The Best Pork Belly Recipes for Crispy Perfection

Pork belly’s one of those cuts that always steals the show – rich, flavorful, and so versatile you can roast it simple or jazz it up with spices. After digging around, I landed on this slow-roasted crispy version that stands out for its foolproof method: no fancy scoring needed, just a low roast followed by a hot blast for that bubbly crackling. It’s juicy inside, crunchy outside, and honestly, once you nail it, you’ll wonder why you didn’t make it sooner. I remember my first try – the kitchen smelled amazing, and the family couldn’t get enough. What makes it the best? It’s straightforward, uses basic ingredients, and delivers restaurant-level results every time.

If you want to save these pork belly recipes, ReciMe’s a lifesaver for keeping them tidy. Our app auto-sorts the ingredients into a grocery list by aisle – no more wandering the store confused. Plus, the meal planner lets you slot it in for the week, which is great when you’re juggling busy days. It’s free to start with, and I’ve added tons of recipes without hassle. The AI even pulls in stuff from social media, so if you spot a twist on pork belly on Instagram, it’s saved in seconds. Give it a go; it’ll make cooking feel way more fun and less chaotic.

Tips for Picking the Perfect Pork Belly

Pork belly can seem intimidating at the store, but it’s honestly pretty forgiving once you know what to look for. Whether you’re aiming for that crispy crackling or a melt-in-your-mouth braise, picking the right piece makes all the difference. Here’s the quick rundown on how to choose a winner.

• Skin-on or skinless?: Match the recipe. Crispy recipes need skin for that crackling (like the Slow-Roasted Crispy Pork Belly). Braises like adobo or bao work fine skinless. Check what your dish calls for before grabbing.
• Go for flat and even: Pick a piece with consistent thickness, around 1-1.5 inches, so it cooks evenly. Avoid ones that taper or have super wrinkly skin – they’re harder to crisp up.
• Non-vac-packed is best for crispy skin: Vacuum-sealed pork holds moisture, which fights against crackling. If you can, grab it from the butcher counter or a package that’s not tightly sealed.
• Ask your butcher: Don’t be shy – butchers can trim or cut to size, like a center-cut piece for even cooking. Tell them what you’re making, and they’ll hook you up.

I learned the hard way that a wonky cut can mess with your roasting time, so take a second to eyeball the slab. It’s worth it for that perfect bite.

Recipe 1: Slow-Roasted Crispy Pork Belly

This recipe nails tender meat with crackling so crispy it’s almost unreal, thanks to a slow roast and tricks like not scoring the skin and a hot finish.

Ingredients:

• 1kg / 2 lb pork belly with skin on, NOT SCORED, at least 3-3.5cm / 1.2-1.6″ thick, even thickness with flat, unwrinkled skin, preferably not vac-packed
• 1 1/2 tsp olive oil, divided
• 1/2 tsp fennel powder / ground fennel seeds, optional
• 1 tsp salt, cooking/kosher salt (or 7/8 tsp table salt), divided
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Pat the skin dry and leave uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry it out – or just pat well if time’s tight.
2. Preheat oven to 140°C/285°F (120°C fan).
3. Rub flesh side with 1 tsp oil, half the salt, pepper, and fennel if using, hitting all the crevices.
4. Wrap snug in foil like an open box, skin up, on a tray.
5. Rub skin with remaining oil and salt.
6. Roast slow for 2 1/2 hours, tightening foil halfway as it shrinks.
7. Crank oven to 240°C/465°F.
8. Unwrap, prop level with foil balls on a rack if possible, and roast 30 minutes, turning halfway, until skin’s golden and bubbly – cover spots with foil if browning too fast.
9. Rest 10 minutes, slice thick with a serrated knife.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes active (optional overnight dry).

Cooking Time: 3 hours.

Servings: 4-5.

Additional Tips or Notes: Non-vac-packed pork means drier skin from the start. Roast ahead, chill, and crisp later for prep ease. Pair with apple sauce for a fresh balance.

Recipe 2: Roasted Pork Belly

A straightforward roast that’s juicy inside with a crispy top – dry the skin overnight and give it a quick rub.

Ingredients:

• 1 (2-pound) piece boneless, skin-on pork belly
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Dry skin well and fridge overnight, skin up.
2. Preheat to 300°F, line a sheet with foil, add a rack if you have one.
3. Mix oil, salt, pepper, cayenne; rub all over, focusing on skin after patting dry again.
4. Roast 2 hours until tender and smaller.
5. Bump to 450°F for 20-30 minutes for deep golden crackling.
6. Rest 10 minutes on a board, slice with a serrated knife.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes.

