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Ground Pork Jerky Bak Kwa is a very popular Chinese snack in Singapore and Malaysia. So popular it has been an iconic souvenir from both countries. It is a flavorful, easy-to-chew snack made from seasoned ground pork.

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Ground Pork Jerky – Bak Kwa

Ground Pork Jerky Bak Kwa is a popular Asian snack known for its sweet and savory flavors. Made from ground pork that’s marinated in a blend of spices, sugar, and soy sauce, it’s then slowly grilled to create a smoky, caramelized finish. Bak Kwa is enjoyed as a snack or as a festive treat during celebrations, offering a delicious, protein-packed bite with a unique, mouthwatering taste.

If you visit Singapore or Malaysia, you’ll easily find pork jerky in many stores. The popular brand in Singapore is Bee Cheng Hiang, known for its beautifully packaged souvenirs with various flavors.

In Singapore and Malaysia, pork jerky is called Bak Kwa (肉脯) due to cultural influences. Bak Kwa, also known as rougan in Mandarin, is a Chinese sweet-salty dried meat similar to jerky.

The name “bak kwa” comes from the Hokkien dialect, common among Chinese communities in Singapore and Malaysia. Bak Kwa is a popular snack, especially during Chinese New Year, symbolizing good fortune and prosperity.

Though it’s more sweet than salty, Bak Kwa is considered a savory snack. It comes in various types, from fatty pork belly jerky to leaner options, likely from pork loin.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

A delicious and healthy snack – This can be your new choice of delicious and healthy snack for the whole family.
Simple and easy to make – This recipe calls for simple ingredients and very easy to make. Just follow the instructions and you will succeed.
Inexpensive – All the ingredients in this recipe are inexpensive and they are easy to get in any grocery stores.

Recipe Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

Ground Pork – The best meat selection for making pork jerky will be the pork shoulder. It has enough fat content to make the jerky moist and juicy. It gives the best flavor and texture in the end. You can combine pork loin with some pork fat from the belly part if you like it leaner. But if you decide to just use pork loin, please understand that it does not have fat content enough to make it juicy. So the result will be different.

Seasoning – Pork jerky tends to be sweet with a bit of salty taste, but still the sweetness dominates the whole flavor. I like it balanced so I tweaked the recipe a little bit. If you like it sweeter, you can add some honey.

Shao Xing Wine – This cooking wine will add fragrance to the jerky.

Sesame seeds – Sprinkle some sesame seeds on the rolled ground pork. This adds flavor to the bak kwa.

Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below

Substitutions & Variations

You can substitute Shaoxing wine with white wine or other cooking wine. If you prefer to omit that, it will not affect the overall flavor. Shaoxing wine helps eliminate pork odor, if any.

Add sesame seeds for variation. You can use white and black sesame seeds.

How to Make

Put the pork in a food processor, add sugar and cooking wine. Add oyster sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, and coconut oil. Add salt and pepper. (image 1)
Process the meat until smooth and well-blended.
When it is done, you may check the taste if it is to your preference. Some people like it sweet, some like it a bit salty.
Take one small scoop. Roast it on a pan.
If the taste is okay with you, take all the meat out of the food processor. Prepare a piece of big parchment paper on the working table.
Put only half of the batter and keep the other half for variation (image 2).
Transfer the well-blended meat on the parchment paper.

photo collage of processing the meat and putting it on the paper.

Cover with another parchment paper (image 3). Roll it flat with a rolling pin, around 2-3 mm.
Fold each sides of the parchment paper so the it has four neat edges (image 4).
Gently peel off one side of the parchment paper (image 5).

photo collage of pressing the ground meat on parchment paper and shaping it.

Brush the surface with honey very carefully (image 6).
Transfer the meat with the parchment paper on a baking pan.
Now put 25 gr sesame seeds on another half of the batter. Mix well.
Spread the meat on another parchment paper, cover it. Do the same thing, roll it flat around 2-3 mm. Fold each sides and gently peel off one side, brush with honey, and transfer to the baking pan to roast.
Roast at 160°C in a preheated oven for 10-15 minutes on each side. When you are done on one side, use another parchment paper and another tray to turn it upside down (image 7).

Brush with honey. Continue roasting. If you like it a bit burnt and smoky, add 5 more minutes.
When the roasting is done, take it out carefully and lay the jerky on a baking tray to cool down.
Cut with scissors according to your preference (image 8, 9).
Try it, this is a wonderfully delicious snack! Enjoy your pork jerky!

a photo of bak kwa, ground pork jerky in slices.

Expert Tips

Other than a rectangular shape, you can also make it round with a round mold.
The thickness is 2-3 mm. This is the common thickness for pork jerky. If you want to have it thicker, maybe you can give it a try at 4-5 mm. You need to roast it longer though.
If you want more vibrant color, you can add a drop of red coloring.
Add 5 minutes of roasting time, if you want the jerky to be a bit smoky and charred. Or you can use a kitchen torch.

FAQs

Yes, you can, but don’t make it too thick. And when you roast it, you need to give it a longer time so the heat penetrates through the thickness.

If stored properly in an airtight container, homemade pork jerky can last up to 1-2 months. However, it’s usually so delicious that it doesn’t last that long in my house.

Absolutely. You can use chicken thigh, turkey, or beef.

Storage

After you cut all the bak kwa, you can keep them in an airtight container. It is highly recommended to keep in the chiller for longer shelf life. The roasted bak kwa can stay fresh for up to 2 months. No need to reheat, just let it out from the chiller 10-15 minutes before eating.