When you’re craving something rich and fatty, look no further than air fryer pork belly! These delicious bites are crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and oh-so-satisfying.
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Air Fried Pork Belly Recipe
Pork belly has been growing in popularity the past few years, and for a good reason! It has all the juicy, fatty, deliciousness of bacon, but is a little more versatile. You can add it to so many dishes, or enjoy it all on its own.
And the easiest way to whip up this beautiful cut of pork is by making an air fryer pork belly! These decadent bites have crispy skin on the outside while the inside is cooked to melt-in-your-mouth tender perfection.
Here’s what I’m going to teach you in this post:
- How to make crispy pork belly in the air fryer
- Tips for making super crispy pork belly bites
- Why it’s important to prep pork belly the night before
- How to cook frozen pork belly in the air fryer
This easy recipe is my favorite way to turn pork belly into rich and savory cracklings. And you only need six ingredients to make it!
If you haven’t tried cooking with this cut of meat yet, give air fryer crispy pork belly a try. There’s a good chance it will become your newest craving!
What is Pork Belly?
Pork belly, as the name suggests, is a boneless cut of meat that comes from the belly of the pig. It’s a very rich and fatty cut of meat. It can be smoked or cured to make bacon like Air Fryer Bacon or sold uncured in big slabs.
You may have also seen fried pork belly called Lechon Kawali. While traditionally a Filipino dish, Lechon Kawali can often be found at Chinese restaurants, where it is sometimes called Lechon Macau instead.
Air Fryer Pork Belly Ingredients
- Pork belly — 1½ pounds
- Salt and pepper
- Baking powder
- Garlic powder
How to Cook Pork Belly in Air Fryer
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
STEP ONE: The night before cooking, cut the pork belly into 1-inch strips or chunks, then place in a large mixing bowl.
STEP TWO: Sprinkle the pork belly with salt and rub it into the skin and meat. Next, set the pork, skin side up, on a large plate and sprinkle with black pepper.
STEP THREE: Place in the refrigerator, uncovered, and let the pork belly chill overnight.
STEP FOUR: In a small bowl, whisk together the baking powder and garlic powder. Rub the mixture all over the pork belly.
STEP FIVE: Preheat the air fryer to 250 degrees F.
STEP SIX: Spray the inner basket of the air fryer with cooking oil spray. Next, generously spray the pork belly with the cooking oil spray, making sure the dry mixture is moistened completely.
I use my EVO Oil Sprayer because it provides an even spray over the whole air fryer.
STEP SEVEN: Place the pork belly in one layer, skin-side-up, in the air fryer basket.
STEP EIGHT: Air fry for 25 minutes.
STEP NINE: Turn up the heat to 400 degrees F and air fry for an additional 20 minutes. Continue adding more time in 5-minute increments until the skin is crisped to your liking.
How to Know the Pork Belly in the Air Fryer is Done Cooking
Once you’ve air fried the pork belly at 250 degrees F for 25 minutes and then 400 degrees F for another 20 minutes, the meat should be cooked all the way through.
After that, it’s simply a matter of getting the skin as crispy as you want!
I recommend checking at the end of the cooking time. If the skin isn’t as crispy as you like, keep checking every five minutes or so until it’s done to your liking.
Pork Belly Air Fryer Recipe Tips
- Season and place the pork belly in the refrigerator overnight. This helps draw extra moisture out of the skin before cooking.
- After the initial cook time, keep adding more time in 5-minute increments until the skin is crisped to your liking.
- Make sure the dry mix of garlic powder and baking powder on the skin is generously coated with cooking oil spray until moistened completely.
Air Fryer Pork Belly Recipe Variations
How to Air Fry Pork Belly from frozen
I love fresh pork belly more than cooking from frozen, but this recipe works wonders when you realize you want to make some pork belly the night before.
I do not recommend putting full frozen pork belly in the air fryer unless it’s just coated with sauce instead.
STEP ONE: The night before cooking, cut the pork belly into 1-inch strips or chunks, then place in a large mixing bowl.
Sprinkle the pork belly with salt and rub it into the skin and meat. Next, sprinkle with black pepper.
