10+ Pork Belly Recipes You’ll Love to Try Today

Pork belly’s one of those cuts that just begs for creativity in the kitchen. It’s rich, a little decadent, and honestly, it can be as easy or as fancy as you want it to be.

You can roast it, slow-cook it, fry it, or even smoke it if you’re feeling adventurous. Simple recipes can make pork belly juicy and delicious, whatever meal you’re planning.

Maybe you’re new to pork belly, or maybe you’re just bored with your usual go-to. Either way, there are easy ways to get great flavors and textures out of this cut.

Cooking pork belly at home means you get to skip the fancy restaurant markup. And honestly, you don’t need much—just a few pantry staples and some patience.

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Ingredients:

• Pork belly
• Salt
• Pepper
• Cooking oil

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Cooking Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C).
2. Score the skin of the pork belly with a sharp knife.
3. Rub salt and pepper all over the pork belly.
4. Place the pork belly on a baking tray skin side up.
5. Roast in the oven for 2 to 3 hours until tender.
6. Crank the oven to 425°F (220°C) for the last 20 minutes to crisp the skin.
7. Let it rest before slicing and serving.

1) Slow-Roasted Crispy Pork Belly with Perfect Crackling

Start by drying the pork belly skin really well—seriously, don’t skip this. Dry skin is the secret to getting that shatteringly crisp crackling.

You’ll roast the pork low and slow until the meat gets super tender. After that, blast it with high heat for 15-30 minutes at around 450°F (230°C). That’s when the magic happens and the crackling gets perfect.

Score or poke holes in the skin to help the fat render out. Don’t be shy with the salt or your favorite spices.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds pork belly, skin on
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• Optional: garlic powder, paprika, or whatever you like

Cooking Instructions

1. Pat the skin dry with paper towels.
2. Score or poke holes in the skin.
3. Rub salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you want over the pork.
4. Roast at 275°F (135°C) for 2.5 to 3 hours.
5. Crank the oven to 450°F (230°C) and roast another 15-30 minutes.
6. Let it rest before you slice in.

Get more details at this Slow-Roasted Crispy Pork Belly recipe.

2) Sticky Chinese Pork Belly with Ginger and Garlic

Slice your pork belly into thick pieces. Sear them with ginger and garlic in a pan until they turn golden and smell amazing.

Next, pour in chicken stock, rice wine, sugar, and your seasonings. Simmer slowly with the lid on so the pork gets tender and sticky.

The sauce thickens as it cooks, wrapping the pork in a sweet and spicy glaze. This dish is a winner over rice or noodles.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds pork belly, sliced
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons rice wine
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 inches fresh ginger, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Cooking Instructions

1. Brown pork belly slices with ginger and garlic in a pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add chicken stock, rice wine, and sugar.
3. Bring to a boil, cover, and drop the heat to low.
4. Simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours, stirring now and then.
5. Take the lid off and cook until the sauce thickens up.
6. Season with salt and pepper right before serving.

3) 30-Minute Thai Style Crispy Pork Belly

If you want crispy pork belly fast, this Thai-style recipe is your friend. The trick is double-frying—first to cook it through, then again for that crunchy bite.

Boil the pork belly for a bit to soften it up. Dry it really well before you fry.

Double frying gives it that signature crunch. Fish sauce adds a punchy, savory flavor that just works with pork belly’s richness.

Great for when you want big flavor but don’t have hours to spare.

Ingredients

• 1 pound pork belly
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Oil for frying

Cooking Instructions

1. Boil pork belly for 10 minutes until it’s just tender.
2. Drain and pat dry (don’t rush this part).
3. Heat oil to 350°F (175°C). Fry for 5 minutes, then pull it out.
4. Turn the oil up to 375°F (190°C) and fry again for 2-3 minutes until crispy.
5. Toss with fish sauce and salt. Eat it while it’s hot.

Check out the 30-minute crispy pork belly recipe for more.

4) Smoked Melt-In-Your-Mouth Pork Belly

If you’ve got a smoker, pork belly is a must-try. Start by rubbing the pork belly with your favorite spice mix.

Smoke it low and slow—225°F (107°C) for 4-5 hours. The fat renders, the flavors deepen, and you end up with a bark outside and melt-in-your-mouth inside.

Slice it thick, chop it for tacos, or cube it for burnt ends. There’s honestly no wrong way to eat smoked pork belly.

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds pork belly
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Cooking Instructions:

1. Mix salt, pepper, sugar, paprika, and garlic powder for a dry rub.
2. Coat the pork belly all over with the rub.
3. Preheat your smoker to 225°F (107°C).
4. Smoke for 4-5 hours until tender.
5. Let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Find the full method at this smoked pork belly recipe.

5) Roasted Juicy Pork Belly with Crispy Top

Roasting pork belly is classic for a reason. Season it well so the flavors soak in and the meat stays juicy.

Cook it low and slow at first, then crank up the heat to crisp the skin. Poking holes in the skin before roasting helps get that extra crunch.