Cooking Time: 2 hours 30 minutes.

Servings: 4-5.

Additional Tips or Notes: Keep leftovers in the fridge for 3 days – reheat gently to stay crispy. A rack helps air circulate for even browning.

Recipe 3: Sticky Chinese Pork Belly

Slow-simmered until it melts, then glazed sticky with chili and honey – pure comfort food.

Ingredients:

• Slow Cooked Pork Belly: 1 kg (2.2 lbs) rindless pork belly slices, chopped in half; 1 litre (4 1/4 cups) hot chicken stock; 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and minced (or 1 tbsp ginger puree); 3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped; 1 tbsp rice wine; 1 tbsp caster sugar.
• Glaze: 2 tbsp vegetable oil; pinch salt and pepper; 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and minced; 1 red chilli, finely chopped; 2 tbsp honey; 2 tbsp brown sugar; 3 tbsp dark soy sauce; 1 tsp lemongrass paste.
• To Serve: Chopped spring onions; chopped red chillies.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Toss pork, stock, ginger, garlic, rice wine, sugar in a heavy pan.
2. Boil, then lid on, simmer low for 2 hours.
3. Drain pork, pat dry, chop into bites – save liquid for soup if you like.
4. Mix half the oil with salt, pepper, ginger, chili, honey, sugar, soy, lemongrass for glaze.
5. Heat remaining oil in a pan on medium-high.
6. Fry pork with salt and pepper until golden, using a splatter guard.
7. Add glaze, cook a couple minutes, turning until dark and sticky.
8. Top with onions and chiles to serve.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes.

Cooking Time: 2 hours 15 minutes.

Servings: 6 small servings.

Additional Tips or Notes: Prep to simmer stage and fridge or freeze. Use a slow cooker for hands-off (high 4-5 hours, low 6-7). Swap soy for tamari, rice wine for sherry for gluten-free.

Recipe 4: 30-Minute Crispy Pork Belly

Quick Thai-style fried pork, crunchy outside, tender inside, with fish sauce for that umami punch – no long waits.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb pork belly, skinless
• 1 ½ tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
• 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoon cornstarch
• Frying oil, as needed
• Nam Jim Jeaw, optional dipping sauce

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Dry pork, remove skin if needed, cut into 3/4-inch pieces.
2. Massage with fish sauce, sugar, pepper until absorbed.
3. Mix flour and cornstarch, coat pork lightly, let sit 5 minutes.
4. Heat oil to 350°F, fry half for 2 minutes, cool to lukewarm.
5. Repeat for second batch.
6. Reheat oil to 385°F, fry each batch 70-90 seconds until golden.
7. Drain, cool slightly before eating.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes.

Cooking Time: 25 minutes.

Servings: 4.

Additional Tips or Notes: Center-cut pork balances fat and meat. Let coating sit to stick better. Fry first batch ahead, second right before serving. Reheat in air fryer at 350°F for 5 minutes.

Recipe 5: Sticky Pork Belly

A cozy Taiwanese-style braise with ginger and star anise, perfect over rice and super straightforward.

Ingredients:

• Pork belly (cut into 1.5-inch pieces)
• Sichuan peppercorn
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Green onion
• Star anise
• Whole red chili
• Bay leaf
• Soy sauce
• Dark soy sauce
• Brown sugar
• Chinese cooking wine (optional)
• Water

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Blanch pork with peppercorn in boiling water 10 minutes, rinse, drain.
2. Pan-fry pork with ginger, garlic until golden, 2-3 minutes.
3. Add onion, star anise, chili, bay, sauces, sugar, wine, water; simmer.
4. Lid on low 30 minutes, check to avoid burning.
5. High heat 5 minutes to thicken, stirring.
6. Garnish with onion, serve with rice.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes.

Cooking Time: 40 minutes.

Servings: 4.

Additional Tips or Notes: Blanching keeps it clean. Instant Pot cuts time in half. Add eggs for extra braise. Try with cucumber salad for balance.

Recipe 6: Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends with Applesauce

Smoky, sweet-glazed cubes over homemade applesauce – feels like fall with a BBQ twist.

Ingredients:

• Pork Belly: 2 lbs cubed; ¼ cup BBQ seasoning; ¼ cup yellow mustard.
• Crutch: 1.5 sticks butter; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 1/2 cup BBQ sauce; 2.5 tbsp maple syrup.
• Applesauce: 8 apples peeled/sliced; 1 lemon juiced; 1 cup apple cider; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 2 tbsp maple syrup; 2 cinnamon sticks.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Simmer apples with juice, cider, cinnamon, water until soft, add sugar/syrup, mash, keep warm.
2. Cube pork, mustard and season, smoke at 250°F for 2.5 hours to 160-180°F.
3. Foil with butter, sauce, sugar, syrup; smoke 1.5 hours to 205°F.
4. Uncover, add more sauce/syrup, caramelize 15 minutes.
5. Rest 5 minutes, serve over sauce.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes.

