This Crispy Pork Belly Recipe creates beautifully golden pork with crunchy crackling and tender, flavorful meat. Inspired by Chinese-style roast pork belly, this oven-roasted dish combines a savory marinade with a simple salt-crust technique to help the skin become crisp and bubbly. It’s an impressive main course for a weekend dinner, family gathering, or special occasion.
The secret to delicious golden pork belly is keeping the skin dry while allowing the meat to absorb plenty of flavor. This recipe uses a marinade made with soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, brown sugar, and minced garlic. Together, these ingredients create a savory, slightly sweet flavor that complements the richness of the pork.
Start with a two-pound piece of pork belly, preferably with the skin attached if you want traditional crispy crackling. Pat the skin completely dry with paper towels, then place the pork belly meat-side down in a shallow pan containing the marinade. Make sure the marinade touches only the meat and doesn’t soak the skin.
Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. This gives the meat time to absorb the seasonings while helping the skin remain dry for roasting.
When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the pork belly on a wire rack over a foil-lined roasting pan containing about an inch of water. Keep the pork level so the skin cooks evenly.
A stainless steel roasting rack is especially useful for this recipe because it elevates the pork above the water and allows heat to circulate around the meat.
Spread the measured salt evenly across the skin, then roast for approximately 40 minutes. Remove the salt crust, increase the oven temperature to 465°F, and roast for another 30 minutes, or until the skin becomes golden and bubbly.
Allow the pork belly to rest briefly before slicing. Serve with steamed rice, fresh vegetables, or a tangy Asian-style slaw to balance the rich, crispy pork.
Serve this with some crispy Ragoons, Soybean Sprout Soup or some crunchy Mushroom Spring Rolls
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Pork Belly
- Total Time: 9:10
- Yield: 4-6 1x
Ingredients
- 2 lb pork belly
- 1 cup table salt
Marinade
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup shaoxing rice wine
- 2 tbsp brown sugar you can replace with sugar substitute for low carb or keto
- 2 cloves garlic minced
Instructions
- Using a paper towel, pat skin of pork belly until it is completely dry. Mix marinade ingredients in a bowl and then pour into a rectangular pan that is big enough to hold the pork belly. Place pork belly into the pan, making sure only the meat touches the marinade and the skin stays completely dry. If the marinade level is too high you can pour some of it out. Place in fridge for several hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Completely line a roasting pan with foil (this will make clean-up much easier). Pour 1 inch of water into bottom of pan. Place wire rack on top of roasting pan to hold the pork belly. Place the pork belly on the wire rack. The pork belly will cook above the water, with the pork drippings dripping down below into the water. Make sure the pork belly is level (if one part is lower/shorter the skin will not cook evenly. if you have to, use something oven-safe to prop up a shorter part to keep it completely level).
- Spread 1 cup of salt evenly across the pork belly skin. Place into top half of oven. Bake for about 40 minutes until meat looks cooked.
- Remove pork belly and increase oven temperature to 465°F. The salt that was poured over pork belly should have formed a crust. Remove salt crust from pork belly. Wipe off any excess salt from the pork belly skin. Once oven has reached desired temperature, place pork belly back into oven. Bake for another 30 minutes until skin is completely bubbly and crisp. Let pork belly cool a few minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
How to Get Crispy Pork Belly Skin
For the best crackling, use skin-on pork belly and keep the skin completely dry throughout marinating.
Spread the measured salt evenly over the skin before the first roasting stage. The salt is used to form a temporary crust, not as a seasoning to leave on the finished pork.
After the initial 40-minute roast, carefully remove the salt crust and brush away any remaining loose salt.
Increase the oven temperature to 465°F and continue roasting until the skin is bubbly and crisp. Watch closely during this final stage to prevent burning.
How Do You Know Pork Belly Is Done?
Pork belly is ready when the meat is thoroughly cooked and tender and the skin has developed crisp, golden crackling.
Use a food thermometer to check the thickest part of the meat without touching bone or the roasting rack. Whole-cut pork must reach at least 145°F (63°C) and rest for at least 3 minutes for food safety, although pork belly generally needs additional cooking to become tender.
If the skin browns too quickly, adjust the oven heat as needed. Let the pork rest briefly before slicing with a sharp knife.
Storing Leftover Pork Belly
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours of cooking and use within 3–4 days, or freeze for longer storage.
Reheat until thoroughly hot. The skin may lose some crispness during storage, but reheating in an oven or air fryer can help restore its texture.
- Prep Time: :10
- Marinade: 8:00
- Cook Time: 1:00