You’ll end up with a great balance of soft meat and crispy crackling. Perfect for a family meal or just because you want something special.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds pork belly
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 275°F (135°C).
2. Score the skin and poke holes all over with a fork.
3. Rub salt, pepper, and garlic powder all over.
4. Place pork belly on a rack in a baking tray.
5. Roast for 2.5 to 3 hours at low heat.
6. Finish at 450°F (230°C) for 20-30 minutes to crisp up the skin.
7. Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

More on this at slow-roasted crispy pork belly.

6) Pork Belly Bites – Fried and Seasoned

Cut pork belly into bite-sized pieces and fry them until golden and crisp. These little bites are perfect for snacking or tossing on top of salads and rice.

Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to keep things simple but tasty. Frying is quick—just keep an eye so they don’t burn.

If you want less mess, try air frying. The crunch is still there, but you use a lot less oil.

Ingredients

• 1 pound pork belly, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil

Cooking Instructions

1. Heat oil in a deep pan or air fryer to 375°F (190°C).
2. Pat the pork dry and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
3. Fry for 8-10 minutes, turning so all sides get crispy.
4. Drain on paper towels when they’re golden brown.
5. Serve warm—try not to eat them all yourself.

Find more tips at this Fried Pork Belly Bites recipe.

7) Korean Bossam Pork Belly Wraps

Bossam is a Korean favorite. You boil pork belly until it’s fork-tender, then slice it thin and wrap it in cabbage leaves.

Serve with spicy radish kimchi or fermented shrimp if you like a little extra punch. The cabbage gives a fresh crunch that’s great with the rich pork.

It’s a social dish—everyone builds their own wraps and digs in.

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds pork belly, skin-on
• 1 onion, halved
• 3 green onion stalks
• ¼ Korean radish
• 3 tablespoons doenjang (fermented soybean paste)
• Napa cabbage leaves, blanched
• Spicy radish kimchi or fermented shrimp (optional)

Cooking Instructions

1. Rinse pork belly in cold water for 30 minutes.
2. Add pork, onion, radish, green onions, and doenjang to a big pot.
3. Cover with water and boil gently for 1.5 to 2 hours until the pork is tender.
4. Slice the pork thin.
5. Serve with cabbage leaves and your favorite sides.

8) Taiwanese Gua Bao with Braised Pork Belly

Gua Bao is all about that soft, pillowy bun stuffed with juicy braised pork belly. The pork gets cooked low and slow until it’s super tender and flavorful.

Add pickled veggies and fresh herbs for a hit of brightness. Traditional Gua Bao usually has peanut powder and pickled mustard greens for a little crunch and tang.

It’s a classic Taiwanese street food you can totally pull off at home.

Ingredients

• 1 pound pork belly, skin-on
• 2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup water or chicken stock
• 6 fluffy steamed bao buns
• Pickled mustard greens and cilantro (optional)
• Crushed peanuts (optional)

Cooking Instructions

1. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.
2. Brown pork belly on all sides.
3. Add garlic, soy sauce, sugar, and water.
4. Cover and simmer on low heat for 2 hours until the pork is tender.
5. Steam bao buns until they’re soft and fluffy.
6. Slice the pork belly and tuck it into buns with pickles and peanuts.

9) BBQ Pork Belly with Classic American Sides

BBQ pork belly brings that crispy crackling and juicy, tender meat. You can slow-cook it on the grill or in your oven to get that smoky vibe.

Pair it with classic sides like coleslaw, baked beans, or cornbread. The smoky, spicy pork just loves something creamy or tangy next to it.

Grilled corn or potato salad also works if you’re into mixing things up. Honestly, it’s hard to go wrong here if you’re a BBQ fan.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs pork belly
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Coleslaw
• Baked beans
• Cornbread

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat your oven or grill to 275°F (135°C).
2. Score the pork belly skin, then season with salt, pepper, paprika, sugar, and garlic powder.
3. Cook pork belly low and slow for 3 hours until it’s tender.
4. Crank up the heat to 425°F (220°C) for 20 minutes to crisp up the crackling.
5. Let it rest for 10 minutes, slice, and serve with your favorite sides.

10) Paper-Thin Hot-Pot Sliced Pork Belly

Hot pot with really thin pork belly is kind of a game-changer. The meat cooks in seconds and stays super tender.

You dip each slice into a kombu seaweed broth. The broth is light, so the pork flavor stands out.

Throw in some mushrooms, cabbage, and green onions. Cooking everything together at the table makes the meal feel special and a little interactive.

After you cook the pork, dip it in ponzu or sesame sauce for a flavor boost. This style is big in Japanese cooking, and it’s surprisingly easy to do at home.

The trick is slicing the pork belly paper-thin so it cooks fast in the hot broth.

Ingredients

• 1 lb paper-thin sliced pork belly
• 6 cups kombu broth (water with kombu seaweed)
• 1 cup napa cabbage, chopped
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• ½ cup green onions, chopped
• Ponzu or sesame sauce for dipping

Cooking Instructions

1. Heat the kombu broth in a pot. Don’t let it boil—stop when it’s just about to simmer, around 180°F (82°C).

2. Toss your vegetables in and let them cook until they’re nice and tender.

3. Grab those thin pork belly slices and dip them in the hot broth. Ten to fifteen seconds should do the trick.

4. Take the pork out and dunk it in your favorite sauce before taking a bite.

5. Keep going with the rest of the pork and veggies.