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If you’ve never had crispy pork belly, you are in for a treat! It’s different than bacon, but if you love bacon… I think you’ll love this pork belly recipe. It’s incredibly simple to make and lets the flavors shine. Read on to learn how to cook pork belly in the oven, it’s the easiest way to do it!
We have lots of pork recipes here at Wholesome Yum, but not gonna lie – many of them are featuring bacon. If you love pork but are looking to go beyond bacon, try homemade pork rinds, slow cooker pork loin, rosemary garlic pork tenderloin, smothered pork chops, or for the easiest option, pan seared pork chops.
What Is Pork Belly?
Pork belly is a boneless, fatty cut of meat that comes from the belly of the pig. In particular, it’s popular in Chinese, Hispanic, Danish, Norwegian, Korean, Thai, and Filipino cuisine [*].
Is pork belly bacon?
Pork belly and bacon are from the same cut of meat, but there is one big difference. Pork belly is not cured and typically not sliced; bacon is smoked, cured, and sliced.
What does pork belly taste like?
Pork belly is salty, rich, meaty, and melts in your mouth, with a crispy skin on top (the skin is essentially the same as pork rinds!). It’s not as smoky as bacon is, so it does taste different than bacon.
Where can I buy pork belly?
Pork belly isn’t always available at every grocery store, but it’s easy to find at a butcher shop or speciality store that has a wide variety of meats. It’s also common at Asian markets.
TIP: Look for pork belly that is uniform in thickness. This will help it cook evenly.
Is pork belly healthy?
Yes, pork belly is a great source of protein, healthy fat, and vitamins and minerals [*]. Of course, pork belly is high in fat, which is a good thing for low carb and keto diets.
How To Season Pork Belly
While you can go in many different directions for seasoning pork belly, we’re keeping it really basic with this simple pork belly.
The only thing you really need to season pork belly is salt and pepper!
Of course, feel free to branch out. These seasonings are also delicious and common in pork belly recipes:
- Garlic powder
- Brown sugar (or Besti Brown for a sugar-free version!)
- Smoked paprika
- Cayenne pepper
- Chinese five spice – One of the most popular options
- Cajun seasoning – Separately from the above
How To Cook Pork Belly In The Oven
- Score. Use a knife to make a crisscross pattern across the skin of the pork belly.
- Add oil. Brush with avocado oil.
- Season. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. (If you want additional seasonings from the list of ideas above, sprinkle generously at this step.)
- Roast. Roast pork belly in a baking dish, skin side up. Increase heat and bake again. Finally, place under the broiler to crisp up the skin.
- Serve. Let pork belly rest before slicing into 1-inch slices to serve.
How To Cut Pork Belly
Cut pork belly into thin, 1-inch slices before serving, cutting against the grain.
Storage Instructions
You can make pork belly ahead, but it’s best served straight out of the oven (after resting, of course!) so that it’s hot and crispy.
How long will pork belly last?
You can store pork belly slices in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Can you freeze pork belly?
Yes, you can freeze pork belly. Of course you can freeze it raw, but you can also do so after roasting it. Slice and store in a freezer container for 2-3 months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Can pork belly be reheated?
Yes. For crispy pork belly, reheat in a hot skillet, or in the oven at 400 degrees F.
What To Serve With Pork Belly
Now that it’s cooked and ready to eat, are you wondering what to do with pork belly? You have so many options! You can serve it as a breakfast meat, like bacon, or as a main protein dish.
- Veggie Sides – Veggie sides like roasted asparagus, stir fry veggies, or sauteed zucchini all pair well with pork belly.
- Salad – Try creamy cucumber radish salad, Asian cabbage salad, or smashed cucumber salad.
- Bread – Serve the pork belly stuffed into keto dinner rolls or almond flour bread with a drizzle of sugar-free bbq sauce for any easy sandwich.
- Breakfast Items – Breakfast recipes like crustless quiche, egg muffin cups, or hard boiled eggs all pair well with this crispy pork belly recipe.
Tools To Make Crispy Pork Belly
Tap the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Basting Brush – Use this for everything from meats and bbq to baked goods.
- Baking Dish – You’ll find yourself using this baking dish ALL the time. It’s functional and beautiful.
How To Cook Pork Belly
How To Cook Pork Belly (Crispy Pork Belly Recipe)
An EASY to tutorial for how to how to cook pork belly in the oven! This crispy pork belly recipe is rich and flavorful, yet simple, with just 5 minutes prep time.
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C).
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Using a knife, score the skin of the pork belly.
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Use a silicone basting brush to brush the avocado oil over the top of the pork belly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
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Place the pork belly into a stoneware baking dish, skin side up, and bake for 1 hour.
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Increase oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C) and bake for an additional 45 minutes.
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Change oven to broil and broil the pork belly on high for 5 minutes.
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Allow the pork belly to rest for 10 minutes before cutting into 1-inch slices.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 slice, or 1/12 entire recipe
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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43 Comments
Emily
0If I don’t have stoneware if there replacement dish to cook it in. Like a metal pan?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Emily, Yes, that would work.
