt and chilli chicken wings, beef curry, egg fried rice and more! You can buy The Chinese Takeaway Secret in paperback or kindle form here.

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