Tightly wrap the pork belly in plastic wrap, seal in a plastic zipper bag, then freeze.
STEP TWO: When ready to cook, preheat the air fryer to 250 degrees F. Remove the pork belly from the freezer.
STEP THREE: Spray the inner basket of the air fryer with cooking oil spray. Generously spray the pork belly with the cooking oil spray.
Place the pork belly in one layer, skin side up, in the basket.
STEP FOUR: Air fry for 30 minutes. Open the basket, spray the pork belly with more cooking oil spray, then turn up the heat to 400 degrees F and air fry for an additional 20 minutes.
Add on more time in 5-minute increments until the skin is crisped to your liking.
What to Serve with Air Fryer Pork Belly
- Air Fryer Baby Potatoes
- Air Fryer Broccoli Parmesan
- Air Fryer Sweet and Spicy Brussels Sprouts
- Asian-Style Air Fryer Green Beans
- Ninja Foodi Rice
How to Store Air Fried Pork Belly
Wait for the air fried pork belly to cool, then store in an airtight container in your refrigerator.
When stored properly, pork belly will last for up to four days.
How to Reheat Crispy Pork Belly in the Air Fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F.
- Spray the inner basket of the air fryer with cooking oil spray. Spritz the pork belly with cooking oil spray and place it skin-side-up in the basket.
- Air fry for 7 minutes until warmed through.
Air Fry Pork Belly FAQs
If you love crispy skin, then yes! Seasoning and placing the pork belly in the fridge overnight helps draw extra moisture out of the skin, which is the key to making crispy pork belly in the air fryer.
But if you want to skip the overnight prep, you can coat your pork belly in a sauce instead! I recommend mixing with ¼ cup of char siu sauce, then cooking at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. Make sure to flip halfway through for even cooking.
To prevent pork belly from drying out in the air fryer, make sure to season it well and spray the meat generously with oil.
Keeping the pork belly skin-side up during cooking also helps the meat stay moist and tender.
If your pork belly isn’t getting that sought-after crispiness, it could be due to insufficient drying or seasoning.
First, always let the pork dry out in the fridge overnight to draw out excess moisture. Second, make sure to spread the baking powder evenly over the meat, then spray enough oil to moisten the dry mixture on the skin.
Pork belly will become more tender as it air fries, but you also don’t want to overdo it. Overcooking can lead to a tough texture.
For optimal tenderness, keep an eye on the cooking time and temperature.
Pork belly cooks in the air fryer for 45 minutes to an hour. You’ll start by air frying pork belly for about 25 minutes at 250 degrees F, then increase the temperature to 400 degrees F and continue air frying for another 20 minutes.
If necessary, add more time in 5-minute increments until the skin reaches your desired level of crispiness!
More like this Pork Belly Air Fryer Recipe:
- Air Fryer Pork Loin
- Air Fryer Pork Steaks
- Breaded Air Fryer Bone-In Pork Chops
- Air Fryer Bacon Jalapenos
- Air Fryer Ham Steaks
- Stuffed Pork Chops in the Air Fryer
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Crispy Pork Belly Air Fryer Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds pork belly
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- [[Oil for spraying ]]
Instructions
- The night before cooking, cut the pork belly into 1-inch strips or chunks, then place in a large mixing bowl.
- Sprinkle the pork belly with salt and rub it into the skin and meat.
Next, set the pork, skin side up, on a large plate and sprinkle with black pepper. - Place in the refrigerator, uncovered, and let the pork belly chill overnight.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the baking powder and garlic powder. Rub the mixture all over the pork belly.
- Preheat the air fryer to 250 degrees F.
- Spray the inner basket of the air fryer with cooking oil spray. Next,
generously spray the pork belly with the cooking oil spray, making sure
the dry mixture is moistened completely. - Place the pork belly in one layer, skin side up, in the air fryer basket, and cook for 25 minutes.
- Turn up the heat to 400 degrees F and air fry for an additional 20
minutes. Continue adding more time in 5-minute increments until the skin is crisped to your liking.
That looks delicious! I need to make this
Cooked exactly as written and pictured, thank you…🌴🤗👍