This pork belly recipe is one you'll want to make over and over again. The pork belly is perfectly seasoned before being roasted in the oven until crispy and juicy. It tastes like something you'd get at a restaurant, but this recipe is actually really easy to make at home!
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The Best Pork Belly Recipe
If you've never cooked pork belly before or are looking for how to cook pork belly to perfection, this recipe is for you.
The pork belly slices are slow-roasted in the oven until the skin is shatteringly crisp and the meat is tender and juicy with extra flavor from the rendered fat. It's incredibly delicious, has an amazing texture, and the meat practically melts in your mouth!
Honestly, I can't say enough about how fantastic this roast pork belly tastes. And for how good it is, it's surprisingly easy to make too. This pork belly recipe is ready in under an hour, and most of that time is just letting the oven do its thing.
Also, since this roasted pork belly only needs about 5 minutes to prepare, you can use the time while it's baking to whip up a tasty side dish to go with it, like these grilled artichokes or this sauteed broccoli.
Why This Recipe Works
Quick and easy. When I say this recipe is easy, I mean it. Literally, all you have to do is season the pork belly slices and slide them into the oven. Waiting for them to finish cooking is the hardest part!
Crowd favorite. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't fall in love with this pork belly at first bite. It's perfect for serving at a dinner party and will impress everyone who tries it.
The texture. Between the crispy pork belly skin and the juicy, tender meat, this roasted pork belly is beyond addictive. It seriously tastes like the pork belly you'd get at a 5-star restaurant.
Ingredients
As if you needed another reason to make this pork belly dish, it also comes together with just 3 super simple ingredients!
Here's what you'll need to cook pork belly strips:
- 5 4oz. thick pork belly strips
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper, to taste
How To Cook Pork Belly In The Oven
1. Season pork belly: Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Season the pork belly strips on both sides with paprika, kosher salt, and ground black pepper to taste.
2. Cook pork belly: Place pork belly strips on the prepared baking sheet and roast them in the oven for 30 minutes. Flip the pork belly strips over and continue roasting them for 20 more minutes.
3. Serve: Let the oven roasted pork belly cool for a minute and serve warm. Enjoy!
Tips To Make the Best Recipe
- Cut the pork belly with a very sharp knife for clean slices.
- For extra crispy skin, use a sharp knife to score the skin in a diamond pattern before roasting. This gives the pork skin more surface area to brown and crisp up. Be careful not to cut through the meat.
- Don't add any additional oil to the pork belly. The fat already in the pork belly melts as it cooks, and it will make the pork wonderfully crunchy without tasting greasy.
- Season the pork belly with smoked salt, garlic powder, and onion powder for a different flavor.
- Bake the pork belly for longer if you're using thick slices and shorter if you're using thinner slices.
How To Store Cooked Pork Belly
In the fridge: Store the cooked pork belly in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
In the freezer: Let the pork belly cool to room temperature, then transfer to a freezer-safe airtight container or a freezer-safe bag with the excess air squeezed out. Keep in the freezer for 3-4 months.
Reheating: Put the pork belly flat on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven again at 350°F for 10-15 minutes, crisping up the skin for an additional 2-3 minutes under the broiler if needed. Let the frozen meat thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
FAQs About This Pork Belly Recipe
How long does it take to cook a pork belly?
The amount of time it takes will depend on how you are cooking it and how thick the pork belly is. Thicker pork belly strips will take about 50 minutes. You'll want to flip it about halfway through cooking.
How do you cook pork belly so it's not tough?
You'll want to make sure that you cook pork belly at the right temperature and for the right amount of time. Slow-roasting pork belly in the oven is a great way to allow the pork belly to get more tender the longer it cooks.
How to cook pork belly on stove top?
To cook pork belly on the stovetop, you can either pan fry thinly sliced pork belly on both sides until crispy and golden brown or slow cook in braising liquid for an hour.
How do you tenderize pork belly?
Flatten the pork belly with a meat mallet, use a marinade with tenderizing ingredients like yogurt or pineapple, or slow cook the pork belly in the oven or on the stove until the meat and skin become tender.
More Pork Recipes
How To Cook Pork Belly
This pork belly recipe is one you'll want to make over and over again. The pork belly is perfectly seasoned before being roasted in the oven until crispy and juicy. It tastes like something you'd get at a restaurant, but this recipe is actually really easy to make at home!
Ingredients
- 5 4oz. thick pork belly strips
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Season the pork belly on both sides with salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Roast the pork belly for 30 minutes, flip them, and roast for another 20 minutes.
- Serve pork belly warm but not piping hot.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 331Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 26g
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