Crispy Roast Pork Belly

Pork belly is our latest recipe that we have been working on and looking forward to for some time. It is a very tasty cut of pork and was so easy to make. It’s flavorful and slightly crispy but at the same time juicy.

You can make it for a quick weeknight dinner or serve it to your guests too. It can be an appetizer or the main meat for your dinner served with your favorite sauce or side dish.

Pork belly is considered a delicacy in restaurants, usually as an appetizer but you may see it on the dinner side of the menu too. Sometimes it’s just served on a bed of lettuce and sometimes with some pico de gallo on the top. It is also so yummy without any sauce on top. 

I love pork belly and now that I have learned how easy it is to make at home, I will never have to get it at a restaurant and pay all that money for a little tiny piece or two. 

If you like some of our other delicious pork recipes like keto baby back ribs, then you will also love our crispy pork belly recipe!

What is Pork Belly?

Pork belly is a boneless slab of meat that comes from the belly of the pig, hence the name. It is a piece of meat that is fatty on the top and also running through it. 

Bacon, everyone’s favorite meat, comes when the pork belly is stripped of it’s fatty outer layer, then cured, smoked and sliced into the best breakfast, lunch and dinner meat!

What is the Difference Between Bacon and Pork Belly?

Pork belly and bacon come from the same area of the pig, the belly area. One thing for sure is that no matter which one you cook with you certainty can’t go wrong because they are both so delicious!!!

Pork Belly: It’s uncured without any nitrates or preservatives and is often sold in big slabs. It is usually cooked in the oven, deep fried or braised in chinese cuisine, and can also be grilled or roasted. 

As long as you do not overcook it, “it melts in your mouth tender” and is considered a delicacy in fancy restaurants.

Bacon: It is cut from the pork belly or the fleshy underside of the pig, and also the back, collar, shoulder and jaw. It is technically pork belly but pork belly is not bacon. It is called side bacon and has layers of fat alternating with layers of muscles.

Bacon is salt cured or brined and most of the time has nitrates and nitrites to enhance the color and extend the shelf life. It is sliced for our easy cooking, coming in thin, thick and extra thick slices.

Summary: The biggest difference between the 2 is how it is prepared and whether it is cured or uncured.

Pork Belly Cooking Methods

The best way, in my opinion, to cook pork belly is roasting it in the oven. It comes out so tender and tasty and not many other flavors are needed, just the pork. Other forms of cooking have other flavorings and sauces added to the meat, and it sometimes overpowers the flavor of the meat.

Oven Roasted – The most common way to cook it, which is very simple. It’s just seasoned with common spices and baked, which allows you to really appreciate the taste of the meat.

Frying – On the stove top in a frying pan, with some olive oil and simple spices so that you still taste the meat. It could also have added ingredients, such as asian flavors like honey, soy sauce, teriyaki, garlic and sesame seeds.

Grilling – You have to put some oil or sauce on the meat so that it doesn’t stick or dry out. BBQ sauce is one of the common ones to use on the grill with many types of meat including pork belly.

What Ingredients are in Crispy Pork Belly?

• Pork Belly – This is a tender and fatty cut from the belly section of the pig, similar to bacon but not cured.
• Olive Oil – Any type will do.
• Salt – To enhance the flavor of the meat.
• Pepper – Black.
• Garlic Powder – A tasty addition to the crackling pork belly.
• Onion Powder – Also a tasty flavor for the roasted pork belly.

Different Variations of Pork Belly

When you hear of pork belly on the menu what flavors do you think of?

• Pork belly with garlic and something sweet, like honey
• Pork belly Chinese style 
• BBQ flavor pork belly
• Flavor your pork belly with some cayenne pepper before cooking for a spicy touch.

What to Look For When Buying Pork Belly?

When you buy pork belly for the first time, it may be confusing because it is sold in 2 different shapes. It was confusing to us until we realized there are 2 different cuts of the same meat  and you can’t always find both of them at all stores. 

So what I did was to go to a meat market and the owner kindly explained the difference to me.

• There is one type that is a solid piece that looks like thick cut bacon. 
• The other type looks like thick cut bacon that is sliced and lying flat.

If you buy the solid piece, buy a 2-3 lb piece. Before you cook it you should score the fat on the top to allow the seasonings to permeate the meat.

Next, the same is true as with any meat that you buy, make sure that it looks fresh, the fat should be creamy white in color and not show any grey coloring which would mean that it is beginning to go bad. And it should have a fresh meat smell, not one that is starting to smell bad. 

