7 Bak Kwa Recipes From Basic To Mala
With bak kwa prices going up to $120 per kilo, of course you can make your own
By Michelle Lee SM -
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You know it's not quite Chinese New Year without bak kwa. But getting your hands on these smoky, juicy slabs of processed meat often means long queues at the stores (if you haven't already ordered yours online). They don't come cheap either, with prices soaring again this year.
If you are willing to spare some time making your own bak kwa to save $ (who doesn't want that?), we have some noob-proof recipes for you, ranging from the basic to pineapple and even mala flavours. You can take this chance to rope in the kids, and come up with a family recipe of your own! Regardless of the outcome, we are sure your effort alone will impress the relatives.
Double win.
This handy video breaks down everything you need to make your own delish bak kwa, from the ingredients of the marinade to the method of cooking.
Or save time and effort by using a ready-made marinade. Here, the Singapore Meat Marinade Original is used, packed with flavours of oyster sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, caramel and five-spice powder.
No oven or charcoal grill? No problem. With an air fryer (and a cookie cutter), you can make your own juicy, chewy CNY snack.
It's easier than your regular bak kwa recipe since you can skip the step of having to flatten the minced meat by opting for strips of juicy bacon. Plus, this one gets an extra flavour bomb with the addition of umami and spicy XO sauce.
The Singapore Women's Weekly's bak kwa recipe
And of course, we have our own step-by-step bak kwa recipe video, thanks to chef Low Shih Erh, an instructor at Palate Sensations Culinary School who specialises in Asian cuisine. You'll need an oven for this recipe, which also uses a sweet honey glaze.
Pineapple bak kwa
You might have seen pineapple bak kwa sold on the market, but you can make it yourself too. Mix chunks of fresh pineapple with the minced meat to get that zesty sweet-meets-savoury flavour.
Szechuan Mala Beef Bak Kwa
Not a fan of pork or can't eat pork? Try this spicy tongue-tingling recipe that uses minced beef combined with toasted Sichuan peppercorns.
This article was originally published on Jan 24, 2022, and updated on Jan 22, 2025.