When we last placed an order from our friends who have a pig ranch, we asked for fresh pork belly - 10 pounds of it! Why? Because it's crispy on the outside, juicy and flavorful inside, and oh so versatile.
If you've had poorly cooked pork belly - chewy or otherwise unpleasant, you know that technique is important. We looked at several recipes and settled on the master recipe from Momofuku, which David Chang was kind enough to share at Lucky Peach. We expected that he probably knew what he was talking about. What we didn't expect was how ridiculously simple the recipe would be!
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Skinless Pork Belly vs. Skin On Pork Belly
This easy recipe works beautifully for both skinless and skin-on pork belly! The only difference is that you'll need to score the skin with the skin-on variety before roasting to get that perfectly golden brown and crisp crackling (crispy pork skin) and allow the seasonings to permeate the fat and meat. With the skinless variety, you'll skip the scoring and go straight to seasoning.
Side Pork vs. Pork Belly
Pork belly and side pork are the same thing. A pig's belly wraps around the sides, thus how the two terms came to be synonymous. If you ask for side pork or pork belly from your butcher, you will get the same exact cut of meat.
They're often confused, but here's the difference: pork belly is a fresh, thick slab of meat cut from the abdomen of a pig. It hasn't been cured or smoked. Bacon has been cured, smoked and sliced and typically comes from belly or back cuts (less fatty).
A few important tips before you begin:
There are some things to keep in mind when making this recipe to be sure that it comes out perfectly every time. First, despite the fact that you'll only have a few moments of active time, you'll want to start the process three days ahead. You're essentially dry brining the meat and it needs an overnight stint in your refrigerator to take on all of that wonderful flavor. Then (ideally) you'll refrigerate overnight again after roasting and before slicing and crisping.
Second, when you're buying pork belly, no matter if it is skinless or skin on, look for a slab that is close to an even thickness, and around one pound (larger cuts will work, but will increase the cooking time). If you have thin areas, they are likely to burn during the first 30 minutes of roasting at 450˚F.
Third, for the best pork belly, I recommended that you cook and then wrap and chill it overnight before slicing (don't worry, the skin-on version with still have crispy skin). This has two benefits: it's much easier to slice and stays together beautifully when crisping up in a pan. That said, we almost always have a sample or two when it's fresh out of the oven because it smells irresistible and tastes amazing!
Finally, be sure to use a heavy bottomed, oven-proof pan or skillet for roasting (not a glass baking dish where the fat that renders will burn and smoke excessively).
How to Cook Pork Belly: Skin-On or Skinless
1. If you're cooking skinless pork belly, move on to the next step. For skin on pork belly, pat skin dry with a paper towel and score skin with a very sharp knife on the diagonal about ½-inch apart. Repeat this cutting in the opposite direction to create a diamond pattern (see image below). Take care to make shallow cuts - it's okay to go into the fat, but don't cut so deep that you go into the meat.
2. Season a one pound piece of pork belly (skin on or skinless) with a dry rub of sugar, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Seasoning Pork Belly Top Rubbing Seasoning into Skin Seasoning Pork Belly Side Seasoning Pork Belly Underside
3. The next day roast in a heavy, oven-safe pan or skillet in a 450°F oven on the middle rack for the first 30 minutes and then an hour at 275°F. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate until chilled through - at least a few hours and up to 2 days.
Roasted Skin On Pork Belly Roasted Skinless Pork Belly
4. Once chilled, slice into thick pieces and brown until crispy to enjoy alone or in a variety of recipes from salads to soups to sandwiches and more!
Pan crisped slices are perfect for Pork Belly Ramen, Pork Belly Sandwiches, and Pork Belly Tacos. Or use it in place of bacon in Bucatini all' Amatriciana, Wedge Salad, or Spinach Salad. Hungry yet?
Pork Belly Recipe Video
Oven Roasted Crispy Pork Belly
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork belly skin on or skinless
- 2 teaspoons fine salt or 4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- a few grinds of black pepper
Instructions
- For skinless pork belly, move on to the next step. If using skin on pork belly, pat skin dry with a paper towel. With a sharp knife, score through skin every ½-inch at a diagonal, cutting through skin and into fat, but not so deep that you hit meat. Repeat cutting in an opposite diagonal to create a diamond shape pattern. (recipe note #1)
- Season pork belly with salt sugar and a few grinds of black pepper. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Roast pork belly for 30 minutes on the middle rack in a heavy, oven-safe pan or skillet, skin side up / fat side up. Reduce heat to 275°F and roast for an hour or more, until tender but not mushy. (Larger pieces of pork belly will take longer. Our one-pound belly was done after an hour at 275°F.)
- Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate until chilled through - at least a few hours and up to 2 days.
- Once chilled, slice into thick pieces and brown in a skillet on the stovetop until crisp. Enjoy alone or in soups, salads, pasta sauces, ramen and more! (recipe note #2)
Notes
- Scoring the pork belly skin allows it to crisp up and allows the seasoning to penetrate into the fat and meat below the skin.
- Be sure to check out my collection of Pork Belly Recipes for ways to use this delicious crispy pork belly!
I've never cooked pork belly myself, and I've only tried it for a couple of times at a restaurant. But oh my - this looks and sounds fabulous! So crisp, well-browned, juicy, and absolutely mouthwatering. Just the way a perfectly cooked pork belly must look. Excellent job!
aww...thanks so much, Ben!
This recipe looks fantastic, Marissa! The first time I ever had pork belly, it was chewy, fatty and rather off-putting. I decided I didn't like it. However, now I realize that it just wasn't prepared very well. I'll have to try it again - my mouth is watering looking at these photos!!
Oh wow, David! You've got to try it - when cooked correctly, it melts in your mouth.
Do you season both sides of the pork belly or just the top?
Hi Connor! I season all sides of the pork belly.
a few notes to Connor and any less experienced cooks about ways to adapt or customize your version of this excellent pork belly master recipe. I've experiemnted a few times now following Marissa's guide. Here's what I've learned.
Cutting the belly in half (so it's shorter) reduces twist and warp as they cook, makes them easier to handle, and allows you to fit them into different sized pans for cooking. The seasonings can be adjusted to suit any tastes. I dusted some 5 spice powder and a blast of cayenne in today's effort, for fun. Very fragrant. Now to cooking.
Consider this technique: put a heavy cast iron pan on the stovetop. Wipe most of the rub off the pork belly (it will smoke less). Place the pork in the pan, fat side down, not crowded!!, then turn the pan on and slowly bring it up to medium hot. It will render some fat as it heats and guarantee a nice sear on the 'presentation' surface. It is much easier to control that stage of cooking on the stovetop. Once it's nicely browned on the fat side, turn the belly in the pan to lightly brown the sides, then finally brown the bottom. With the fat side up, put the pan in the oven, but watch it creafully. You oven may not be much hotter than you think. Don't overcook it! The cooking times I use are shorter than shown in the recipe above, and I generally turn the oven down from 430f (my ovens ideal setting for this recipe) to 275f after about 15 minutes, since it takes a while for the oven to cool down once you've had it at 450 for a while. Why turn it down after 15 minutes? So you don't overcook it. Keep an eye on it. Once it's done to your liking, cool it off with the fat side exposed; a bit of drying assists the final stage of cooking.
You can use the pork belly in a thousand ways. I save some of the cooking fat to crisp it up in a pan before serving it, but that isn't necessary if you're including it in soups, casseroles, or banh mi, etc etc...
Terrific recipe, Marissa. Everyone can do this and it makes an inexpensive cut luxurious (nestle thin slices over a slightly sweet/smoky celeriac puree for a bit of fine dining attitude if you like). Chang's profound skill is on full display in this flawlessly simple preparation.
Hi Marissa! thanks so much for sharing this recipe! It looks really amazing. I have a pork belly slab in the freezer but I've already cubed them (about an inch and a half) Do you think I can still make this or do you think they will burn because they are so much smaller? Thanks!
Hi Terri! This is such a great question. I haven't cooked small pieces like this, but if I were to try it, I would cut the cooking times in half. So 450°F oven for the first 15 minutes and then 30 minutes at 275°F. Even at that, I would keep an eye on it, particularly during the 450°F. Please let me know how it goes!
Hi Marissa,
Thank you for your suggestion. I cooked it today, as you suggested and it worked out really well! I flipped it after it browned to a crisp to prevent burning during the 450 degrees. After chilling and slicing, i sautéd it with Brussels sprouts and it had great flavor!
I am a Kitchen Manager and did Pork belly for the first time based on this recipe. I did a 6.5 - 7 pound piece. Seasoned with Salt,pepper,garlic,cayenne and brown sugar. Score the top fat then seasoned and Let sit overnight. About 22 hours. Then Seared it on the top and bottom on flat top grill. Put in oven on 450 for 30 minutes and another 45 on 275. Came out perfect!! Crispy on top and juicy!! The seasoning is great on it sweet and spicy. Letting it chill in the fridge tonight and serving as a simple sandwich with lettuce, tomato, onion. And sriracha mayo. It smells heavenly! Can't wait to try it. Thank You. Thank You!!!
