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Air Fryer Pork Belly

Make crispy, melt-in-your-mouth pork belly in the air fryer in next to no time! Crazy delicious yet super simple, this air fryer pork belly recipe is the quick and easy way to perfectly succulent, tender pork belly with the crispy crackling of your dreams.

Sliced air fryer pork belly on a blue plate.

Why you’ll love air fryer pork belly

  • It’s delicious! Air frying pork belly gets great results because the hot air helps to dry the skin out, getting it extra crispy.
  • It’s simple. There is no need to boil it or pressure cook it first, no poking holes with a stick, and no deep frying.
  • It’s fast. The air fryer cooks pork belly in a fraction of the time of traditional methods, so you can enjoy this tasty treat any night of the week.
Crispy pork belly in air fryer basket.

Scroll down for the printable card for this pork belly air fryer recipe, or read on for all the details!

What do you need?

A flat-lay image of the ingredients for this air fryer pork belly recipe.

Pork belly

Choose a cut of pork belly around 3 cm / 1.2″ thick, with a firm smooth rind and white layers of fat between the meat. Try to find one with a consistent thickness so it will lie flat in the air fryer – this helps the skin to crisp up evenly.

When selecting pork belly (aka side pork) for air frying, opt for a fresh-cut slab if possible rather than the pre-packaged vacuum-sealed type. The sealed packaging often retains moisture, preventing the skin from crisping properly during cooking.

Note

If you have already purchased vac-sealed pork belly, you can still achieve perfect crispy crackling, but you will get the best results if you leave the pork uncovered in the fridge overnight so the skin can dry out.

Oil

A little oil is needed to get the pork belly as crispy as possible. The recipe below calls for light olive oil, but you could substitute another cooking oil with a high smoke point (avoid extra virgin olive oil for cooking in an air fryer).

Tip

Choose a cooking oil with a high smoke point to reduce the chance of your air fryer smoking.

Salt

Salt is important for making the skin really crispy. It helps to draw moisture out of the skin to crisp it up, and reacts with the fat to create the perfectly bubbled texture to the crackling.

Optional other seasonings

You can add other seasonings to the pork for extra flavor if you like. I often just add some black pepper, but you can add any pork seasoning you like.

Classic spice pairings like garlic powder, black pepper, and fennel or sage beautifully complement the pork flavor. For bolder flavor, try combinations of brown sugar, chili powder, cumin and chipotle, or 5-spice powder and ginger.

Sliced air fryer pork belly on a blue plate.

How to cook pork belly in the air fryer

This recipe is very simple to prepare, but there are a few key steps to getting it just right:

  1. Score the pork belly rind. Pat the pork belly dry, then carefully score the skin with a knife in a criss-cross pattern, with lines approximately ½ inch/ 1cm apart. Ensure you just score the skin, without cutting through to the meat.
  2. Salt the rind. Rub salt into the pork belly skin, and set aside for 10-20 minutes. You will notice that moisture appears on the surface of the rind. Blot this off with a paper towel to get the pork skin as dry as possible.
Pork belly being scored and salted.
  1. Oil and season pork belly. Drizzle oil over the pork belly and rub the oil into the scores in the skin, and all over the meat. Flip the pork belly over and season the underside with salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you want to add.
  2. Wrap the pork belly. Place the pork belly on a large piece of kitchen foil skin side up, and wrap the sides up to form an open container that fits the pork belly snuggly, leaving the skin exposed. Fold the corners tightly to seal them – this keeps the juices close to the pork while it cooks.
Image showing how to wrap the underside of the pork belly in foil.
  1. Air fry pork belly. Preheat the air fryer 320°F/ 160°C, then place the wrapped pork belly in the air fryer. Air fry pork belly at 320°F/160°C for 30 minutes.
Wrapped pork belly in air fryer basket.
  1. Crisp the pork belly. Finally, then turn the temperature up to 390°F/ 195°C, and air fry the pork belly for an additional 10 minutes or until the crackling is crispy. See section below for more details on cook times.
Air fried pork belly in air fryer basket.

