This is a Crispy Pork Belly recipe, just like you get from the Chinese BBQ meat shop! The best crackling in the world with juicy seasoned flesh, no one does crispy pork belly like the Chinese.
And this is how they make it. (It’s easy!)
Chinese Crispy Pork Belly recipe
In my humble opinion, the Chinese are the undisputed king of two things: crispy duck and crispy pork belly.
It’s unlikely that I will ever share a proper Peking Duck recipe because it’s too hard to make properly in an ordinary home kitchen.
Pork belly, on the other hand, is totally doable. That juicy, seasoned flesh. But mostly, it’s all about…..
The best crackling in the world
Chinese pork belly crackling is, in my humble opinion, the best crackling in the world. With the signature puffy bubbles all over, this Pork Belly Crackling is crispy and crumbly in a way that you will never achieve on a pork roast, even pulling out all the secret crackling tips.
That’s what makes Chinese Crispy Pork Belly so sought after. The reason why the best Chinese BBQ meat shops have queues around the block on weekends.
And today, my friends, you’re going to see how easy it is to make your own Chinese pork belly that comes out looking just like this ↓↓↓.
The secret to the best pork belly in the world
And here are the two secrets to perfect crispy pork belly that the Chinese discovered*:
1. Pricking lots of holes in the skin = puffy crackling with bubbles. This is what makes all the difference, yielding that beautiful bubbly crackling that is so unique to Chinese pork belly.
The Chinese have a special tool that they use to prick the skin. Me, I have my Basic Instinct moment and use an ice pick. It works remarkably well. But anything that is pointy and sharp will work just fine – for example, metal skewers.
And yes, if you find it all too hard, you can skip this pricking step. More on that below in the Easy Non Pricking Method. 🙂
* I credit them for this genius discovery, but I’m not actually sure if they discovered it!
2. Roast covered in rock salt = crispy crackling. Salt draws moisture to the surface, helping to guarantee you’ll get crispy crackling every single time. And yes, it works whether you do the pricking or not. Again, more on that below.
Why rock salt?
Rock salt is easy to remove and also will not penetrate into the holes while roasting, making the pork far too salty.
The pork belly is first roasted with the salt crust, then the salt crust is removed. At this stage, the skin is rubbery and looks thoroughly unappetising (step 7 above).
All it takes to transform the ugly ducking into a crispy golden swan is to stick it under the grill/broiler for 25 minutes. Watch in amazement as it starts to puff and crackle and becomes soo crispy!!!
Pork Belly Marinade
The pork flesh is infused with subtle flavour by marinating it in classic Chinese flavours – Chinese cooking wine (or dry sherry or even Mirin), five spice powder, salt and white pepper.
There are some Chinese pork belly recipes “out there” that don’t marinate, but I really think it’s worth the time to do this otherwise the flesh somewhat lacks Chinese flavour (in my humble opinion).
ALTERNATIVE:
EASY NON PRICKING METHOD
If you don’t have something suitable for or are having troubles pricking the skin, don’t be sad, there is another way to Chinese Crispy Pork Belly heaven!
With this alternative method which is virtually foolproof, you can skip pricking the skin and the crackling will still be outrageously crispy, however, it will not have the signature puffy bubbles that Chinese Pork Belly is known for.
When you break the crackling, it will snap cleanly rather than partially crumbling which the puffy crackling does (which you can see in the video).
The reason this method is foolproof is because with the traditional Chinese method, if you are too enthusiastic with the pricking and pierce too far into the fat (or even worse, into the flesh), the juices will bubble up onto the skin, and the wetness as the skin is being grilled/broiled will cause little splotches where the skin is not super crispy.
Doesn’t the crackling using this simple Alternative Method look almost impossibly perfect?? Check out that colour!
How to serve crispy pork belly
This is the typical way to serve it: cut into slices, then each slice cut into smaller pieces. Small pieces is the go here because pork belly is rich!
As for sauce, Chinese pork belly is typically served with mustard. Either your everyday yellow mustard or Hot English Mustard which is my favourite. The kick of fresh heat pairs so well with the richness of the pork belly!
I’ve also had it served with white sugar. Just a small dish of everyday white sugar that you dip the pork into. It’s really good.
