This is the best pork belly recipe I’ve made. The pork skin is incredibly crispy, perfectly golden, and the prep work is very minimal compared to all the other pork bellies I’ve made. No need to score or puncture holes in the skin. My search is over for the perfect pork belly recipe.
I’ve been obsessed with making the perfect crispy pork belly. I’ve had some success (here and here), but one thing that really bothered me was having to score the skin because it makes it hard to slice pieces with the skin intact. I’ve eaten pork belly that has unscored skin so I knew it was possible, but I hadn’t yet come across a recipe that didn’t require that step and when I tried not scoring it, the skin just wouldn’t get crispy enough.
Then I came across this recipe found on Rasa Malaysia for an easy Chinese Roast Pork, a recipe she got from a friend. The recipe prep is very minimal. You don’t need to dry the skin overnight, marinade the meat, score the skin, or puncture holes. What really intrigued me was that it uses a salt crust to crisp the skin.
The salt forms a crust when it’s baking, so you can remove the entire thing without having the skin turn too salty.
The skin then crisps up beautifully, staying a golden brown rather than getting too dark or burnt.
I did make some modifications to the recipe, especially the prep as well as the cooking times. Just based on my previous experience I knew the meat wouldn’t be nearly as flavorful or juicy without the marinade because I’ve tried just doing the rub right before cooking and it really isn’t the same. I also wanted to make sure the skin was extra dry, so I went ahead and put it in the fridge for several hours to dry out and give time for the meat to marinate. The prep is still pretty minimal, you just have to plan ahead.
The end result? This was everything I was looking for. The skin is fantastically crunchy and stays so for hours. The meat is juicy and flavorful too. The pork slices cleanly. This is just such an easy and almost fool-proof recipe too. I’ve been nervous about making pork belly for parties because sometimes the skin starts to burn, sometimes it doesn’t crisp evenly, the skin starts to fall apart when slicing, etc. But none of these issues here. This pork belly is such a thing of beauty and definitely a recipe I’m going to make for a party soon.
Update! Recipe now updated with video
Crispy Golden Pork Belly
Ingredients
- 2 lb pork belly
- 1 cup table salt
For the 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.
Video
Notes
- Crust idea adapted from Rasa Malaysia
- If you are doing a low carb diet you can substitute the brown sugar with a sugar substitute
- If possible, I recommend purchasing your pork belly from a Chinese market like 99 Ranch. The meat department at 99 Ranch sells 2 lb pork bellies that are designed for this Chinese-style of roasted pork belly. Make sure you don't let the butcher scour the skin.Â
- Nutrition information provided is for the pork belly only. It is difficult to determine the amount of salt and marinade absorbed into the pork belly, so they are not included in the nutrition facts. Nutrition is for 1/8 of the pork belly.Â
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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My salt crust didn’t .. crust. It’s still crumbly!! What did I do wrong?
You may have needed more baking time. How big is your pork belly? And did you dry it off first?
Did the video get removed? I can’t find it
the video should be right above the recipe card
Thats weird… I dont see it and I tried on 2 different computer.
Oh well..thanks for the recipe anyway going to try it still
That is very weird. I checked and I was able to view it but I will look into it more.
I cant see it either, no video, tried multiple devices….
where are you looking for the video? Are you looking above the recipe card or are you looking inside the recipe card?
Pork belly is my go to dish in a restaurant. My first attempt at this was as good as the best I’ve had in any restaurant!
I followed the recipe exactly, Highly recommendedÂ
I’m so glad it worked out so well for you on your first attempt!
What other wine can you use other then the shaoxing wine??
dry sherry
Unfortunately Costco only sells sliced pork belly. I tried compressing the skins together. Â Put on salt but there were ups and down. Scraped off and wiped as much salt as I could but it was too salty still. I rinsed them off and put in hot oven to dry. But the crispy top is Terrific. Soft crunchyÂ
If you have a Chinese market like 99 Ranch Market near you, I recommend trying there. They should have the right pork belly.
Sounds promising for newbie+foodie like me. Will definitely try it out. Any idea whether this can be cook inside an air-fryer rather than in oven? By the way, what to do with the salt crust afterwards?
I do not know if it will work in an air fryer
Can you make this the day before and just reheat in oven?
I have not tried to make it a day ahead of time so I’m not sure.
Cannot fault this recipe. I have now made it consistently over the last 18 months and people can’t believe how delicious and juicy the pork turns out, whilst having a stunning crispy skin. I was able to turn out 60 good sized pieces for Xmas dinner last year. I’m on pork duty again this year!Â
I’m so happy to hear that! I hope it turns out just as well this year for Christmas!
Hello, can you make this the day before and just reheat in the oven?
Many thanks.
yes!
How do I adjust cooking time for larger cuts? Â My pork belly is 4-5 pounds. Â
Sorry I havent tried with such a large cut
Hi,
Please could you help me with cooking times if I have a 5.5lbs pork belly. Also how much salt would you recommend?
I am catering for a few people so need a larger portion than the recipe uses.
Looks great!
Many thanks,
Brett
I have not scaled this recipe for a larger pork belly
Amazing recipe. Followed it almost exactly and the pork is so juicy and the skin is nice and crispy. I was concerned that the marinade didn’t submerge the meat at least halfway but as long as your marinade for a few hours that’s not a problem. The only difference is I did for 60 mins at 350 instead of 40 mins to further render out my fat. Even then it was at still juicy and amazing. Love your recipes!
I’m so glad it worked out well for you!
This is the best pork belly recipes!
I’m so glad it worked out well!
Hi Kirbie,
First timer on pork belly, came out of teh oven like a charm! Enjoyed it thoroughly. Thanks again. Steven
I’m so glad it worked out!
Best, follow the recipe, cannot loseÂ
I was just given a form of this from a Chinese restaurant in Hawaii.
No comparison, this is killer ,Â
Modify the soak base with saki, Japanese vinegar , hot spicy flakes
Cannot lose , great base to work with recipeÂ
The cooking time is right onÂ
I’m so glad the recipe worked out well for you!
Accidentally received pork belly instead of pork tenderloin from Whole Foods and found this recipe on line. I made it last night and it was FANTASTIC! First, the pork looked like the posted photos (which is rare for me), second, it tasted like a meal I’d get from a Chinese restaurant. An incredibly tasty dish!
I’m so happy it worked out well for you!
Excellent, crispy, succuslent pork belly.
I’m so glad you liked it!
This really is a 5-star recipe, so glad I found this. I’ve never make this before, having always bought it from chinatown, but I tried making it last week out of curiosity and it turned out perfect! I have one question though: do you think the recipe still works if I use pork shoulder instead of pork belly? The supermarket near me sells a lot of pork shoulder (with skin), but doesn’t always have pork belly.
I’m so glad it worked out for you! I’ve never tested it with pork shoulder so I’m not sure if it will work.
I’m happy to report back that the recipe works equally well with skin-on pork shoulder.
thank you for taking the time to report back! Now I am curious and will have to try it with pork shoulder.
Hi, I have made this recipe quiet a few times and it has always been delicious. I’m having a dinner party and intend to serve thus recipe. But just need to know what the cooking times would be for a 1.5kg or would it be the same for a 1kg.. many thanks.
Sharon McCormack
Sorry I’m not sure