Air Fryer Pork Belly Bites
Let’s Talk About My Serious Love of Pork Belly in the Air Fryer
Alright, confession time: I probably make these air fryer pork belly bites a bit too often, but in my defense, they never hang around long enough to get old. First time I tried making them it was after a Saturday trip to the market (stomach louder than my thoughts, obviously) and I had this hunk of pork belly staring me down from the fridge. Regular oven? Nah. Too lazy for all that waiting. Enter the air fryer. It’s honestly a little embarrassing how much I rely on that thing now, but here we are. Anyway, if you want crackly, juicy bites of pure happiness, you’re in for a treat here. Just don’t plan on having leftovers; I mean, you can try, but good luck!
Why You’ll Love These Pork Belly Bites (Or, Why My Family Grumbles If I Don’t Make Them)
I throw these together when I promised to cook but want to spend more time on the sofa than sweating over a hot stove (sorry, not sorry). They’re my magic trick for game nights, last-minute potlucks, or even just a Tuesday where rice and kimchi are looking lonely. My sister says these bites make her believe in miracles. Me? I mostly just like anything with crispy fat. The only real struggle I’ve had is keeping my partner form eating half of them before they’re even on the table (it’s a running joke now, but also a little bit not a joke).
Here’s What You’ll Need (But Honestly, I’ve Subbed Stuff Without Disaster)
- About 1 pound of pork belly, skin scored in a criss-cross pattern (sometimes I just ask the butcher to do this—my knife skills? Dubious!)
- 1 teaspoon salt — Maldon is nice, but table salt works in a pinch. Gran swore by Diamond, though, so there’s that.
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (freshly cracked or whatever’s on hand)
- 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder (I swap in smoked paprika if I can’t find the five-spice; not traditional, but hey—it’s tasty)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or coconut aminos, if you’re fancy or allergic)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (white sugar is fine when you’re out; a good glug of maple syrup also isn’t bad in a pinch, believe it or not)
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (apple cider vinegar works fine, nothing fancy)
- Optional: a dash of chili flakes for those heat-seeking folks—my aunt puts sriracha on everything, so, you do you
Making Air Fryer Pork Belly Bites, Chatty-Style
- Cut your pork belly into bite-sized chunks (about 1-inch squares). Don’t stress about perfect cubes, unless you’re on a cooking show or something. Bits will shrink anyway.
- Mix up the marinade: In a big bowl (or honestly, a clean baggie if you hate washing up), combine salt, pepper, five-spice, soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar. Toss the pork pieces until they’re good and coated. Marinate anywhere from 20 minutes to overnight—sometimes I forget and just skip to the next step. It’s fine. (But overnight really does amp up the flavor.)
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C). Sometimes I forget this part and just toss them in cold. Still works, just a bit less crispy.
- Arrange pork belly pieces in the basket in a single layer. Annoying, I know, but if you pile them up they just steam. Do it in batches if you gotta.
- Cook for 10 minutes, shake them around, then give them another 8-10 minutes. Here’s where I usually poke one to check. If they look golden and crispy with little blistery bits, perfect. If not, extra 2 minutes won’t hurt. Don’t worry if the kitchen smells like a bacon explosion, that’s a good sign.
- Let them cool for 5 minutes before digging in. Or ignore this, but don’t blame me for burnt tongues!
What I’ve Learned the Messy Way (Notes from My Actual Kitchen)
- If you cut the pieces too small, they get sad and crunchy (not in a good way). Bigger bites = juicier insides.
- Once I forgot the sugar. Still pretty good, just less caramelized. The brown sugar is worth it though.
- On second thought, if you have extra time, patting the skin dry with a paper towel before cooking gets more crackle. But most days, I just can’t be bothered.
Wild Experiments and Variations (Some Hits, Some Not-So-Much)
- Once I tried marinating with hoisin sauce—tasted pretty good but stuck to the air fryer basket like cement. Would not recommend unless you want to scrub all night.
- Sprinkling on sesame seeds at the end is a nice touch. Or hit them with lime zest if you want to get fancy. I liked it, my mum said it was “weird.”
- My pal Lisa does hers with a honey-harissa glaze. Haven’t tried it yet but if you do, let me know how it goes!
What If You Don’t Have an Air Fryer? (Don’t Panic)
Honestly, you can do these in a hot oven—just crank it to about 220°C and spread the bites on a wire rack over a baking tray. You won’t get quite as much crunch, and the kitchen might get smokier, but it works. I made these for a friend up north who only had an oven the size of a suitcase. Turned out fine.
How Long Do These Last? (Not Long, If We’re Honest)
On the purely theoretical chance you have leftovers, store them in a container in the fridge. They’ll keep alright for 2 days, though the skin softens up a bit. Reheat in the air fryer for 3–5 minutes to crisp them back up. But really—in this house, they’re always gone in about six minutes flat.
Serving Up—in My House, Anyway
Honestly, I just serve ‘em with toothpicks and a little bowl of rice, but my cousin loves dunking them in sweet chili sauce. For parties, I’ll sometimes pile them onto lettuce leaves so it feels almost healthy—emphasis on almost. Once tried making tiny pork belly sliders with bao buns; 10/10 would do again.
My Top Tips (Aka, Oops, Learned That the Hard Way…)
- I once tried to rush the drying step and the skin was more chewy than crispy. Don’t skip it if you have five seconds spare.
- Don’t overcrowd the basket or they end up steaming; trust me, I thought I could squeeze just a few more in. Result? Sad, soggy bites. Lesson painfully learned.
- Actually, preheating helps—yes, even if the manual says it’s optional. The results speak for themselves, but if you forget, it’s not the end of the world.
Questions I’ve Actually Gotten (And a Digression About Spices)
- Can I use pork shoulder instead of belly?
- Sure! It’s leaner and won’t be quite as juicy, but sometimes it’s all I can find at the shop. It’s really good with a sweet BBQ rub. I did that once and everyone still gobbled them up.
- What if I don’t have five-spice powder?
- No problem; honestly, the basic salt, pepper, and sugar still work. You can try making a quick version from scratch (there’s a solid 5-spice DIY recipe on Serious Eats), but I just toss in a pinch of ground clove and cinnamon sometimes.
- How do you keep the air fryer clean afterwards?
- That’s the rub! Pork belly spits fat everywhere. A sheet of parchment with holes poked in it underneath helps a ton—or try these pre-made air fryer liners like these ones. Or resign yourself to a quick scrub, like me.
- Can you freeze these?
- Yes, but why? They’re best fresh and anyway, I can never stop myself long enough to freeze them. If you must, freeze after cooking and air fry from frozen, 5–7 minutes, until sizzling again.
- Why does my skin not get as crispy?
- Lots of reasons! Damp skin, crowding, or sometimes just weird pork. Try patting it really dry or leaving it uncovered in the fridge for an hour before cooking (that’s a trick I picked up off BBC Good Food’s pork belly advice).
OK, so, slightly off topic—did you know you can make pork crackling out of just the skin bits if you ever trim pork belly? I once did this with some spare rind and nearly started a new obsession, but that’s a story for another day… Anyway, you’ll love these pork belly bites—probably too much!
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs pork belly, skinless and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
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1Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 3 minutes.
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2In a large bowl, combine cubed pork belly, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and soy sauce. Toss well to coat evenly.
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3Arrange the seasoned pork belly pieces in a single layer in the air fryer basket, avoiding overcrowding.
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4Air fry at 400°F (200°C) for 20-25 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until the pork belly is golden brown and crisp.
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5Remove the pork belly bites from the air fryer, let them rest for 3 minutes, and serve hot. Enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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