Description
Crispy air fryer pork belly promises a succulent journey through Chinese culinary traditions. Crackling skin and tender meat deliver a mouthwatering experience you’ll savor with each delightful bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (0.45 kg) pork belly, skin on (cut into 1-inch cubes or strips)
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp Chinese five-spice (optional, for extra flavor)
- 1 tsp soy sauce (or coconut aminos for a gluten-free option)
- 1 tsp rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Preparation: Pat pork belly dry with kitchen towels and slice into uniform bite-sized cubes, ensuring consistent texture and cooking potential.
- Marination: Craft a flavor-packed marinade by blending aromatic spices and liquid seasonings. Thoroughly coat each pork piece, massaging the mixture to guarantee complete flavor infusion.
- Air Fryer Setup: Preheat air fryer to 400F (200C) for three minutes. Strategically arrange marinated pork pieces in a single layer with skin facing upward to maximize crackling potential.
- Cooking Process: Execute cooking cycle, periodically rotating meat every ten minutes to ensure even browning and prevent adherence. Monitor color transformation and textural development throughout 25-30 minute cooking window.
- Crisp Refinement: For enhanced skin crispness, boost temperature to 425F (220C) and cook an additional 3-5 minutes, vigilantly preventing potential burning.
- Finalization: Remove pork belly and allow brief resting period for temperature stabilization and juice redistribution. Serve alongside complementary condiments like sweet chili sauce, hoisin sauce, or tangy vinegar-based dipping options.
Notes
- Moisture Removal Technique: Thoroughly pat pork belly dry with kitchen towels to guarantee ultra-crispy skin and prevent steaming during air frying.
- Seasoning Penetration Strategy: Massage marinade deeply into meat, ensuring every piece absorbs maximum flavor for a rich, consistent taste profile.
- Strategic Arrangement Hack: Position meat skin-side up in single layer for optimal crackling and prevent overcrowding, which can lead to uneven cooking.
- Temperature Control Precision: Watch heat carefully during final crisping stage to achieve golden-brown exterior without burning, adjusting temperature in short increments.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 440
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 36 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 26 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 2 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg