Crispy Pork Belly
Crispy pork belly is an easy project for a relaxing weekend. This method makes it crispier than any we have tried. It is the ultimate comfort food.
🍽️ Recipe Name: Crispy Pork Belly
⏰ Ready In: 13 hours 5 minutes
⏳ Prep Time: 5 minutes (+ 12 hours resting)
🔥 Cook Time: 1 hour
👥 Serves: 12
🥕 Main Ingredients: Pork belly, coarse kosher salt, cracked black pepper, pork dry rub.
🍳 Special Equipment: Rimmed baking sheet, metal skewer, heavy-duty aluminum foil, wire rack, meat thermometer.
⭐ Why You’ll Love It: Crispy, crackling skin with juicy, tender pork underneath. Easy to prepare with just a handful of ingredients and perfect for a weekend meal or entertaining.
👇 Full measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.
In addition to the lovely, crispy skin, the meat is juicy and succulent. You won’t find a juicier piece of meat. It really is amazing that the skin goes from a somewhat rubbery, totally unappetizing blob to a crispy, crunchy crackle. Very similar to fried chicharrones that you might find in Latin American cuisine. Instead of being heavy, they are light and airy with an incredible crispness.
Ingredients
- Pork Belly: Ask your butcher for a whole, boneless center-cut pork belly with the pork skin still on it. This cut is the cut used to make bacon. Bacon is generally cured and smoked.
- Salt: Use sea salt or kosher salt.
- Dry Rub for Pork: Make a homemade rub with brown sugar, chili powder, garlic, paprika, cumin, and more, or use your favorite store-bought rub.
How to Make Crispy Pork Belly
Dry off the pork belly with a paper towel on both sides, particularly the skin side. You need to eliminate as much moisture as you can.
Poke holes in the skin with a metal skewer, sharp knife, or similar tool. Try not to go deep enough to put in the meat.
Salt the skin well. Place the belly meat side down on a baking sheet. Refrigerate it overnight for up to 48 hours. The holes and the salt will release fat and moisture from under the skin and crisp up the skin.
When you are ready to roast, rub the meat side of the pork roast with the dry rub for pork.
Make a “boat” with two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil to catch all of the juices. Roast in the oven on a rimmed baking sheet at 400°F for 45 minutes. Drain the fat from the aluminum foil boat. Place a small wire rack on the foil and place the roast on it. Reduce the heat to 325°F and finish cooking to an internal temperature of 165°F.
Let the meat rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Cut the belly into small squares. Serve it with BBQ sauce or just eat it plain. It is that good! Another great pork recipe is this Thai Grilled Pork Jowl.
Tips For Your Success
- Dry the skin thoroughly. Moisture is the biggest enemy of crispy crackling. Pat the skin dry with paper towels before seasoning, and let it air dry in the refrigerator if you have extra time.
- Don’t skip pricking the skin. Use a metal kebab skewer to make small holes across the surface. This helps the fat render out, creating light, crispy crackling.
- Keep the pork level while roasting. If one side sits lower than the other, the rendered fat can pool and prevent that area from crisping evenly.
- Rest before slicing. Let the pork belly rest for 10 to 15 minutes after cooking. This keeps the juices in the meat while the crackling stays crisp.
How to Serve It
We serve it with rice and a fresh, green salad since the pork is heavy.
- Chop them up, add spices like cumin and chili powder, and use the meat for tacos.
- Top salads with the meat for an easy lunch or dinner.
- Add the meat to a stir fry or make fried rice with it.
- It is delicious to top ramen. Don’t submerge the skin in the broth, or you will lose the crunch.
- Leftovers make delicious sandwiches with BBQ sauce.
How to Store Leftovers
Wrap the leftovers well in an airtight storage container or in storage bags. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can freeze them for longer storage, packaged in airtight containers for at least six months.
Tools That Make This Recipe Work
If you don’t already have these, this is where most people struggle.
- Meat Thermometer – The only reliable way to know when the pork is perfectly cooked. Without one, you’re left guessing and risk dry meat or undercooked pork.
- Rimmed Baking Sheet – Catches the rendered fat and keeps your oven clean. A regular sheet pan can overflow, creating a smoky mess.
- Cooling Rack – Lifts the pork above the pan so hot air circulates underneath, helping the skin crisp evenly instead of sitting in grease.
- Aluminum Foil – Protects parts of the pork from over-browning and makes cleanup much easier. Skipping it can leave you with burnt spots and stubborn baked-on grease.
- Metal Kebab Skewer – Pricks the skin so the fat can render and the crackling puffs up beautifully. Without it, the skin is more likely to stay chewy instead of crispy.
- Air Fryer – Delivers incredibly crisp crackling in less time than reheating in the oven. If you don’t have one, you can still use the oven, but it will take longer to achieve the same crunch.
Place the wrapped turkey directly on this baking sheet before it goes into the oven. It catches drips and makes transferring the roast much easier
This metal skewer makes it easy to pierce the skin without cutting into the meat. It’s a simple step that helps create a crisp, bubbly crackling.
Additional Recipes with Pork
- Smoked Pork Loin
- Sweet & Spicy Pork Chops
- Chipotle Bacon
- Pork Loin Cordon Bleu
- How to Make Bacon
- Smoked Pulled Pork
- Pork Tomahawk
- Air Fryer Pork Loin
Frequently Asked Questions
Why isn’t my pork belly skin getting crispy?
The skin must be as dry as possible before cooking. Pat it dry thoroughly, leave it uncovered in the refrigerator if you have time, and be sure to prick the skin with a metal skewer so the fat can render. High heat at the end of cooking also helps create crispy crackling.
Can I use frozen pork belly?
Yes, but thaw it completely in the refrigerator before cooking. The skin needs to be dry for the best crackling, and frozen pork belly won’t cook or crisp evenly if it’s still partially frozen.
Do I need to score the pork belly skin?
No. This recipe uses a metal kebab skewer to prick the skin instead of scoring it. Tiny holes help the fat render while keeping the skin intact, resulting in crispier crackling.
Crispy Pork Belly
Ingredients
- 3 pounds pork belly
- 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt or sea salt
- 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon recipe dry rub, or use your favorite store bought pork rub
Instructions
- Dry the meat side and skin side of the pork belly well with paper towels.3 pounds pork belly
- Poke holes in the skin with a metal skewer, or similar tool.
- Salt the skin well. Place the belly meat side down on a baking sheet. Refrigerate it overnight for up to 48 hours. The holes and the salt will release fat from under the skin and crisp up the skin.1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt or sea salt
- When you are ready to roast, rub the meat side of the pork roast with the dry rub for pork.1 tablespoon recipe dry rub, or use your favorite store bought pork rub, 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
- Make a “boat” with two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil to catch all of the juices. Roast in the oven at 400°F for 45 minutes.
- Drain the fat from the aluminum foil boat. Place a small wire rack on the foil and place the roast on it. Reduce heat to 325°F and finish cooking to an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Let the meat rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Cut the belly into small squares. Serve it with BBQ sauce or just eat it plain. It is that good!
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Crispy pork belly question: When roasting the pork belly at 400-degrees is the skin side up or down? Is the skin side up when roasting on the rack at 325-degrees?
I put the skin side down when roasting at lower temp to render some of the fat, and flip it over to crisp the skin at the higher temperature.