Crispy Air Fryer Pork Belly

These little bites of Air Fryer Pork Belly are crispy, salty, and absolutely delicious. They will melt in your mouth with amazing flavor and texture.

Recipe Overview

You are going to fall in love with this simple recipe for crispy air fryer pork belly! We are flavoring our pork with a quick Asian-style marinade and then cooking in the air fryer until each piece is tender and browned, and the fat is perfectly rendered.

This is a recipe for making air fryer pork belly without boiling it first. It’s not needed because we are cooking small pieces.

If you’ve never cooked pork belly before, making pork belly in the air fryer is a great way to do it for the first time. This recipe is super simple, completed entirely in the air fryer, and only takes about 30 minutes.

Try Air Fryer Orange Chicken for another delicious Asian-style meal!

What You’ll Need

• Pork Belly – You’ll need a 1-pound slab. Rise and pat try and then cut with a sharp knife into 1-inch pieces.
• Avocado Oil – I love using this mild flavored oil for air fryer cooking.
• Low Sodium Soy Sauce – You can use Tamari if you are gluten-free.
• Mirin – Mirin is a Japanese cooking wine that is sweet and tangy. Try to find this, but if you can’t you can substitute a sweet cooking wine or even rice wine vinegar with a pinch of sugar.
• Garlic Powder – warm and flavorful, this adds a savory aspect to the pork.
• Kosher Salt – If you aren’t using a low-sodium soy sauce, you may want to reduce this.
• Black Pepper – For a subtle warmth flavor.

How to Make It

1. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut the pork belly into 1-inch-sized pieces and place in a bowl with the oil, soy sauce, and mirin. Toss to coat, then season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
3. Spread the pork belly in an even layer inside of an air fryer basket.
4. Cook for 15-20 minutes, shaking and flipping twice during cooking to ensure even doneness.
5. Check the pork belly for doneness, adding more time in 3-5 minute increments until it has crisped up to your liking.
6. Serve warm with your favorite sauce or lime wedges.

Serving Tips

This pork is delicious to eat all on its own, however, I like to pair it with an Asian side dish like Air Fryer Fried Rice or Air Fryer Eggrolls to make a complete meal.

Where to Buy Pork Belly

Many grocery stores carry this cut of meat, but not all of them. It’s sort of a specialty cut. I find that the Asian grocery stores near me always have pork belly at a good price. You can also pick up mirin while you’re there!

Alternately, call your favorite local butcher and ask them to set aside some pork belly for you. The little bit of extra work will be well worth it.

Tips for Extra Crispyness

If your pork belly doesn’t look crispy enough after cooking for 15-20 minutes, cook for another 3 -5 minutes and check it again.

If your pork belly isn’t burned, you haven’t overcooked it. Just keep going until it’s perfect.

More Recipes to Try

Air Fryer Bacon is another smoky and delicious pork treat. Make it for breakfast or sandwiches.

If you’re looking for a meal for the family that is simple but impressive, try making an Air Fryer Whole Chicken.

Air Fryer Lamb Chops are a delicious, slightly fancy dinner that’s easy top make.