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    Recipes » Main Course Recipes » Asian Main Courses

    Korean Pork Belly

    Published: Jul 19, 2022 by Marissa Stevens · 21 Comments

    Gluten FreeQuick Meals

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe
    Korean pork belly served on a brushed metal platter

    Korean Pork Belly is a wildly flavorful main course that you can make in just over 30 minutes, including the time to marinate! Crispy on the outside and juicy within, it's a dish you'll crave.

    Korean Pork Belly served on a brushed metal platter and photographed from above.

    Korea has a rich culinary history dating back thousands of years and is home to some of the world’s best chefs and restaurants. The country’s cuisine is influenced by its geography, climate, and culture. Korean food is known for being hearty and filling, two great words for describing unctuous pork belly. It's also very diverse, ranging from simple dishes like kimchi (pickled cabbage) to more complex ones like Budae Jjigae (army base stew).

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients You Need to Make Korean Pork Belly
    • Recipe Tips
    • More great Pork Belly Recipes
    • How to Make Korean Pork Belly
    • Korean Pork Belly
    • 💬 Comments

    Ingredients You Need to Make Korean Pork Belly

    Korean Pork Belly Ingredients on a white marble board.
    • Pork Belly: raw pork belly
    • Ginger: fresh ginger root 
    • Korean Got Pepper Paste: (gochujang)
    • Korean Hot Pepper Flakes: (gochugaru)
    • Soy Sauce: or tamari for a gluten free version
    • Toasted Sesame Oil
    • Honey
    • Freshly Ground Black Pepper
    • Onion: yellow onion or white onion
    • Green Onions
    • Toasted Sesame Seeds: for serving

    This recipe is a no fuss, super simple version of Korean Pork Belly that I adapted from Maangchi's beautiful cookbook, Maangchi's Big Book of Korean Cooking: From Everyday Meals to Celebration Cuisine. Her recipes are easy to follow and made with simple ingredients you can find at most grocery stores. This is slightly milder than the cookbook version, uses honey instead of sugar, and adds a 10 minute marinade (or longer) for added flavor depth. 

    Recipe Tips

    • For easier slicing, put pork belly in the freezer for 15-30 minutes before you begin.
    • You can marinate the pork for a full day in the refrigerator before cooking. The meat will absorb even more flavor and you'll be just 15 minutes away from sitting down to dinner.
    • Serve with cucumber slices or on lettuce leaves for a refreshing contrast.

    More great Pork Belly Recipes

    • Oven Roasted Crispy Pork Belly
    • Easy Chashu Pork
    • Pork Belly Ramen
    • All Pork Belly Recipes

    How to Make Korean Pork Belly

    Combine all ingredients except for sesame seeds in a medium bowl; stir well to coat pork belly evenly and let stand 10 minutes.

    slices of pork belly marinating in spices and onions in a bowl.

    Add pork belly mixture to a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat; cook, stirring occasionally until cooked through and crispy at the edges, 12 to 15 minutes.. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion if desired and serve.

    raw pork belly with spices and onions in skillet.
    partially cooked pork belly with onions in skillet.
    korean pork belly ready to serve.
    Korean Pork Belly served on a brushed metal platter.
    Korean Pork Belly served on a brushed metal platter.

    Korean Pork Belly

    Marissa Stevens
    Adapted from Maangchi's Big Book of Korean Cooking: From Everyday Meals to Celebration Cuisine (a milder version)
    5 from 5 votes
    Save Recipe Saved! Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Marinating Time 10 mins
    Total Time 35 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Asian
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 667 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
    • 3 tablespoons Korean hot pepper paste (gochujang)
    • 1 tablespoon Korean hot pepper flakes (gochugaru)
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
    • 1 tablespoon honey
    • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 1 pound pork belly cut into 2 to 3-inch slices that are ⅛-inch thick
    • 1 small onion halved and thinly sliced
    • 4 green onions cut into 2-inch pieces, plus more for garnish
    • toasted sesame seeds for garnish

    Instructions
     

    • Combine first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl (ginger through black pepper) and stir to combine. Add pork belly, onion slices and green onion; stir well to coat evenly and let stand 10 minutes.
    • To a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, add pork belly mixture; cook, stirring occasionally until cooked through and crispy at the edges, 12 to 15 minutes (let cook undisturbed for a few minutes at a time between stirring for the crispiest edges). Transfer to platter and garnish with sesame seeds and green onion if desired; serve.