As for sides, because pork belly is rich, I just serve it with plain fresh vegetables. My favourite is cucumber and radish because they’re so fresh and radish also has a kick of spiciness.
Plus, they add great colour to the plate, don’t you think?
Chinese Crispy Pork Belly – SUMMARY
I realise there’s a lot of information in the above, so I though it would be useful to finish with a summary. ❤️
- Traditional Chinese Crispy Pork Belly has a golden puffy crispy crackling that almost crumbles when you bite into it. It’s complete and utter bliss to experience!
- To make puffy crackling, you need to prick lots and lots of little holes in the skin. If you accidentally prick too far into the fat under the skin, or even worse, the flesh, this may cause juices to bubble to the surface which may result in some splotches that are not 100% crisp. The Chinese have a special tool to do this. I use an ice pick (aka my Basic Instinct moment?).
- If pricking the holes seems like too hard work, skip it and opt for the Alternative Easy Non Pricking Method for Crispy Pork Belly
- The Alternative Easy Non Pricking Method yields a crackling that is a beautiful golden brown that is outrageously crispy but without bubbly crackling. The crackling snaps rather than crumbles like the authentic Crispy Chinese Pork Belly. It is still a stunning crackling that many people dream of. ☺️ This method is very easy with guaranteed crispy crackling, every single time.
- DO NOT SKIP THE VIDEO!! Just wait until you hear how crispy that crackling is!!
To all crackling lovers out there, this one is for YOU! – Nagi x
PS Oh wait, it’s also for Chinese New Year which is tomorrow! ❤️
More food for Chinese New Year
Celebrate Chinese New Year with the best of Chinese food!
- Potstickers – steamed dumplings with crispy golden undersides
- Spring Rolls – better than Egg Rolls!
- Fried Rice – Chinese takeout standard (no false promises)
- Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu) – just like you get from Chinese BBQ meat shops!
- Chinese Steamed Pork Buns – big fluffy white buns filled with BBQ pork
- Browse all Chinese Recipes and Asian Takeout copycat recipes
Crispy Chinese Pork Belly
Watch how to make it
Don’t watch this on Mute…. you want to hear how crispy that crackling is!!
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Chinese Crispy Pork Belly
Ingredients
- 1 pork belly, skin on (800 - 1.2kg / 1.6 - 2.4 lb) (Note 1)
- 1 1/2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing wine) (Note 2)
- 1 tsp Chinese five spice powder (Note 3)
- 1 tsp white pepper (sub black pepper)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp white vinegar (helps conduct heat evenly)
- 200 g / 7 oz rock salt (Note 4)
Instructions
Prepare Pork Belly
- Use an ice pick, sharp metal skewer or another tool to prick tons and tons of holes in the skin. Avoid piercing int o the fat as best you can, and really ensure you do not pierce the flesh (Note 5)
- Turn the pork belly upside down. Rub the flesh (not skin) with Chinese cooking wine, dribbling it on gradually. Sprinkle over five spice powder, salt and pepper. Rub all over flesh, including sides (not on skin).
- Turn skin side up and place in a container. Dab skin dry with paper towels. Refrigerate uncovered for 12 hours (max 24 hrs, min 3 hrs).
Cook:
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F (all oven types).
- Remove pork from fridge. Place onto a large sheet of foil. Fold up sides of foil around the pork to enclose it snugly (see photos in post or video) with a 1.5cm / 2/5" rim above the pork skin (to hold salt in).
- Transfer pork to baking tray. Dab skin with paper towels.
- Brush skin with vinegar.
- Spread rock salt on the skin (the foil edges will stop it from falling down the sides).
- Roast for 60 minutes.
- Remove pork from oven and transfer onto work surface.
- Switch to grill/broiler on medium high. Move shelf so it is at least 25cm/10" from the heat source.
- Fold down foil and scrape all the salt off the top and sides. Return pork only (i.e. discard foil) to baking tray.
- Place under grill/broiler for 20 - 25 minutes, rotating tray once, until skin is golden, crispy and puffed. (Note 6)
To Serve
- Remove pork onto cutting board. Slice into 1 - 1.5cm / 2/5 - 3/5" thick slices, then into smaller slices like pictured in post.
- Serve with ordinary yellow mustard - or Hot English Mustard if you like spicy like me! Not Dijon, just ordinary American or other yellow mustard (yes really!). Sometimes it is served with white sugar on the side too. Add some fresh raw vegetables (I use cucumber and radish).
