Avid home cooks will surely find a mouth-watering pork belly recipe here to prepare this evening. Tender and succulent, our top 10 recipes with pork belly are easy to prepare and don’t require many ingredients (most of them can be found at your local shops).
One thing that is crucial to making pork belly tasty is proper marination and sauce. The meat is juicy and fatty, and its flavor is drastically enhanced when left in marinade for hours or overnight.
Now, the number of methods you can use to cook belly pork is endless. We have chosen the best of the best, in our opinion.
1. Pork Belly Ramen
The warm and aromatic pork ramen is exactly what you need during a cold winter night. You can also substitute chicken soup when you feel sick with this spicy brew.
The pork belly recipe shouldn’t take you longer than half an hour, and you can either use store-bought pre-marinated pork belly or marinate it yourself.
If you don’t like soggy pork belly, fry it for a few minutes before adding it to your broth. It will cook pork belly thoroughly and soften it inside so that you can enjoy its crispiness.
Topped with ramen noodles, black pepper, salt, smoked paprika, sriracha, and other spices, your ramen will become your no 1 recipe this season.
When serving, chop some fresh green onions and parsley to sprinkle on top.
2. Honey Glazed Pork Belly
A piece of pork belly, seasoned and coated in honey garlic sauce, goes excellent with any side dish you prefer, be it pasta, mashed potatoes, or rice.
The honey-glazed pork belly recipe takes less than an hour to cook. The key to making your crispy pork belly is to make thin cuts with a sharp knife on pork belly slices. It lets the skin side absorb the sauce made of Shaoxing rice wine, honey, soy sauce, brown sugar, and garlic powder.
Crispy yet juicy, this belly pork recipe is enough to get you full. Slow-roasted pork belly is so easy to make you will never be tempted to eat it outside – especially when you know how to prepare a flavorsome meal yourself at home.
Do experiment with the crispy pork belly recipe, in particular with the sauce, as it is what gives your pork belly its flavor. Adjust the sauce to the sweetness level you like, make it spicier with chili pepper or saltier with soy sauce. Add honey with brown sugar, but don’t forget fresh ingredients like mushrooms and green onions to serve your meal with.
A mouth-watering dinner is waiting for you in less than an hour, are you hungry yet?
3. Crispy Pork Belly
A crispy pork belly is what goes well with any side dish and nicely compliments any salad. It’s so filling you can serve a full-course dinner or take it for your lunch at work.
The way we like a crispy pork belly is crackling with bubbles. The crispiness of the outer layer is so satisfying to bite into, and the softness of juicy meat is what makes us come for more.
The secret to making it is rock salt and holes. Let us explain. When prepping the meat, place pork belly skin side up, and poke many holes in it. Make sure you only pierce the skin and not the fat.
Next, marinate the pork belly flesh by adding Shaoxing wine and a ton of aromatic spices. Refrigerate overnight and continue the next day. Twelve hours is enough for the pork belly to flavor.
The next step is to cover the pork skin with rock salt and roast it for an hour. Follow the rest of the recipe we’ve linked to achieving the crispiest pork belly.
4. Slow-Cooked Pork Belly
Do you crave soft and tender meat for dinner? Then you should definitely try the slow-cooked pork belly recipe. The slow-cooking method lets the fat render into the meat so that the flesh isn’t chewy but rather delicate and moist, just like we want it!
Make sure you prepare for cooking in advance, as the recipe takes 4 hours! Don’t starve yourself, and better prepare a quick snack meanwhile.
The preparation takes minimal effort, you only need to throw some onions and garlic into the slow cooker and rub the pork belly pieces with sauce. After it is cooked, you will only need to sizzle pork belly slices on a non-stick pan until browned – and voila, serve it with mashed potatoes, noodles, or steamed veggies.
5. Slow-Roasted Pork Belly
The slow-roasting recipe is very similar to the one we described above. The technique is almost the same: rub the belly pork with sauce, wrap in a plastic wrap to give it shape (optional), and let it marinate in the fridge overnight.
This recipe doesn’t need a slow cooker, only an oven. Place the meat skin up on a shallow tin over vegetables like onions and garlic. Cook pork belly for about 3-4 hours.
The secret to making your dish juicy and flavorful is the sauce – mix tahini or soy sauce with lemon and lime.
Get your serrated knife out and slice the pork belly into crispy cubes or slices. Serve with anything that will curb your appetite.
6. Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends
This must be our favorite cooking method of all finger-licking pork belly recipes. What makes this recipe stand out is the seasoning and sauce. All you need to make this recipe work is a smoker, a few ingredients, and love.
First, get a small bowl and place cubes of pork belly there. Throw in your favorite spices – turmeric, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, chili powder, brown sugar, etc. Add olive oil to the mixture and make sure every fatty cube is well-coated.
Second, preheat your smoker to 275°F and place the pork belly cubes there. Close the lead and give them 2 hours to crisp. Transfer to the drip pan, cover with foil and put the meat back into a smoker for another 2 hours.
The third step is important, so make sure to save this page to return to it. To give your pork belly cubes a kick, you need a sauce, and not any sauce but the Sweet and Sticky BBQ.
Once the meat is cooked, drip the sauce over the cubes and let them smoke for a bit longer.
Pork belly burnt ends are the ideal party snack and a great showoff of your cooking skills.
7. Sticky Chinese BBQ Pork Belly
Meltingly tender pork belly slices can be achieved with minimal effort with this recipe.
As with all pork belly recipes listed here, you need to make a sauce. This way, you will caramelize the pork belly slices and give them a sweet-spicy flavor.
To enhance the flavor and tenderize pork belly slices, you will also need to refrigerate them for a few hours after marinating or overnight if you aren’t in a rush to make dinner.
The next step is the easiest part of the recipe – dry the belly pork with paper towels and place it onto a pan or shallow tin. Shove it into the oven and forget about it for about an hour. From time to time, pour the remaining marinade over the slices and flip them on the other side once.
8. Teriyaki Pork Belly Bites
Teriyaki chicken bites are a soft and juicy snack during a family gathering. But the recipe is much more flavorful when cooked with pork belly.
You’ll only need a baking tray, a large bowl, and an oven for the recipe – nothing else.
This recipe requires a large amount of sauce: a mixture of minced garlic and ginger, soy sauce, mirin, and brown sugar. Drown the pork belly cubes in there and leave them in the fridge overnight or at least for a few hours.
Next, place the cubes on the tray and roast them for 20 minutes. Your last step is crucial! Heat the teriyaki sauce and add roasted pork belly cubes to the pan. The sauce will nicely cover the meat, and as it thickens, it will stick to the pork belly cubes.
The tender pork meat with sticky sweet teriyaki sauce will melt in your mouth instantly.
9. Pork Belly Vindaloo
This recipe is out of this world. It is juicy, spicy, and super easy to make! Your imagination will help you make this recipe better. Choose what herbs you want to add, adjust the spiciness of the dish, and throw in as many steamed veggies as you want.
Basically, you need pork belly chops and anything you find in your fridge. We love this recipe because you can add anything you want there.
You know the drill by now:
- Marinate pork cubes
- Refrigerate overnight
- Get your “What are you cooking?” set of butter, chopped onions, and minced garlic.
- Add the meat, fry it on high heat until bronzed, and continue cooking on medium heat for another 20 minutes.
As you add the sauce, you can adjust how thick you want it to be. Note that the more water you add, the more flavor it loses.
Vindaloo goes well with rice and noodles, but you can also try it with mashed potatoes.
10. Pork Belly Porchetta
Let’s start by saying that this recipe is for more experienced home cooks.
Pork belly porchetta will teleport you to a lovely Italian household. Its smell is mouth-watering, and its taste is mind-blowing. Nothing will tingle your tastebuds like a juicy pork belly porchetta.
Ask your local butcher to tie pork belly, so there is a nice balance of flesh and pork fat. This way, the flesh becomes tender after a few hours of cooking.
What we really like about Italian porchetta is that it is impossible to dry out. Doesn’t it give you peace of mind knowing that leaving it for a few minutes longer won’t lead to a disaster?
Cooking a pork belly porchetta may be the hardest recipe of all here, but definitely, the one that can feed the whole family.
Final Word
Many find big pieces of meat intimidating to cook, but pork belly is a different story. It isn’t anything like roasting duck or frying chicken. Pork belly recipes always turn out delicious and nutritious! The key to making your pork belly dishes yummy is the fresh meat (obviously) but also sauce and spices. You can never go wrong here – on the contrary, you can experiment with different ingredients.
In short, choose a simple recipe out of our list, get all the ingredients you need, and get carried away with cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are popular air fryer recipes for pork belly?
