Air Fryer Pork Belly - Air Fryer Recipes (2024)

Are you looking for air fryer pork belly recipe for your weekends? Air fryer pork belly is crackling on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. All you need to make these crackling air fryer pork belly recipes are a little preparation and patience because the result is worth the effort.

Today I’ll be sharing how to make a juicy air fryer pork belly, tips for making an easy air fryer pork belly, and many more but don’t miss out on the method for making crackling pork belly. If you love making easy pork recipes, be sure to check, the air fryer country style ribs.

What is pork belly?

For those who don’t know what pork belly is I’ve tried to explain it in a very simple way.

Pork belly is boneless, fatty meat that comes from the belly part of the pig. Pork belly is a thick layer of meat, skin, and smaller layers of fat marbled throughout.

However, pork belly is a controversial cut of meat. Some people love it, and some hate it. Anyway, let’s start with the air fryer pork belly recipe.

Before starting with the recipe, let's see how to choose a good piece of pork belly.

You should always look for an even and flat pork belly. Because this type of pork belly will cook evenly and you’ll have evenly crispy skin.
Always choose your pork belly with more meat.

Ingredients for air fryer pork belly

• 3-4 pork belly slices
• 2 tablespoons salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Note: You can also use pork spice rub for seasoning if you like.

How to cook air fryer pork belly?

1. Take a large pot of water, boil the water, and add the pork belly to the boiling water for about 8-10 minutes.
2. After boiling remove the meat out and place it on a rack and let it cool. Use paper towels to pat the excess water as much as possible.
3. Take a sharp knife or a meat skewer and pierce holes into the skin of the pork belly. But don’t go too deep that you reach the meat.
4. Transfer the pork belly to your refrigerator and let it sit uncovered for 12 hours. You can check now and then to wipe off any excess moisture from the skin.
5. Then, preheat your air fryer to 200C/400f for 5 minutes.
6. While your air fryer is heating, sprinkle the spice run to taste and mix them well but not on the skin.

7. Place the pork belly in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook the air fryer pork belly at 200C/400F for 30 minutes or until the meat is cooked through until crackling has developed.

8. Use the meat thermometer and insert it into the middle of the meat. The thermometer should hit 145F/63C to ensure optimal cooking.
9. Flip the pork belly halfway through the cooking process for the best result.

10. Let the meat rest for a minute or two. And serve your air fryer pork belly with your favorite dips.

You can find the air fryer pork belly recipe in the printable card below.

Why boil pork belly before air frying?

• Boiling helps in tenderizing the meat and shortens the cooking time in the air fryer.
• Boiled meat won’t dry out while air frying.
• After the meat is boiled the skin gets soft and it’ll be easier to poke holes.

Tips for making crunchy and juicy air fryer pork belly

• Boiling the pork belly helps to reduce the air frying time.
• You should try to keep the skin dry as much as possible for the best crackling pork belly.
• Place the pork belly skin side down while cooking this helps to prevent the pork belly from coiling.
• While piercing the pork belly skin doesn’t go too deep this can dry the meat.
• Let the air fryer pork belly sit for a minute or two after it's cooked so the skin won’t crack while slicing.

Other pork recipes you might like:

• Air fryer pork bites

What do you have with air fryer pork belly?

• Air fryer pork belly is best served as a main course with salad.
• You can also slice the pork belly into bite-size and serve them as air fryer pork belly bites with your favorite dipping sauce.
• Pork belly also goes well with white rice.
• Pair your crispy air fryer pork belly with sautéed green beans or asparagus.

How to make crackling air fryer pork belly?

If your pork skin is crackling while eating, you’ll have another level of satisfaction. If you can connect what I’m saying.

Making crackling is easy.

• You have to make the skin as dry as possible.
• Cover the pork belly skin with salt that helps to draw out excess water.
• And while you're letting the pork belly rest in the fridge we need to wipe the excess moisture on the skin and keep the skin dry.
• After the skin has dried, we directly place the pork belly in the preheated air fryer.
• Preheated air fryer gives that nice heated platform to the pork belly resulting in the skin expanding and creating crackling.

Here are some of the frequently asked questions

How long does it take to cook pork in air fryer?

Air fryer pork belly takes about 30 minutes to cook in an air fryer.

What temperature should pork belly be?

You can measure the temperature of the pork belly using a meat thermometer. Pork belly should be 165F internally to ensure it's safe to serve.

Why is my air fryer smoking?

Usually while cooking fatty food like pork your air fryer smokes. This is because the fat from the pork belly drips off and dashes against the air fryer's hot cooking elements, causing your air fryer to smoke.

You can place a piece of bread underneath the air fryer basket that helps to absorb the excess fat dripping off the pork belly.

Or you can pour 1-2 tablespoons of water that dilutes the excess fat and prevents smoking. You can read in detail why your air fryer smokes here.

Can I cook pork belly in air fryer without boiling it?

Yes, you can make the pork belly in an air fryer without boiling it. But it takes more than 40-50 minutes.

Why is my pork belly skin not crispy?

The main reason for not achieving the crispy air fryer pork belly due to the excess moisture.

To prevent this, you should frequently wipe off the excess moisture on the skin while resting.

And make sure to avoid seasoning the skin and cutting into the meat while slicing the skin.

How to remove hair from pork belly?

Sometimes you may notice hair on the pork belly and that looks unappetizing. It’s totally fine you can easily remove them at home.

You can remove the hair by blowing a torch or using a safety razor or tweezers.

Can I store leftover pork belly?

Yes, you can store your leftover pork belly in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Air fryer pork belly stays good for about 5-7 days if stored properly.

Before putting it in the fridge let the pork belly cool down completely.
You can place the leftover pork belly in the air fryer basket reheat them and enjoy.

Where do you buy pork belly?

Pork belly can be easily available at most of the local butchers. You can also find pork belly at Asian grocery stores.

You can also buy frozen Trader joe’s pork belly.

If you like air fryer pork belly, look what else you can air fry:

• Air fryer bacon

If you’ve tried this air fryer grilled ham and cheese, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below.

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