You also want to make sure that it is about 50% meat and 50% fat, because too much fat would not be good, but at the same time you need fat in pork belly for texture and flavor. Then you want the fat and meat to be evenly spaced throughout the meat.

How to Use Pork Belly

Pork belly can be served as an appetizer or as a main dish. It also makes an elegant salad topper.

Typically when you see pork belly it is in small squares, usually bite size or a larger bite size. That makes it easier to eat. Just pick up a piece, dip it in some mustard or your favorite sauce and then pop it in your mouth.

How to Get Pork Belly Skin Crispy

By turning the oven on a high temperature in the first part of the baking process, it starts to crisp the skin.

I also score the fat on the top of the slab of meat which helps you to get crispy and crackling pork belly.

There is also a trick that you can do with rock salt to crisp the top of the pork belly. You can load up the top of the slab with a layer of salt. When it crisps up then remove it without the skin actually getting too salty. 

The skin actually crisps up as you continue to cook it longer, staying golden brown rather than burnt.

How to Cook Crispy Pork Belly in the Oven

We are going to give you step by step instructions on how to make crispy roast pork belly in the oven.

STEP 1: The first step is to preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Take the pork belly out of the refrigerator to take the chill off of it.

STEP 2: Next, get out a cookie sheet or baking tray and line it with a piece of aluminum foil. Then place a rack on top of it. Place the pork belly on top of the rack.

STEP 3: Score the top of the pork belly with a sharp knife, but be careful not to cut through to the meat, just cut the fat.

STEP 4: Brush the entire top of the meat with olive oil.

STEP 5: Season the meat with the spices of your choice. We prefer salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.

STEP 6: Bake the pork belly for 25-30 minutes at 450 degrees. I like to let it cook the full 30 minutes as long as it’s not burning on the top.

STEP 7: Now turn the oven down to 325 degrees and cook it for another 25-30 minutes.

STEP 8: Use your thermometer and check the temperature. If it reads 145 degrees then it’s time to take it out of the oven. If not then put it back in the oven and check it every 5 minutes until it reaches the desired temperature.

STEP 9: Take it out of the oven and wrap it completely in aluminum foil and let it rest for another 30 minutes, as it continues to cook as it rests in the foil.

STEP 10: Once the pork belly is rested, take it out of the aluminum foil and place it on a cutting board. With a sharp knife slice the pork belly to your desired thickness and serve.

How Do You Know When Pork Belly is Done?

There are so many schools of thought on what temperature to cook your pork belly in the oven to. It used to be the thought that you should cook pork to death, but it was always overcooked. That’s why some people say that they don’t like pork, because it’s dry.

I like to cook our oven roasted pork belly to 145 degrees and then as it rests out of the oven, all wrapped in foil for 30-40 minutes, the internal temperature will keep rising as it continues to cook.

It’s important to always use a thermometer to get the most accurate reading possible.

FAQs & Best Tips

Everytime we make a recipe for the first time there are always questions that can come up, so in this section we hope to give you a heads up on some of the things that you may be wondering about, along with some helpful tips in making your pork belly recipe come out great.

• Make sure to buy a pork belly that looks and smells fresh, if not you risk that it is starting to go bad.
• When you score the fat on the top of the pork belly be careful not to cut down into the meat too. 
• If you overcook your pork belly it will not be tender and juicy. Instead it will be tough and dry and you will wonder why it’s not tender and juicy. So if in doubt then use a thermometer to double check.
• You can cook your pork belly in the oven, in a frying pan on the stove, and on the grill. 
• It can be served as an appetizer with your favorite sauce, a main meal with one of many side dishes, or on top of a beautiful green salad.
• It is always a good idea to use a thermometer to double check the temperature of your pork belly. It should come out of the oven no later than 145 degrees because as you let it rest it will continue to cook longer.

How Do You Make Pork Belly Not Chewy?

If you cook the pork belly too long, that soft and tender delicacy will turn into rubbery meat, and that’s the last thing that you want to do.

To avoid this problem, use a thermometer and don’t cook it past 145 degrees, because like most meats, they continue to cook longer as they rest.

Do I Have to Leave the Skin on Pork Belly?

If the pork belly that you buy has a skin on it, then yes leave the skin on. What you do is score the top so that when you roast it, it allows the seasonings to permeate through while it gets crispy.

