Crazy delicious yet super simple, this air fryer pork belly is the simple way to make succulent, tender pork belly (with the crispy crackling of your dreams!)
Mouthwatering pork belly (without the hassle)
I love crispy pork belly, but I used to avoid making it at home because it always seemed like kind of a hassle to make (you know, poking holes in the skin, pre-boiling or pressure cooking, etc.)
But then I decided to try cooking it in the air fryer, using a method based on my air fryer roast pork recipe. After a little testing, I finally nailed the perfect method to keep the pork juicy, while creating insanely crispy, bubbly crackling like this:
What do you need?
Pork belly
Choose a cut of pork belly around 1½-inch (4 cm) thick, and around 3 inches (7 cm) wide, with a firm smooth rind and white layers of fat between the meat. Choose 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.
Salt
Salt is a key ingredient for making the skin crispy and bubbly. 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. I used fine sea salt, but flaked salt is also a good choice.
Oil
I used light olive oil for this recipe, but you could substitute another cooking oil with a high smoke point like vegetable oil or corn oil (avoid extra virgin olive oil for cooking in an air fryer).
Seasonings
You can keep things simple and season the pork belly just with salt and pepper, or you can add other seasonings to the pork for extra flavor.
Try adding some garlic powder, brown sugar, chili powder, chipotle, or 5-spice powder and ginger. Use around 1-2 teaspoons in total (depending on how intense you want the flavor to be).
Kitchen foil
I use foil to wrap the lower part of the pork belly (leaving the skin exposed). This captures the fat and juices that might otherwise run out of the meat, keeping it juicy and succulent.
How to cook pork belly in the air fryer
1
Score.
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.
Rub salt into the pork belly skin, and set aside for 10 minutes. Pat dry again with a paper towel to remove any surface moisture that appears.
3
Season and wrap.
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.
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.
4
Air fry.
Preheat the air fryer to 320°F/ 160°C, then place the wrapped pork belly into the air fryer basket. Air fry at this temperature for 30 minutes.
5
Crisp the pork belly.
Finally, turn the temperature up to 390°F/ 195°C, and air fry the pork belly for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the crackling is crispy. See section below for more details on cooking times.
Keep an eye on it towards the end of the cooking time so it doesn’t get burnt.
How long to cook pork belly in the air fryer?
Cooking times will vary depending on the size of the pork belly and how powerful your air fryer is.
Pork is safely cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F/ 74°C. However, for succulent fall-apart-tender pork belly, it needs to be cooked to a much higher internal temperature of around 195-200°F/ 90-95°C.
Use an instant-read meat thermometer to monitor the internal temperature towards the cooking time’s end to get it right.
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 slaw and bbq sauce.
- Serve roasted pork belly slices with teriyaki sauce, greens, and rice.
- Make roasted pork belly tacos with slaw, 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.
Crispy Air Fryer Pork Belly
Ingredients
- 2 lb pork belly
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt divided
- 2 teaspoon other seasonings optional
Instructions
- Score rind of the pork belly with a sharp knife. Only cut through into the fat, not into the meat.
- Rub half the 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
- 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.
- For clean slices, place cooked pork belly skin side down in a chopping board, before slicing through with a sharp knife.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate and provided for informational purposes only.
