Cooked slowly with a delicious marinade, this Pork Belly recipe gives you a delicious option for a special roast dinner. Juicy meat with a crispy crackling is so easy to make when you know how – follow the step-by-step videos in this recipe to get it just right.
I love finding ways of cooking with economical joints of meat that actually feel like a luxury, and my other pork recipes (especially Slow Cooker Pulled Pork and Slow Cooker Gammon) are always popular because they are inexpensive, simple, versatile and SO delicious.
Now it’s time to have a go at Pork Belly for your Sunday roast, because I know many find the idea daunting, but I am here to tell you it’s honestly so easy to cook at home!
With a simple rub to prep and a few tips and tricks, the rest is all about following the guidance for timings and oven temperatures – and that’s it!
This succulent and juicy cut with layers of meat and fat, and the most delicious crispy crackling on top, is hard to beat when cooked slowly for about 2 hours.
A marinade combination of black pepper, fennel, thyme and garlic rubbed into it with oil provides so much flavour too.
I make this alongside the full works when I can, including Yorkshire Puddings, Braised Red Cabbage, Roast Potatoes and Carrot & Parsnips. Not forgetting the apple sauce and Gravy!
Why you’ll love this easy Crispy Pork Belly recipe
Good value roast meat option
Succulent, juicy and full of flavour
Really easy to prep
How to get super crispy pork belly crackling
Let’s face it, this is a vital part of cooking belly of pork. We definitely don’t want a soggy rind left behind.
Here are a few very simple tips to make sure you get that crackling just right.
Drying the pork uncovered in the fridge overnight almost guarantees you crispy skin. The fridge dries the skin out, so when it’s cooking there’s no moisture in it to stop the fat from getting very hot and creating that delicious golden crunch we all love.
Score the skin on the pork belly, being careful not to cut through to the meat below. This allows the hot air from the oven to get right into the skin and, as a result, crisp up.
(Sometimes the pork belly you buy from the supermarket will already have cuts in the skin, but often they’ve not been cut very well. Be sure to score the skin every 1cm to make sure the whole of the skin is covered in shallow cuts. If you’re buying your pork belly from the butcher, you can ask them to do this for you, but it’s really easy to do at home with a very sharp knife or even a scalpel if you have one.)
We start the oven cooking at a very high temperature and then reduce it down, which helps the skin to get crispy while ensuring the meat doesn’t overcook.
If the crackling needs more colour, turn it back up high for 10-15 minutes and keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.
Rest the pork uncovered after cooking. If you cover it, the crackling may lose its crunch. Don’t worry, it will still stay hot.
Pork Belly Ingredients
- Pork belly joint – This should have plenty of evenly distributed skin on. If you’re buying it from the butcher, you could ask them to score it for you. Make sure the joint is fresh by checking its colour is pale (off white), firm to touch and doesn’t have a distinct smell.
- For the marinade – Black pepper, crushed fennel seeds, dried thyme, garlic and a flavourless oil such as sunflower. This goes on the underside of the joint, NOT on the skin.
- Sea salt – This is for rubbing into the skin.
How to cook pork belly
1. Score and pat the pork belly dry, place on a wire rack on a baking tray and leave in the fridge overnight (as per the full recipe below). When ready to start cooking, make your marinade.
2. Rub the marinade onto the underside of the joint and rub the salt into the skin. Cook in the oven according to to the timings and temperatures below.
Leftovers & Storing
In the fridge Any leftover pork will be fine in the fridge for up to 3 days. Make sure you wrap it up well. Reheat it thoroughly before eating again, or enjoy it cold.
In the freezer You can also freeze any leftovers. I would recommend doing this in slices. Wait until it’s completely cold, then wrap it well in cling film or baking paper before storing it in a freezer-proof container or bag. Thaw it completely in the fridge, then reheat it until piping hot.
Recipe Tips
Dry the joint overnight before cooking
Drying the pork and placing it in the fridge, uncovered, overnight is an easy way to get crispy crackling. The fridge dries the skin out, which means there’s no moisture to stop the fat from getting super hot when cooking, and this results in the delicious golden crunch.