    Notes

    1. This is a milder version of the recipe from Maangchi's Big Book of Korean Cooking: From Everyday Meals to Celebration Cuisine. Add another tablespoon of Korean hot pepper paste and double the Korean hot pepper flakes (or more) for a spicier version. 
    2. Place pork belly in the freezer for 15-30 minutes for easier slicing.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 667kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 12gFat: 64gSaturated Fat: 22gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 29gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 326mgPotassium: 368mgFiber: 1gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 749IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword decadent, spicy
    Tried this recipe?I'd love to see it! Tag me on Instagram at @pinchandswirl or leave me a comment and rating below.

    More Asian Main Courses

    • Birria Ramen
    • Crispy Baked Egg Rolls
    • Salt and Pepper Shrimp
    • Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup

    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Jess says

      February 10, 2023 at 5:00 pm

      5 stars
      Fantastic dish! Easy and tastes better than restaurants I've ordered from.

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        February 12, 2023 at 3:40 pm

        aww, I love to hear that, Jess! So glad you're enjoying the recipe.

        Reply
    2. Kischa says

      January 10, 2023 at 4:57 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for my family (4 children, some who like spicy and some who don't) and it was a hit!!! I served it with lettuce and vermicelli noodles. SO.GOOD. I modified the recipe by omitting the Pepper Flakes. It was mild but still had REALLY good flavor! I shared it on my Instagram Story and SO MANY asked for the recipe! I was so happy to share this!

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        January 11, 2023 at 11:01 am

        Hi Kischa! I'm so happy to hear this was a hit with you and your family! Thank you for sharing the recipe and for your cooking notes.

        Reply
    3. Bianca says

      October 21, 2022 at 6:24 pm

      5 stars
      This is a really good recipe, I love it!
      Thanks! 🤩

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        October 24, 2022 at 10:30 am

        I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Bianca!

        Reply
    4. Kayte says

      October 18, 2022 at 2:38 pm

      This sounds delicious. Gonna make this for Friday night dinner! Does it matter if the pork belly is with or without skin?

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        October 18, 2022 at 3:24 pm

        Hi Kayte! You'll want skinless pork belly for this recipe. I hope it's a hit!

        Reply
        • Kayte says

          October 19, 2022 at 9:26 am

          I kind of figured it should be skinless. Thank you for the confirmation! I’m excited to try this! I’ll be back to let you know how it went!

          Reply
        • Kayte says

          October 21, 2022 at 9:06 pm

          5 stars
          OMG! This was amazing! HUGE hit with the family! We’re talking third-helpings delicious! Prep was easy (and I did marinate overnight) and so a quick 15 minutes in the skillet and dinner was served. This is a great weeknight dinner and I’m really looking forward to making this again! (Actually, I’m trying to figure how SOON I can make this again!) Fantastic! Thank you!

          Reply
          • Marissa Stevens says

            October 24, 2022 at 10:30 am

            aww...I'm so happy to hear this was such a hit with you and your family, Kayte! Thanks so much for coming back to let me know.

            Reply
    5. Valentina says

      July 26, 2022 at 8:13 am

      My family loves Korean food. The spices and flavors always draw me in and I inevitably eat too much. 😉 This recipe sounds/looks absolutely delectable! ~Valentina

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        July 26, 2022 at 8:14 am

        haha, I know what you mean , Valentina! It's hard to stop. I hope you and your family will love this!

        Reply
    6. Chef Mimi says

      July 22, 2022 at 6:10 am

      Wow does this look good! And it’s fast. Amazing!

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        July 26, 2022 at 8:07 am

        Thanks, Mimi!

        Reply
    7. Ben | Havocinthekitchen says

      July 21, 2022 at 5:44 pm

      I'm embarrassed to admit I've never cooked with pork belly, particularly because I thought it's a super longer process as you need to marinade belly for hours (days, weeks lol). But I'm truly impressed that it could require as little as 30 minutes. I'm definitely making this soon - thank you for inspiration!

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        July 21, 2022 at 8:06 pm

        My pleasure, Ben! I'm excited for you to try this.

        Reply
    8. David @ Spiced says

      July 20, 2022 at 4:42 am

      5 stars
      Oh, this looks fantastic - and totally doable at home! I've never tried cooking with pork belly, and the first couple times I had it...well, it was pretty disappointing. However, a taco shop here in Asheville had pork belly tacos - woah! "So that's how pork belly is supposed to taste!" Haha. Now I need to try my hand at making this Korean version - it sounds delicious!

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        July 26, 2022 at 8:17 am

        I'm so glad you had something like pork belly tacos to change your mind, David! We love those too - decadent. So excited for you to taste this spicy take on it.

        Reply
    9. angiesrecipes says

      July 19, 2022 at 10:10 pm

      Love pork belly! This is definitely something I should try too as it looks heavenly.

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        July 26, 2022 at 8:10 am

        Thanks so much, Angie! I hope you will.

        Reply

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