Crispy Pork Belly
Equipment
Ingredients
Pork & Seasoning
- 1 lb pork belly, thick cut
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp five spice powder
- 1 tbsp vinegar
Optional Garnish
- Cucumbers
- Scallions
Instructions
- Cut your pork belly into large thick strips and blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly.
- Once cool, make shallow slits on both the meat side and the skin side of the pork belly.
- In a small bowl, combine salt, sugar, white pepper, and five spice powder. Rub this mixture only on the meat side, making sure it gets into the slits.
- Season the skin side lightly with salt, then brush the skin with vinegar.
- Place the pork belly skin-side up in your air fryer at a low temperature (around 250°F / 120°C) for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, brush the skin with a little oil and air fry again at 400°F (205°C) for 20 minutes, or until the skin is bubbly and crispy.
- Remove from the air fryer and slice the pork belly to your desired thickness.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How To Get That Super Crispy Skin For This Crispy Pork Belly
The best part of this Crispy Pork Belly recipe is in its simplicity, and you don’t even need a deep fryer! Cooking the pork belly in the air fryer at two different temperatures is foolproof! Firstly, you start cooking the pork belly at the lowest temperature possible to dry out skin, then blast it on a high heat to get the super crispy skin and get those signature bubbles. The result of this method gives you skin so crispy that it will literally crackle when you cut into it and still have the juiciness of a traditional pork belly. Every time I bring this dish to a dinner party, there’s never any leftovers!
The Beauty in Simplicity
What I love about Chinese cooking is that ingredients are as simple as possible, but yet they have been optimized and tinkered with to give the best flavors! The mix of salt, sugar, white pepper, and five spice powder gives the pork belly that signature Chinese BBQ flavor, which is nostalgic for me. It reminds me of home and my childhood, but this recipe is even better because it can give you that signature flavor but is streamlined for weeknight cooking. All you need to do is brush the skin with vinegar and oil to help the skin crispy up beautifully, there’s no fancy prep or salt crusts here!
What You’ll Need To Make Crispy Pork Belly
Pork & Seasoning
- 1 lb pork belly, thick cut
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp five spice powder
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- Neutral oil, for brushing
Optional Garnishes
- Cucumbers
- Scallions
- Steamed rice
How to Make Crispy Pork Belly
Slice pork belly into thick strips and blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes to tighten the skin and clean the surface. Let it cool completely.
Once cooled, score the meat and skin with shallow cuts.
In a small bowl, mix salt, sugar, pepper, and five spice. Rub the spice mix only on the meat side, making sure it gets into the cuts.
Lightly salt the skin, then brush it with vinegar.
Place pork belly skin-side up in an air fryer at 250°F (120°C) for 30 minutes to dry out the skin.
Brush skin with neutral oil and air fry again at 400°F (205°C) for 20 minutes, or until it’s golden, puffy, and crispy.
Let rest a few minutes, then slice and serve with rice, scallions, and cucumbers if you like.
Tips & Variations
I know blanching the pork may seem unnecessary, but it helps get rid of impurities and let’s the pork belly have a much cleaner taste.
To get the skin as crispy as possible, keep the skin as dry as possible before putting on the salt and vinegar.
For extra flavor, serve the pork belly with hoisin sauce or mustard to help cut through the rich flavors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do we cook the pork belly twice in the air fryer?
The first cook dehydrates the skin so it doesn’t steam. The second cook is where the magic happens. The higher heat allows the skin to crisp and bubble up into that Crispy Pork Belly that we’re all used to
Can I make this in the oven instead?
Yes, though it may take longer. Use convection if possible for the first stage of cooking and finish with a close broil. Just keep an eye on it, broiling is a little tougher because you have less control over it. The skin burns a lot more easily.
Do I really need to score the skin?
Scoring helps render the fat and allows the seasoning mix’s flavors to be better dispersed throughout the pork belly. Just make sure your cuts are shallow!
What kind of pork belly works best?
Look for pieces that are at least an inch thick with an even ratio of fat to meat. Thin cuts will overcook and don’t give you that layered bite.
Try These Next
Craving more pork belly? You’ll love my Char Siu Pork Belly!
Want even more party dish ideas? Try my Braised Pork Belly!
Looking for something sweeter? Check out my Matcha Tiramisu!