Cooking Time: 4 hours.

Servings: 6.

Additional Tips or Notes: Pork belly’s like bacon but uncured. Reheat at 350°F. Add slaw for crunch.

Recipe 7: Pork Belly Cinnamon Rolls

Rolled, smoked, and glazed with bourbon – a quirky, savory-sweet treat that’s hard to stop eating.

Ingredients:

• Pork belly (skin off)
• Maple bourbon rub
• Brown sugar
• Glaze: 1 cup butter melted; 1 cup brown sugar; 1 tbsp cinnamon; 1 tbsp bourbon.
• Icing: 1 cup powdered sugar; 3 tbsp cream; ½ tsp vanilla.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Filet pork open, season inside with rub/sugar.
2. Roll, tie, slice into rolls.
3. Season outsides.
4. Smoke at 250°F 4-5 hours to 165°F.
5. Bin with glaze, foil, smoke 1-1.5 hours until tender.
6. Cool 15 minutes, ice.

Preparation Time: 45 minutes.

Cooking Time: 6 hours.

Servings: 4.

Additional Tips or Notes: Foil catches drips. Add salt to icing for balance. Reheat low. Swap rubs for variety.

Recipe 8: Crispy Pork Belly Burnt Ends

Dry-brined for crunch, smoked, then oven-crisped with a honey-hot sauce – like chicharrones with a BBQ vibe.

Ingredients:

• Skin-on pork belly
• Kosher salt
• Sticky bourbon brown ale rub
• White vinegar
• GLD FYR hot sauce
• Sauce: 3 tbsp dijon; 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 2 tbsp brown sugar; 1.5 tbsp honey; 2 tsp hot sauce.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Poke skin, salt overnight in fridge.
2. Simmer sauce to thicken.
3. Brush off salt, slit meat side.
4. Sauce and rub meat.
5. Smoke at 250°F 3 hours to 175°F, vinegar brush.
6. Oven at 400°F 8-12 minutes until bubbly.
7. Cool, sauce meat, cube.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes.

Cooking Time: 3 hours.

Servings: 4.

Additional Tips or Notes: Wipe salt well. Vinegar crisps the skin. Reheat on grill. Pair with beans.

Recipe 9: Pork Belly Adobo

Filipino braise with soy and vinegar, deep flavors that get even better the next day.

Ingredients:

• Soy sauce
• Garlic
• Sugar
• Peppercorns
• Pork belly
• Oil
• Onions
• Water
• Bay leaves
• Vinegar

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Marinate pork with soy, garlic, sugar, peppercorns 2 hours or more.
2. Drain, reserve marinade; brown pork in oil.
3. Cook onions/garlic in drippings.
4. Add pork, marinade, water, bay; boil then simmer 1 hour 25 minutes until tender.
5. Add vinegar, reduce uncovered 20 minutes.
6. Skim fat, rest 15 minutes, serve on rice.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes.

Cooking Time: 2 hours.

Servings: 5-6.

Additional Tips or Notes: Watch sugar to avoid burning. Sauce thickens more off heat.

Recipe 10: Pork Belly Bao

Braised pork in soft bao buns with a jalapeño kick – perfect for snacks or a full meal.

Ingredients:

• Sugar
• Soy sauce
• Vinegar
• Hoisin
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Black pepper
• Pork belly
• Bao buns
• Vegetable oil
• Scallions
• Jalapeño
• Cilantro leaves

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Mix marinade, pour over pork in dish, fridge 2 hours or more.
2. Bake covered at 300°F 2 hours until tender.
3. Reduce liquid 15 minutes.
4. Steam buns.
5. Sauté scallions/jalapeño 1-2 minutes.
6. Slice pork, coat in reduction.
7. Stuff buns, add veggies, cilantro.

Preparation Time: About 15 minutes active.

Cooking Time: 2 hours 15 minutes.

Servings: 15 buns.

Additional Tips or Notes: Marinate overnight for deeper flavor. Frozen buns save time.

Recipe 11: Pork Belly Sisig

Filipino-style braised, grilled, and crisped with livers and chiles – bold and tangy over rice.