Recipe Notes:
- Follow recipe up to and including brushing with vinegar but do not prick skin.
- Cover skin with rock salt per recipe, OR use 1 cup kosher/cooking/table salt (enough to cover skin about 3 - 5 mm / 1/8 - 1/5" thick). If you use fine grain salt, make sure the foil is VERY snug around the edges - if salt falls down the sides, it will make the flesh salty.
- Roast per recipe and scrape off salt.
- Instead of flicking to grill/broiler, turn the oven up to 240C/465F. For this method, oven works better to make skin crispy.
- Place pork on a rack and return to baking tray, roast for a further 30 minutes or until crackling is golden and crispy.
Nutrition Information:
Originally published January 2017. Entire post refreshed, new photos added, brand new (much better!) video. No change to recipe, though writing was cleaned up a bit.
‘Life of Dozer
I had many, many chances to catch this shot…. he was doing this the whole time I was shooting the pork belly!!
I am making this but using a 7 lb pork belly. Increased rub mixture but question is how long do I figure for roasting time? 30 minutes per pound? i do not want it to be tough
Hi Kolleen, thats a massive piece of pork, I’d cut it up into smaller portions so you can cook them separately (but at the same time) and follow the recipe 🙂
Hi Nagi, do I need to rest the meat before slicing? Also, how long can keep the skin intact before it loses the crunch? Just wondering if I should remove the skin after its done and reheat if not serving immediately?
Hi Linda, this pork stays crispy for a long time, it will remain crispy if not serving straight away – N x
Ellen…, are you from a past era or a different planet? Earth, 21st century here, hello?! It is sometimes good to read real books (the kind with paper pages) however, i find it much easier to google recipes and get inspiration from people like passionate Nagi. I am trying this for tonight’s Sunday roast with a Chinese twist. All prepped and refrigerated. I kind of know I will impress fiancee, lol. I have used some of your recipes before Nagi but I do like to improvise and add or substitute things. Well done Nagi! Big Booooo on you, Ellen
Thanks so much Sascha, love to know how you go with the pork!!
Omg thanks for sharing this easy to follow recipe! Love it!!!
I’m so glad you loved it Patricia!
I couldn’t find a big piece of pork belly, what would the cooking time be if they’re basically already cut into strips?
This is a fantastic recipe! I’ve been tried all sorts of methods to make authentic Chinese pork belly like they sell in the shops. Sous vide, grilling, slow roasting, etc. This is certainly the easiest and most consistent. I bought the tool to poke holes in the skin (search for “pork belly skin piercer”) from my local Asian grocery for $5 and it made all the difference! So crispy! I would add that 1 hour at 350F was not enough and roasting for 2 hours at 350F and then 20-25 mins on broil made for perfectly tender pork and crispy skin. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so glad it worked out for you, you know you’re committed when you buy the tools ☺️😂
I’m a little confused on what I should do about broiling. My oven only has Hi or Lo settings, not medium high….so would HI be ok? I also saw your note about instead of broiling, increase the oven temp to 465 degrees? Am I understanding that correct?
Hi Tracy, yes you can turn the oven up if you don’t want to broil. Otherwise I’d put in on High and lower the rack so it’s not too close to the element. Just keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn ❤️
Thank you!
Nom, nom, nom. fail proof recipe. Best crackling ever. So delicious! Thank you.
Made this for Sunday lunch today and it was devine. perfect crackling and the meat was lovely and juicy with plenty of flavour. Thanks for sharing – Happy family well fed.
Wahoo!
Wow! I was surprised at how little spice rub is needed to make it taste perfect.
Thank you for all your work in refining recipes until you got this one just like you want it.
And I love the doggo <3
Wanted to drop a message to say what an AMAZING recipe this is!!!! I’m not much of a chef except for the occasional noodles and stir-fries but my buddy made an amazing twice-cooked pork in a month ago and I was surprised how easy it was to cook pork belly. I’ve never had the confidence to cook anything other than mince pork.
Bought 1kg of pork belly and made 2 separate meals from it – said twice-cooked pork (in the instant pot!) being a HK girl I was CRAVING for siu yuk and found this recipe!