You are making me so hungry, Mark!! Glad you found the recipe helpful and made it your own. 🙂
Why should you use skinless pork belly?
Hi there! I typically make this recipe with skinless pork belly, but you’ll see in the comments that several readers have made it with success using skin-on pork belly that they’ve scored prior to roasting.
I was able to get pork belly from Costco, but they are cut into roughly 1/3lb slabs. I plan to cook up 4 of these slabs (1.3 lb). Since they are smaller slabs, any idea on how long to cook them? I'm afraid that cooking them the same amount of time as a single 1 lb slab will dry them out.
Hi Andrew! You'll want to reduce the cooking time. I haven't made this recipe with slabs smaller than a pound, but I would reduce the hot oven time (450˚F) to 15-20 minutes, and start checking the belly after 30 minutes at the cooler temp (275˚F). You want it to be tender but not mushy. Let me know how it goes!
Went well. I did pretty much what you recommended (before seeing your reply). It’s a winner!
So glad it went well, Andrew! Thanks for coming back to let me know.
I also buy my belly from Costco. I do not buy the pre-sliced belly but the whole belly. I then slice mine into 2-3 lb pieces. This still works great with this recipe.
That's so great, Jason. Thank you for coming back to let me know!
I have a 12 oz precooked pork belly with the skin on. How can I prepare this to attain the crispy crunchy skin?
Hi, Tonya. I wish that I had some advice to share, but I don't. With the pork belly being precooked, it will be tricky to crisp the skin without overcooking the meat.
If you want to crisp up the skin without cooking the pork belly, you can try heating oil up to 450F or so and ladling it over the skin of the pork belly. The oil will crisp it right up. Be VERY careful when doing this though, make sure the ladled oil has a safe reservoir to collect in and make sure you wear thick, protective clothing to prevent splashed oil from burning you.
Very late answer, but still useful. You can use a kitchen torch to crisp up the skin and get some nice colour on it also. Do score the skin so itcan curl and darken more easily. Assuming your belly is ready to serve, the torch would be the last step, but you could torch it first, theh heat it through to serve. Eitherway, the torch doesn't cook the interior , just the presentaion surfaces. Cheers!
I love this! Just love this. I just can't figure out how to prevent the bottom from turning black (burning). Also is cooling it a necessary step? Sorry if you answered this before.
Hi, Julian! Are you talking about the splatter turning black or the actual pork belly? The sugar does tend to get deeply caramelized on top, but the bottom shouldn't be burned. Be sure to use a heavy bottomed pan (like cast iron), not glass. The cooling step allows the pork belly to return to a more solid texture making it much easier to slice. Hope that helps!
Hello! What do you mean on the last step when you say to brown after you cool? In the oven or on the stove?
Hi, Matt! I recommend browning slices in a skillet on the stovetop. I'll fix that in the recipe wording so it's more clear. Thank you!
Hello! Wondering if the cooked pork belly can be frozen and thawed/browned in a skillet as needed? I tend to cook up big batches of this delicious stuff!
Hi Veronica! (That's my middle name. 🙂 ) Yes, you can certainly freeze and then thaw and brown as needed. I recommend using it within 3 months for the best flavor!
This looks great and you can do so many things with it! I have a lot of mouths to feed and need a bigger roast..... how long should you cook a 7/8lb pork belly?
Hi Karlie! Yes, SO versatile! I would cook the pork belly in a couple of batches in a large, cast iron skillet. First I would cut the 8-pound piece of pork belly into 4, 2-pound slabs and then cook 2 slabs at once (repeating with the remaining 2 slabs). Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Want to cook this for a dinner tomorrow!!! I have 5lbs of pork belly.
Do you think i can do this in a simple aluminum tray or glass pyrex?
After the roasting is done and refrigerated, do you wait until it's room temperature to brown in? is it in all 4 sides? Do you do it in a pan? thank you!!!
Hi there! You'll want to cook it in a heavy, oven-safe pan or skillet, not the glass dish. I don't wait until it's room temperature, just slice and crisp it up in a pan. It's fully cooked, so you can brown it to whatever degree you'd like. Enjoy!
Thank you!!! 🥰😊
We made this for ramen and it was AMAZING!!! Will absolutely be making this again and again and again!
I love to hear that, Ashley!! Thank you for coming back to let me know.
