A delicious collection of easy pork belly recipes! Discover recipes from China, Japan, Greece, Vietnam, and Korea, as well as low carb and keto recipes. Roasted, grilled, braised and smoked, you'll find an uncured bacon recipe that you love here!
Pork belly is such an amazing cut of meat, if you haven't tried it before I've got so many great recipes here for you! It's layers of fat make this meat so succulent and juicy and the skin crisps up wonderfully for crackling.
These pork recipes are perfect for main courses and appetizers, and a lot fit into low carb and keto diets.
What Is Pork Belly?
Pork belly comes from the underside of the pig and is a boneless and fatty cut of meat. It can be slow braised, grilled and roasted, and when thinly sliced and smoked it becomes bacon or pancetta. It is generally a relatively cheap cut of meat.
Is Pork Belly the same as Bacon?
Yes and no. It's the same cut of meat, but pork belly is raw, and unprocessed. In contrast, Bacon has been cured, usually with salt or brine, and then smoked.
So put simply, pork belly is raw bacon. To become bacon, pork belly is cured in some fashion.
But they aren't exactly interchangeable in cooking. Uncooked Pork Belly is more versatile since it functions like fatty flavoring but also meat. In contrast, Bacon lends a distinctive salty, smoky flavor to the food.
What does pork belly taste like?
A lot of the flavor of the pork belly comes from the layers of fat. It tastes similar to a pork chop, with a little sweetness, but it is slightly richer.
What cuisines is it found in?
Pork belly is a particularly popular ingredient in Asian recipes, especially Chinese, Korean, and Filipino. You can also find it in Hispanic cuisine. It has more recently become popular in Western cuisine and often used in BBQ or roasted.
How do you know when the pork is cooked?
Pork belly generally requires a long slow cook so that the fat and meats break down to make it wonderfully tender. The best way to know when it is done is to use a meat thermometer, it should register at 165F. The juices should run clear if it is pierced with a fork.
The Best Pork Belly Recipes
Low Carb and Keto Pork Recipes
Pork Belly Cabbage Soup
This keto Pork Belly Cabbage Soup is a delightfully hearty and warming soup that's perfect for a cold day. It's low carb, and can be made in under 30 minutes.
Pork Belly Adobo (Keto/Low Carb)
This Filipino-style Pork Belly Adobo is slightly sweet, slightly tangy and reimagined for low carb, sugar-free diets. Keto-friendly, this caramelized pork belly is worth the effort for a memorable meal.
Pork Curry Slow Cooker Recipe (Keto, Paleo)
Flavorful, rich stew inspired by the flavors of India and slowly cooked to a tender bite. This Pork Curry is low carb, gluten-free, keto and Paleo!
Homemade Pork Lard Scratchings
Those Homemade Crispy Pork Lard Scratchings are a perfect Snack, that can be used in baking, cooking or just on its own.
Crispy Pork Belly Recipes
Cider & Chilli Pork Belly
A beautiful sweet and salty pork belly recipe. Pork belly is slow cooked and then pan fried for the crispiest crackling. Easy to make with just a handful of ingredients.
Crispy Pork Belly | Filipino Lechon Kawali
I love meat that is crispy on the outside, and juicy and tender on the inside and this Crispy Pork Belly Lechon Kawali is just that and it will literally melt in your mouth. It's crunchy, delicious, and full of flavor from the garlic and soy sauce.
Crispy Pork Belly Wrapped Roast
Meat seasoned with herbs wrapped around a pork tenderloin and cooked to juicy, tender perfection. A crazy impressive meal to your guests, but you’ll know how simple it was to make!
Crisped pork belly with whisky-soy sauce
This crisped pork belly may be a decadent appetizer, but it’s easy to make and so full of flavor. And don’t forget the slightly sticky sauce: you’ll be in food heaven.
Pancetta and Bacon Recipes
Easy Pancetta Recipe: Make Pancetta in 60 Seconds
Curing pork belly is so easy, you can do it at home without any additional equipment. You'll wonder why you spent so much money buying it!
Homemade Applewood Smoked Bacon
Making your own bacon is easy with this simple cure. Use your smoker or grill to smoke it with real applewood chips for an amazing deep wood flavor and aroma.
Asian Pork Belly Recipes (Chinese, Filipino, Vietnamese)
Steamed Pork Belly with Preserved Mustard Greens (梅菜扣肉)
Say hello to the ultimate Steamed Pork Belly with Preserved Mustard Greens recipe! Find that irreplaceable flavour from home you all know and love!
Authentic Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Belly (Thit Kho Tau)
Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Belly (Thit kho tau) is classic comfort food of Viet families. This recipe features the authentic and traditional way to cook this dish in Vietnam. Pork belly is slowly braised until it has a beautiful caramel color and becomes so flavorful and tender.
Braised Pork Belly with Caramel Miso Sauce
A delicious melt-in-your-mouth Pork Belly recipe with a Japanese inspired glaze.
Sticky Pork Belly with Pineapple and Soy Sauce
This sticky pork belly with pineapple hits the salty, sour, sweet and spicy flavour profiles and tastes spectacular!
Spicy Filipino Bicol Express
This spicy Filipino bicol express is an indulgent treat. The pork belly is amazing and tender, but it is heavy, which makes this for an indulgent treat.
Easy Pork Belly Recipes
BBQ Pork Belly Slices Recipe
BBQ Pork Belly slices are an easy-to-make alternative to slow-roasted pork belly, with all the finger-licking satisfaction.
Slow Roast Pork Belly
Learn how to make Slow Roast Pork Belly from the Greeks. Fennel, paprika, marjoram and mustard takes this piece of meat to new heights!
More Pork Recipes
- Pulled Pork- loaded with delicious Mexican flavor.
- Pork Carnitas- Make these in your Instant Pot.
- Instant Pot Pulled Pork- tacos seasoned with Indian spices.
- Smoked Mexican Pork Shoulder- lovely smoked flavors.
- Pressure Cooker Carne Adovada- a low carb delight.
- Schezuan Pork Soup- Sichuan cuisine made at home.
- Chile Verde- a quick and easy pork recipe.
- Instant Pot Pork Stew- a hearty low carb soup.
Don't forget to check out my other Best-selling Instant Pot Cookbooks!
Indian Instant Pot, Keto Instant Pot, Instant Pot Fast and Easy, Healthy Instant Pot & Vegetarian Instant Pot.
Leave a Reply