Scoring the skin
Score the skin every 1cm and make sure the cuts are even across the joint. Be careful not to cut through to the meat below. This allows the hot air from the oven to get right into the skin and help it crisp up.
If the crackling needs more time
Obviously all ovens can be slightly different in temperature, so if they crackling needs more colour after you’ve followed the timings in the recipe below, turn the oven back up to 220°C fan/240°C/475°F/Gas Mark 9 and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Be sure to keep a close eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn!
How to know when it’s cooked
The best way to check is with a meat thermometer. You want the pork to be 88-90°C (190-195°F).
This is a little higher than you might expect but because pork belly is quite fatty, cooking it to this temperature in a lower heat oven means the fat cooks down and keeps the pork super juicy.
This meat thermometer is the one I have found to be the most reliable and I use it all the time for many recipes. It’s not the cheapest option but it’s better than many I’ve tried.
Resting time
Leave the pork to rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Make sure you don’t cover the pork belly at this point as the crackling may lose its crunch. It will still stay plenty hot enough.
Serving
If you struggle to carve the joint, it might be easier to remove the crackling before serving, however usually we find if you use a large, sharp serrated knife (like a bread knife) it’s easy enough to cut.
More easy roast recipes…
FAQs
This cut of pork is from where it suggests – the underside of the pig. It’s known for being fatty, with layers of meat and fat, and as a result, very tasty and great for slow cooking. The thick layer of fat on it is what we turn into crackling, a crunchy addition that is so delicious.
The best way to check is with a meat thermometer. You want the pork to be 88-90°C (190-195°F).
This is a little higher than you might expect but because pork belly is quite fatty, cooking it to this temperature in a lower heat oven means the fat cooks down and keeps the pork super juicy.
This meat thermometer is the one I have found to be the most reliable and I use it all the time for many recipes. It’s not the cheapest option but it’s better than many I’ve tried.
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Pork Belly {with Crispy Crackling}
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Ingredients
- 750 g Pork belly joint Skin on
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper
- 1/2 tsp Fennel seeds Lightly crushed
- 1/2 tsp Dried thyme
- 1 Garlic clove Crushed
- 2 tsp Sunflower oil Or another flavourless oil
- 1 tsp Flaky sea salt
Instructions
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Dry the pork overnight: Pat the pork belly dry with kitchen paper, especially the skin, and place on a wire rack on top of a baking tray in the fridge overnight. (See notes below.)
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On the day: Heat the oven to 220°C fan/240°C/475°F/Gas Mark 9.
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Prepare the joint: If the skin is not already scored, or only scored a few times, lightly score it using a sharp knife, cutting only through the skin and not into the meat. We like to score it every 1cm or so to make sure our crackling gets super crispy.
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For the rub: Mix the black pepper, crushed fennel, thyme and garlic with the oil to make a thick paste and rub into the underside of the pork belly. NOT ON THE SKIN. Rub the skin with the salt.
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Cook on high, then low: Keeping the pork on the wire rack over the baking tray, roast for 25 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 160°C fan/180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 and cook for 1 hour -1 hour 30. Check the temperature of the meat is 88-90C (190-195F) and the crackling should be hard and crispy. (See notes below.)
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Rest before serving: Leave the pork to rest uncovered for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
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Notes
Scoring the skin: Score the skin every 1cm and make sure the cuts are even across the joint. Be careful not to cut through to the meat below. This allows the hot air from the oven to get right into the skin and help it crisp up.
If the crackling needs more time: All ovens can be slightly different in temperature, so if they crackling needs more colour after you’ve followed the timings in the recipe below, turn the oven back up to 220°C fan/240°C/475°F/Gas Mark 9 and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Be sure to keep a close eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn!
How to know when it’s cooked: The best way to check is with a meat thermometer. You want the pork to be 88-90°C (190-195°F).
Resting time: Leave the pork to rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Make sure you don’t cover the pork belly at this point as the crackling may lose its crunch. It will still stay plenty hot enough.
Serving: If you struggle to carve the joint, it might be easier to remove the crackling before serving, however usually we find if you use a large, sharp serrated knife (like a bread knife) it’s easy enough to cut.
Nutrition
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