Crispy Pork Belly recipe for slow roasted pork with a golden brown, crackly exterior, and tender and succulent meat on the inside.
Whether you are making Garlic Pork Loin Roast, Shake and Bake Pork Chops, or this indulgent and delicious pork belly, there’s no doubt that your Pork Dinner is going to wind up tasting fantastic.
Why You’ll Love Crispy Pork Belly?
- Slow roasting keeps the pork belly juicy and tender, while a final blast of high heat creates the golden, crackly skin.
- There’s no complicated seasoning blend, just salt, pepper, and oil, which allows the flavor of the pork to be front and center.
Sabrina’s Crispy Pork Belly Recipe
Crispy Pork Belly is one of those dishes that is both humble and gourmet at the same time. The rich flavor of tender pork with the crispy texture of roasted skin is a bite that feels so lavish. This is surprisingly easy to make and with a little planning ahead, you too can master this simple dish. While you are waiting for your main to crisp up to perfection, you can distract yourself by making these quick sides like Mashed Potatoes, Steamed Rice, and Sautéed Green Beans. And if you want to try this in your air fryer, I’ve included directions for that below.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork belly , skin-on
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add the pork belly to a cooling rack on a foil lined baking sheet skin side up.
- Refrigerate, uncovered, for 6-8 hours to allow the pork to completely dry out.
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Dry any wet spots on the pork with paper towels.
- Brush with vegetable oil and season both sides with salt and black pepper.
- Roast, skin side up, for 2 hours.
- Raise the temperature to 450 degrees.
- Cook for 25-30 minutes until the skin is golden brown and bubbly.
- Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Nutrition
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Chef’s Note
Getting the skin dry is one of the most important steps for achieving that crispy finish. Don’t skip the time in the refrigerator, and make sure it’s uncovered to get it completely dry. Pat away any remaining moisture before adding the oil and seasonings. The drier the skin, the better it will crisp up in the oven.
Table of contents
Can this be made ahead of time?
Since the meat has to dry out in the refrigerator uncovered overnight, that’s basically a make ahead step. You can extend the overnight drying for up to 24 hours which can help dry the skin even more thoroughly.
How to Store
- Serve: This is best served fresh and should not be left at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Store: Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Wrap tightly in foil or plastic wrap to keep moisture out.
- Reheat: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Separate the crackling from the pork meat on the baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until heated through and the crackling is crispy again.
- Freeze: To freeze, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Air Fryer Method
- Since you are not slow-roasting the meat, you will need to score the slab of pork belly. Use a 1 to 1 1/2-pound piece that will fit in your air fryer.
- Do not cut all the way through the skin, but cut the pork meat into 2-inch squares. It should essentially be one large piece of pork belly skin with individual pork meat squares attached.
- Season with salt and pepper, making sure to get the seasonings into the grooves between the pork slices.
- Take a large sheet of foil, fold it in half, then fold up all 4 foil edges to form a small box around the meat, skin side up.
- Place in the air fryer basket and cook at 200 degrees for 30 minutes.
- Brush skin with oil and season with salt again lightly.
- Cook at 380 degrees for 45-50 minutes, until the crackling is golden brown with puffy bubbles.
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