Had everything except for the 5 spice in the marinade, the salt rub process was way easier than expected. 60 min roast, the skin looked pretty much cooked by the time I scraped off the salt. 15 mins into the grill it started to look abit burnt so took it out earlier.
Finished product with red rice and blanched cabbage with garlic. YUMMMMM! Meat was tender and juicy with all the flavours, skin was crispy (was worried as I didn’t poke holes)
The partner agrees that its the best meal I’ve ever made!
Thanks so much for such easy, straight forward recipe! Look forward to making more 🙂
Sounds like you nailed it Christina!!!
hi the only pork belly available to me is very meaty a nice fat layer about 1sixteenth inch thick one side again very meaty one thin layer fat through center piece is 9 in by 4inch with 1 inch thick what would you do with no skin ???
Hi Joseph, this recipe is only suitable for pork with skin sorry, otherwise it would absorb too much salt. – N x
Hi Nagi, just wanted tp tell you that your video & recipe for Crispy Pork Belly is being used by a company called Tasman Butchers here in Victoria. I do not know if you have authorised this or not. It was in a fb post l received. I recognised your hands. Please respond to this comment. Thankyou for your delicious recipes.
First, let me say you are a freakin’ genius, Nagi! After a few epic fails with pork belly, I had resigned myself to a sad existence without it. Given I’m too stubborn to normally use a recipe, I was despairing my lack of pork belly prowess. The trick you outline in this blog is brilliant, and I have renewed hope that I can continue to enjoy awesome pork belly. I might even overcome my stubbornness and try a few more off your blog. Thanks heaps for providing, it has changed my culinary life for the better!
Oh, and P.S., I ate so much I might very imminently explode!
Aww shucks!! That’s so nice to hear Tim!
I made this last night. Turned out great. The crackling was super crispy – just like your video. I used a cocktail fork which has 2 sharp prongs to pierce the skin. Personally, I love reading your blogs to hear what you think, and what you and your family have been up to. I used to live in Clareville before moving to Thailand, and i enjoy your photos around the northern beaches (and anywhere for that matter). You are very witty Nagi and you often bring a smile to my face. As for Dozer, I can’t bear to miss reading about him. Even when there is a recipe I’m not interested in, I push the Dozer button!! Don’t change anything you do Nagi – you are the best!! Keep up the great work and thank you xxxx
Made this again last night for dinner and soo good always mean to make double!. Cant believe that comment from Ellen? I must say that your blog it makes me want to try your recipes and you have the best blog out there. You dont need negative people like that and i honestly hope it hasn’t upset you too much. Look at all the positive feedback that you get that is what counts.
Thanks so much Jackie, I really appreciate it!
I rarely find large pieces of pork belly. Does the roasting time change with a smaller piece(s) – I assumed it would but wasn’t sure how to figure it out. Recipe looks AMAZING.
Hi Annie, what size piece of pork are you using?
I have made this twice. The first time I prepped it all and it was marinating. My mom misunderstood my instructions and put it in the oven when I hadn’t finished putting the salt on. It turned out fine, although the skin was not as airy as what you buy. But then the second time, I did the whole thing correctly. Marinated for 24 hours, put it on foil with the salt and OMG it was so delicious! The skin was crisp but airy just like when you buy it. I used a meat tenderizer like this,
https://www.amazon.ca/OXO-Good-Grips-Easy-Clean-Tenderizer/dp/B00HEZ8A1U/ref=sr_1_16?crid=3UM9EZWDAXZYS&keywords=meat+tenderizer&qid=1552061812&s=gateway&sprefix=meat+tender%2Caps%2C209&sr=8-16 and it works!
Fantastic recipe and definitely going to make again!
This was sooo good I made it the non poking method and it was perfect crispy crispy! i also sent a comment on your beef stew but forgot to write in the comment section so you will get a glowing review but you might not know what it was so I will repeat -wonderful wonderful!
Thanks so much Nancy!!!
I totally made this last week and I didn’t have an ice pick or a metal skewer. Only a wooden one. Tried to poke holes but they were too shallow, so it didn’t puff up as much but it was still delicious! There weren’t any leftovers. Yesterday my husband went out and bought me an ice pick just so I can make this again. LOL. Thanks!
I love this! Hopefully next time your crackling will be fabulous!! ❤️