Ingredients:

• Pork belly
• Star anise
• Bay leaves
• Scallions
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Lemongrass
• Peppercorns
• Salt
• Chicken livers (optional)
• Vegetable oil
• Calamansi juice
• Liquid aminos
• Soy sauce
• Butter
• Onions
• Thai chiles
• Jasmine rice

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Simmer pork with aromatics 1 hour until tender, cool.
2. Grill indirect 20 minutes, direct 15-20 until charred.
3. Grill livers 12 minutes.
4. Chop all, mix with calamansi/aminos/soy.
5. Crisp pork in butter 10 minutes.
6. Add livers/onions/garlic 3-4 minutes.
7. Reduce with mix 2 minutes, add chiles/scallions.
8. Serve on rice.

Preparation Time: About 20 minutes active.

Cooking Time: 2 hours 20 minutes.

Servings: 4-6.

Additional Tips or Notes: Indirect grilling prevents flares. Keeps the no-waste tradition.

Recipe 12: Crispy Pork Belly

Poked and baked for max crunch, with a herb rub and fresh sauce – tender meat, bubbly skin.

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• Thyme
• Mustard powder
• Coriander
• Red pepper flakes
• Garlic
• Salt
• Pepper
• Baking powder
• Cilantro
• Honey
• Scallions
• Lemon juice

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Mix spice rub and baking powder mix.
2. Dry/poke skin, rub meat with spices.
3. Sprinkle half baking mix on skin, fridge 1-6 hours.
4. Wipe, add rest of baking mix.
5. Bake 325°F 2 hours until tender.
6. 500°F 20 minutes until crispy.
7. Rest 10 minutes.
8. Whisk sauce with cilantro, honey, scallions, lemon.
9. Slice, spoon sauce.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes active.

Cooking Time: 2 hours 20 minutes.

Servings: 6-8.

Additional Tips or Notes: Poke tons for crisp skin. Fridge uncovered dries it out better.

Time-Saving Hacks for Busy Cooks

Pork belly’s awesome, but some of these recipes can feel like a project when life’s already hectic. These hacks cut corners without skimping on flavor, so you can get that deliciousness on the table even on a packed weeknight. I use these all the time when I’m juggling work and still want a killer meal.

Prep Ahead and Chill

Most pork belly recipes, like the Sticky Chinese or Slow-Roasted Crispy ones, let you do the heavy lifting early. Marinate or slow-cook a day or two ahead, then fridge it. For crispy recipes, roast low, chill, and crank the heat to crisp up right before eating. It’s like meal-prepping but fancier. I’ll pop the pork in the fridge after cooking and just reheat slices in a hot pan – takes 10 minutes tops.

Lean on Your Slow Cooker or Instant Pot

Recipes like the Sticky Pork Belly or Adobo shine in a slow cooker (4-7 hours on high or low) or Instant Pot (about half the stovetop time). Toss everything in, walk away, and let it do the work. I’ve done the Taiwanese Sticky Pork Belly in my Instant Pot while cleaning the house – zero babysitting needed.

Batch It for Leftovers

Pork belly keeps great, so double up on recipes like the Pork Belly Bao or Burnt Ends. Cook once, eat twice – leftovers make killer tacos, stir-fries, or salad toppers. Store in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. I always make extra and toss it into a quick noodle dish later in the week.

Use Pre-Sliced for Speed

For faster recipes like the 30-Minute Crispy Pork Belly or Sticky Grilled, grab pre-sliced pork belly from an Asian market or butcher. It skips the cutting step and cooks in half the time. I found pre-sliced at my local market, and it turned a 45-minute prep into 15.

Organize with ReciMe

Save these recipes in ReciMe to streamline your planning. Create a “Pork Belly Favorites” cookbook, tag by cook time or cuisine, and build a grocery list sorted by aisle. Last week, I added the Adobo and Bao recipes, and the app had my shopping list ready in seconds – no scribbling notes or forgetting ingredients.

These tricks make pork belly feel less like a weekend project and more like something you can whip up any night. Plus, you’ll look like a rockstar cook without spending all day in the kitchen.

Wrapping It Up

These 12 pork belly recipes are your ticket to some seriously delicious meals, from crispy roasted slabs to sticky, flavor-packed braises. Whether you’re craving a quick Thai-style fry or a slow-smoked BBQ vibe, there’s something here for every mood and skill level. I love how pork belly can feel like a fancy restaurant dish but still be totally doable at home. Pair these with fresh sides like pickled veggies or a zesty slaw to balance the richness, and you’ve got a spread that’ll impress anyone. Save them all in ReciMe to keep your favorites organized, and maybe tag them by cuisine or cook time to plan your week. Got a pork belly dish you’re obsessed with? Share it on ReciMe’s Explore page – I’d love to see what you’re cooking up!

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