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I’ve spent months perfecting this Air Fryer Crispy Pork Belly recipe. I’ve tried many different methods at different temperatures, times, and air fryers, and this is the method that consistently puts out a crispy, puffed up skin and juicy, tender meat.
If you have an air fryer at home and also love Chinese roast pork with the super crispy skin, you’re going to love this recipe!
Watch the Air Fryer Crispy Pork Belly Recipe Video Below!
Want a non-meat alternative? Try my super crispy Air Fryer Tofu!
Ingredients for this Recipe
This crispy pork belly is incredibly easy to make in the air fryer and only require a few ingredients and seasonings! Here is what you’ll need to make this super crispy pork!
- pork belly skin on
- kosher salt
- white pepper
- five spice powder
- sugar
- Shaoxing wine
- kosher salt
- white vinegar
- neutral oil
Getting the perfect crispy pork belly is not as hard as it looks! I’ve made so many versions of this over the years and have learned a few KEY tips & techniques that will ensure your pork belly is JUICY & the skin is CRISPY!
If you love crispy, you’ll LOVE my Air Fryer Chicken Wings, which is the top recipe on my site!
Key Tips for the best Crispy Pork Belly in the air fryer!
- Select the Right Cut: Start with a good cut of pork belly. Look for one with a nice balance of meat and fat, as this will ensure both flavor and crispiness.
- Poke the Skin: Use a sharp knife or piercing tool to poke holes into the pork belly skin, just enough to pierce the skin but not too deep that it pierces into the meat. This helps the skin crisp up by allowing some of the fat to render out more easily, effectively frying the skin and allowing it to puff up.
- Dry the Skin: Pat the skin of the pork belly dry with paper towels. Moisture is the enemy of crispy skin, so make sure it’s as dry as possible.
- Salt the Skin: Rub a generous amount of coarse sea salt into the skin. This helps draw moisture out of the skin and aids in crisping it up.
- Rest Before Slicing: Once done, let the crispy pork belly rest for a few minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to redistribute, resulting in juicier meat.
If you liked this Air Fryer Pork Belly recipe, check out some of the most popular recipes on the blog for your next lunch or dinner!
Love pork? Try my Sweet and Sour Pork recipe!
If you tried this Air Fryer Crispy Pork Belly or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Air Fryer Crispy Pork Belly
Ingredients
- 3 pound pork belly, 1.5 kg, skin on
- 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1/2 tablespoon white pepper, 5 g
- 1/2 tablespoon five spice powder, 5 g
- 1/2 tablespoon sugar, 6 g
- 1/2 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, 7 ml
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 15 ml
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil, 15 ml
Instructions
- To the meat side, use a knife to make 1/2" deep cuts lengthwise across the pork belly. In a small bowl, combine salt, white pepper, five spice powder, sugar, and Shaoxing wine to make a paste. Evenly spread the paste on the meat side of the pork and crevices ensuring not to touch the skin.
- Pat the skin-on pork belly dry with a paper towel and poke holes all across the skin of the pork using skewers or sharp knife. Ensure that the holes only puncture the skin and fat (do not pierce all the way through the meat). Cut the slab of pork belly so it will fit in your air fryer.
- Create a tin foil frame around the pork belly, leaving a ½” gap up from the edges of the pork to prevent salt from spilling over. Brush a layer of vinegar on the skin, then cover the skin completely with a layer of salt.
- Air fry at 250F for 30 minutes or until the salt has dried completely.
- Remove the salt from the pork belly and brush off any excess. Pat dry with a paper towel.
- Brush the skin with neutral oil, then air fry at 400F for 30-40 minutes until the skin is puffed and crispy. Check at the 20 minute mark and every 5 minutes to monitor the skin, checking for burning, as the time will vary with different air fryers! If spots of the skin begin to burn, place a small piece of foil over the specific area to cover it and allow the exposed areas to continue crisping up.
Notes
- Select the Right Cut: Start with a good cut of pork belly. Look for one with a nice balance of meat and fat, as this will ensure both flavor and crispiness.
- Poke the Skin: Use a sharp knife or piercing tool to poke holes into the pork belly skin, just enough to pierce the skin but not too deep that it pierces into the meat. This helps the skin crisp up by allowing some of the fat to render out more easily, effectively frying the skin and allowing it to puff up.
- Dry the Skin: Pat the skin of the pork belly dry with paper towels. Moisture is the enemy of crispy skin, so make sure it’s as dry as possible.
- Salt the Skin: Rub a generous amount of coarse sea salt into the skin. This helps draw moisture out of the skin and aids in crisping it up.
- Rest Before Slicing: Once done, let the crispy pork belly rest for a few minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to redistribute, resulting in juicier meat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe is a keeper! Can’t wait to try it with a skin-on pork belly. Definitely putting this into the meal planning rotation!
For a make ahead plans what step would you do ahead of time and which steps should be done just before preparing to eat.
Thank you Jolene! To make ahead, you can prep the pork belly and marinate it with the spices. I would suggest doing the remaining steps before preparing to eat to ensure the skin blisters correctly.
Will the end result be as good if I do the salt crust portion the night before/the morning of?
I.e., 30 mins in air fryer at 250 and then take out and put back in the fridge for a few hours/up to overnight.
Aiming to minimize time to serve it freshly prepared on the day
Hi Anthony – I haven’t tested it this way so I can’t say for sure, but I wouldn’t suggest doing it this way. The pork belly and fat will be starting from a cold state, so there’s a chance it may not crisp up the skin properly. If you do end up trying it, please let me know how it goes!
Got it – thank you! Ended up just making it following the recipe as is and it turned out great
I’m so glad it worked out and you enjoyed it!
Your regular recipe says to dry out the skin the fridge before baking. Why not do that in this recipe?
Hi Jo – I’ve found that this step is not needed in an air fryer vs a regular bake. I hope you enjoy it!
Thanks again for this recipe. I’ve made it perhaps eight times now. It’s addictive.
Here are a few suggestions if you are trying this for the first time. My Ninja Foodie won’t air fry at 250F. 300F is the lowest setting so I do the first part at 300 for 23 or so minutes. I was tempted to rub more of the seasoning mix in because it didn’t seem like enough but it is. Keeps the flavor great but just subtle enough to not be overwhelming. If I could give this recipe more than 5 stars I would. Awesome
These are great tips – thank you Don!
So easy and absolutely delicious. Will make this again for sure!