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Sliced crispy pork belly with golden, crunchy skin arranged neatly on a floral-patterned plate.
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Air Fryer Crispy Pork Belly (Secrets to Crispy Skin)

Ever wonder how to get that crackly skin on crispy pork belly? If yes, this air fryer crispy pork belly recipe is for you. In this post, get all the tips and tricks on how to get that perfectly crispy skin, so it looks like you got your siu yuk from a Cantonese bbq place.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time55 minutes
Martinating Time3 hours
Total Time4 hours 10 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Chinese, Vietnamese
Diet: Gluten Free
Keyword: air fryer crispy pork belly, crispy pork belly, crispy pork belly recipe, siu yuk, siu yuk recipe, thit heo quay
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 1184kcal
Author: Becca Du

Equipment

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Pat dry the skin of 2 pounds of pork belly. Using a meat tenderizer, prick the skin so there are tiny holes throughout the skin. Refer to the diagram above for the desired result.
  • Mix together 1 tsp of five spice powder, 1 tsp of white pepper, 1 tsp of granulated sugar, and 1 tsp of salt. Season the meat with the spice mixture. Make sure the marinade doesn't touch the skin. Marinate for 3 hours in the fridge or overnight for the best results.
  • Once done marinating, place pork belly on a sheet of aluminum foil. Fold up the sides of the aluminum foil so it covers only the sides of the pork belly. It should not cover the skin.
  • Brush a light layer of white vinegar on the skin then cover the skin with a thick layer of salt (~1/2 cup of salt). The salt should be thick enough, so you cannot see the color of the skin underneath. A thicker salt layer makes it easier to remove later.
  • Preheat the air fryer to 250 degrees F. Air fry pork belly for 30 minutes.
  • Increase the temperature to 400 degrees F. Remove salt coating and air fry for another 25-30 minutes to crisp up the skin. The resulting skin should be a nice golden brown.
  • Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

  1. You can make this without marinating the meat, but I personally found the results are not the same. Marinate for at least 3 hours for a tastier result.
  2. Store pork belly in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat, air fry for 3-5 minutes to crisp up the skin.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5lbs | Calories: 1184kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 120g | Saturated Fat: 44g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 56g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Sodium: 12012mg | Potassium: 437mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 26IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 2mg