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Home / Course / Main Course / Air Fryer Pork Belly

Air Fryer Pork Belly

October 25, 2020 2 Comments

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This is the best air fryer pork belly recipe. Slightly sweet and a little salty with a melt in your mouth meat layer and nice and crispy skin. It’s so easy to make in just 20 minutes with ingredients from your pantry. Plus the clean up is so simple!

3 pieces of air fryer pork belly on a try with fresh thyme

I have always struggled to make the perfect pork belly in the oven, I could just never get the meat to be that tender or the pork belly skin to be that crispy. The air fryer has changed all of that! It took me a few tries to get the perfect air fryer pork belly strips recipe but I did it! You guys are going to love this recipe. It’s so easy to make and is ready in just 20 minutes. It is slightly sweet yet a little salty with a perfectly tender meat layer and nice and crispy pork belly skin.

Why you will love this recipe:

  • This air fried pork belly turns out perfectly! The meat layer is so nice and tender yet the skin is nice and crisp, just how pork belly should be!
  • It’s so easy and simple to make pork belly in air fryer.
  • It’s ready in under 30 minutes, taking just 20 minutes to cook.
  • This pork belly is made without boiling first. 
  • These marinated pork belly strips taste incredible! Plus the marinade is made with pantry staple ingredients. 
  • It’s so much healthier and less messy to make pork belly in an air fryer when compared to deep frying. 
  • These fryer pork belly bites are so versatile. You can serve them as a main dish, as an appetizer or as a side dish.

Ingredients and substitutions: 

  • A piece of pork belly – I prefer to use pasture raised pork, but any type of pork will do. 
  • Soy sauce – to help tenderize the meat and give it a delicious flavour. Instead of soy sauce you can use coconut aminos. 
  • Balsamic vinegar – this also helps tenderize the meat and give it a slightly sweet taste. 
  • Brown sugar – to add just the perfect amount of sweetness to this pork. Instead of brown sugar you can use coconut sugar. 
  • Spices: salt and ground black pepper – no fancy seasonings needed here. Salt and pepper do the trick! 

How to cook:

Step one:

First, wash and dry the pork belly, and if there is any hair on it, scrape that off. Then cut the pork belly into ~1″ sized strips.

Step two:

Next, place the marinade ingredients in a bowl and stir them well to combine. Then put the pork belly strips into the bowl and coat them well with the sauce.

Step three:

Lastly, place the pork belly strips onto the top rack of your air fryer and cook for 18 minutes at 390 degrees Fahrenheit. Then flip the pork belly strips and cook them for an additional 3-5 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit to crisp up the pork belly skin even more (note that the cooking time will depend on the size of your pork belly strips and your air fryer).

Air fryer pork belly strips on a tray with fresh thyme

Chef’s tips:

  • Every model of air fryer is different, so depending on the air fryer you are using you may have to adjust the cooking times. 
  • Try and cut the strips of pork belly into the same sized pieces so that they cook at the same rate.
  • I cook all the pork belly pieces on the top rack of my air fryer, if you use the lower rack you may have to increase the cooking time.
  • Feel free to double this recipe if you are serving more people.
  • You can serve these pork belly bites as an appetizer or a main dish.
  • Keep this pork belly in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 3 days.

Variations and add ins: 

  • To make this gluten free: use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
  • To make this recipe paleo: use coconut aminos and coconut sugar instead of soy sauce and brown sugar. 
  • For a different flavour feel free to use other spices such as garlic powder.
  • Try serving these fryer pork belly bites with bbq sauce to give them even more flavour. 

Frequently asked questions:

What is pork belly?

Pork belly is a boneless cut of fatty meat from the belly of a pig. It is the same type of meat that is used to make bacon, but pork belly is uncured, un-smoked and un-sliced in comparison to bacon. You can buy pork belly at most butchers and most grocery stores now too! 

Is air fried pork belly healthier than bacon?

That often depends on the type of bacon and pork belly you are getting. Most types of bacon on the market contain nitrates, more salt, and sugar compared to pork belly, so in that case, yes pork belly would be considered a healthier alternative. If however you are getting nitrate free and sugar free bacon the two would be fairly equivalent health wise.

How long does pork belly take in the air fryer?

Pork belly only takes 21-24 minutes to cook in an air fryer. To cook it, place the pork belly strips into your air fryer and cook for 18 minutes at 390 degrees Fahrenheit, then flip the pork belly and cook it for an additional 3-5 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

What to serve with pork belly?

You can serve many different things with pork belly but some of my favourites include:
Simple Broccoli Salad
Asian Coleslaw
Easy Potato Salad
Cauliflower Fried Rice
Maple Cranberry Brussels Sprouts
Other ideas include a side salad, caesar salad, roasted potatoes or other roasted vegetables.

Other air fryer recipes you will love:

  • Air fryer frozen hamburgers
  • Air fryer lamb chops
  • Air fryer salmon cakes with lemon dill aioli
  • Air fryer salt and pepper chicken wings
  • Air fryer frozen meatballs
  • Air fryer frozen French fries
  • Air fryer BBQ ribs

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4.22 from 41 votes
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Air Fryer Pork Belly

This air fryer pork belly is the best! The skin is nice and crispy while the meat is so tender. It has a slightly sweet yet salty flavour and is ready in just 20 minutes.

Course Appetizer, Dinner, Main Course, Meat
Cuisine American, asian
Keyword air fryer pork, crispy pork belly, easy pork belly
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 21 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 622 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 lb pork belly

Marinade Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp soy sauce (or coconut aminos)
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Wash and dry the pork belly, and if there is any hair, scrape that off. Cut the pork belly into ~1" sized strips.

  2. Place the marinade ingredients in a bowl and stir well to combine.

  3. Add the pork belly strips to the bowl and coat them well with the sauce.

  4. Place the pork belly strips onto the top rack of your air fryer and cook for 18 minutes at 390F. Flip the pork belly strips and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes at 400F to crisp up the pork belly even more (cooking time will depend on the size of your pork belly and your air fryer).

Recipe Notes

  1. Every model of air fryer is different, so depending on the air fryer you are using you may have to adjust the cooking times. 
  2. Try and cut the strips of pork belly into the same sized pieces so that they cook at the same rate.
  3. Store this cooked pork belly in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 3 days. 
Nutrition Facts
Air Fryer Pork Belly
Amount Per Serving
Calories 622 Calories from Fat 540
% Daily Value*
Fat 60g92%
Saturated Fat 22g138%
Cholesterol 82mg27%
Sodium 1084mg47%
Potassium 238mg7%
Carbohydrates 7g2%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 12g24%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 13mg1%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sabine

    February 20, 2022 at 2:04 am

    I tried this for dinner tonight, and it was delicious. I will definitely make this again. Thank you for a great air fryer recipe.5 stars

    Reply
    • Erin Carter

      February 20, 2022 at 9:54 pm

      OH I am so glad you love it!!! Thanks for letting me know!

      Reply

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I'm a physician by day and health and wellness blogger by night. I believe that real food and healthy living are medicine and that eating healthy shouldn't be boring or restrictive. Here you'll find many easy and delicious recipes and tons of healthy living tips! Meet Dr. Erin Carter

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