Crispy Air Fryer Pork Belly (Crispiest Crackling Ever!) 

Air fryer pork belly is one of the quickest ways to achieve crispy crackling and perfectly tender meat. This savoury dish is inspired by my favourite Chinese flavours and comes together surprisingly fast, making it ideal when you don’t want to deal with long cooking times. I love serving it sliced or as pork belly bites alongside this Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce.

Why you’ll love this recipe

My air fryer pork belly recipe will show you exactly how to cook pork belly in the air fryer for crispy crackling and juicy meat every time. Here’s why you’ll love it:

• Quick & easy: This air fryer pork belly requires minimal clean up. All you need is your airfryer, some foil, and a little love! Some pork belly recipes use an oven to roast it, which take up to 2 hours from start to finish, but with this recipe, we get a tender and crispy result in less than 1 hour! 
• Yummy crackling: Everyone knows that one of the main benefits of using an airfryer is a crispy end result. So when you air fry pork belly, it gets super crispy, crunchy and delicious! Try this Extra Crispy Pork Cutlet for another crispy protein option.
• Fakeaway classic: If crispy pork belly is on a menu, I have to order it! I love it too much. Which is why I like making this pork belly in air fryer recipe at home – it’s affordable & requires minimal effort, so I can save money and eat one of my favourite dishes from the comfort of my sofa. I do the same with my Tender Pepper Steak Recipe (Better Than Takeout).

Satisfy your meat cravings and try these other recipes: Air Fryer Steak Bites with Garlic Butter, Tender Braising Steak with Gravy and Easy Turkey Steak Recipe.

If you’re wondering what ingredients you’ll need before learning how to cook pork belly in the air fryer – here are the main ones:

• Pork belly: This recipe calls for a whole piece of pork belly. I also buy pork belly strips for other recipes, but this recipe works best by air frying the pork belly whole and then slicing. 

• Five spice: If you don’t have five spice, the end result will still be delicious so feel free to omit. You could also add a little ground ginger to the air fryer pork belly in replacement of this, if you have some instead. 
• Rapeseed oil: We don’t need loads of oil but 1tbsp helps us get the crispiest pork belly!

See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and quantities.

How to make air fryer pork belly

Note: For the crispiest crackling, season the pork with salt and leave uncovered in the fridge for a couple of hours to draw out the moisture. 

1. Season the pork with salt and rub with your hands to encourage the moisture to release (Image 1).
2. Use a paper towel to remove the moisture (Image 2).

3. Season again with salt as the paper towel would have removed most of it, then coat in the oil and sugar. Then score the fat diagonally (Image 3).

4. Sprinkle the garlic powder on the base of the pork, then place in foil. (Image 4).

5. Fold the foil so that the sides are covered, leaving the fat exposed (Image 5).

6. Pop in the airfryer for 30 minutes at  360°F (180°C) (Image 6).

7. After this time, increase the heat to 390°F (200°C) and cook for 15-20 more minutes (Image 7).

8. Check on the pork belly a few times to see if hot spots are cooking more than others. If they are, place some foil over the parts that may be about to burn (Image 8). 

9. Allow to rest on a chopping board (Image 9).

10. Slice into strips and enjoy! I love to serve mine with rice and steamed pak choi (Image 10). 

Pair this pork belly recipe with one of these side dishes: Easy Flatbread Recipe, Creamy Polenta with Parmesan or Easy Cheesy Mashed Potatoes.

What is pork belly?

Pork belly is a fatty, boneless cut of meat that comes from the belly of the pig and is used across many cuisines. My favourite way to enjoy it is cooked Asian-style, where the contrast between juicy meat and crispy crackling really shines.

Air fryer pork belly recipes are popular because you don’t need to preheat the oven or cook it for hours. To make pork belly in the air fryer, the meat is cooked at a lower temperature first to render the fat, then finished at a higher heat to crisp the skin. In this recipe, the pork belly cooks at 360°F (180°C) for 30 minutes, followed by 390°F (200°C) for 15-20 minutes, giving a total cook time of around 40-50 minutes depending on thickness and your air fryer model.

I leave the skin on when air frying pork belly because the best part is the crispy crackling. Scoring the skin helps it puff up and become extra crunchy as it cooks.

Serving Suggestions

This air fryer pork belly is so versatile!

Try it with:

• Thai noodle salad
• Wagamama’s Chicken Ramen
• Gochujang Noodles. 
• Easy Mexican Street Corn
• Crispy Smashed Broccoli
• Easy Diced Air Fryer Potatoes

Leftover Storage and Reheat Instructions

After making this pork belly air fryer recipe, you can easily store and reheat leftovers.

Refrigerator: Store the air fryer pork belly in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 2 days.

Freezer: You can keep air fried pork belly in the freezer for 4-6 months. 

Reheat: Pork belly can be reheated multiple ways. Reheat in the microwave using 30 second increments until piping hot. Reheat in the airfryer set to 390°F  (200°C) for 5-7 minutes or until heated through. Or in the oven set to 370°F  (190°C) for 10-15 minutes. 

FAQs