Get ready for this roundup of my favorite pork belly recipes! Crispy skin, mouthwatering flavor, fantastic texture — pork belly has it all. Each pork belly recipe boosts the flavor of this incredible cut.
If it’s your first time working with pork belly, you’re in for a real treat. These easy recipes have you covered.
Why You’ll Love These Pork Belly Recipes
Love the flavor of bacon and wish you could do more with it? Meet pork belly. I’ve made pork belly burnt ends, pork belly tacos, pork belly sandwiches and even pork belly cinnamon rolls. It’s an incredibly versatile cut. It may be fatty, but it’s a juicy meat jam-packed with flavor. I can tell you from experience that crispy pork belly will always wow a crowd.
Looking for the best of the best of my recipes? Check out other popular roundups like The Best Tailgating Recipes, The Best Taco Recipes and Best Holiday Recipes.
Tips for the Best Pork Belly
- Source high-quality meat. Your local grocery store or butcher is a great start for finding pork belly. I’ve also ordered from Kansas Pork and the National Pork Board, so be sure to check those options out too.
- Gather your key ingredients. You know that I love a good rub or sauce, and these pork belly recipes are great opportunities to bust out your favorites. Brown sugar, garlic powder, kosher salt, dark soy sauce and rice wine are all simple ingredients you’ll want to have on hand.
- Bring a sharp knife. You’ll need it in these pork belly recipes, since we’ll be scoring skin or cutting into pork belly pieces! Parchment paper, a rimmed baking sheet, a wire rack and paper towels (to wipe off excess salt) are essential tools too.
- Good things take time. Yes, burnt ends take a while. But we all know good things come to those who wait! That being said, make sure read through each pork belly recipe and ensure you’re giving yourself enough cooking time before dinner.
Skin-on vs. Skinless
When you visit your local good-quality butcher, you’ll have a choice between skin-on pork belly and skinless pork belly. In most of these recipes, I use skin-on pork belly. That crispy skin is the best part when you cook it right! If you’re cooking the whole pork belly brick, make sure you score the top layer of fat or poke holes in it to get our rub seasonings in there and achieve that golden crust. If you cube your cut into 1-2 inch thick pieces of pork belly, like we do in a lot of these recipes, you’ll be all set.
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The Best Pork Belly Recipes
Get ready, get set, and here we go! Let’s dive into some of my most favorite pork belly recipes!
Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends with Applesauce
Pork Belly Cinnamon Rolls
Crispy Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Honey Garlic Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Pork Belly Burnt Ends with Maple and Bourbon
Fried Pork Belly Tacos
Crispy Korean Pork Belly Sandwiches
Teriyaki Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Sriracha Bourbon Pork Belly
Smoked BBQ Pork Belly
Fried Chicharrones
Pastrami Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Smoked Pork Burnt Ends
What to Serve with the Best Pork Belly Recipes
A lot of these pork belly recipes have classic BBQ flavors, so sides like cornbread, baked beans, potato salad and grilled vegetables are great options. Since pork pairs well with apple, you could also introduce apple cider, apple slaw and apple pie into your pork belly spread!
More Pork on Your Fork
Leftovers and Reheating
If somehow you end up with pork belly recipe leftovers the next day, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. If you made burnt ends in a crutch, my favorite way to minimize dishes is to store the pork belly pieces in the disposable roasting pan and cover tightly with foil. To reheat, place your pork belly on the grill at medium heat for 10-15 minutes. You can warm in a 350 degree F oven too if that’s easier!
FAQs
Basically, the main difference is that bacon is cured for preservation purposes and pork belly isn’t. And while bacon comes in long strips, pork belly comes as a brick of meat so you can use it in more ways for these pork belly recipes than just pan frying. Both cuts come from the belly of the pig, although some butchers make cuts from other parts of the pig, like jowl bacon, back bacon, cottage bacon and slab bacon.
Typically, we make burnt ends from brisket, which is a beef cut. However, you can also make burnt ends out of pork belly! If you want to try other types of burnt ends and see cooking tips, check out our Best Burnt Ends roundup.
If you’re making something that’s in the shredded pork family, sure! The al pastor pork belly tacos and the crispy Korean pork belly sandwiches fit this bill. Otherwise, you’ll want to stick with pork belly. It usually cooks quicker and gives you that special flavor and texture that is particular to this cut.
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