If you buy the skinless variety, then obviously skip the scoring and go straight to the seasoning step.

Why is Pork Belly So Expensive?

You may wonder why pork belly costs so much more money per pound than other cuts of pork. 

It is because it comes from the belly of the pig which is not a very big area. So for each pig that is slaughtered there is only so much meat that you can get out of it. It has also become somewhat of a delicacy in restaurants, increasing the price.

Can You Eat Pork Belly Raw?

This is a very interesting question. Right away my first instinct was to say, NO due to undercooked pork. However, as I did more research on the question, my answer has changed to a YES, but under certain circumstances. 

Years ago we always heard that by eating undercooked pork you could end up with a sickness called trichinosis, and so as a result that’s why we have ended up with most people cooking their pork to death out of fear. No wonder some people say they don’t like pork, because it is DRY.

The reason for trichinosis was because the pigs ate scraps of meat and other things that were infected, so as a result their meat will be also (like the old saying, you are what you eat).

However, now when our pork comes from industrial pig farms using modern nutritional systems, trichinosis from undercooked pork is a thing of the past. 

If you are not used to eating raw meat of any kind, then start gradually by cooking your pork less and less until you are sure you can tolerate it totally raw.

Can Pork Belly Be Cooked Like Bacon?

Yes, pork belly can be cooked like bacon. You can fry it on the stove or bake it in the oven just like you would do with bacon. 

You can buy it already cut into slices that resemble very thick slices of bacon, or if you have a big slab, then you can slice it yourself. 

The end result will be a different shape and size than bacon, and have a slightly different flavor, but the most important thing is that it will taste just as yummy!!

What Goes Well with Pork Belly?

There are so many things that you can eat with your pork belly. Here are a few favorite suggestions:

• Baked Beans
• Coleslaw
• Green Salad
• Mac and Cheese
• Cauliflower Mac & Cheese
• Cornbread
• Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
• Roasted Brussel Sprouts
• Roasted Potatoes
• Potato Salad
• Macaroni Salad
• Corn on the Cob

Pork Belly Nutrition

Let’s get the facts about pork belly to see if it’s a healthy food to eat or not.

Is It Bad to Eat Pork Belly?

It is not bad to eat pork belly, especially in moderation. After all it is a good source of protein, along with essential vitamins and minerals. 

Anyone who is on a keto diet or just watching their carb intake will do well eating pork belly because it has zero carbs.

If you are concerned about your fat intake then just a suggestion would be to not eat a huge portion, balance it out with some yummy veggies and do not eat it at every meal!!

Diets This Recipe is Good For

• Gluten-free – There is no gluten in our pork belly recipe.
• Sugar-free – Sugar is not an ingredient in our roasted pork belly.
• Dairy-free – There is no dairy in our crispy pork belly recipe.
• Nut-free – Our best pork belly recipe is not made with any nuts or nut products.
• Paleo – This will be a favorite for those who are on a paleo diet.
• Keto/low carb – This is a perfect choice because it has zero carbs.

How to Store Pork Belly 

Like all meats, the best way to store cooked pork is in the refrigerator. Baked pork belly will last for about 5 days as long as you wrap it properly in an airtight container.

How to Reheat

To reheat your crispy pork belly, you can either heat it in the oven on a low temperature, wrapped in foil for about 10 minutes, or in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.

Can You Freeze Pork Belly?

Roasted pork belly is ok to freeze, as long as it is wrapped properly to avoid freezer burn.

Just wrap it well in a piece of freezer paper, and then put it into a ziploc freezer bag for extra protection. It will stay fresh for 3-4 months.

Tools to Use

When making this crispy pork belly recipe there are not a lot of tools needed but here are a few:

• Knife – To score the skin/fat on the top.
• Baking Sheet – To bake the pork belly on.
• Foil – To line the baking sheet.
• Rack – Use a baking rack to raise the meat up off the pan. That way the heat will circulate better underneath the meat and will also cook up more evenly.
• Thermometer – A necessary tool to make sure that your oven roasted pork belly is cooked properly.

Other Similar Recipes

We have a few other pork recipes on our website that you are going to love:

• Pork Loin Roast
• Baked Pork Tenderloin
• Oven-Baked Baby Back Ribs
• Instant Pot Pulled Pork
• Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
• Instant Pot Pork Chops
• Pan-Fried Pork Chops

All of them are easy-to-make dinners and will have your friends raving!

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