How long to cook pork belly in the air fryer?

Pork belly is cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F/ 74°C. However, for fall-apart-tender meat, pork belly needs to be cooked to a much higher internal temperature of around 195-200°F/ 90-95°C.

The exact time required to cook pork belly in the air fryer will depend on a few factors including exactly how large and thick your piece of pork belly is, and how efficient your air fryer is.

Tip

Use an instant read thermometer to measure the temperature in the center of the thickest part of the meat for an accurate temperature reading.

Sliced air fried pork belly on a blue plate.

Serving ideas

  • Serve slices of roasted pork belly with dipping sauces on the side. Try hoisin sauce, sriracha mayo, plum sauce, bbq sauce, or sweet soy sauce for dipping.
  • Pile slices into slider buns with quick pickles and shredded vegetables for tasty pork belly sliders.
  • Serve roasted pork belly slices with soy sauce, greens, and rice for an Asian-inspired meal.
  • Make roasted pork belly tacos with slaw, sliced onions, cilantro, and lime wedges.

Tip

To slice the roasted pork belly without shattering the crispy skin, turn it upside down on a chopping board and cut through with a sharp knife.

Storing and reheating

Store any leftover pork belly in an air-tight container in the refrigerator, and use within 3 days.

You can reheat the pork belly in the air fryer:

  • Place the pork belly in the air fryer basket and air fry for 3-4 minutes until warmed through.
Sliced air fryer pork belly on a blue plate.

Crispy Air Fryer Pork Belly

4.5 from 335 votes
Make crispy, melt-in-your-mouth pork belly in the air fryer in next to no time! Crazy delicious yet super simple, this air fryer pork belly recipe is the quick and easy way to perfectly succulent, tender pork belly with the crispy crackling of your dreams.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Serves4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 lb / 900 g pork belly
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons fine sea salt divided
  • 2 teaspoon other seasonings optional

Directions

  • Score rind of the pork belly with a sharp knife. Only cut through into the fat, not into the meat.
  • Rub 1 teaspoon of salt into skin, ensuring it goes into the scores. Set aside for ten minutes, then blot any moisture from pork belly surface with paper towels.
  • Drizzle pork belly with oil and rub in. Flip pork belly skin side down and season with remaining salt (plus any other seasonings you want).
  • Place pork belly skin side up on a large piece of kitchen foil, and wrap sides of the foil up to enclose the meat, leaving the skin uncovered. Fold corners tightly together so it does not leak during cooking.
  • Preheat air fryer to 320°F/ 160°C. Place pork belly in air fryer basket, try to ensure it is sitting flat.
  • Air fry pork belly at 320°F/ 160°C for 30 minutes. Then, turn the temperature up to 400°F/ 200°C, and air fry pork belly for an additional 5-10 minutes until the skin is crispy and bubbled [Note 1].
  • Slice pork belly to serve [Note 2].

Notes

  1. Air frying times are an estimate only. The target internal temperature of the pork is 195°F / 90°C. Pork needs to be at least 145°F/ 65°C for safe consumption. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature.
  2. For clean slices, place cooked pork belly skin side down in a chopping board, before slicing through with a sharp knife.

Nutrition

Serving: 1  Calories: 556kcal  Protein: 39g  Fat: 43g  Saturated Fat: 14g  Polyunsaturated Fat: 27g  Cholesterol: 143mg  Sodium: 689mg

Nutrition information is an estimate and provided for informational purposes only.

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Welcome to Love Food Not Cooking!

I’m Eliza, busy mom, home cook, and blogger. My goal is to help everyone cook good food, whether you lack time, skills, or motivation, there is something here for you! We have dozens of quick and easy recipes made using everyday ingredients for delicious meals your family will love!
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