Thank you very much for this recipe - I've been looking for a way to get the pork belly crispy outside and tender inside for a long while. Your recipe is just what I needed:) I did make a few modifications though (sorry) - I omitted the sugar (husband is on keto diet) and sprinkled with salt, pepper, smoked paprika. I also used my air fryer instead of the oven...400 degrees for 23 mins, then 275 degrees for 30 mins. It came out spectacular - I didn't even get to save and re-fry for sandwiches since my husband polished off what I made!
So glad that you and your husband enjoyed it, Christina! So sweet of you to come back and let me know!
I have now used this recipe/guidance to cook pork belly at least a half dozen times and it always turns out great; it can really make people think you know what you are doing! FWIW I've modified the spice mix a couple times and added some smoked paprika and used a combination of brown and white sugar.
So glad you're enjoying this recipe and making it your own!!
We subbed maple syrup for sugar but used the same cooking technique and it was truly one of the most beautiful, tender and flavorful pieces of pork ever.
That's fantastic, David! So glad it turned out so well! Love the idea of swapping in maple syrup!
Your friends have a pig ranch!? How amazing is that!! Im jealous! Whenever I see pork belly I always think of kakuni since I had to make pounds and pounds of it daily at a restaurant I worked at (a long time ago!). The thought of braised pork belly kinda makes me cringe, but your crispy roasted pork belly is giving me LIFE! It looks totally amazing, Marissa!!! Nothing like the pork belly of my past! I can't wait to make this!!!!! Pinned!
My second question(s) as I try this recipe for my first time. I found your prior post about freezing it before or after cooking, so that is good to know. My problem is that I put it in the oven at 450 and the juices and I'm assuming the sugar in the pan has burned. I have the fans on and the door of the house open, but it's smoky in here. So, I put a bit of water in the pan, which I know ruins the crispiness I'm in search of. Is it normal for the stuff in the pan to burn? I am using a 9x13 glass pan -- should I not use glass? I also did not take the skin off, but from reading other comments, I'm assuming that's not the issue. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Kristen - sorry about the smoke! I haven't had that issue, but always use a heavy pan like a cast iron skillet or ceramic coated heavy skillet. Perhaps it is the glass pan?
That's what I'm thinking. Thank you for replying. I will use a cast iron pan the next time. I did make the ramen tonight! YUM! And I took the skin off the pork belly afterwards, crisped it up well on the stove, and mixed it in with the dogs food. The dog is very happy too tonight!
I'm so glad that it worked out, Kristen! And glad you made the ramen too - one of our favorites! Love it that your dog got an extra treat tonight too. 🙂
My sister recommended putting a bit of water in the pan, scewer the pork loin to sit above the water rather than in the water while its in The oven. Havent tried it her way yet but we'll see.
Can you direct me to the post that talks about freeze thing pork belly before vs after cooking? I haven't been able to find it.
I have my pork belly in the fridge after seasoning last night. It will go into the oven shortly. My question is whether, after you cook it, cool it, and slice it, can I freeze the slices? I'd like to be able to have them in the freezer and ready to take out and crisp up in the fry pan for a quick week-night Ramen dinner. What do you think?
Yes, you can absolutely freeze the slices for a quick meal later!
Hi there. I’m planning on cooking 2 lbs pork belly. How much longer should I cook it at the low temperature? Thank you.
Hi Aun! I'd recommend cutting the pork belly in half lengthwise before you begin and you will want to cook it longer at the lower temperature because of the extra weight. My best guess is 75-90 minutes. I’d love to hear how it goes!
Hi Marissa,
Thank you for this amazing recipe! I have two slabs that are almost 1 pound each (.8 lbs). How long do you recommend cooking them at 275? Thank you!
Hi, Bethany! I'd start checking them at 45 minutes during the 275˚F portion of cooking. My guess is that with two, they'll still take the full hour. I'd love to hear how it goes!
Being in my mid-80s and alone I would love to try this. Wonder if the pork belly was made to your receipe and
served/eaten over a plate of commercially steamed asian veggies and maybe topped with shredded chedder would be fast delicious and something for a non-cook to enjoy? Your comment would be appreciated.
Hi, Al. Sure, feel free to use the cooked pork belly in any dish that you like. You might try the dish first without the cheese as pork belly is very rich on its own. Hope you enjoy!
Hi so I have made this several times and wonder what is the benefit of the salt and sugar? Is it like dry rub because I don’t taste anything when I cook it off. Otherwise this is a wonderful recipe and I have used for my ramen soup and made pork belly sandwiches in the puffy bread. Thank you.
Glad you're enjoying the recipe! The salt and sugar do work as a dry rub to flavor the pork belly and also help it caramelize in the oven. 🙂