Emily
0Could you cook a two pound version at the same time, or would you lower the time?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Emily, Yes, I would recommend shorting the cooking time for a 2lb pork belly.
Laurie
0Just love it. So much easier than I thought and very tasty. Topped with cayenne pepper and swerve brown sugar replacement.
Dana H
0This question was asked in March and April and you gave different answers. Please explain.
Question: Should I cook the pork belly skin side up or skin side down?”
Would you please explain when he’s better to use avocado oil than olive oil? I’ve only used avocado a couple of times when a recipe called for it. I don’t know why you would use it instead of olive oil for your first choice.
* I haven’t made the recipe yet so I can’t rate it.
Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Sorry about the confusion – cook skin side up. Avocado oil handles high heat a bit better than olive oil without oxidizing, so that’s why it was chosen for this recipe. Olive oil is not ideal when the broiler is used.
Jay
0I decided to try this recipe with some leftover pork belly. I only had a pound so I adjusted the cook time just slightly. 50 minutes at 350 and 425 for 25 minutes until internal temperature was 199 to 203. This was fantastic melt in your mouth, delicious. Thanks for the recipe it is very easy.
Ms Vee
0What can be substituted for Avocado oil?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Ms Vee, You can also use olive oil.
Michelle
0I used brown sugar as recommended and it burned horribly.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Michelle, Sorry this recipe didn’t turn out as you expected. Did your pork belly burn while baking or while broiling?
Terri
0Would be nice to know the oven temperature. Read through your whole article and do not see it
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Terri, You can find that information in the recipe card which is right above where you left this comment.
Christine Landsberg
0I made this in the air fryer today and used the same times. It came out perfect! Thank you.
Sarah Johnson
0Can this pork belly be cooked in the Air Fryer? If so what temp. would you use ? Thank you so much for all of your wonderful keto recipes. !!!!!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Sarah, I would use 400-425 but the cooking time will be different compared to the oven.
Teresa Little
0Awesome
C Brady
0Love the ease and results of this recipe. Next time I’ll use less salt, but I think it wasn’t the recipe but my error in measuring the salt. I used less pepper than the recipe called for, due to personal choice. This is definitely a keeper and a great addition to our keto way of eating.
Ilene
0This looks delicious! However my belly is already sliced like in your pictures. Can I still somehow adapt and cook it? Please let me know your thoughts, I’m thinking mine would take less time. Thanks for a great recipe!!!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Ilene, You could lower the cooking time if your pork belly is thinner than what mine was.
Mrs Carol Matham
0Question: Does one place the belly skin side up or down when roasting?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Mrs Carol, Skin side up.
Trini L Marchese
0So in this recipe, the skin side that is scored goes down??
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Trini, No skin-side goes up.
Jim Clark
0Loved this! Making it for the second time this month right now. My wife requested it. Very good to have something different from the norm.
Cici
0If you’re cooking only 1 lb. Should the timing be different?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Cici, Yes, If you go to the recipe card and change the servings to 4, it will give you directions on cooking a 1 lb of pork belly.
Holley
0When I adjust the servings it doesn’t change the cooking time, it only changes the ingredients. What am I missing?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Holley, Adjusting the serving size only scales the recipe, it wouldn’t be possible to adjust the cooking time for all possibilities.
Kara
0Easy, foolproof, and DELICIOUS!! So happy to find this easy recipe! All other recipes involved marinating overnight or parboiling or using spices I didn’t have on hand. The only thing is I cooked it too early so after cooling for 10 min out of the oven, I put the big pieces in a warm oven for about an hour before cutting and serving. Also, I used 2-2lb pieces of pork belly and a little less salt/pepper. Thank you for this recipe, definitely a keeper!
Julie Bower
0Excellent recipe and tutorial! We did two 3-pounders at the same time but in different pans. One was s/p/salt-free garlic herb seasoning (best flavor) and the other was s/p/smoked paprika. Thank you!
Natalie
0Very tasty. And easy to make. Great recipe. Thanks
Kristyn
0Love the crisp top! Delicious flavor! My hubby loves pork belly!
Natalie
0Looks incredibly juicy!! Love this cut of meat! Great alone or for so many recipes!
Paula
0We love pork belly, got to try your version! Looks yummy
Natalie
0Gosh this looks so good. It’s perfectly crispy and delicious. I will definitely make this for my family. Yum!
Toni
0I love how crispy it turned out! I loved it!
Jen
0Totally impressed my hubby with this! Thank you for making me look like a rockstar!
Michelle
0Yum, what an easy and delicious recipe! Love how the pork belly got so crisp!
Av
0Lovely recipe. Thanks so much!
Beth Sachs
0Such a delicious easy recipe for the perfect pork belly! It was so crispy.
Scarlet
0I was glad you answered what to serve with it because I was thinking this looks good but what would I put with it? I took your suggestions and the pork belly turned out to be the star of the show. Everyone loved it!