Air fryer pork belly recipes have gained popularity due to their crispy texture and ease of preparation. One popular recipe involves marinating the pork belly in a mix of soy sauce, garlic, and five-spice powder. After marinating for a few hours, cook the pork belly in the air fryer at 400°F (200°C) for about 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through. Another option is to make pork belly bites by cutting the meat into cubes, seasoning with your favorite spices, and air frying for 15-20 minutes at 375°F (190°C).
What are some top Chinese pork belly dishes?
Chinese cuisine is known for its flavorful and tender pork belly dishes. A popular dish is Red-Braised Pork Belly, where the meat is cooked in a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, and Chinese spices, resulting in a rich, caramelized flavor. Another well-known dish is Twice-Cooked Pork, which involves boiling the pork belly first, then stir-frying it with vegetables and Sichuan bean paste for a spicy kick.
How can I make the best braised pork belly?
To make the best braised pork belly, start by searing the meat on all sides in a hot pan to develop a rich, brown crust. Then, remove the pork belly from the pan and add aromatic vegetables such as onions, carrots, and celery. Cook them until softened, then deglaze the pan with a flavorful liquid like wine or stock. Return the pork belly to the pan, add your desired braising liquid (such as a mix of stock and tomato paste), and let it cook low and slow, either on the stovetop or in the oven, for about 2-3 hours until tender.
What is the ideal oven-roasting method for pork belly?
For a delicious oven-roasted pork belly, start by scoring the skin in a crosshatch pattern to help it crisp up during cooking. Marinate the meat in your preferred seasoning mixture, and let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) and roast the pork belly skin-side up for about 30 minutes to get the skin crispy. Then, reduce the oven temperature to 325°F (160°C) and cook for an additional 1-1.5 hours until tender.
How do I get the most flavorful slow-cooked pork belly?
For an intensely flavorful slow-cooked pork belly, use a combination of both dry rub and liquid marinade. Mix together your desired spices and rub them onto the pork belly. Then, create a liquid marinade with ingredients such as soy sauce, honey, and garlic, and let the pork belly soak in it for a few hours. Place the meat in your slow cooker, along with some aromatic vegetables and a small amount of braising liquid, and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the pork belly is fork-tender.
Which MasterChef crispy pork belly recipe is well-known?
The MasterChef Crispy Pork Belly recipe by Kylie Kwong is well-known for its perfect balance of textures and flavors. This recipe involves boiling the pork belly in water infused with ginger, green onions, and Shaoxing wine. After cooling and drying the meat, it is roasted in the oven with a coating of sea salt and five-spice powder. The final dish has a crispy skin and a tender, juicy interior.
Honey Garlic Roast Pork Belly + More Great Recipes
Ingredients
- Himalayan salt
- 1 lb of pork belly
Sticky Honey Garlic Sauce
- 1 orange
- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
- 3.5 oz of soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 minced clove of garlic
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Instructions
Making the Pork Belly
- You'll want to start preheating your oven to 345 degrees Fahrenheit and take out a roasting tray. Line the tray with foil to prepare your pork belly slices.
- Place your slices with the fat side up inside the tray making sure to leave room between each one. You'll want to score the fat on each piece of pork belly. Then, lay your pieces on their side and season them all with a pinch of salt. You don't want to salt them too much because pork is already very salty meat.
- Keeping each piece of pork belly on its side, stick them in the oven for 12 minutes. Once the belly pieces are starting to brown on the top side, turn them over and continue roasting for 10 minutes. You want each side of the pork belly to be golden and there should no longer be any pink on the inside of the meat.
- Take the pork belly out and change your oven setting to broiler because you want to finish off the crackling on the pork belly. While the oven is transitioning, take the pork belly pieces and lean all your slices against one another. This will help the pieces stand up further and get a better broil. You'll broil the pork belly pieces for another 5 minutes or until the cracking is crispy and bubbling.
Making the Sauce
- Get a medium-sized saucepan big enough to hold the rest of your ingredients. Add all your ingredients at the same time for the sauce into your pan and then bring everything to a boil. Immediately lower the temperature back down to a simmer after bringing it to a boil and then continue cooking everything until you get a consistency that is thick enough to coat your pork belly pieces and stay on. The entire process should only take 2-3 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
- More Delicious Winter Cocktails - October 23, 2024
- More Hot Starbucks Drink Recipes - October 22, 2024
- More Boozy Drinks Recipes - October 22, 2024