Korean Spicy Pork Belly – Grill or Stove (VIDEO)

My Secret Ingredient

If you have tried my Beef Bulgogi or Bulgogi Cheesesteaks recipes, you may know that Korean Pear is my secret ingredient to the marinade – but did you know it’s also my secret ingredient to delicious Spicy Korean Pork Belly? Korean Pears (sometimes labeled as Asian Pears or Apple Pear) contain an enzyme called Calpain that helps tenderize the meat. The natural sweetness of the pear also adds to the layers of flavor and cuts through the fattyness of the pork belly.

Some recipes call for grating your Korean Pear – I think it’s just as effective and much easier to blend the Korean Pear into your marinade!

NOTE – If you are grilling the pork belly over open grates, you can skip straining the marinade because the pulp will cook off. If you are cooking the pork belly on a pan on a stove, I would strain the marinade in a cheesecloth to avoid having pulp in the final dish.

If you cannot find Korean Pears, you can substitute with an apple, kiwi, or even a pineapple.

Ingredient Tips

Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and measurements!

• thick cut pork belly – I recommend getting this from your local Asian grocery or butcher. The pork belly should be roughly 1/2″ thick. You don’t want the pork belly to be too lean, otherwise the meat will be dry – try to get pork belly that has fat evenly distributed throughout the slices. You’ll be cutting the pork belly into 4″ long pieces. If you love pork belly, make my Yeh-Yeh’s Chinese Roast Pork or Air Fryer Crispy Pork Belly! If you want to make a spicy bulgogi style pork belly, you can buy thinly cut pork belly and follow the same steps. You will need to cook this in a pan.
• Korean pear – you will be blending this into the marinade – see above for why this is my secret ingredient! The Korean pear should be peeled and cubed with seeds removed for easy blending.
• mirin – if you don’t have mirin, you can use brown sugar instead.
• gochujang – This is a spicy and sweet Korean red pepper paste. It has a strong flavor profile, with a hint of umami. You only need a little to go a long way. It’s used in recipes like Spicy Pork Bulgogi, Kimchi Fried Rice, Spicy Honey Garlic Tofu, Gochujang Honey Wings, and Korean Fried Cauliflower.
• gochugaru – Gochugaru is Korean red chili pepper flakes (or powder, depending on which version you purchase). It’s vibrant in color and smoky in flavor and packs a lot of heat! It’s used in recipes like Korean Braised Tofu, Spicy Garlic Ramen and Korean Cucumber Salad.

1. Marinate the Pork Belly

Add the Korean pear, onion, scallion, garlic, ginger and green onion to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth then add to a large mixing bowl. Combine with soy sauce, mirin, black pepper, sesame oil, gochujang and gochugaru then mix until combined.

Add the pork belly mix well until coated in the marinade. Cover and marinate overnight or for up to 24 hours.

2. Grill or Cook the Pork Belly

Grill or cook on a hot pan for 3-4 minutes until nicely charred on both sides and the internal temperature reaches 145F.

Storage, Reheating, and Make Ahead Tips

Store any leftover cooked Korean Spicy Pork Belly in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat quickly in the microwave.

If you want to make this ahead of time, you can marinate the pork belly 24-48 hours in advance – keep it stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. When ready to cook, pull the pork belly out and resume step #3.